# Dragon Quest VIII is coming to the 3DS



## WiiUBricker (May 13, 2015)

Originally released in 2004 for the PS2 and ported for smartphones last year, the eighth installment of the Dragon Quest JRPG series is now finally coming to the 3DS, Square Enix announced. Currently only a Japanese release date is set on 27th August 2015. No word yet on a western localisation.

The game won't be a straight port as it will have the following exclusive additions:

- Brand new scenario
- New party characters ( female thief Garuda and Morrie from Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road)
- Voice-overs of the game's events
- Orchestral soundtrack
- StreetPass support

 Source


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## ShonenJump (May 13, 2015)

They should bring terry along with this to the west. A bundle pack would be nice....if it ever where to happen


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## Celice (May 13, 2015)

... For real?

Man, I was hoping for a Steam version, with Squareeeeeenix's PC port-go-happy behaviour. Would've looked great at higher resolutions.

Instead now we get it on a squished 3DS? Those jaggies ((


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## WiiUBricker (May 13, 2015)

Celice said:


> ... For real?
> 
> Man, I was hoping for a Steam version, with Squareeeeeenix's PC port-go-happy behaviour. Would've looked great at higher resolutions.
> 
> Instead now we get it on a squished 3DS? Those jaggies ((


I would have prefered the Vita myself.


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## Osha (May 13, 2015)

I don't have high hopes when it comes to the localization. Oh well, at least the PS2 version isn't too expensive...


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## GamerzHell9137 (May 13, 2015)

Celice said:


> ... For real?
> 
> Man, I was hoping for a Steam version, with Squareeeeeenix's PC port-go-happy behaviour. Would've looked great at higher resolutions.
> 
> Instead now we get it on a squished 3DS? Those jaggies ((


 
I would give it another try if they ported it to Steam.


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## Flame (May 13, 2015)

if we get a English version.... Bortz will you know... spray his web everywhere. 

heck even if we get an English hack.


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## CathyRina (May 13, 2015)

It is based on the Unity IOS version and since only the N3DS has unity support and there is no words of N3DS exclusivity expect a port with framerate issues or a demake rather than remake.
Since this will probably get localized, like DQ7 did expect to never play this. 
Should've been on Vita. Then it would be a proper remake and people could've imported it.


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## KingVamp (May 13, 2015)

Haven't played the original one, so if it comes over, I'll pick it up.



Flame said:


> heck even if we get an English hack.


I was just thinking that.


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## XDel (May 13, 2015)

Just bring it to the West already! :/


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## GameWinner (May 13, 2015)

It's not Vita but I'll take it.
It not being a New 3DS game worries me since it might be downgraded a bit.


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## BORTZ (May 13, 2015)

This is really cool. But there are a number of things working against it. 
1. We have not seen a single DQ title localized since the days of the DS. 
2. Even if we do get this, we have no idea if its going to be available for everyone with a 3DS or just N3DS owners. Personally, I really dont want to have to upgrade... again. I already have the limited editon DQM2 edition from japan. 
3. I would not have put this port on a 3DS in the first place. I would have guessed Vita, if at all. I am wary of the amount of power this game needs/should have to look and play well. 

I am skeptical at best. And worried that I might have to upgrade again.


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## Clydefrosch (May 13, 2015)

i'm pretty sure the 3ds can display a stupid celshaded 3d environment if it has to.
not holding my breath for a western release though. have dragon quest games ever sold good here?


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## Celice (May 13, 2015)

Bortz said:


> This is really cool. But there are a number of things working against it.
> 1. We have not seen a single DQ title localized since the days of the DS.
> 2. Even if we do get this, we have no idea if its going to be available for everyone with a 3DS or just N3DS owners. Personally, I really dont want to have to upgrade... again. I already have the limited editon DQM2 edition from japan.
> 3. I would not have put this port on a 3DS in the first place. I would have guessed Vita, if at all. I am wary of the amount of power this game needs/should have to look and play well.
> ...


1) is at least comforted by all the mobile ports coming out.

I dunno what to expect from performance. I mean, they have Dragon Quest X on the 3DS as well.

As for 3), Squareeeeeenix always puts their nose in the money bags. 3DS is probably a better seller than the Vita and for this reason they went with the 3DS.


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## BORTZ (May 13, 2015)

Clydefrosch said:


> i'm pretty sure the 3ds can display a stupid celshaded 3d environment if it has to.
> not holding my breath for a western release though. have dragon quest games ever sold good here?


 
Yeah, seeing as the DS saw 4,5,6, exclusively was the home for 9, as well as joker and joker 2.


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## RevPokemon (May 13, 2015)

Celice said:


> 1) is at least comforted by all the mobile ports coming out.
> 
> I dunno what to expect from performance. I mean, they have Dragon Quest X on the 3DS as well.
> 
> As for 3), Squareeeeeenix always puts their nose in the money bags. 3DS is probably a better seller than the Vita and for this reason they went with the 3DS.


Issue is many mobile phones are better than the 3ds in specs (hell and many beat the vita)


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## Celice (May 13, 2015)

RevPokemon said:


> Issue is many mobile phones are better than the 3ds in specs (hell and many beat the vita)


That's why it was already ported to mobile devices  3DS is just cleaning up secondary market still worth an investment.

Other Squareeeeeenix titles also dip back and forth between mobile and 3DS, such as the Theatrhythm games.


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## RevPokemon (May 13, 2015)

Celice said:


> That's why it was already ported to mobile devices  3DS is just cleaning up secondary market still worth an investment.
> 
> Other Squareeeeeenix titles also dip back and forth between mobile and 3DS, such as the Theatrhythm games.


Yeah its funny though as my free cellphone is more than twice as strong as a n3ds and stronger than a vita by alot


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## storm75x (May 13, 2015)

3DS is like a no-no localization for DQ series...


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## Clydefrosch (May 13, 2015)

Bortz said:


> Yeah, seeing as the DS saw 4,5,6, exclusively was the home for 9, as well as joker and joker 2.


 
that doesnt exactly say anything about how good or bad these games sold in the west.
all the ds remakes sales ratio between america and japan was about 1:10. like, for every one game bought in big market america, they sold 10 in little japan.
the us sales numbers of dq 4,5,6 and 9 together are still slightly lower than the sale numbers of the least selling of these games in japan (which is chapters of the chosen with 1.27m sales)

and i firmly believe that at least the release of 4,5 and 6 has only happened at all because these games came with all important language translations right out of japan and were basically just paperwork to have them released here.

all things considered, i dont really see it happening.


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## WiiUBricker (May 13, 2015)

Considering that the english script from the PS2 version is available and the smartphone ports are all in english, I would say there is a very good chance of a western localisation.


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## Elrinth (May 13, 2015)

Well I guess this will be a definite purchase for me.


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## Deleted member 361703 (May 13, 2015)

Yes! Yes yes so much yes. Now can you do dragon quest monsters 2 square? If not then final fantasy vii-ix on 3ds? You already have all of my money from the 90s


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## Plstic (May 13, 2015)

Finally Japan gets the orchestral soundtrack lol. They really got shafted by that.


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## FranckKnight (May 13, 2015)

I'm curious about the additions most of all. I'm not expecting a pixel perfect port, but a playable one. I can boot up the game through an emulator to increase the visual quality, but I can't 'emulate' the new content they put on these remakes/ports/enhanced ports.


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## dragonblood9999 (May 13, 2015)

please have a western localization along with 7


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## KingVamp (May 13, 2015)

Doubt it, but they could push the 3ds to the limits to the point you can't multitask like ssb4.


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## Digital.One.Entity (May 13, 2015)

If this doesn't come to the West I will literally $hit in a box and mail it to Squeenix


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## vayanui8 (May 13, 2015)

I really hope this is localized. I'd definitely pick it up


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## tbb043 (May 13, 2015)

Well, at least it won't be in portrait orientation.


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## MaskedMarvel (May 13, 2015)

I liked 8 but don't really care about this. Please please bring 7 for the 3ds to north america and please a north american 10! Who am I asking? I dont know!


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## VMM (May 14, 2015)

Here is Square releasing another DQ title for 3DS on japan, while my beloved Terry Wonderland is still to be localized.


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## BORTZ (May 14, 2015)

VMM said:


> Here is Square releasing another DQ title for 3DS on japan, while my beloved Terry Wonderland is still to be localized.


/hugs vmm
You and me both, brother. Just waiting.


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## Psionic Roshambo (May 14, 2015)

Anytime DQ VIII gets ported to something it is a good time...  

Seriously the game is probably in the top 10 of RPG's as of this writing and probably will remain in the top ten for a very long time to come. 

Honestly I might even go so far as to put in the top 3 of my personal favorites with the other 2 being FFIII (SNES US version of 6 or something) and Chrono Trigger. 

Still have to say out of the conversions of DQ VIII I have played the best version is still the PS2 version.


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## chartube12 (May 14, 2015)

I won't be surprised if Steam with controller support is next.


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## BORTZ (May 14, 2015)

All these sites reporting from the same announcement makes me so unbelievably antsy. I need answers, Square.


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## Steena (May 14, 2015)

How was this iOS version by the way? Did anyone play it extensively? Is there mobile cancer embedded into it, or?


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## Ryupower (May 14, 2015)

Dragon Quest VIII For 3DS Voice Cast Revealed


> Event scenes in the 3DS version of _Dragon Quest VIII_ are fully-voiced and the voice-cast for the game is as follows:
> Angelo (Yoshimasa Hosoya)
> 
> 
> ...


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## JazzCat.CL (May 15, 2015)

Can't wait for it. i just hope it comes to the west translated or i would have to get the .cia of it


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## Rockhoundhigh (May 15, 2015)

Thankfully with the game almost entirely localized already this could reasonably come stateside even if it is Square-Enix we're talking about. Now if only they would use this as an excuse to bring the Dragon Quest VII remake over here as well.


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## BORTZ (May 15, 2015)

Rockhoundhigh said:


> Thankfully with the game almost entirely localized already this could reasonably come stateside even if it is Square-Enix we're talking about. Now if only they would use this as an excuse to bring the Dragon Quest VII remake over here as well.


 
I am so excited for this stuff. I would go crazy for this if it gets localized and is on the O3DS. Even if its selfish and ultimately worse for the game to be on the O3DS. You would think that because its already over there on PS2 and mobile that this would be an easy decision to make the 3DS version available over here too.


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## Depravo (May 15, 2015)

I'll probably get this if it gets an EU release. I just hope that it's actually in 3D, unlike Xenoblade.


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## CathyRina (May 15, 2015)

Bortz said:


> I am so excited for this stuff. I would go crazy for this if it gets localized and is on the O3DS. Even if its selfish and ultimately worse for the game to be on the O3DS. You would think that because its already over there on PS2 and mobile that this would be an easy decision to make the 3DS version available over here too.


It's on O3DS. The magazine showing the CV stated O3DS specifically, not N3DS.


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## BORTZ (May 15, 2015)

XrosBlader821 said:


> It's on O3DS. The magazine showing the CV stated O3DS specifically, not N3DS.


 
Awe neat! I didnt see that. Can you link me to an image? Or is that in this thread already?


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## CathyRina (May 15, 2015)

Dunno if the Siliconera Article had this picture but this tidbit suggest a O3DS release


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## Skelletonike (May 15, 2015)

Given the way SE works, they won't release this game even if they already have the script unless they release 7 first.
Terry's Wonderland wouldn't really matter since it's the remake of a spin-off, however 7 is a numbered game and it would just seem strange to just go ahead and release 8 (not to mention that it would just piss off more fans on top of it).

Personally I'm still hoping for DQVII to come to the west, I'm replaying the original atm, but the fact that it's a Dragon Warrior game kinda ruins the experience after having played the DS remakes (the fun accents and all the different names for spells and monsters doesn't really help). It's one of my all time favourites and those new features from the 3DS version seem really awesome. Dx


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## Celice (May 17, 2015)

I actually hate how punny and accent-y the Dragon Quest localizations have become  I've also been playing DQVII after more than a decade since my last playthrough, and it's really nice to see text translated as text, not fluffed up.


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## Nathan Drake (May 17, 2015)

For everyone thinking this may get localized since the game has already been localized in other formats: if I'm not mistaken, those at Dragon's Den working on the DQVII 3DS translation recently found that the PS1 translation lines up line for line with everything except the new stuff that wouldn't have a translation available (ie: 3DS specific features). You know that this is probably common knowledge on the SE side of things, and they still don't want to spend the very minimal amount of time it would take to move the translation over and make localization a reality (minimal when compared to actually having to translate from scratch). Of course, maybe they just don't want to get it done because the company they normally use doesn't have the time to butcher the script with as many puns as you can possibly fit into the game.

Granted, things could become more complex for the fan translation, but don't be surprised if a fan translation is ultimately the only translation available. For the sake of the DQVII translation, I do hope the line up does work out, as talk of using a combined Google/Bing translating engine has me more than a little nervous about the potential quality and accuracy of a fan translation done from scratch.

If they won't even do that, what makes anybody think they'll localize the new VIII despite the fact that it will have an entire new scenario and new characters shoehorned in as well as voiced, meaning all the original voice acting likely has to be redone to incorporate the new characters? That is far more work than just text translation, and if SE won't even deal with the very simple project that would be localizing DQVII, you can be certain that they won't be bothering with DQVIII.


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## InuYasha (May 17, 2015)

It seems like a waste to me unless they also expand the monster part of the game as well...


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## Ulieq (May 17, 2015)

Would be nice if they add in cut content.


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## Zenobyte (May 18, 2015)

Nintendo has made me regret buying a PS Vita recently.  It really seems like the best releases are for the new 3DS.  PS Vita has some good games, but most of them are Japanese only and have no chance of an English release.  I wouldn't regret it so much if there was even a slight chance of getting English versions of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, Phantasy Star Online 2, Phantasy  Star Nova, or God Eater 2.

I originally sold my 3DS because it didn't have enough games...


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## CathyRina (May 18, 2015)

Zenobyte said:


> Nintendo has made me regret buying a PS Vita recently. It really seems like the best releases are for the new 3DS. PS Vita has some good games, but most of them are Japanese only and have no chance of an English release. I wouldn't regret it so much if there was even a slight chance of getting English versions of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, Phantasy Star Online 2, Phantasy Star Nova, or God Eater 2.
> 
> I originally sold my 3DS because it didn't have enough games...


On Vita you can at least import said games. on 3DS you can't even do that.
If DQ8 wont be localized, and currently we have no reason to believe that it will, then you won't be able to play it even in Japanese with Guides how to play it.


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## YetoJesse (May 19, 2015)

For everyone who has a problem with this coming to the 3DS, remember.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King was ported to Android....


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## CathyRina (May 24, 2015)

Oh man this really should've been ported to vita instead of 3DS (top left 3DS, right Mobile, bottom left PS2 original)
The 3DS version looks like a N64 game with higher amount of polygons.


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## heartgold (May 24, 2015)

XrosBlader821 said:


> Oh man this really should've been ported to vita instead of 3DS (top left 3DS, right Mobile, bottom left PS2 original)
> The 3DS version looks like a N64 game with higher amount of polygons.


 
Looks like they ported the mobile version, than the PS2 version. Downgraded indeed, i think the mobile one was a downgrade compared to the PS2 version.


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## Nathan Drake (May 24, 2015)

heartgold said:


> Looks like they ported the mobile version, than than the PS2 version. Downgraded indeed, i think the mobile one was a downgrade compared to the PS2 version.


It was. Not only can you plainly see less and less foliage as the game is downported further and further with draw distance being lessened and distanced details looking less sharp, but the mobile already took a graphical hit. The 3DS version just looks like poop in comparison. Considering DQVIII was one of the most beautiful PS2 games, it's really a shame to see it being beaten down like this all for the sake of making a quick buck. Not to mention they didn't even bother putting the PS2 voice acting in when they ported the game to mobile for English speaking countries. At least the 3DS version will have voice acting for Japanese folk, if nothing else.


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## BORTZ (May 24, 2015)

Honestly at this point I'll take what I can get. If I play the 3ds version and then decide to go play the ps2 version, it will be like a step up. That said, I still think vita would have been the platform for this game. But seriously, it doesn't matter if it never gets translated.


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## chartube12 (May 24, 2015)

This is very sad. The original 3ds is about equal to the gamecube in the graphic department but with shading and lighting on par with the 360. And arguably better game storage then the gamecube. This just shows how much the 240 resolution of the 3DS is holding it back.


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## CathyRina (May 24, 2015)

chartube12 said:


> This is very sad. The original 3ds is about equal to the gamecube in the graphic department but with shading and lighting on par with the 360.


People still keep believing in this myth? The 3DS is more of a PSP2 than anything else.


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## Nathan Drake (May 25, 2015)

Just remember all, even if this will be disappointing, at least the fairly fun looking Dragon Quest Heroes will be coming to PS4 sometime this year for us English speaking folk. That also makes me think that if they wanted to gussy up DQ8 in the Heroes art style and re-release it for PS4 as a remake, it would probably look stellar. Too bad that probably wouldn't come to America either though, even if they made it.


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## heartgold (May 25, 2015)

XrosBlader821 said:


> People still keep believing in this myth? The 3DS is more of a PSP2 than anything else.


 
Why is it a myth? Some titles have shown what the 3DS is capable of. It's capable of doing more than the ps2 and even the gamecube in some aspects.


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## CathyRina (May 25, 2015)

heartgold said:


> Why is it a myth? Some titles have shown what the 3DS is capable of. It's capable of doing more than the ps2 and even the gamecube in some aspects.


Ugh no, most PS2 ports on the 3ds are either dumped down or have framerate issues and the best looking games on the 3DS lack a huge amount of AA allowing you to count pixels while playing.
Titles that do show GC quality are MH4 and SSB4 both of which use up more ram than is dedicated for games on O3DS. the N3DS is more of a portable Gamecube than anything but we won't know that for sure because no one will be crazy enough to make their game N3DS exclusive. Thanks Nintendo.


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## heartgold (May 25, 2015)

XrosBlader821 said:


> Ugh no, most PS2 ports on the 3ds are either dumped down or have framerate issues and the best looking games on the 3DS lack a huge amount of AA allowing you to count pixels while playing.
> Titles that do show GC quality are MH4 and SSB4 both of which use up more ram than is dedicated for games on O3DS. the N3DS is more of a portable Gamecube than anything but we won't know that for sure because no one will be crazy enough to make their game N3DS exclusive. Thanks Nintendo.


There you go, ofcourse half arsed ps2 ports are going to run like shit. 

Ground up games for the 3DS obviously be better. Kid icarus, luigi Mansion, Monster Hunter 3 ultimate are very nice looking games for the 3DS.

RE Revelation is one game that still impresses me on the 3DS, not even using the extra ram like SSB4 and MH4, well done capcom.

Yep, N3DS should clear anyone doubts if it's on PS2 level or not. I don't have hopes of any devs or many taking advantage of it for exlusive games. Perparing for both i can see, even if little effort for the N3DS, MH4 takes advantage of N3DS, texures and shadows are better.


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## CathyRina (May 26, 2015)

For those who care: DQ8 won't support 3D. It was said in the latest Famitsu issue.
I personally don't care that much since O3DS's 3D sucks anyway but it would've been at the very least nice to have it as a N3DS exclusive feature.


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## KingVamp (May 26, 2015)

No 3d and ported. Well, at least there more content...


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