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Dragon Quest VIII 3DS Port's New Scenario Details Revealed

The July issue of Shueisha's V Jump magazine will announce details on Thursday for the new scenario in the upcoming Nintendo 3DS port of Square Enix's 2004 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi (Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King).

The new scenario will center around the past of the jester Dhoulmagus, and the childhood of the game's protagonist. Dhoulmagus serves as the initial antagonist of the game. The magazine will also reveal two screenshots from the scenario, featuring Dhoulmagus and the game protagonist.

All of the event scenes in the Nintendo 3DS port will be fully voiced. The game's previously announced cast is as follows:

Takehito Koyasu as Dhoulmagus
Ayana Taketatsu as Jessica
Yoshimasa Hosoya as Kulule (Angelo)
Risa Taneda as Mitia (Medea)
Fumihiko Tachiki as Yangus
Hiroshi Iwasaki as Trode
Hitomi Nabatame as Gelda
Jouji Nakata as Morrie

The game's protagonist remains unvoiced.

Square Enix has slated the game for an August 27 release, and it will cost 5,980 yen (about US$49) for the package or the download version.

The game will include a new story scenario and two new party members: a female thief named Gelda, and Morrie from the Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road arcade game. The game will also support the Nintendo 3DS platform's StreetPass system. The port will also add an orchestral score performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.

The game will come with in-game items as pre-order bonuses, which will differ depending on where the game is pre-ordered:

• Square Enix e-Store: "Candy Cane" (can equip on Yangus)
• Amazon.co.jp: "Healie T-Shirt" (can equip on everyone)
• Aeon: "Healie Cap" (can equip on everyone)
• Game Tsutaya: "Gold Bamboo Spear" (can equip on main character)
• 7-Eleven: "Lucky Pendant" (can equip on everyone)
• Yodobashi Camera/Yodobashi.com: "Metal Slime Tray" (can equip on everyone)

Square Enix first released Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi (Dragon Quest VIII: The Sky, the Ocean, the Earth, and the Cursed Princess) for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2004, and then in North America in 2005, with the title Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. Square Enix released the iOS/Android port of the game in Japan in December 2013, and released the port worldwide last May.