Dragon Quest VIII is the latest installment in the popular Dragon Quest series (previously known as Dragon Warrior in North America) and the first to be released for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. The colorful characters, exotic environments and daunting dungeons of the Dragon Quest series have made the transition to glorious 3D! Players will find themselves in a universe like no other, as they explore the plains, peaks and valleys of a seemingly limitless world.

Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, delivers an immersive narrative set in an original world, taking the helm once again as game designer and scenario writer. Akira Toriyama, the world-famous comic book artist behind the legendary Dragon Ball franchise returns to provide original character designs. LEVEL-5 Inc., the development house behind titles such as "Dark Cloud 2," creates an amazing cel-shaded graphics engine, allowing you to experience a world straight out of Japanese animation. Koichi Sugiyama, renowned composer and conductor, has written a captivating musical score which perfectly complements Mr. Horii's narrative and Mr. Toriyama's visuals. With this unrivalled creative talent and a host of new and improved gameplay features, Dragon Quest VIII has already sold in excess of 3 million units in its first three months at retail in Japan and is poised to become a global success.

Story
Since times long forgotten, a forbidden scepter had lain sealed away in Trodain castle. Until one day, a mysterious jester called Dhoulmagus disturbed its rest and freed the scepter from its ancient bonds. Using the scepter's power, Dhoulmagus placed a spiteful curse upon the whole kingdom. In the space of a moment, the people were transformed into thorns and the land was frozen in time. To add insult to injury, the King and the Princess were turned into hideous beasts!

However, the curse left one person untouched...a young guardsman...You! Now you must embark on an epic journey to save your king and country and lift the shadow of the evil jester's curse!

World
The world of Dragon Quest VIII is entirely 3D. From the sprawling towns and labyrinthine dungeons, to the hills and plains that divide them on the world map, all of the environments you pass through on your epic journey spread out before you seamlessly. You may lose yourself in the remotest corner of the globe, searching for hidden treasure, or suddenly stumble upon a whole new village or castle as you explore the depths of a shadowy forest these are the kinds of experiences that will delight and amaze you on your adventure!

The visuals resemble those of a high-quality animated movie, making you feel as if you are actually walking around in one of Akira Toriyama's cartoons. For the North American and European releases, we have added voiceovers to the already impressive event scenes, imbuing the unfolding drama with greater emotional depth. Furthermore, the cutting-edge animations for both monster and player characters have been enhanced in the Western versions to make battles more dazzling and dynamic than ever before.

You won't just play Dragon Quest VIII, you'll live and breathe it!

Bonus
The first production of the game includes a preview of Final Fantasy XII.

NCS Game Notes on the FFXII Demo
* The demo introduces gamers to the story of a world called Ivalice. Watch the opening cinema which shows the nation, bustling city streets, and odd creatures and inhabitants including a pair of bunnies. Information on the tyrannical Archanian Empire which is invading other nations is also presented.

* The main character is reminiscent of other androgynous Square heroes with chiseled features, a willowy frame, and aspirations to be something greater. In this case, a Sky Pirate. Airships, cute creatures, and more drama appear to be on order for FFXII.

* Once the intro ends, a playable demo version may be enjoyed. Two modes are available:

WAIT MODE: for thinking players / The Phon Coast
ACTIVE MODE: for thrill seekers / The Stilshrine of Miriam

* In the Wait Mode, the action takes place on a beach where the stage objective is to beat the Rockeater. The game offers the following hint: "Slepnirs hate mandragoras! Make your approach when they're distracted fighting each other." Players control a party of three made up of Vaan, Basch, and Penelo. Move them by using the L-analog while the X button brings up the action menu for ATTACK / MAGIC / SUMMON / GAMBIT / ITEMS. To flee from battle, press the R2 trigger.

* Enemies on the beach include large piranhas which not only swim in the water but swim on such shallow water that they appear to be floating across land. Yes, it looks odd but remember that Square can do no wrong. Do not question, just play. It's also pretty weird to watch armored Slepnirs which are basically battle steeds battling a group of munchkin-like Mandragoras.

* After selecting a battle command or a magic spell, one has to wait for the action meter next to a character's name to fill up before the attack is acted out. While the meter is being filled, one may move the character around to dodge counterattacks. We would have preferred a direct-control attack system but we can get used to this control scheme as well. It's something new.

* When all of the regular beasts on the beach are defeated, a cut scene shows a massive dinosaur entering the stage. It's the Rockeater and it chases a pair of Mandragoras while completely ignoring the party. Attack it and cause it to lose half of its life but it will still doggedly chase the Mandragoras. Only when it is nearly dead does it turn its attention on the party. When mortally wounded, the Rockeater will bellow out a death cry and drop dead right there. Preview over.

NCS Game Notes for Dragon Quest VIII
* Upon booting up the game, players may set the screen size between Normal 4:3 aspect and Wide Screen 16:9 ratio. The sound volume for BGM, SE, and Voice may also be set.

* The intro to the game shows a pair of eagles soaring through the sky and passing the DQVIII party before heading off higher into the heavens.

* The game intro pans in on a castle and the plucking up of a sceptre from a rock which causes great stalks to rip through the interior of the castle. The scene changes to a little rat with a mohawk on a grassy field. It senses something and gallops along through the brush until it reaches a green ogre-like creature we know and love as Trode. It then plunges into the pocket of the nameless hero who we named Hubert. Yangus waves in the background and tells the protagonist that it's time to move - he calls Hubert, guv... as in guv'ner or governor.

* The first battle is against three blue slimes who bound out of the forest. The battle takes place on a 3D battlefield where actions are selected from a menu. For example, the fight option will send the two heroes (Hubert and Yangus) agains the slimes until either side is defeated. When the action commences, the camera will view either Yangus or Hubert from the back and watch as each hero rushes into the distance to strike at the slime.

* The party is looking for the Princess Medea who is Trode's only daughter. A white horse trots into the encampment and Trode welcomes his Princess Medea back. The two were once king and princess but were transformed by a wizard into their present forms. The party is looking for a way to change them back to human form and after a bit of discussion, decide to head into the town of Farebury. Their caravan pulled by Medea while Trode serves as horse driver. Hubert and Yangus walk alongside the caravan in flanking positions. Once in town, a little more of the story is revealed and Hubert is sent to locate Rylus with Yangus by his side.

* To save your progress in the game, visit a church and confess to the nun dressed in the blue and black robes. She may also perform divination, resurrection, purification, and benediction services.