Dragon Quest on PlayStation: The On and Off History

Today is Dragon Quest’s 30th anniversary! The influential role-playing game franchise is a phenomenon in Japan, and is has a dedicated fanbase worldwide. Dragon Quest is set for a big 2016 with three releases planned (two of which are already out in Japan), so we wanted to take a look back at how the series has interacted with PlayStation over the past three decades.

Dragon Quest (or Dragon Warrior as it would initially be known as to American fans) initially released on Nintendo systems. It would stay faithful to Nintendo’s home consoles until 1999’s Torneko: The Last Hope, a dungeon crawling spin-off starring the merchant from the RPG’s fourth entry. PlayStation would become the series’ main home until 2006, when the success of the Nintendo DS would prove to be a more financially viable place for one of Japan’s most popular gaming franchises.

Read up on the behemoth RPG’s 30th anniversary by checking out the series’ on and off history with the PlayStation brand below:

We hope you enjoyed our look back at the Dragon Quest series’ history on PlayStation. Over 10 releases in the franchise have come to Sony platforms over the last 30 years, and even more are on its way. It’s an exciting time to be a Dragon Quest fan, and the future seems bright on PS4 and beyond.

Let us know in the comments how you’ll be celebrating the Dragon Quest 30th anniversary, and what your favorite game in the franchise is!

Essential Reading:

Dragon Quest 30th Anniversary

Dragon Quest
Torneko: The Last Hope (1999)

The first Dragon Quest game to hit a PlayStation platform was Torneko: The Last Hope. This dungeon crawler was the second entry in the Mystery Dungeon sub-series (which you might know from the recent Pokémon spin-offs). The game featured the Dragon Quest IV merchant exploring dungeons for new items to sell.
Dragon Quest VII (2000)

One year later, Dragon Quest VII: Warriors of Eden released on PlayStation. While it was received positively, and is the best-selling PlayStation game in Japan, its North American release underwhelmed. This was due to it coming out just a month before Final Fantasy X and almost a year after the PlayStation 2 released.
Dragon Quest IV (2001)

Originally released for the NES, Dragon Quest IV: The Guided Ones was remade on the PlayStation. This remake featured vastly improved graphics, but didn't make its way outside of Japan. It was later the basis for the game's Nintendo DS port in 2007.
Dragon Quest Monsters 1+2 (2002)

Enix's answer to Pokémon ended up being the Dragon Quest Monsters series. A compilation of these two Game Boy Color titles, which had you capturing and raising monsters, were released exclusively in Japan in 2002.
Torneko 3 (2002)

Two years after the PlayStation 2 released, the series finally made its way onto Sony's new console. Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko no Daibōken 3: Fushigi no Dungeon, the third entry in the Mystery Dungeon spin-offs, had the honor, but unlike the previous game it never made its way to North American shores. That meant that only dedicated fans of Torneko got to check out his third adventure.
Dragon Quest V (2004)

A Japan-only remake of Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride would follow afterward. This fully redone version of the Super Famicom classic had 3D graphics, and had new features such as additional monsters and a museum where collectibles were appraised.
Dragon Quest VIII (2004)

Later that year the main series would finally see a new entry on PS2. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King was the game that almost all of Japan was waiting for, and sold over three million copies in its first week. The game was beloved by critics and gamers in the US, although it still wasn't the phenomenon it was in Japan.
Itadaki Street (2004)

Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special is a board game similar to Monopoly featuring characters from the Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy series. It's an expanded version of a minigame that was found in Dragon Quest III, and this PS2 entry was the first game to prominently feature the Dragon Quest branding.
Dragon Quest Yangus (2006)

The latest game in the Dragon Quest line of Mystery Dungeon, Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon starred Dragon Quest VIII hero Yangus. This serves as a prequel to the RPG, and sees the bandit transported to a mysterious world after touching a stolen jug. Despite the popularity of Dragon Quest VIII, this release stayed in Japan.
Itadaki Street Portable (2006)

The series' only entry on PlayStaton Portable would be Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable. It's essentially a port of the 2004 release, and wasn't much approved. It also marks the final Itadaki Street game on a PlayStation console as it moved to Nintendo platforms and mobile afterwards.
Dragon Quest Heroes (2015)

Released last year, Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is a collaboration between Square Enix and Dynasty Warriors developer Omega Force. It combines the best characters and the great enemy design from Dragon Quest with the fast-paced action of Warriors titles, and it's one of the best musou games ever made. The PS3 and PS4 release even incorporates RPG elements, which ups its replayability substantially.
Dragon Quest Builders (2016)

Released earlier this year in Japan, Dragon Quest Builders is another spin-off in Square Enix's beloved franchise. This time around, it's a mashup of Dragon Quest and Minecraft. Its North American release was just announced today, and it will come stateside later this year.
Dragon Quest Heroes II (2016)

Out today in Japan, Dragon Quest Heroes II is the follow-up to last year's surprise success. Like Dragon Quest Builders, this spin-off released on PS4, PS3 and Vita.
Dragon Quest XI (2016)

While Dragon Quest XI isn't straying from being on a handheld (a 3DS version is also being developed), the core series is finally back on PlayStation. It's set to release later this year in Japan, but it won't see a worldwide release straight off the bat. Fear not, as it's coming to North America, you'll just have to wait a little longer to play it.