DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

System: Nintendo 3DS Release date: 20/01/2017

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Lift the shadow of an evil spell and save the kingdom from destruction in DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King on Nintendo 3DS family systems.

An epic quest, a band of unlikely heroes and a dreaded curse…

A twisted jester has cast an evil spell over the kingdom of Trodain, turning the king into a troll, the princess into a horse and sealing Castle Trodain within enchanted vines! As the Hero, you’ll embark on a journey, recruiting allies along the way, to put a stop to this mischievous maniac and restore the kingdom to normal.

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Put up a fight!

Lead a party of heroes across a massive world and through dingy dungeons, clashing with hundreds of monsters along the way in classic turn-based battles. Use cunning strategies to outwit your enemies at your own pace, or use the “Speed Up” feature to cut through foes with greater haste!

As your warriors grow stronger, assign Skill Points to teach them new spells, abilities and more. Equip your heroes with the latest gear that they can carry into battle, and combine old unwanted items in alchemy pot to instantly craft brand ones.

Go off the beaten path…

On your journey, make sure you explore each of the local towns, peruse all the shops and take on as many side quests as you can muster! Assemble a team of monsters and vie for glory in the Monster Arena or take photos of your journey to decorate and share with other players via StreetPass.

See what else is new in the Nintendo 3DS version of DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

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Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.

In the case of games that use cloud streaming technology, a free launcher application or demo can be downloaded.

Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.

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The Nintendo Account Agreement applies to the purchase of this content.

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What’s New?

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The Nintendo 3DS version of DRAGON QUEST VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is brimming with new features and improvements. Here’s what returning heroes should look out for…

Say cheese!

Take photos of you and your buddies on your journey*. Get your heroes to strike a pose, then add stickers, throw a filter or frame on – you know, that little personal touch. Share your best pictures via StreetPass and, if someone gives your snap a thumbs-up, you might get something cool!

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New allies join the fray

Two brand new characters, Red and Morrie, can now join your party and fight alongside you in battle. Head over to our Story and Characters section to learn more about them.

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More story to unfold

Discover additional cut-scenes that reveal new plot details and character backstories, only in the Nintendo 3DS version.

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It’s wild out there

Monsters can now be seen freely roaming in the world around you – so long random encounters! There are loads of new creatures that are exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS version of this title, and even a new dungeon for those brave enough to seek it out…

Swiftly does it

There are loads of nifty new features that’ll make questing more fun. Short on time? Use the “Speed Up” feature to zip through battles in a jiffy. Skip the trek to a nearby town and use the Quick Save feature in the menu to save your progress instead. Need new items NOW? Craft old ones together in an instant to make new ones using the alchemy pot.

Free content each week

From launch until September 29th, 2017, you can get your hands on some rare bonus items delivered via SpotPass.

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Now you know what’s new, let’s jump into the story

Story & Characters

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Trodain’s darkest hour

The story goes that a sacred sceptre, imbued with incredible powers, slumbered safely within the walls of Castle Trodain for many years.

One fateful day, a corrupt court jester named Dhoulmagus swiped the magical sceptre and used it to unleash a devastating curse. As a result, King Trode and his daughter Princess Medea were transformed into strange new forms, and their castle encased in vile vines!

The kingdom needs your help!

One lucky castle guard made it out the castle unscathed, taking the king and princess with him. Who you ask? Why, you – the Hero – of course! With that sceptre in Dhoulmagus’ possession, there’s no telling what sort of havoc he might cause. And this is where your adventure begins…

Characters

You’ll meet many fine folks on your journey across Trodain. Let’s get to know some of them!

The Hero - A young castle guard and lone survivor of Dhoulmagus’ curse. Together with King Trode and other companions, he embarks on an adventure to save the kingdom.

Yangus – This cunning chap claims to be a legendary bandit. He also has a habit of calling you “guv”…

King Trode– A monarch with much wisdom to bestow. Unfortunately, as a result of Dhoulmagus’ curse, many mistake him for a monster!

Princess Medea – It’s no wonder Princess Medea has a long face – she’s been turned into a horse by Dhoulmagus! Still, she doesn’t seem to mind pulling your caravan across the world.

Jessica – A skilled mage who joins you on your journey. She is strong-minded and a bit selfish at times, but a good person at heart and beloved by her fellow villagers, too!

Room for one more?

There are two additional characters who can join your party in the Nintendo 3DS version of the game:

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Morrie – The proprietor of the famous Monster Arena. He is known for his intoxicating passion and gusto!

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Red – A highly-skilled travelling bandit who harbours some sort of mystery history with your travelling ex-bandit, Yangus.

Now you’ve met the gang, it’s time for adventure

Adventure

In this massive adventure, you’ll lead a band of unlikely heroes across a kingdom tormented by a troublemaking jester. Along the way, you’ll explore dungeons and face all sorts of monsters in classic turn-based battles.

Stopping Dhoulmagus is your top priority, but there’s much to see and do on your journey, including lots of side quests to complete, towns to wander around and treasures to track down.

Where the wild things are

Beware! You’ll spot beasties roaming freely in the world around you. Keep a safe distance or face ‘em head on if you want a fight. As time passes in Trodain and the sun starts to set, deadlier monsters will come out to play – so be extra careful when staying out late.

Greetings Traveller

When you need a break from the road, keep eyes peeled for a nearby town. In these settlements, you’ll find an inn where your party can rest up, shops to browse for items and equipment, and a bank for safely storing your hard-earned riches.

You can also drop by a church to revive party members and save your progress. No church in sight? Don’t lose faith – use the Quick Save feature to save your game at any time outside of battle.

Fancy a chat?

Not sure where to head next? Drop by a town and natter with the townsfolk – they’re full of useful gossip! You can also consult with your party members for a cryptic clue or two.

Off the map

The kingdom’s in crisis, but there are still lots of fun things to do in Trodain, including plentiful side quests. Whether you’re seeking out mini medals, taming a team of monsters, or completing photographic challenges, there’s bound to be a reward in it for you.

Grab some free goodies

Want to get your mitts on some rare items and gear? Of course you do! From launch until September 29th 2017, new equipment will be distributed for free* via SpotPass so be sure to check regularly and see what’s available.

Ready to learn a few battle basics? Onwards to our Battle section!

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Battles

You’ll spot all sorts of beasties wandering out in the wild or lurking in dungeons. Bump into one and you’ll have to put up a fight in classic turn-based battles.

On the offensive

When your turn comes around, issue commands to each member of your party before watching the action play out. You can dish out damage with a variety of weapons, or use a magical spell or ability to even the odds. If you spot an enemy’s weakness, try to strike it with a powerful attack!

Tactics advanced

Got a particular strategy in mind? Assign battle behaviours called “tactics” to individual heroes – or your entire party – and they’ll follow your orders automatically. As you gain more travel companions, you can choose which allies will fight alongside you by tweaking your party line-up. If monsters wipe your party, any team-mates you have in reserve will automatically take their place.

Psyche!

If you want to get pumped up, use psyche up to increase a hero’s attack power. When you’re psyched up, you might intimidate certain enemies into fleeing – yeah, you’d better run! Speaking of running, you can use the “Speed Up” feature to swiftly settle a fight.

Be prepared

When monsters fight back, make sure your party is ready for anything. Most attacks will do some damage, so kit your crew out with the best gear to soften the blow. If an attack leaves a hero with a pesky affliction, you’ll want to remedy that, stat! An item or magical spell should do the trick...

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A skilled warrior

Winning battles will earn you experience points towards levelling up your heroes, some gold coins, and sometimes even an item or two! Each time a member of your party levels up, they may even earn skill points that you can assign to one of their five skills. As their skills grow, they’ll learn new spells, master abilities or unlock new traits that make them even more formidable.

Pot luck

Got an inventory that’s full of old, useless gear? Use the alchemy pot to mix two of your items together to create brand new ones instantly. Try out any recipes you find on your travels – or just throw any old items into the pot and see what happens!

Meet the monsters

There are hundreds of different monsters to meet on your adventures. Some are big and tall, others are scary and skittish, one in particular looks quite delicious actually…

All the classics are here as well as some beasties are brand new to the Nintendo 3DS version of this quest. It’ll take quite the hero to find them all.

Monsters assemble

Ever dreamed of making it big with your own team of monsters? Have a chat with Morrie at the Monster Arena – he’ll teach you how to recruit monsters! Enlist monsters you’ve faced in battle to form an all-star team, then pit them against other teams in the Monster Arena. You’ll earn prizes each time you rank up – can you and your monsters make it to the top?