Nintendo news: Watch the new Dragon Quest VIII trailer

Nintendo published a new trailer for Dragon Quest VIII on Monday, ahead of its official launch on January 20 for 3DS consoles. The remake will bring players back to Trodain twelve years after its original release in the U.S.

The Dragon Quest saga enjoys from wide praise in Japan, but the eight title of the series was the first one to debut in North America, Europe, and Australia. After that, the game received universal critical acclaim and Dragon Quest saw a more widespread adoption.

Dragon Quest VIII sold nearly 5 million copies worldwide upon release and a mobile version launched in 2014 for both Android and iOS devices. The 3DS remake is available in Japan since 2015, but only now the game will make it to Nintendo consoles around the world.

Dragon Quest VIII for 3DS stays true to the original version

Players will return to the Kingdom of Trodain, this time rendered in beautiful next-gen graphics and even some parts of the game available to play in 3D.

The Hero and the entire gang are back to fight the deceitful Dhoulmagus and the evil Rhapthorne, along with two former non-playable characters in the original title: The rogue pirate Red and the Arena master Morrie.

The addition of the new characters will not affect the game’s storyline, though, as players make their way through Trodain fighting hordes of monsters in Dragon Quest’s iconic turn-based battles.

Dragon Quest VIII is available for pre-load on the North American eShop

Several specialized outlets have reported that the North American eShop on the Nintendo 3DS has Dragon Quest VIII available for pre-load ahead of its January 20 launch.

Players who pre-ordered the game through the online store have the chance to download Dragon Quest VIII’s file. Reports claim the title will take up 24,413 blocks, weighing just over 3 GB on the 3DS.

How to play Dragon Quest VIII on your Android or iOS device

Nostalgic gamers who don’t own a Nintendo 3DS can still play the beloved Square Enix title if they have a mobile device. The studio has Dragon Quest VIII available on the App Store and the Google Play Store. Dragon Quest VIII costs $17.17 on Android, but Apple users will have to pay $19.99 at the Apple Store.

That is, of course, if you intend on playing Dragon Quest VIII on your smartphone or tablet by the legal means available. Android gamers have the option to look for the APK file online and download it if they don’t want to pay.

Source: Nintendo