Dragon Quest VIII — which originally debuted on the Playstation 2 back in 2004 — recently hit the iOS market for use by iPhone 5 and iPad 3 owners everyewhere, or at least it did over in New Zealand. The good news for English speaking fans of Dragon Quest VIII is that New Zealand is commonly used as a test market for international iOS releases, meaning that a US release is probably just around the corner. While the game is currently selling for $25 New Zealand dollars at the moment, this will probably translate into $20 American dollars when it finally reaches the US’s iTunes Marketplace.
Released in Japan back in 2004, Dragon Quest VIII — which was developed by Level-5, whom are perhaps best known for their Professor Layton games — was the first fully 3D entry in what is easily the best selling RPG series over in Japan. The game’s plot begins one day when the royal court jest of Trodain — Dhoulmagus — casts a spell on the castle that turns the King into a troll, the Princess into a horse, and everyone else into plants. The only person not affected by all of this — an unnamed Guard that the player assumes control of — then teams up with the King and Princess to track down the traitorous Dhoulmagus, all so that the evil curse placed upon the Trodain kingdom can be broken.
iFanzine will report any additional news uncovered regarding the potential of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King reaching the US branch of the iTunes Marketplace as soon as we learn of it.