Dragon Quest VIII Gets an Enhanced Re-release on the 3DS

The Dragon Quest series has been around since before many of us were born, and there are few entries in the series as well-loved by both audiences and critics as Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, which is why Square Enix is bringing it to the 3DS as an enhanced re-release.

According to Siliconera, this updated port of DQVIII will not only bring Jessica, Yangus, and the whole DQVIII to life on the small-screen, but expands on the original's gameplay with new party members like the thief Gerda and Monster Arena owner Morrie. There will also be new quests, a StreetPass implementation (naturally), voice acting, and a completely remastered soundtrack performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Of course, it wouldn't be a modern game release if there weren't pre-order incentives, so eager players can expect different pieces of bonus equipment depending on where they pre-order DQVIII.

The Dragon Quest games aren't for everyone; they're decidedly retro, employing some sound effects which are decades-old (like that annoying victory jingle) and maintaining old-school RPG rules like primarily forcing players to save their games and resurrect party members in towns. Still, there's something about Dragon Quest that withstands the test of time, and this new handheld re-release could bring DQVIII to life for an entirely new generation of slime-killing wannabe heroes.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King arrives on August 27, 2015 in Japan, and has yet to be confirmed for a release in North America. Perhaps we'll learn more at E3 next month.