Dragon Quest VIII

The Dragon Quest VIII 3DS remake will be out in North America on January 20, Nintendo said today. It’ll have quick save, a “Speed Up” function in battles, and extra dungeons/quests that weren’t in the PS2 version. That means you’ve got two months to finish the 4,000-hour Dragon Quest VII.

The 3DS re-release of Dragon Quest VIII, once expected for a late 2016 release will now be out in 2017, according to Nintendo. Not a huge surprise, given that the 3DS verion of DQVII is just coming out this month.

Nintendo’s just announced that Bravely Second: End Layer is coming on April 15. There’s also a Fire Emblem Fates-themed 3DS XL hitting February 19 for $200, though it’ll come without the game.

Track: To A Vast World | Artist: Koichi Sugiyama | Album: Dragon Quest VIII Original Soundtrack

Dragon Quest VIII—an excellent JRPG that was first released in 2004 on the PS2—is being re-released (with improvements, like an orchestral score) on the 3DS in 2015. It’ll be out in Japan on August 27.

Dragon Quest is coming to smartphones in a big way. Square Enix is bringing Dragon Quest I to Dragon Quest VIII to iOS and Android. Look forward for the onslaught to start this winter when Dragon Quest I is re-released in Japan. Subsequent sequels to follow. No word about a Western release.