Dragon Quest XI - DS Exclusive

[Wizard]

Square Enix held a press conference in Tokyo today to announce the next entry in the main Dragon Quest series. In a surprise move, Japan's most popular series will continue not on the PS3 or the Wii, as many had expected. Instead, Square Enix will be bringing the game to the DS.

 

The full name of Dragon Quest 9 is Dragon Quest 9: Hoshizora no Mamoribito. The surname can be translated to "Protectors of the sky."

 

Level 5 will be handling development on the game. The hot-shot development studio headed up development on Dragon Quest 8, before turning to a couple of projects for Sony. On the DS, the studio is currently working on Professor Layton and the Mysterious Village, to be self-published early next year.

 

Development staff on Level 5's end is the same as from Dragon Quest 8, right down to company president Akihiro Hino, who's serving as producer. Other staff members should come as no surprise. Series father Yuji Horii, heading up the project once again, was in attendance at the press conference, and said, "The DS version is not a side-story, but a true part of the series." Kouichi Sugiyama will be lending his talents to the game's soundtrack. And all future Dragon Quest soundtracks, it seems, as he took the stage today to say "I will continue making Dragon Quest music until I die."

 

Development seems to be quite far along. The online arms of magazines Famitsu and Gemaga, report that a demo was held at the press conference, with Horii and other guests playing the game live. Dragon Quest 9 features an action-oriented battle system playable cooperatively by up to four players via Wi-Fi. This is the first network-based Dragon Quest, Horii noted. The DS's dual screen setup is also put to use, with the top screen showing a map and the bottom screen housing all the action.

 

Horii is aiming for a Japanese release some time in 2007. With Dragon Quest 8 pulling in favorable sales internationally, expect a release outside of Japan to follow.

 

DS.IGN.com

GoNintendo.com

Gameplay Footage(From Kotaku.com)

Footage from the press release. (Japanese) (on youtube)

DQ9 Website

[Gryph]

Wow, that's a pretty big shift. Seems like a good move since the DS will probably outsell PS3 and Wii for a long time to come.

[Agozer]

Ha, I decided to check Joystiq just a few minutes ago and found this article. The game's going to boost DS sales like crazy, that's for sure.

 

Note to self: Finish Dragon Quest VIII before you die.

[L.S.D]

Is DQ games really that good? Never play one before.

[Wizard]

Their good games, I suggest checking them out. Espeically the 8. I like 8, makes me feel all funny inside.

[L.S.D]

SO, it is turn based gameplay? Need to play through 1 - 8 to understand the story or it is not canon to each others?

[Agozer]

Dragon Quest VIII is awesome to the max. Seriously. I've clocked over 50 hours of gameplay in it, and I think I'm only past halfway. The fact that Level 5 are the ones who developed it just adds to the awesomeness

 

VIII makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Exploring the world is a good past time. The stories are not canon, and yes, the games are turn-based.

 

I need to make a review of DQ8. I have a 4-week vacation, so I should be able to pull it off.

[Wizard]

SO, it is turn based gameplay? Need to play through 1 - 8 to understand the story or it is not canon to each others?

DQ9 isn't, but the past games have been.