Square Enix has done a pretty good job at making past games available for modern audiences, but there are some blind spots.
The famed RPG developer has found success with the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster, which collects the first six games in the series. The success of these remasters has led the company to consider remastering more of its back catalog.
I posit that Dragon Quest, specifically the first six games, should be next.
There are plenty of other franchises that could benefit from the pixel remaster treatment, but Dragon Quest is one of the pioneering forces behind the RPG genre with a unique history. Similar to Final Fantasy, some of the original games never made it westward until their remakes over a decade later.
Dragon Quest V and VI, in particular, did not get the Western release until remakes surfaced on the Nintendo DS. Pixel remasters would provide a great way to experience these games in their original 16-bit formats.
As for the NES titles, Dragon Quest I through III released on the Switch with some improvements. These could be a good starting point for the original three games. What may throw a wrench into this plan is the 2D-HD remake of Dragon Quest III, which is still in development with few updates at this point.
Dragon Quest IV is the one that needs some love as its most recent release came in 2014 on mobile. Prior to that, it had a remake on the Nintendo DS in 2008.
Dragon Quest has always struggled to gain traction in the West with Final Fantasy proving to be the more popular of the two pioneering RPG series. That said, there is a lot more interest than in previous years.
Many love Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. This game is unique because it offers a 2D retro version along with the modern 3D version. The 2D version for the game certainly has intrigue and shows there is an appetite for the retro style.
Along with DQXI, fans have been waiting patiently for Dragon Quest XII and its promised mature approach. The growing popularity in Dragon Quest is real and Square Enix should capitalize on that.
Sure, the company has used spinoffs to keep Dragon Quest relevant, but having pixel remasters would go a long way. Both Dragon Quest III and V get a lot of love from long-time fans so I think it’d be fun to experience them in their pixel glory. Again, you can do that with DQIII now but not DQV.
Game preservation is vital to the industry. It’s important to see where these franchises started and how they impacted genres as a whole. Giving Dragon Quest the pixel remaster treatment not only helps preserve them, but it could give them the quality of life improvements Final Fantasy enjoyed that makes them accessible to modern gamers.
What do you think? Should Dragon Quest get the pixel remaster treatment? What other Square Enix titles would you like to get pixel remasters? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Square Enix
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