Dragon Quest III HD2D with ChristophRPG, The History of Dragon Quest III's Launch in Japan

[00:00:09] Welcome to Tokyo Game Life, a Tokyo-based video game podcast focusing on Nintendo and gaming culture in Japan's capital.

[00:00:15] Your host, Mono, here to bring you a slice of gaming life from Tokyo.

[00:00:20] Today, JRPG superfan ChristophRPG joins as we chat about Dragon Quest III HD2D.

[00:00:26] We take a deep dive into this new version of one of the most important Japanese games ever.

[00:00:31] And the feature is all about Dragon Quest as well, as I give you all the details on Dragon Quest III's original Japanese launch in 1988.

[00:00:40] How many people were arrested? You gotta listen to find out.

[00:00:43] Let's jump into the games with ChristophRPG as we chat about Dragon Quest III HD2D.

[00:00:54] We're leading off with the game section this time as we dive into Dragon Quest III HD2D Remake, a brand new version of the 1988 classic NES game.

[00:01:02] A game too big for one person, so I'm joined by a very special guest.

[00:01:06] So guest, please introduce yourself.

[00:01:09] Yes, hello. Thank you for having me. My name is Christoph. Go by ChristophRPG.

[00:01:12] I write stuff on X and Blue Sky about Dragon Quest. So thank you.

[00:01:17] Thanks for joining the podcast. We're here to talk about one of the biggest games this year, at least in Japan, Dragon Quest III HD2D.

[00:01:24] And there's a lot to get into, but first, I want to hear more about what this series means to you.

[00:01:28] What's your history with the Dragon Quest franchise?

[00:01:31] Oh, man. Well, I mean, my history with the Dragon Quest franchise is quite, I mean, it's a really, really important franchise for me.

[00:01:39] Because one of my most vivid memories of Dragon Quest are just, well, I mean, basically just gaming from a young age.

[00:01:45] It was when I played Dragon Quest VIII on my PS2.

[00:01:50] And I think that says a lot when a game gives you so fond memories.

[00:01:55] And I don't think I have those kinds of memories with other games.

[00:01:58] It's just Dragon Quest VIII.

[00:02:01] And even though I don't even think I went beyond, like, the 10-hour mark in terms of how long it takes for you to progress through the game.

[00:02:09] I think I only went to some of the earlier towns and then I got stuck.

[00:02:14] But I still have such fond memories with it.

[00:02:16] And then from that point on, I think this was around 2006 because it was quite late.

[00:02:21] It came out in Europe, where I'm from.

[00:02:23] And then since, I mean, from that point, I was just completely hooked.

[00:02:27] But yeah, I'm a big Pokemon fan.

[00:02:29] So my first Dragon Quest game was none other than Dragon Quest Monsters on the Game Boy, which I really enjoyed.

[00:02:34] So when Dragon Quest III also came out on the Game Boy, I had to pick it up.

[00:02:38] And I do remember liking that game at the time.

[00:02:40] But it was quite hard.

[00:02:42] I think, like you, I kind of dropped the game eventually.

[00:02:44] But it did have a big impact on me.

[00:02:46] But in the DS days, I got really into Dragon Quest IV and especially IX, which I would say is my favorite.

[00:02:52] And I did play about half of Dragon Quest XI, but shamefully, I admit I kind of fell off with it.

[00:02:57] But I'm back on the Dragon Quest train with this new version of Dragon Quest III HD 2D.

[00:03:03] A little bit of background on the game.

[00:03:04] It is developed by Art Dink, who also did Triangle Strategy.

[00:03:08] And on the Square side, we've got Tima Sano and Square Enix Creative Studio 5, who mostly has a mobile game background.

[00:03:15] And of course, Yuji Horty is serving as the design supervisor of the game.

[00:03:19] But let's go all the way back to 2021, when the game was suddenly revealed in a Dragon Quest live stream.

[00:03:25] What was your reaction to seeing, oh, they're remaking Dragon Quest III again?

[00:03:29] I was completely stunned.

[00:03:31] I didn't know what to do or think because I saw it.

[00:03:34] The first thing that I thought about was Octopath Traveler, which is one of my all-time favorite JRPGs ever since it came out.

[00:03:42] And Octopath 2 is likewise one of the best JRPGs personally.

[00:03:47] That announcement was just, it caught me off guard because obviously I knew right from the get-go what kind of game it was.

[00:03:53] I saw the actual protagonist and the art style.

[00:03:55] And I couldn't believe what I was seeing because it was literally my favorite art style combined with my favorite franchise.

[00:04:02] So I was just, I don't think I can remember even what I thought about because it was just, it was just so awesome.

[00:04:09] I think that's the best word to describe it.

[00:04:11] It was just awesome.

[00:04:13] Yeah, I was pretty surprised because I did think, oh, do we really need another remake of the game?

[00:04:18] Because it was remade on the Super Nintendo and then it was remade on the Game Boy.

[00:04:22] And there are mobile remasters or just versions of the game.

[00:04:26] So you could play a version of Dragon Quest III on modern hardware.

[00:04:30] So I was a bit taken aback.

[00:04:32] But now that I'm playing it, I'm very glad they remade it and I'm having a great time.

[00:04:36] And since you're more of an expert on the franchise than I am, let's get really into Dragon Quest III HD 2D.

[00:04:43] And I want to hear about what's been your biggest surprise with DQ3 HD 2D so far?

[00:04:48] Oh man, that's a good question.

[00:04:51] To be honest, I think that it's just the whole idea of it being remade into a modern version.

[00:04:58] Because the game is, you know, Dragon Quest III is an old game.

[00:05:01] Even the remasters or whatever you want to call them are kind of old games too.

[00:05:05] Because they don't really do anything design-wise to change up the game.

[00:05:09] And then we have this remake which completely changes up everything about the game.

[00:05:14] It's a completely new game.

[00:05:15] The first 10, 15-ish hours, I was completely taken aback because the game is just so fresh and new.

[00:05:24] Everything about the game is just obviously completely remade.

[00:05:27] But I think the biggest surprise for me was just how much of a remake it is.

[00:05:32] Everything from the ground up is completely remade.

[00:05:35] All the design philosophies, all the small things like the font and the icons, everything about the game has just been modernized.

[00:05:42] But the design philosophies are obviously the same because it's the same game.

[00:05:46] It's just remade.

[00:05:47] So I think it's just the complete revamp of the, I guess, the aesthetic design of all the elements.

[00:05:55] Yeah, I agree.

[00:05:56] I feel like it's very faithful, more faithful than you would imagine.

[00:05:59] But of course, it's been overhauled in many significant ways.

[00:06:02] So it is an interesting balance between quote-unquote modern game design.

[00:06:05] But it still has a lot of the core elements of Dragon Quest III, especially the great elements of Dragon Quest III and what made that game so interesting back in the day.

[00:06:13] And there are many, many new additions.

[00:06:15] And I don't want to list them all off one by one because there's, what, hundreds maybe?

[00:06:20] But what new addition would you say is the one that grabbed you the most?

[00:06:23] Obviously, well, I mean, not obviously.

[00:06:26] It is for me, but it is 100% the monster arena.

[00:06:30] And the recruitment of the monsters along with the monster wrangler.

[00:06:34] Absolutely perfectly done.

[00:06:37] The whole idea about, because Dragon Quest has the foundational value that Yuji Hody in his time in 85, 86, when he was making the first game,

[00:06:49] was that you are a hero.

[00:06:51] So the player is a hero journeying, adventuring through a world where it's kind of the world along with you.

[00:07:00] That's the focal point.

[00:07:02] And the monster arena, along with recruiting the monsters with the monster wrangler,

[00:07:08] completely cements that it's the world that you are traveling through that's kind of the main,

[00:07:14] if not the simultaneous protagonist along with the hero.

[00:07:19] So when you travel through the world, you encounter these secret spots where you can,

[00:07:25] depending on it being day or night or morning or evening,

[00:07:28] you can encounter monsters and recruit them and battle with them in the monster arena.

[00:07:33] And I think that's, I have spent many, many, many, many hours doing exactly that.

[00:07:40] Just walking around the world, even before you, spoilers, can fly.

[00:07:44] Just walking around the world.

[00:07:46] And I think that's maybe 40% of my entire playtime.

[00:07:50] It's just walking around, exploring, encountering, and recruiting monsters.

[00:07:55] I think that's it.

[00:07:56] Yeah.

[00:07:56] Yeah.

[00:07:57] Yeah.

[00:07:57] New classes was my most wanted request for the remake because it is a very class focused game

[00:08:02] in terms of that's a major element of your team customization is changing up people's classes.

[00:08:07] And when they said, oh, there's only going to be one new class, I was a little disappointed,

[00:08:12] but I'm very surprised about how integrated this class is into the world of the game.

[00:08:17] And it's a very fun class to use.

[00:08:19] So I do understand why it's only one because they've added it in such a way that it's so

[00:08:24] integral to so many other elements of the game.

[00:08:27] And I kind of thought it would be like a blue mage at first where you just take the monster

[00:08:32] powers, but it's quite different from that.

[00:08:34] So do you recommend when people are playing the game, do they just need to

[00:08:37] start with a monster wrangler in their party?

[00:08:40] Oh yeah.

[00:08:41] Oh yeah.

[00:08:42] 100%.

[00:08:42] Definitely.

[00:08:43] I mean, the monster wrangler is not only a really important class or vocation in terms of

[00:08:50] how much content you are able to access early on, because recruiting monsters and fighting in the

[00:08:56] arena is a really fun break from the normal flow of the game.

[00:09:01] And when you can do that immediately, it just adds a whole nother layer to what you are doing

[00:09:06] at the beginning of the game.

[00:09:08] And especially because when you go through the world and you go from A to B, and sometimes

[00:09:12] you might not think about exactly where you are, because sometimes you just go off the

[00:09:17] beaten path and then you find this secret area and then there's a monster there.

[00:09:23] And if you don't have a monster wrangler early on, you're not able to recruit it.

[00:09:27] And so you have to go back later.

[00:09:29] And that can be a little frustrating if you can't remember where exactly that was.

[00:09:34] So I mean, just by that alone, I think it's a good idea to have a monster wrangler.

[00:09:38] But also just because the classes or the vocation is extremely powerful.

[00:09:43] It's so, so, so, so strong.

[00:09:45] Yeah, it's a very unique class where you have all these different abilities based on how many

[00:09:49] monsters you gathered.

[00:09:50] And they also have their own unique abilities as well.

[00:09:53] And I would definitely recommend people starting with it.

[00:09:55] Yeah, because you can get all the monsters that you find automatically if you have a monster

[00:09:59] wrangler in your party.

[00:10:01] And that's definitely one of the more fun things of the game that I'm really enjoying.

[00:10:04] And maybe even a lot of veterans of the game, this is a completely new element they've added.

[00:10:09] And recently in the game, I guess many spoilers, but you do get an item that reveals the identity

[00:10:15] of some monsters that are hiding as humans.

[00:10:18] And when I was journeying across the game, sometimes you would talk to somebody and then

[00:10:23] actually talk to them.

[00:10:24] You understand very easily that this is not a human or that this is a monster or something

[00:10:28] is up with this person.

[00:10:30] So it's very fun to go back.

[00:10:31] And then with this item, you can reveal their true form.

[00:10:34] And then, oh, yes, I was totally right.

[00:10:36] This is a monster.

[00:10:37] So that kind of thing is something I'm really enjoying.

[00:10:40] Yes.

[00:10:41] So we're digging into a lot of the new stuff, but I want to touch on the core game.

[00:10:45] How do you feel Dragon Quest 3 stands up as a JRPG today in 2024 compared to many of its

[00:10:50] contemporaries?

[00:10:51] That's a hard question to ask a intensely biased person about when it comes to JRPGs.

[00:10:58] But if I'm trying to put off my biased pants for a moment, I would say that Dragon Quest

[00:11:04] is a franchise that has been here for almost 40 years now.

[00:11:10] And I think that because they have spent so many years building these games and these

[00:11:17] worlds, they have gathered so many design elements that makes JRPGs excellent.

[00:11:23] So I think Dragon Quest 3 Remake on its own is one of the best JRPGs, especially if you

[00:11:31] like classic JRPGs, because there's a huge difference between very modern designed JRPGs.

[00:11:38] If we take Metaphor Refrontatio that also came out this year, for example, Dragon Quest and

[00:11:44] Metaphor Refrontatio are two very different JRPGs.

[00:11:47] They compare nicely in terms of how good they are, because both are excellent, but in their

[00:11:53] own ways.

[00:11:54] Because Dragon Quest has always been about gameplay and the adventure, while many other JRPGs

[00:12:00] strayed away from that traditional way to look at a JRPG and have been more focused on

[00:12:07] systems and story.

[00:12:10] So from a gameplay perspective, Dragon Quest holds up, I think, even some of the older

[00:12:16] Dragon Quest games.

[00:12:17] I mean, the original third game, Dragon Quest 3, the original version, still holds up today

[00:12:22] just because the gameplay is just so well made.

[00:12:27] So it is definitely up there.

[00:12:29] I mean, for me, it's the best JRPG of this year, of course.

[00:12:32] But I think many people agree that it's absolutely excellent.

[00:12:37] You can just see the reviews of some of the more mainstream gaming critics that has also

[00:12:43] praised it.

[00:12:44] It's got excellent reviews.

[00:12:46] Yeah, what I'm really liking about the game is that while it is based on an 8-bit NES

[00:12:50] game, it still captures what makes JRPGs fun.

[00:12:53] You've got character building.

[00:12:55] It's a fair challenge.

[00:12:56] There are many interesting dungeons that are...

[00:12:59] I feel one thing that a lot of JRPGs these days have gone away from are dungeons, especially

[00:13:04] since I'm a big Pokemon fan.

[00:13:05] So they've totally gotten rid of all the dungeons in Pokemon, which makes me sad.

[00:13:11] But when I'm playing this game, like, oh, they're pretty simple in idea.

[00:13:16] It's just like different floors and there's different branching paths.

[00:13:18] But each dungeon has something interesting about it.

[00:13:21] Like the pyramid, you walk into the middle.

[00:13:23] Oh no, it's a trap.

[00:13:24] And then you fall down to the basement.

[00:13:27] And in the basement, you can't use magic.

[00:13:29] So even though this is a very simple idea, it works so well.

[00:13:33] And then there's another dungeon where pretty much every treasure box is a mimic.

[00:13:38] So you have to be aware of that.

[00:13:39] But it's very basic in terms of a lot of the core ideas.

[00:13:43] But they do so many interesting things with it.

[00:13:45] I think it's maybe a bit of a disservice to call it quote-unquote simple, since it really

[00:13:50] does nail a lot of the elements you want in an RPG.

[00:13:54] And especially since one thing that it really nails, I think, is definitely the character

[00:13:58] customization and the class and party composition.

[00:14:01] So while the battle system doesn't have a gimmick per se, the fun comes from managing all your

[00:14:04] skills in character roles.

[00:14:06] Do you have a favorite class?

[00:14:07] Or what classes did you use during your run of the game?

[00:14:10] I mean, actually, to be honest, I'm still going through the game because I just love the

[00:14:15] game so much.

[00:14:16] And when there's a game I love so much that I love this one, it's just I don't want

[00:14:20] it to end.

[00:14:21] I want to keep playing.

[00:14:22] So I'm doing my absolute best to completely annihilate every single pixel of the entire

[00:14:30] world to get as much playtime out of it as possible.

[00:14:34] But at the moment, I guess it's kind of simple because I started with Monster Wrangler and

[00:14:39] Warrior and Mage.

[00:14:41] Yeah, because I know that the hero class traditionally always has had healing spells.

[00:14:47] So I thought, OK, I might not need a priest at the moment also because I know that monster

[00:14:51] abilities usually have some kind of healing to it.

[00:14:54] I just didn't know that Soothing Song, which is one of the earlier spells, if not one of

[00:14:59] the starting abilities of a Monster Wrangler can heal your party for 20 each.

[00:15:04] Amazing ability.

[00:15:05] So I haven't had the need for a priest at all.

[00:15:07] I found out was a popular thing with going Hero, Sage, Sage, Monster Wrangler.

[00:15:13] So that's what I'm doing right now as well.

[00:15:16] That's apparently the meta, I guess.

[00:15:18] For me, I had a warrior who is now a thief, which is a good mix of unique offensive skills.

[00:15:23] And I changed my priest to a sage because, yeah, you need a sage, at least one.

[00:15:28] And I might change my Monster Wrangler later.

[00:15:30] But I do want to kind of find a lot of the monsters before I switch over.

[00:15:34] So the class system in the game, it has a lot of depth for what is at its core an NES game.

[00:15:40] But again, going back to what makes this game great, I do love how light the story is.

[00:15:45] There's no bloated cut scenes.

[00:15:47] Your direction is just, hey, there's a thing you need, go get it.

[00:15:50] And you're free to explore.

[00:15:52] What do you think about the story structure of Dragon Quest 3?

[00:15:55] And are there any story beats in this new version that surprised you?

[00:15:58] Oh, man.

[00:15:59] Okay.

[00:16:00] So the story of Dragon Quest, it has always been the most simple yet effective thing that

[00:16:08] they have done in Swimstone.

[00:16:09] Because as exactly as you say, it's just there is a king who says, there's a bad guy.

[00:16:17] Go deal with him.

[00:16:18] Okay, bye.

[00:16:19] And then you're just there.

[00:16:21] Okay, now I have to deal with this guy.

[00:16:23] And okay, I guess I'll just walk up this way.

[00:16:25] And then you talk to someone who says, oh, there's a thing happening here.

[00:16:28] You can't pass unless you do this.

[00:16:30] And then you do that.

[00:16:31] So it's just you do the things because people say that I'm having trouble with this thing.

[00:16:39] And then you just go help them and do that.

[00:16:42] So the vignette kind of storytelling is absolutely amazing.

[00:16:48] Because as you also said, there's no bloated cut scenes.

[00:16:53] There's no bloated story beats.

[00:16:54] There's no greater thing that happens every time you take a step.

[00:16:59] It's just you walking through the world with an objective in mind.

[00:17:02] And then obviously, you get multiple objectives because you have to go deal with this guy somehow.

[00:17:08] And you deal with him by doing these things, gathering orbs or whatever.

[00:17:12] In terms of the story, I think it's excellent.

[00:17:15] Because it's you, the player, who is motivated to do the thing.

[00:17:21] A guy called Egoraptor, I'm sure many people know him.

[00:17:25] He made an excellent video about exactly this, about how you want to do the thing.

[00:17:30] Not because some other person in the game tells you that you want to do the thing.

[00:17:34] And Dragon Quest is a game that throws you into a world and say, go play.

[00:17:39] And then you go play.

[00:17:41] And then you have a connection to the world and to the characters and to your avatar in the game.

[00:17:47] Because you want to help the world.

[00:17:49] Because the world is also the protagonist.

[00:17:52] You want to help the world.

[00:17:53] You want to help the world's people because they're suffering.

[00:17:57] It's not because someone tells you that you have to help them.

[00:18:01] You have to defeat this guy because people are suffering.

[00:18:04] Because you see it yourself.

[00:18:06] And the vignette kind of smaller contained stories is just part of the greater plot of you going through the world helping it.

[00:18:15] And the end goal is to defeat the guy that the king or whatever at the beginning told you to go.

[00:18:21] So I think it's absolutely excellent.

[00:18:24] Yeah, I definitely agree.

[00:18:25] That's a very interesting perspective about how the world is also kind of a character in itself.

[00:18:30] And for me, a lot of the story is new since I never beat the Game Boy version.

[00:18:33] And it is effective in using a little to say a lot.

[00:18:37] For example, early on in the game, I went to a town and everyone was asleep.

[00:18:42] So this is immediately interesting.

[00:18:44] Now I'm invested in what's going on here.

[00:18:46] And then I find a guy who's awake.

[00:18:48] And he tells me, go to this cave.

[00:18:49] And on the way to the cave, I find a fairy village.

[00:18:52] Which again, it looks incredible.

[00:18:54] It looks fantastical.

[00:18:55] And I get a bit of direction there.

[00:18:57] And then I explore a fairly challenging dungeon.

[00:18:59] I get an item.

[00:19:01] And then I come back and I wake everyone up to continue the quest.

[00:19:04] And this is all done with about maybe five lines of dialogue.

[00:19:08] But the game is great at using really evocative imagery and interesting scenarios to help push you along.

[00:19:14] Instead of very long and talky cut scenes.

[00:19:16] And it's very smart in when they do use more involved cut scenes and dialogue sections.

[00:19:22] And speaking of that, what do you think about the voice acting?

[00:19:25] Which is completely new to this version of the game.

[00:19:28] I still haven't gotten used to there being voice acting.

[00:19:31] I think it's almost uncanny.

[00:19:35] Because it's kind of far in between the voice acting.

[00:19:40] Especially if you're just like me.

[00:19:42] Just walking around and grinding.

[00:19:44] Just finding the secret areas.

[00:19:46] Because then the story gets stretched out quite a bit.

[00:19:50] Which is perfect for me.

[00:19:52] But I think the voice acting is...

[00:19:55] I think it's really, really good.

[00:19:57] I always play Dragon Quest in Japanese.

[00:19:59] I always play Dragon Quest in its original form.

[00:20:02] I like to play games generally in its original form.

[00:20:05] Unless the game is telling me that this English version is the best for you.

[00:20:11] With the marketing and stuff.

[00:20:12] But I always play Dragon Quest in Japanese.

[00:20:14] So I think it's a little difficult for me to judge it based on that.

[00:20:19] But the emotion that it evokes within me when I hear the voice acting.

[00:20:24] And when the story is there.

[00:20:26] And obviously I have subtitles.

[00:20:27] So I know what's going on.

[00:20:29] But the emotion that it evokes.

[00:20:31] Which is, I think, the most important part of voice acting.

[00:20:34] It has to evoke the emotion that the game is trying to evoke to you.

[00:20:39] Which it does.

[00:20:40] Perfectly.

[00:20:41] So I think the voice acting is...

[00:20:43] It's great.

[00:20:44] Just based on the voice acting.

[00:20:46] But it's also great that there is voice acting.

[00:20:49] Yeah.

[00:20:49] And it's not used too often.

[00:20:50] It's used actually fairly sparingly.

[00:20:52] So I do get kind of surprised every now and then.

[00:20:54] Where I think, oh, this game actually has voice acting.

[00:20:57] I forgot.

[00:20:57] Because I was exploring all this for hours.

[00:20:59] Until I found a story cutscene.

[00:21:01] And then suddenly the boss is talking to me.

[00:21:04] Exactly.

[00:21:04] What about the visuals?

[00:21:06] Which is, of course, a major element of this game.

[00:21:08] It actually changed quite a bit.

[00:21:09] Compared to the first time we ever saw the game.

[00:21:11] During the Dragon Quest livestream three years ago.

[00:21:14] Are you liking this style they went with?

[00:21:16] Or would you have preferred something similar to the original trailer?

[00:21:19] I think that exactly as you say.

[00:21:22] I was surprised when I saw the progression of the visuals of the trailers.

[00:21:27] And then, of course, the final game.

[00:21:29] Because the first trailer was very akin to Octopath Traveler's visuals.

[00:21:35] And I think that they have gone with the best way they could have gone about it.

[00:21:41] In terms of the final game.

[00:21:42] Because it's actually kind of a mix, I think, between the visuals of Dragon Quest XI.

[00:21:47] And Octopath Traveler.

[00:21:49] Which is the HD 2D game that I'm referring to.

[00:21:53] Because that's the one I remember most.

[00:21:55] But I think that that mix is perfect.

[00:21:59] Because it's still very Dragon Quest.

[00:22:01] It's not too akin to Tim Asano's other games.

[00:22:05] It's still Dragon Quest.

[00:22:06] But you can clearly see that it's Tim Asano who is doing the HD 2D artworks.

[00:22:11] And I think that the visual style.

[00:22:14] It started off being a little...

[00:22:17] I was a little put off by it at the very beginning.

[00:22:21] Because it was different from what I had in mind.

[00:22:24] But it has grown on me.

[00:22:26] So that I think that it's the perfect fit.

[00:22:29] Because as I said, it's a healthy mix between the classic Tim Asano HD 2D.

[00:22:34] And Dragon Quest XI's kind of revitalized Dragon Quest art style.

[00:22:39] So I think the visuals themselves are...

[00:22:42] They're exactly where they're supposed to be.

[00:22:44] Also, some of the areas are just extremely gorgeous.

[00:22:47] Even I'm playing on the Switch.

[00:22:49] I'm playing docked Switch.

[00:22:51] And my Switch is the old one from 2017.

[00:22:54] It's obviously an old Switch.

[00:22:56] But it's still just so beautiful.

[00:22:57] Because the art direction is so good.

[00:22:59] And some of the areas are just completely mind-blowing.

[00:23:02] Like the Shrine of the Everbird.

[00:23:05] It's so beautiful.

[00:23:07] The Pirates Den.

[00:23:08] So many areas.

[00:23:09] It's just so beautiful.

[00:23:10] Yeah, even though it's called HD 2D.

[00:23:12] The 2D elements are somewhat slim.

[00:23:14] You've got the character and monster sprites.

[00:23:16] But a lot of the buildings in much of the world is in 3D.

[00:23:19] So it's getting a bit blurry about what is HD 2D?

[00:23:22] And what is just regular 3D?

[00:23:24] But this game kind of blends both.

[00:23:26] And yeah, the original trailer almost seemed more like a one-to-one reskin.

[00:23:30] Of the original game.

[00:23:31] But now they've made the world much larger.

[00:23:34] Especially the overworld.

[00:23:36] And this game is reminding me, oh, overworlds?

[00:23:39] We should just bring them back.

[00:23:41] I know technically we don't need them anymore.

[00:23:42] Since many games are fairly seamless in terms of what's a town.

[00:23:46] What's the field.

[00:23:47] But seeing the lights of a town off in the distance when you're exploring the overworld.

[00:23:51] That's just pure magic.

[00:23:53] Do you like overworlds?

[00:23:54] Or would you have preferred something a bit more seamless?

[00:23:56] I mean, I 100% agree with you.

[00:24:01] I love overworlds.

[00:24:02] The first actual taste of an overworld was when I played Wild Arms for the PS1.

[00:24:08] When I was a snot-nosed little child.

[00:24:11] And I couldn't get past the first town.

[00:24:14] But then I also got Golden Sun 2.

[00:24:16] Which also has overworlds.

[00:24:17] And I just remember that at that point when I was a child.

[00:24:21] I didn't want any other game.

[00:24:23] I wanted games that had turn-based combat.

[00:24:25] And overworlds.

[00:24:27] That was literally my two favorite things about games when I was that age.

[00:24:32] And that has absolutely shaped my view about how I view overworlds.

[00:24:38] And how to travel through worlds in general.

[00:24:41] So I think that overworlds, like you say, absolutely should come back.

[00:24:46] I love overworlds.

[00:24:48] Because exactly like you say, that when you see a town in the distance.

[00:24:52] Especially at night time.

[00:24:54] And you see the city lights and whatnot.

[00:24:56] It's just, there's just something there.

[00:24:57] Also when you spot a little shrine.

[00:25:00] In the middle of some place that you wouldn't think had something.

[00:25:05] And then you enter.

[00:25:07] And then it's some really important place.

[00:25:09] Where there is a gate that you cannot go through yet.

[00:25:12] And there's a chest inside.

[00:25:14] And there's just so many secrets to uncover.

[00:25:16] And so many things to do with an overworld like this.

[00:25:19] Because it can make the world so much larger.

[00:25:22] Because the overworld is basically just you going from A to B.

[00:25:26] But the areas that the overworld can offer you.

[00:25:31] Like a little shrine.

[00:25:32] Can be kind of enormous.

[00:25:36] There are so many almost endless possibilities in terms of what you can do with a world like this.

[00:25:43] But yeah, I love overworlds in this way.

[00:25:46] Absolutely.

[00:25:47] So we're getting Dragon Quest 1 and 2 next year in the same style.

[00:25:50] So by the laws of math.

[00:25:52] The ones after that are 4, 5, and 6.

[00:25:55] Would you like to see those games in the same art style?

[00:25:57] Or do you want them to try something new?

[00:25:59] I mean, I do like math.

[00:26:01] So I think we should trust math.

[00:26:03] And I think that Square Enix and Armor Project and U-Ju-Hody should count to at least 9 in terms of math.

[00:26:12] But I think that 4, 5, and 6, the Synithian Trilogy is...

[00:26:18] I think every fan is just starving to get some more Synithian Trilogy.

[00:26:25] Because it's just...

[00:26:25] It's kind of the ultimate JRPG trilogy.

[00:26:30] And if I'm to describe Dragon Quest to someone, I would probably pick 4 or 5 or 6.

[00:26:37] Just because it's that game.

[00:26:39] Especially the DS versions are just so, to me, so Dragon Quest.

[00:26:44] And I think that especially because we know that Dragon Quest 3 here, the remake, HD 2D remake, is selling...

[00:26:51] I mean, I think we can...

[00:26:52] I think it's kind of assured that it's selling really well.

[00:26:55] And probably then, by that account, 1 and 2 collection will also sell well.

[00:27:01] And I think it's probably just a matter of time.

[00:27:03] But seeing 4, 5, and 6 remade in this style would be...

[00:27:10] I mean, a dream come true, basically.

[00:27:12] Especially for a Dragon Quest fan.

[00:27:13] But also just for JRPG fans in general, I think.

[00:27:16] Yeah, I've never played Dragon Quest 1 and 2.

[00:27:19] And I always assumed, well, just 3 is better.

[00:27:21] But I'm really having such a great time with 3 that now I'm quite interested in 1 and 2.

[00:27:26] Even though it's maybe not, quote-unquote, as good.

[00:27:28] But if they take a lot of the new elements from this game and put them into 1 and 2, I'll definitely be very interested.

[00:27:35] And yeah, 4, 5, and 6...

[00:27:36] It did have the Western releases on the DS, which I'm pretty sure they did sell quite well.

[00:27:42] But Dragon Quest 5, especially in Japan, that's one of the upper-tier echelon games.

[00:27:46] In terms of what do Japanese people hold as, quote-unquote, the best game of all time.

[00:27:51] A lot of them would put Dragon Quest 5 up top.

[00:27:55] So I think there's probably a lot of interest in at least making Dragon Quest 5.

[00:27:59] I do kind of wonder, oh, will they just skip to 5 and then do 4 and 6 later?

[00:28:04] That's something that might be possible.

[00:28:06] But if they just do 4, 5, and 6 in that order, I still think the interest will not diminish once 5 comes out, if they still want to do 4.

[00:28:14] All right.

[00:28:15] I guess, final verdict, would you recommend Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D to JRPG fans?

[00:28:20] No, I'm kidding.

[00:28:22] I mean, no.

[00:28:23] It's the game now, along with XI, that I would say if you are at least interested in some way in Dragon Quest, you should pick up that.

[00:28:33] I think III Remake has now...

[00:28:36] It has been shot up next to Dragon Quest XI as, right now, the definitive Dragon Quest.

[00:28:41] In terms of JRPGs, Dragon Quest is the grandfather of modern JRPGs.

[00:28:50] It's the foundational philosophies of design that has made every single modern JRPG what they are today.

[00:29:00] So many elements of Dragon Quest has inspired so many developers to make other JRPGs.

[00:29:08] And Dragon Quest is just...

[00:29:11] Even if you find Dragon Quest to be kind of maybe a little too, I guess, classic or traditional, I think that playing Dragon Quest as a JRPG fan is...

[00:29:23] You would do yourself a disservice if you didn't at least play some Dragon Quest.

[00:29:28] And if you want to play at least some Dragon Quest, you should pick the ones that I guess would be good for newcomers of the franchise.

[00:29:39] And that would be III HD 2D Remake and XI.

[00:29:43] And those two will probably just hook you into the franchise forever.

[00:29:47] I will definitely recommend Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake to absolutely anyone with an inkling of an interest to play a JRPG.

[00:29:58] Yeah, I'm having a ton of fun with the game.

[00:30:00] I think some newer JRPG fans might be off-put by its lack of focus on story.

[00:30:05] But if you want a classic, no-nonsense RPG, a big world to explore, challenging dungeons, great visuals and music, an interesting class system...

[00:30:14] You can find a lot of beauty in Dragon Quest III HD 2D.

[00:30:18] Alright, so ChristophRPG, where can people find you?

[00:30:21] People can find me on Twitter.

[00:30:24] I guess X will be the correct thing to say.

[00:30:26] It's just ChristophRPG, also on Blue Sky.

[00:30:30] I show over Dragon Quest primarily, pretty much every day, every other day.

[00:30:35] I'm also kind of working on doing some videos, actually.

[00:30:39] I'm working on...

[00:30:40] I'm actually recording while I'm playing Dragon Quest III HD 2D Remake.

[00:30:44] And I've been recording when I played Dragon Quest IV some months ago, and also Dragon Quest XI.

[00:30:49] So I'm working on some fun things for YouTube.

[00:30:52] But right now, it's just on X and Blue Sky.

[00:30:56] It's just ChristophRPG.

[00:30:58] But yeah, thank you so much for having me.

[00:30:59] It was a ton of fun talking.

[00:31:01] Yeah, thank you so much.

[00:31:02] Yes, and listeners, the links to everything will be in the podcast description, so check it out.

[00:31:07] ChristophRPG, once again, thanks for joining me.

[00:31:09] Thank you so much for having me.

[00:31:18] Today's feature is going to be a little different.

[00:31:20] Normally, I focus on a place to visit in Tokyo or highlight a mostly Japan-only video game franchise.

[00:31:25] But since part of my podcast description is, quote, gaming culture in Japan's capital,

[00:31:30] well, I think this fits perfectly in line with that,

[00:31:32] as I want to explore Dragon Quest III's original launch in Japan all the way back in 1988.

[00:31:39] It's one of gaming legends, but there's a lot of misconceptions and a lot of new things I learned

[00:31:43] when researching about that fateful day.

[00:31:45] Now, sadly, I was not in line to buy Dragon Quest III in Japan in 1988,

[00:31:49] but it is a very well-documented event, especially in Japanese.

[00:31:54] TBS, a TV station in Japan, uploaded just last year some great high-quality B-roll of that day to their channel,

[00:32:00] so it's definitely something that is a major moment in Japanese gaming history.

[00:32:04] For this feature, I read whatever Japanese article I could find about it

[00:32:07] and watched a lot of Japanese news reports from the time, which are a ton of fun,

[00:32:12] so I will mostly focus on those.

[00:32:13] I don't want to spend too much time on the history of Dragon Quest,

[00:32:16] but Dragon Quest I came out in 1986 and it was an immediate hit.

[00:32:21] It brought the RPG genre to new audiences, especially kids.

[00:32:24] It's funny to think that now, DQ1, many people would consider it to be quite hard and unforgiving,

[00:32:29] but it was specifically designed to be very easy to get into and play.

[00:32:33] It was the best-selling game in Japan for months after its release,

[00:32:36] and less than a year later, Dragon Quest II hit the market in 1987.

[00:32:41] While the Dragon Quest III launch is perhaps the most famous,

[00:32:44] ironically, many of the things the Dragon Quest III launch is famous for

[00:32:47] did actually happen during Dragon Quest II's launch as well.

[00:32:50] People lined up for the game before launch and mini shops were sold out day one.

[00:32:54] And it kept topping the charts for months in Japan.

[00:32:57] During this time, the phrase Dragon Quest Gensho, or Dragon Quest Phenomenon,

[00:33:02] entered the Japanese lexicon.

[00:33:03] So the furor around Dragon Quest III's launch, it wasn't a surprise.

[00:33:07] Considering III was such a huge jump from the first two titles in scope,

[00:33:11] and Dragon Quest had quickly made its mark on Japanese pop culture,

[00:33:14] and the Famicom is now a household name,

[00:33:17] everything fell into place for it to be the biggest launch in Japanese gaming history.

[00:33:21] Now, it came out on Wednesday, February 10th, 1988.

[00:33:25] A few things.

[00:33:26] February in Tokyo?

[00:33:27] It's very, very cold.

[00:33:29] You don't want to be standing somewhere at 5 a.m. in February.

[00:33:33] Also, Wednesday, aka a weekday.

[00:33:36] This is something that many Western gamers have heard about,

[00:33:39] but the myth is that the Japanese government forced Enix

[00:33:42] to release Dragon Quest games on the weekend

[00:33:44] to prevent the truancy and other issues that arose

[00:33:46] during Dragon Quest III's launch day.

[00:33:48] This is not true, as the government didn't make them do anything.

[00:33:52] Enix themselves decided this.

[00:33:54] But indeed, Dragon Quest IV would launch on a Sunday.

[00:33:57] And the last new Dragon Quest game, 11, launched on a Saturday,

[00:34:01] so they are still keeping this release schedule.

[00:34:04] Except for spinoffs and remakes, apparently,

[00:34:06] since Dragon Quest III HD 2D was just released on a Thursday.

[00:34:10] So, if you're shopping for video games in Tokyo in 1988,

[00:34:13] where do you go?

[00:34:15] Ironically, a lot of the same places you would go to today.

[00:34:17] One of the more famous lines was at Bit Camera East Exit Store

[00:34:20] in Ikebukuro, a store that is still around today.

[00:34:24] In fact, before Dragon Quest III HD 2D launched,

[00:34:26] they actually had a display board with photos of the original launch day.

[00:34:31] Now, the 1988 launch was at what is now the Bit Camera Outlet Shop,

[00:34:35] so there's a different Bit Camera closer to the station

[00:34:37] that had the signs of the photos.

[00:34:39] So, technically, the photos are at a different place,

[00:34:42] but these two buildings are still there,

[00:34:44] and they're still Bit Camera.

[00:34:46] Just going the extra effort to make a little display board is fantastic

[00:34:49] and really shows the pride of taking part in such a major moment.

[00:34:52] This Bit Camera apparently had a line of over 10,000 people.

[00:34:56] I don't know how built up Ikebukuro was in the 80s,

[00:34:59] but I cannot imagine a line of 10,000 people

[00:35:02] in front of the Ikebukuro Bit Camera today.

[00:35:04] It would be more crowded than Shibuya Scramble.

[00:35:07] And again, this is outside in February.

[00:35:10] I did see in one report that at a different department store,

[00:35:13] the line was inside, going from the 8th floor all the way to the 1st floor.

[00:35:17] But hey, at least you are inside.

[00:35:19] And you can at least gauge your progress a bit.

[00:35:21] Okay, I'm on the 3rd floor now, almost there.

[00:35:24] The TBS video I mentioned earlier had a lot of footage from Shinjuku,

[00:35:28] and they often showed Sakuraya,

[00:35:30] which was another major electronics chain.

[00:35:32] It started all the way back in the 1940s in Shinjuku,

[00:35:35] just like Yodabashi Camera.

[00:35:37] However, in 2010, all Sakuraya stores closed down,

[00:35:40] and the main shop shown in the video is now a Bic Camera.

[00:35:44] But the exterior still looks pretty similar,

[00:35:46] just the name is different.

[00:35:47] But a lot of that TBS B-roll is here,

[00:35:49] outside of what is now the Bic Camera Shinjuku East Exit Store.

[00:35:53] This is a place I've seen many times,

[00:35:55] so I did get a kick out of seeing it have some sort of historical importance.

[00:35:58] It's not a top-tier Bic Camera for me,

[00:36:00] but it is very important in terms of the history of Japanese gaming releases.

[00:36:05] It showed a massive line all the way down the street,

[00:36:08] a street that now has the Marui Annex with Tsurugaya,

[00:36:11] a huge Bic Camera Uniqlo combo shop,

[00:36:13] and a gigantic Disney store as well,

[00:36:15] maybe the biggest one in Tokyo.

[00:36:16] But many know it for its large Isetan department store as well.

[00:36:20] And if you go here on Sunday afternoon,

[00:36:22] they close off the street from cars,

[00:36:23] so you can walk in the street for some great photo ops.

[00:36:26] Or if you just want to unleash your inner Jaywalker.

[00:36:29] Many news reports from the time have a lot of footage from here,

[00:36:32] with Tsurugaya staff communicating with each other via the walkie-talkie,

[00:36:35] and they're all wearing these Tsurugaya-branded jackets,

[00:36:38] which do look kind of cool.

[00:36:39] I can easily see one of these jackets being an expensive item

[00:36:42] in a vintage clothing store somewhere.

[00:36:44] The footage also shows that they used a number ticket system

[00:36:47] to prevent the lines from just spiraling out of control.

[00:36:49] So if you had a ticket, you could come back and buy the game.

[00:36:52] The tickets also had this big DQ3 logo on it,

[00:36:55] and the footage shows some customers handing it over to the staff,

[00:36:58] and then they get the game already inserted in a plastic bag,

[00:37:01] so you can't really actually see it.

[00:37:03] Other shops seem to do this too,

[00:37:04] as another report said that a Yodabashi store

[00:37:06] handed out over 1,500 tickets in one day.

[00:37:09] This is still a common practice in Japan.

[00:37:11] Just line up for any Pokemon pop-up shop and you'll see.

[00:37:14] Also, I did see in a video that one shop was handing out tickets

[00:37:17] on February 7th to buy the game on the 10th.

[00:37:19] So some people were lining up for that,

[00:37:21] and then they returned a few days later.

[00:37:22] But it seemed like most shops didn't do this practice.

[00:37:25] And yes, Japanese TV did interview a lot of people in line.

[00:37:28] One I saw was a college kid who said he got there at midnight the day before,

[00:37:32] which sounds like something I would do in college.

[00:37:34] It is pretty interesting to see that a lot of adults are in line to buy the game.

[00:37:38] I think many of us assume that adults playing games is a recent phenomenon,

[00:37:42] but the Famicom alone had its fair share of adult fans,

[00:37:45] or at least college-aged fans.

[00:37:47] One was interviewed after he picked up the game,

[00:37:49] and the newscaster asked,

[00:37:50] what do you want to do when you go home?

[00:37:52] And he said, sleep.

[00:37:53] Hey, you got the game.

[00:37:55] Nobody said anything about playing it at launch.

[00:37:57] A middle-aged dad was also interviewed,

[00:37:59] and he got there around 8 a.m.,

[00:38:00] so a few hours before the store opened.

[00:38:02] Which honestly, these days,

[00:38:04] showing up three hours before a store opens

[00:38:06] is not that insane for a major launch.

[00:38:09] But back in the 80s, it was pretty unheard of.

[00:38:11] The reporter also tried to talk to high schoolers

[00:38:13] who looked like they were in their high school uniforms,

[00:38:16] but they tried to avoid the camera.

[00:38:18] Which leads to another memorable element of the launch.

[00:38:20] Many kids were apprehended due to truancy,

[00:38:23] aka they skipped school to buy Dragon Quest III.

[00:38:26] And who can blame them?

[00:38:28] I've got the numbers.

[00:38:30] 283 kids were apprehended for truancy in Tokyo alone.

[00:38:33] Ikebukuro also had 26 officers on patrol for the event.

[00:38:37] This was definitely a hot topic,

[00:38:38] and a lot of the news stories talking about the launch

[00:38:40] really focused on the kids-are-skipping-school-to-play-Dragon Quest angle.

[00:38:44] So again, Enyx got really proactive

[00:38:46] with release dates on future games.

[00:38:48] Some other random footage I got a kick out of.

[00:38:50] I love all the segments of reporters in the studio

[00:38:53] holding a Dragon Quest III cart

[00:38:54] and kind of explaining what it is.

[00:38:56] A lot of them are mystified by its form factor.

[00:38:59] Also, Japanese 80s newscaster fashion is truly insane.

[00:39:03] It looks like everybody was inserted into a giant cloth cube.

[00:39:06] Some other fun footage includes video of them

[00:39:08] unloading the trucks with the big cardboard boxes with the games.

[00:39:12] And on these boxes, they have a big DQ3 logo stamped on it.

[00:39:15] Okay, now I just want to rattle off

[00:39:17] some of my favorite people they talk to in these news reports.

[00:39:19] There's a lot of exasperated parents who are like,

[00:39:22] what? Why is the line so long?

[00:39:24] They talk to a college-aged girl,

[00:39:26] and they ask her what's so interesting about the game.

[00:39:28] She says that you can see yourself in the characters

[00:39:30] and then says,

[00:39:31] you should try it while she playfully hits the reporter.

[00:39:34] There's also a random foreigner interviewed

[00:39:35] who has no idea what is going on.

[00:39:37] And in English, she says,

[00:39:38] quote,

[00:39:39] what are they giving away?

[00:39:41] If you are this man, please come on my podcast.

[00:39:43] A grandma is also interviewed,

[00:39:45] and the reporter asked her,

[00:39:47] what is Dragon Quest III?

[00:39:48] And she's like,

[00:39:49] I don't know.

[00:39:50] I'm buying it for my grandson.

[00:39:51] They also talked to another shy woman

[00:39:53] who was in line to buy the game for her husband.

[00:39:54] And they interviewed some college kid who had a cold,

[00:39:57] and he is completely wrapped up in a blanket.

[00:39:59] So many people did endure the elements

[00:40:01] to get Dragon Quest III on day one.

[00:40:03] And one of my favorite guys,

[00:40:05] he's got on this black jacket,

[00:40:06] sunglasses,

[00:40:07] he's got kind of a slicked back pompadour style hair,

[00:40:10] and he looks like he could easily fit right into Yakuza 0.

[00:40:13] The reporter asks him,

[00:40:14] what interest do you have besides the Famicom?

[00:40:17] And he waits a second,

[00:40:18] and he just says,

[00:40:19] none.

[00:40:20] Perfect.

[00:40:21] There was another video where it locked onto this kid,

[00:40:23] and then you could hear the announcement of the store

[00:40:25] saying that they were totally sold out.

[00:40:27] And this kid looked absolutely devastated.

[00:40:29] I hope he eventually got to play Dragon Quest III.

[00:40:32] The game sold over a million copies on day one,

[00:40:34] and needless to say,

[00:40:36] many stores were completely sold out.

[00:40:38] There's a lot of footage of staff posting and carrying signs

[00:40:40] saying Dragon Quest III sold out,

[00:40:42] and for them to come back tomorrow or another day.

[00:40:45] Of course,

[00:40:45] the game had quite a long tail on the Famicom and beyond.

[00:40:49] But the original launch,

[00:40:50] easily one of the most famous and memorable video game launches

[00:40:52] in Japanese history.

[00:40:54] With digital gaming,

[00:40:55] I don't think it will ever be topped.

[00:40:57] And an important thing to note,

[00:40:58] everybody lining up here was there to buy the game for themselves,

[00:41:02] or a loved one.

[00:41:03] Maybe some wanted to flip it,

[00:41:05] but the resale ecosystem wasn't as developed as it is today.

[00:41:08] Like,

[00:41:08] when Switch 2 comes out,

[00:41:10] how many people in line are going to buy it for themselves,

[00:41:12] and how many people are going to buy it just to resell it?

[00:41:15] There is a sense of passion in these videos,

[00:41:17] where everybody who was interviewed

[00:41:18] was very intent on buying the game to enjoy it.

[00:41:21] While we may never see a launch like this again,

[00:41:23] just a few days after Dragon Quest III HD 2D launched in Japan,

[00:41:27] many stores put up signs saying that the Switch version was completely sold out.

[00:41:30] So,

[00:41:30] some things never change.

[00:41:33] Alright,

[00:41:33] that's it for the feature.

[00:41:34] Now,

[00:41:34] for the news.

[00:41:41] A lot of things are popping off in Tokyo.

[00:41:43] If you can believe it,

[00:41:44] there's yet another EarthBound pop-up shop,

[00:41:46] titled Mother no Bazaar,

[00:41:48] that's happening in Shinjuku Sumitobo building,

[00:41:50] this January 9th to 15th.

[00:41:52] The big new item are Mother 2 branded Converse sneakers.

[00:41:55] These are just white sneakers with Mr. Saturn pixels on it,

[00:41:58] but,

[00:41:58] we have yet to have Mother shoes,

[00:42:00] so Itoi can't let that market slip away.

[00:42:03] The shop is only for about a week,

[00:42:05] and you do need a reservation on the first day,

[00:42:06] so be aware of that.

[00:42:08] Another Nintendo collab happening soon is that

[00:42:10] Heinz will have a special Kirby branded ketchup.

[00:42:13] No,

[00:42:13] not pink ketchup,

[00:42:14] but instead,

[00:42:15] Kirby is just on the package with nine different designs.

[00:42:18] I'm normally a sucker for this type of stuff,

[00:42:20] and will just eat any Nintendo collaboration food,

[00:42:22] but,

[00:42:23] I can't say I saw this and thought,

[00:42:25] man,

[00:42:26] I gotta get that ketchup.

[00:42:27] It's almost Valentine's Day,

[00:42:29] so I need to save my money for the Pokemon chocolate I get every year.

[00:42:32] There's a few events still going on in Tokyo.

[00:42:34] Obviously,

[00:42:34] the Pokemon Colgate exhibit is happening until February.

[00:42:37] Go listen to my previous episode about that awesome exhibit if you haven't yet.

[00:42:41] The Super Mario Mario Noichi Illumination event is also happening right now around Tokyo Station.

[00:42:46] It's going on until January,

[00:42:48] and I would definitely cover it on the podcast in a future episode,

[00:42:51] but as a teaser,

[00:42:52] I highly enjoyed it,

[00:42:53] and you'll get a kick out of it if you're a Mario fan.

[00:42:55] There's also a Noja pop-up shop happening right now at Shibuya Parko for the next few weeks,

[00:43:00] so Noja fans,

[00:43:01] get out there.

[00:43:02] And Nintendo may be done with releasing new games this year,

[00:43:05] or are they?

[00:43:06] Because we've gotten a flurry of NSO titles,

[00:43:09] including Donkey Kong Land 1 and 2.

[00:43:12] These are the first two Game Boy DK platformer titles,

[00:43:15] developed by Rare,

[00:43:16] so it wasn't licensed to somebody else.

[00:43:18] Visually,

[00:43:19] they look pretty rough,

[00:43:20] but they were very popular games back in the day.

[00:43:22] The first DK Land game sold 3.91 million copies.

[00:43:26] That's more than any Metroid,

[00:43:28] more than any Pikmin game,

[00:43:30] although hopefully Pikmin 4 hits 4 million units soon.

[00:43:33] DK was truly the king of the 90s.

[00:43:36] And DK Land 2?

[00:43:37] That still sold over 2 million copies.

[00:43:40] And this was in the 90s,

[00:43:41] when selling over 1 million was seen as an incredible accomplishment.

[00:43:45] These are definitely games people might not consider classics,

[00:43:47] but they were bona fide hits.

[00:43:48] And the DK Land series has insane titling in Japan.

[00:43:52] DK Land is called Super Donkey Kong GB,

[00:43:55] and DK Land 2 is just Donkey Kong Land.

[00:43:57] I can only assume that Donkey Kong Land 3 is coming sooner than later.

[00:44:01] But hey,

[00:44:02] Nintendo,

[00:44:02] you know we want Donkey Kong 94.

[00:44:05] I'll even take King of Swing,

[00:44:07] since I do kind of want to try that.

[00:44:09] And shockingly,

[00:44:10] we got new Genesis games,

[00:44:11] including Toe Gem and Earl on Planet Funkotron,

[00:44:13] Vector Man,

[00:44:14] and Wolf of the Battlefield Burks,

[00:44:16] a game that I admittedly have never heard of before.

[00:44:19] It's almost been a year and a half since we got new Genesis games,

[00:44:21] so I'm glad there's some life in what is easily my most ignored NSO app.

[00:44:26] But there's a lot of great games on that thing.

[00:44:28] But I am waiting for Sega to take some real swings at bringing back the Saturn catalog.

[00:44:33] Saturn NSO?

[00:44:34] That would be pretty killer,

[00:44:35] I can't lie.

[00:44:36] At least the Japanese version of the app.

[00:44:38] Alright,

[00:44:38] this was a fairly light news week,

[00:44:40] so let's just end it here.

[00:44:41] Thanks as always for listening.

[00:44:42] Be sure to like and subscribe to this podcast on your favorite app.

[00:44:45] Leave a five-star review as well,

[00:44:47] it helps with visibility.

[00:44:48] The podcast is also available on YouTube,

[00:44:50] so like and subscribe there as well.

[00:44:52] I'm on Twitter,

[00:44:53] Threads,

[00:44:53] Blue Sky,

[00:44:54] Instagram,

[00:44:54] just search for Tokyo Game Life,

[00:44:56] or find the links in the podcast description.

[00:44:58] If you like the podcast,

[00:44:59] be sure to share it with your friends and on social media.

[00:45:02] If there's anything you want to talk about

[00:45:03] or cover,

[00:45:04] just message me on Twitter.

[00:45:06] The next episode will be on December 15th.

[00:45:08] See you next time.

[00:45:10] Montenei!