Dragon Quest III HD-2D ushers in the original console masterpiece this year

And a full Dragon Quest trilogy, too!

Back in 1990, many of us signed up for Nintendo Power to get a copy of a free game, Dragon Warrior (now Dragon Quest). The 12-month subscription AND game was so affordable back then that it’s half the cost of new games now. While the million copies that went out didn’t make RPG fans of gamers, it did get Nintendo Power a bunch of new subscriptions — and made a lifelong Dragon Quest fanatic in me.

I followed the series for years afterward, playing every game and somehow managing to always feel excited when I knock out a metal slime, but it was Dragon Quest III that was likely my favorite. The game greatly expanded what the series (and console RPGs, for that matter) would become, with a massive world and a plot linked to the original game as a prequel. It was huge, with great characters and enemy designs, and a terrific job system.

When the remake was announced years ago, I salivated, and then the years went by and nary a peep — until today! During today’s Nintendo Direct Square Enix debuted a new trailer for Dragon Quest III HD-2D, and showcased a much improved game from the last time we saw it — and gave us a date: November 14, 2024.

The new old game carries that nostalgic feel, while also capitalizing on the HD-2D craze that Square Enix has popularized. It features the nameless Hero, that is eventually renamed Erdrick (in the West) or Loto (in Japan), as they travel around a world to fight the evil Baramos, recruiting teammates and grinding XP for jobs and money, usually to use in the game’s casino.

But wait, there’s more! Not only is Dragon Quest III being remade, but it would be difficult to continue the Hero’s story without its predecessors, and so Square Enix has announced that both Dragon Quest I and II will arrive in HD-2D remakes as a bundle in 2025.