Dragon Quest 8 dropped the following year in the US, but us poor Europeans had to wait until April 2006 to finally get our hands on the game.
It was a huge deal at the time, because Dragon Quest 8 was actually the first Dragon Quest title to be officially released in PAL regions. Square Enix even dropped the '8' — or 'VIII' in roman numerals — from its name, calling it Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King in Europe.
Meanwhile, in North America, it was the first Dragon Quest game to be called Dragon Quest, and not Dragon Warrior — which had long been the localised name of the series. It also came with a demo for Final Fantasy 12!
Dragon Quest 8 — which was developed by Level-5 — was met with near universal acclaim from critics, and is widely regarded to be one of the finest games of its generation. We'd go as far to say that it's one of the best Japanese RPGs ever made — and as such, we'd lose our minds over an eventual remaster. Ball's in your court, Square Enix.
Do you have fond memories of Dragon Quest 8? Would you join us in campaigning for a long-awaited remaster? Smile like a slime in the comments section below.