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[Volcynika]

Well Not quite, the DS lacks Star Ocean 1 & 2, Suikoden I & II, Brave Story, FF Tactics, and other NIS, Atlus games I was going to mention Valkyrie Profile, but it's getting remade for the DS

It is? I thought they were just making a completely separate new game.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

It is? I thought they were just making a completely separate new game.

No it isn't a remake, it's an entirely different game...

 

[Chris Michael]

It is? I thought they were just making a completely separate new game.

It is... it's a spinoff.

 

[NolbertoS]

No it isn't a remake, it's an entirely different game...

Oh..thought I heard it was a remake, been slow on getting my RPG news. Well, than the DS lacks "Valkyrie Profile"

 

[Volcynika]

I was confused! I did hear of the new title, so don't go thinking I thought it was a remake, I just thought some announcement totally went over my head.

 

[Brandon F]

I anxiously await the US marketing followup to DQM: Joker's timeless commercial for these games!

 

[Volcynika]

I anxiously await the US marketing followup to DQM: Joker's timeless commercial for these games!

WHY did you have to bring that up? God, I hated those.

 

[Fuu]

I anxiously await the US marketing followup to DQM: Joker's timeless commercial for these games!

We can only hope. :lol

 

[x3sphere]

North America will probably get their own press release sometime today, since it's only close to 9am in the SE offices. Hurry up you guyz. But great that Europe is getting it very close to the NA release.

Yea, just received the NA PR from S-E. Came with two new screenshots:

EXPERIENCE DRAGON QUEST LIKE NEVER BEFORE IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND!

The Zenithia Trilogy Makes its Way to North America for the First Time, with

DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen Kicking Off the Adventure September 16, 2008

LOS ANGELES (May 21, 2008) – Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix™ interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that the Zenithia Trilogy, which includes DRAGON QUEST® IV: Chapters of the Chosen™, DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride™ and DRAGON QUEST VI: Realms of Reverie™ is headed for North American shores. The trilogy commences September 16, 2008 with the release of DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen.

Get ready to journey through the lands, seas and skies of the vibrant DRAGON QUEST world with a collection of remakes that bring three classic tales exclusively to Nintendo DS™. With 3D graphics, newly animated monsters and dual screen presentation, the series that has shipped over 43 million units to date promises to captivate an entirely new generation of players, as well as treat long-time fans to a special rendition of three beloved entries in the franchise.

DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii

Character Design: Akira Toriyama

Music: Koichi Sugiyama

Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.

Developer: ArtePiazza

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: RPG

ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)

©2007, 2008 ARMOR PROJECT/BIRD STUDIO/ARTEPIAZZA/ SQUARE ENIX All Rights Reserved.

Ship Date: September 16, 2008

A tale of epic proportions told through a unique chapter sequence that enables players to experience multiple character perspectives. Embark on an adventure with characters from different walks of life, all destined to unite with you, the hero, to save the world.

DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii

Character Design: Akira Toriyama

Music: Koichi Sugiyama

Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.

Developer: ArtePiazza

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: RPG

ESRB: Not Yet Rated

©ARMOR PROJECT/BIRD STUDIO/ARTEPIAZZA/ SQUARE ENIX All Rights Reserved.

Ship Date: TBA

Never before released in North America, this entry in the Zenithia Trilogy follows a journey that transcends three generations. Travel alongside your father on his quest to see the world, grow to set forth on a journey of your own and face life-altering decisions as you continue your family’s legacy.

DRAGON QUEST VI: Realms of Reverie

Scenario & Game Design / General Director: Yuji Horii

Character Design: Akira Toriyama

Music: Koichi Sugiyama

Publisher: Square Enix, Inc.

Developer: ArtePiazza

Platform: Nintendo DS

Genre: RPG

ESRB: Not Yet Rated

© ARMOR PROJECT/BIRD STUDIO/ARTEPIAZZA/ SQUARE ENIX All Rights Reserved.

Ship Date: TBA

Also coming to North America for the first time, DRAGON QUEST VI: Realms of Reverie for Nintendo DS brings the classic console title into the handheld scene. Explore two parallel worlds while distinguishing reality from illusion and seeking to discover the true meaning of your very existence.

DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. DRAGON QUEST IV: Chapters of the Chosen will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99 (USD). The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/zenithia/.

DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and DRAGON QUEST VI: Realms of Reverie are not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings.

 

[Aeana]

The lack of funky text-accent pleases me.

 

[HK-47]

The lack of funky text-accent pleases me.

What do you mean? Like Yangus?

 

[Aeana]

What do you mean? Like Yangus?

From the English script hidden away in the Japanese version.
I was hoping they'd tone it down in the final version. Maybe they didn't. We'll see.

 

[NolbertoS]

The lack of funky text-accent pleases me.

I'm saddened , only cuz I grew up with the "Shakespearean English" of the NES DW games.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

40 dollars is a bit steep, but whatever. I'm getting it.

And that is why there exists the Square-Enix tax.

 

[batbeg]

Bit of a shame to hear they're killing the series with the Square-Enix tax. I was almost sure they would've sent these out normal price, but alas...

I'm actually pretty hyped now! The way the stories are told in IV and V sounds really unique, and I'm looking forward to these. Are the stories ever a huge focus in the games though? By which I mean I found VIII's story to be generic and predictable, or maybe just a bit more "subdued" for the gameplay purposes, but these sound really different.

 

[MoxManiac]

Did...did S-E just confirm DQV and VI themselves in the PR?? :O

 

[HK-47]

And that is why there exists the Square-Enix tax.

We are damned if we do, damned if we dont. I really think SE isnt gonna be doing DQ any favors with it though

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Bit of a shame to hear they're killing the series with the Square-Enix tax. I was almost sure they would've sent these out normal price, but alas...

I'm actually pretty hyped now! The way the stories are told in IV and V sounds really unique, and I'm looking forward to these. Are the stories ever a huge focus in the games though? By which I mean I found VIII's story to be generic and predictable, or maybe just a bit more "subdued" for the gameplay purposes, but these sound really different.

DQ is never about the destination. It's about the journey.

Did...did S-E just confirm DQV and VI themselves in the PR?? :O

Well really, what would you rather have? Them confirm it 100% via website and PR, or me having to constantly say "IT'S FUCKING COMING, CHRIST ON A STICK PEOPLE"?

 

[Aeana]

Bit of a shame to hear they're killing the series with the Square-Enix tax. I was almost sure they would've sent these out normal price, but alas...

I'm actually pretty hyped now! The way the stories are told in IV and V sounds really unique, and I'm looking forward to these. Are the stories ever a huge focus in the games though? By which I mean I found VIII's story to be generic and predictable, or maybe just a bit more "subdued" for the gameplay purposes, but these sound really different.

The story focus in DQ games is probably different from what you're used to. Instead of focusing on your final destination, the real story takes place as part of your journey. You encounter lots of smaller stories that you actually feel a part of, and I personally feel it's a much more engaging storytelling method.

 

[Mechar]

Holly balls! 40 bucks I never would´ve imagined they´d price it. 29.99 sounds more reasonable in my oppinion. I also think they would sell alot more if the price was that. But this is Square Enix we´re talking about it.

 

[HK-47]

Bit of a shame to hear they're killing the series with the Square-Enix tax. I was almost sure they would've sent these out normal price, but alas...

I'm actually pretty hyped now! The way the stories are told in IV and V sounds really unique, and I'm looking forward to these. Are the stories ever a huge focus in the games though? By which I mean I found VIII's story to be generic and predictable, or maybe just a bit more "subdued" for the gameplay purposes, but these sound really different.

I believe DQ VIII was suppose to be very traditional in story. Plus it was a Level 5 game

 

[Dragona Akehi]

I believe DQ VIII was suppose to be very traditional in story. Plus it was a Level 5 game

Level 5 were codemonkeys for DQVIII. That is all.

 

[Aeana]

I believe DQ VIII was suppose to be very traditional in story. Plus it was a Level 5 game

How does it being a "Level 5 game" have anything to do with the story? Yuji Horii writes the scenario himself for every Dragon Quest game. Level 5 just did the grunt work (coding and graphics).

 

[sennin]

VIII isn't notable for its story, I think it fits nicely into the description of engaging journey over unforgettable story. I will dispute that Level 5 are just being foot soldiers though, they deserve more credit. Otherwise Yuji Hori and Akira Toriyama can simply release it in manga form with a cd containing soundtracks by Koichi Sugiyama. Their cel-shading skills are worthy of note, and I'm glad they were given the chance to work on Japan's premiere rpg, giving their small firm a boost in credibility and networking opportunities.

 

[Y2Kev]

$40 bucks is not really the "let's make DQ popular in America" price. Square continues to mishandle this series in America, IMO.

 

[Man God]

I propose we rename the SE tax to the Spirits Within Relief Fund Tax.

 

[sennin]

Here's another voice to complain about the high (relative to other DS games) price point, and that's turning me off from day one purchase. I'm be heading over to CAG ever so often to see if DQ IV gets a discount somewhere... Failing in which, I'd wait for the reprint.

 

[MoxManiac]

DQ is never about the destination. It's about the journey.



Well really, what would you rather have? Them confirm it 100% via website and PR, or me having to constantly say "IT'S FUCKING COMING, CHRIST ON A STICK PEOPLE"?

It's nothing to do with you, I just always remain skeptical until the company themselves specifically announce it's coming 100%. For example, I remain skeptical about Star Ocean 1/2 PSP until said PR comes (uh, has it come yet?)

 

[HK-47]

How does it being a "Level 5 game" have anything to do with the story? Yuji Horii writes the scenario himself for every Dragon Quest game. Level 5 just did the grunt work (coding and graphics).

Oh I thought they overlooked the entire project. Sorry

 

[Aeana]

Oh I thought they overlooked the entire project. Sorry

Dragon Quest is kind of a unique beast. Basically, there are three main guys and their companies who are the core of Dragon Quest. Yuji Horii and his team at Armor Project for the scenario and general game design, Akira Toriyama and his Bird Studio team for the character and monster designs, and Koichi Sugiyama for music. These guys select a development house to handle the programming and graphics work for the game. For DQ1-5, it was Chun Soft. For 6 and 7, it was Heartbeat, and for 8 it was Level 5.

 

[NolbertoS]

Here's another voice to complain about the high (relative to other DS games) price point, and that's turning me off from day one purchase. I'm be heading over to CAG ever so often to see if DQ IV gets a discount somewhere... Failing in which, I'd wait for the reprint.

I doubt DQ will ever be popular here in North America. The High MSRP price is probably for the JRPG's fans of the DS, as I see DQIV getting a limited run initially, or SE pulling an Atlus, and being conservative with the price, so they can get a favourable ROI. I'm happy that it's being released, but not surprised about the price. Again, I'm betting DQIV will see limited copies, and if all the games are scooped up too, than maybe they'll release DQV DS for cheaper.

 

[Jucksalbe]

As a European, I probably will import the US version because of its cheap(!) price and because I like my number in the title. It's gonna be 40€ over here for sure, at least. FFIII was even higher priced upon its release (45€, at least everywhere I looked).

 

[sennin]

And it is notable for its story imo.

Oh that's easy to fault. It is lacking depth in intelligence from several fronts - namely politics, philosophy, etc. Compared to Planescape:Torment which had a large sphere encompassing matured takes on subjects of identity, redemption and revenge, DQ VIII is generic in its story-telling. Save the world folks, evil wizard wants to destroy it. We've all done this at one point or another in almost every jrpg, chasing the main evil guy who manages to escape to another town/dungeon affair for some cheap reason. We get to enact all 12 chapters of this in regurgitated yet diversified cycles. Same bad guy; different locale. As far as the Japanese understand betrayal in their games, it is either your best friend or your father/mentor/some figure of authority, so sometimes the bad guy changes. :lol That by itself hardly constitutes valid material for criticism, but the expositions and characterizations often fail to provide well-thought out justifications for betrayal, hence a Deus Ex Machina will form. Is there a conflict of ideals? Was it greed or jealousy that encouraged betrayal? Is the progeny's usefulness up? These are basic questions I don't see jrpgs going the extra mile to explore in their scripts.

I'd say that English voice-acting (which I heard, so maybe someone can prove/disprove it, the Japanese version lacks) talents in DQ VIII helped provide ample strength in bringing out the charm of Toriyama's characters. What we have here is the sophisticated mastery of technical codings by Level 5, artistic merits of Akira Toriyama and the fusion of European accents kneaded nicely with the Eastern efforts. Side UK, Ltd needs to voice more games.

I doubt DQ will ever be popular here in North America. The High MSRP price is probably for the JRPG's fans of the DS, as I see DQIV getting a limited run initially, or SE pulling an Atlus, and being conservative with the price, so they can get a favourable ROI. I'm happy that it's being released, but not surprised about the price. Again, I'm betting DQIV will see limited copies, and if all the games are scooped up too, than maybe they'll release DQV DS for cheaper.

Front Mission DS burned me. I bought it on week 2 @ full price, and a few months later discounts of it started popping up. I'm bitten and I'm shy. Heh, unless I see a massive advertising campaign for DQ IV to hype things up, I'm taking this slow.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

I knew this was going to be $40...

No DS game from SE can escape it apparently, not even risky new IPs. >_>

 

[Aeana]

Oh that's easy to fault. It is lacking depth in intelligence from several fronts - namely politics, philosophy, etc. Compared to Planescape:Torment which had a large sphere encompassing matured takes on subjects of identity, redemption and revenge, DQ VIII is generic in its story-telling. Save the world folks, evil wizard wants to destroy it. We've all done this at one point or another in almost every jrpg, chasing the main evil guy who manages to escape to another town/dungeon affair for some cheap reason. We get to enact all 12 chapters of this in regurgitated yet diversified cycles. Same bad guy; different locale. As far as the Japanese understand betrayal in their games, it is either your best friend or your father/mentor/some figure of authority, so sometimes the bad guy changes. :lol That by itself hardly constitutes valid material for criticism, but the expositions and characterizations often fail to provide well-thought out justifications for betrayal, hence a Deus Ex Machina will form. Is there a conflict of ideals? Was it greed or jealousy that encouraged betrayal? Is the progeny's usefulness up? These are basic questions I don't see jrpgs going the extra mile to explore in their scripts.

None of this applies to DQ, and it never will. Dragon Quest games are not cinematic, and the overarching stories are usually very simple. The real meat of the storytelling comes through in the individual villages, with the individual NPCs themselves. Dragon Quest games are very personal experiences. To reiterate what's already been said, the focus is on the journey, not the destination.

It seems that a lot of people have a hard time understanding this, and it seems like something that just has to click with each individual player.

 

[Red Scarlet]

My mistake, Scarlett, thought you stated it was coming Stateside, must've been Dragona and Aeana than . I'm now wanting a DQ 1 - III DS Remake, come on SE, you know you can sell alot more copies of DQ I - III on the DS if you revamped the graphics.

One T. I'm not Scarlett Johansson!

Someone earlier asked how 4-6 were connected and if there were lovely subtle hints to part 4 later, no, not really.

Spoiler

The Tenkuu/Zenithia equipment is in each of the games, as is the castle and..not much else more.

 

[Error]

Dragon Quest storytelling is episodic, each episode (which in DQ means reaching a new town) builds up the main plot. But the enjoyment of DQ storylines doesn't come from the main plot (those are usually pretty simple evil vs good) it comes from those little subplots that you encounter while traveling. Those are the essence of DQ stories.

 

[Rpgmonkey]

Yeah, I find myself liking the people I meet much more than the actual real task itself.

That's what I like about the games though. The goal is pretty much the same every game, but there's so many new characters and locations to meet or visit that it makes them all new and enjoyable experiences.

Also, do the logos mean anything in this case?

IV has the castle, VI's kinda looks like it's based the whole illusion world thing, but V doesn't look like anything...

 

[HK-47]

Oh that's easy to fault. It is lacking depth in intelligence from several fronts - namely politics, philosophy, etc. Compared to Planescape:Torment which had a large sphere encompassing matured takes on subjects of identity, redemption and revenge, DQ VIII is generic in its story-telling. Save the world folks, evil wizard wants to destroy it. We've all done this at one point or another in almost every jrpg, chasing the main evil guy who manages to escape to another town/dungeon affair for some cheap reason. We get to enact all 12 chapters of this in regurgitated yet diversified cycles. Same bad guy; different locale. As far as the Japanese understand betrayal in their games, it is either your best friend or your father/mentor/some figure of authority, so sometimes the bad guy changes. :lol That by itself hardly constitutes valid material for criticism, but the expositions and characterizations often fail to provide well-thought out justifications for betrayal, hence a Deus Ex Machina will form. Is there a conflict of ideals? Was it greed or jealousy that encouraged betrayal? Is the progeny's usefulness up? These are basic questions I don't see jrpgs going the extra mile to explore in their scripts.

I'd say that English voice-acting (which I heard, so maybe someone can prove/disprove it, the Japanese version lacks) talents in DQ VIII helped provide ample strength in bringing out the charm of Toriyama's characters. What we have here is the sophisticated mastery of technical codings by Level 5, artistic merits of Akira Toriyama and the fusion of European accents kneaded nicely with the Eastern efforts. Side UK, Ltd needs to voice more games.



Front Mission DS burned me. I bought it on week 2 @ full price, and a few months later discounts of it started popping up. I'm bitten and I'm shy. Heh, unless I see a massive advertising campaign for DQ IV to hype things up, I'm taking this slow.

Dude, you realize Planescape pretty much rips everything in those terms. Thats no comparison. And DQ had plenty of moving moments that many other RPGs failed at, like Dominico's remorse over the failure at his true purpose and the realization of how arrogant he was. Very often grief in video games come off over the top or flimsy. I think they got it right.

You act as if Planescape doesnt have its fair share of cliches. They arent even close in terms of goals, setting or purpose. DQ takes simple story ideas and executes them well. Its not meant to be some riveting tale delving into human nature or purpose, but sometimes it does.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Yeah, I find myself liking the people I meet much more than the actual real task itself.

That's what I like about the games though. The goal is pretty much the same every game, but there's so many new characters and locations to meet or visit that it makes them all new and enjoyable experiences.

Also, do the logos mean anything in this case?

IV has the castle, VI's kinda looks like it's based the whole illusion world thing, but V doesn't look like anything...

Unless it was changed, 5's logo was three hoops around the 5, which could be the three rings in the game that have a couple of purposes to the main storyline.

 

[Aeana]

Unless it was changed, 5's logo was three hoops around the 5, which could be the three rings in the game that have a couple of purposes to the main storyline.

That was always my interpretation, as well.

 

[HK-47]

Aeana, is your avatar part of a bigger picture? Famitsu cover maybe?

 

[Link1110]

I'm saddened , only cuz I grew up with the "Shakespearean English" of the NES DW games.

Dragon Warrior 4 never had that.

 

[Aeana]

Aeana, is your avatar part of a bigger picture? Famitsu cover maybe?

Yeah, this.

 

[batbeg]

Aeana, is your avatar part of a bigger picture? Famitsu cover maybe?

It's from this: http://i31.tinypic.com/ic924z.jpg

from some magazine I believe.

I twas beated

 

[Rpgmonkey]

Unless it was changed, 5's logo was three hoops around the 5, which could be the three rings in the game that have a couple of purposes to the main storyline.

Oh, that makes sense.

 

[thebagofsand]

I need to finish DQM:J and VII before these come out.

 

[sennin]

None of this applies to DQ, and it never will. Dragon Quest games are not cinematic, and the overarching stories are usually very simple. The real meat of the storytelling comes through in the individual villages, with the individual NPCs themselves. Dragon Quest games are very personal experiences. To reiterate what's already been said, the focus is on the journey, not the destination.

It seems that a lot of people have a hard time understanding this, and it seems like something that just has to click with each individual player.

Oh I'm aware of this, I'm not faulting DQ for failing to break out of tradition, rather I'm only commenting I prioritize for myself that liking DQ means appreciating its mechanics as gameplay (combat system) first, exploration second, and the story is a distant 3rd. The one thing I really want to do when these DS remakes are released is to tinker with the class systems.

Why compare it to Planescape? There are few, if any, rpg stories that compare to Planescape.

Further more, since when did all rpg or game stories in general have to give insight into matters such as philosophy or psychology. What is this? Silent Hill? Indiana Jones movies are nothing but straight adventure and they're good stories. They don't make philosophy a serious theme, and DQ is in the same way. Philosophy is irrelevant to a good story.

Dude, you realize Planescape pretty much rips everything in those terms. Thats no comparison. And DQ had plenty of moving moments that many other RPGs failed at, like Dominico's remorse over the failure at his true purpose and the realization of how arrogant he was. Very often grief in video games come off over the top or flimsy. I think they got it right.

You act as if Planescape doesnt have its fair share of cliches. They arent even close in terms of goals, setting or purpose. DQ takes simple story ideas and executes them well. Its not meant to be some riveting tale delving into human nature or purpose, but sometimes it does.

Since both of you brought up a similar point, I'd address them together. First off, I'm not suggesting that stories need philosophy to succeed, indeed, philosophy is but one aspect of academia that helps to heighten a person's self-awareness. My idea of good stories (which are bound to differ from everyone else's) must serve a few roles.

i.) Are they well thought out? This would be the standard definitions of characterization and expositions. Well articulated characters reacting to challenges, whether they fail or succeed is up the author to tell the tale, but what's more important is how the author conveys ideas into words.
ii.) Do they reflect contemporary social issues or classical conflicts? Marxism, or class divide (Final Fantasy Tactics did an excellent job with strong narratives to highlight the class divide from chapters 1~2, until they fucked it up with its stereotypical evil Church/demons arc in chapter 4), Nature v. Nurture (you can find this in almost every jrpg/anime, although not everyone of them is equal in quality..), Bioethics (MassEffect + Tales of the Abyss did a pretty decent job at dramatizing this), Racial discrimination (Tales games, mostly Symphonia and Abyss are again good at this). Bioshock is unique in

Spoiler

demonstrating the futile attempts, and society's hypocritical and shallow understanding of freewill.

So definitely I think there is more to good prose in games than just Planescape: Torment. :lol Never once have I implied that these standards of mine should be adopted by everyone, nor am I about to start now.

 

[Ranger X]

OMG. For some reason i didn't saw this thread.

FF4 and DQ4. Confirmed. Love that.

 

[sennin]

The church has been a constant factor in all DQ games, but it's never a source of bigotry as seen in other Japanese rpgs.

There are, however, a few factors that may some DQ stories pretty unique. First off, DQV is about the tale of a young boy. You see him born into the world at the beginning of the game.

Spoiler

You play as him as he grows from young boy, to teenager, to adult. From child to husband, and finally father.

The emphasis on family in DQV is a constant, which is a rarity in this medium. If anything, the elements you just brought up in your second point are cliches. Almost every other Japanese rpg brings up an oh so evil church, and racism.

DQ games are, like we said before, not really traditional game stories. The overall story is simple good vs evil, it's really the subplots and side stories that we enjoy.

I agree with the first point that DQ V's sim segment is interesting.That's a secondary reason I'm anticipating DQ V. That evil church is overdone in jrpgs is a given, and certainly none of them rivals "The AntiChrist" by Frederick Nietzsche or the more recent but equally fun read "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins. Before I get ahead of myself though, I probably should stop here least I get nitpicked on for comparing books to games. :lol

Racism though I'm inclined to favor the 2 Tales game I mention as having marvelous dialogs. The trouble I'm having now is I can't really bring up specific examples to show how jrpgs stereotype racism, and just how exactly Symphonia and Abyss did it better than everyone else. Feel free to strike this off as a generic, sweeping statement until evidence to the contrary is presented.