Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
| Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation | |
|---|---|
 Box art of the enhanced remake, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation, for the Nintendo DS | |
| Developer(s) | Heartbeat (SFC) ArtePiazza (DS) |
| Publisher(s) | Super Famicom Nintendo DS |
| Director(s) | Manabu Yamana |
| Producer(s) | Yukinobu Chida |
| Designer(s) | Yūji Horii |
| Artist(s) | Akira Toriyama |
| Composer(s) | Koichi Sugiyama |
| Series | Dragon Quest |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom, Nintendo DS, Android, iOS |
| Release date(s) | Super Famicom
|
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Distribution | 32-megabit cartridge (SFAM), digital download |
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (ドラゴンクエストVI 幻の大地 Doragon Kuesuto Shikkusu Maboroshi no Daichi, lit. "Dragon Quest VI: Land of Illusion"),[2] Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie in Europe,[3] is a role-playing video game developed by Heartbeat and published by Enix (now Square Enix) for the Super Famicom as a part of the Dragon Quest series. It is the last Dragon Quest game in the Zenithia trilogy.[4] It was released on December 9, 1995 in Japan.[5] It was developed by Heartbeat, whereas the previous Dragon Quest games were developed by Chunsoft.[6] In July 2007, Square Enix announced a series of remakes of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation for the Nintendo DS, making this the first remake of the latter game on other consoles.[7] The title was released in North America for the first time on February 14, 2011 and has now been released in Europe on May 20, 2011. A version of the game for Android and iOS has been announced for release in Japan in Summer 2015.[1]
As the sixth installment to the Dragon Quest series, the graphics and gameplay remain close to the other games, with minor additions and upgrades.[8] The graphics were vastly improved from Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, which was also for the SNES, but had rather unimpressive graphics due to being an early game on the console. Navigation remains largely unchanged from the previous games and the turn-based battles are still in first-person. The class system from Dragon Quest III returns, with minor adjustments.[8] Despite the very high price of 11,970 yen (about 137 dollars),[5] Dragon Quest VI sold 3.2 million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995.[9] The DS version sold an additional one million copies by March 2010.[10]
The story follows the traditional Dragon Quest "Hero" on a quest to save the world. In this particular installment, the heroes also have to endure the personal struggle of amnesia, as many of the main characters do not initially remember who they are. After completing a series of quests, the player learns that in addition to a Real World, there is also a Dream World, made up of people's dreams, and that there is a great evil that wants to conquer both. The Hero and his new party work together to save both worlds from the ever-growing threat.
Gameplay
Dragon Quest VI is a traditional, turn-based role-playing video game (in an overhead perspective) which features random battles and a character class system that the Hero and his party members acquire new skills and spells. The Hero travels around the world gathering a party throughout his adventure. To progress in the story, the party must defeat specific boss monsters or trigger specific flags. In order to defeat the bosses, the player must spend time training the party by gaining experience points from battles to advance in character and class levels.[8]
Other new features were added to the series, such as the monsters being animated when they attack.[8][11] The Slime Arena and Best Dresser Contest were new mini-games introduced; the casinos return from previous Dragon Quest games.[12] Like previous games, mini medals can be found hidden throughout the worlds and can be traded for items.[13] There are bonus dungeons and a few extra characters after beating the main storyline. There is a day and night system, as in some previous installments; with certain storyline events happening at night. While the Monster Master class can catch monsters in the original Super Famicom version it is not a major part of the game.[8] Another returning feature from the past two games is the use of the wagon, which allows characters to be swapped out for other ones on the world map.[14]
This Dragon Quest, similar to Dragon Warrior III and Dragon Warrior VII, has a class system.[8][11] Once the party gets to Alltrades Abbey, they have the option of becoming one of several starter classes.[15] Each class has eight levels, which are gained by winning a specific number of battles (unlike character levels, which are gained by earning experience points), and advancing in level teaches a character new spells and / or skills, which are retained across class changes. Once a character has mastered a specific set of two or three starter classes, they can change into a hybrid class which builds on their themes; for example, mastering Warrior and Martial Artist unlocks the Gladiator Class, which learns powerful physical attacks,[16] and mastering certain hybrid classes unlocks the Hero class. Some of the classes give special bonuses beyond their stats and abilities such as the Merchant who gives a small bonus to the party's income after every battle,[8] or the Sage who receives a discount to MP costs. To master a class, the character must fight a set number of battles as that class. Once certain hybrid classes are mastered, a stat relating to that class will permanently go up. There are two secret classes as well,[8] Dragon (Hackasaurus) and Liquid Metal Slime, which are unlockable through consumable books. Dragon Quest VI was the first game in the series to include abilities or skills (トクギ tokugi) (special attacks and other techniques which are not spells and usually do not cost MP) for human party members. These special techniques were added to the remakes of III, IV and V later on.
Plot
Setting
Like the other Dragon Quest games in the series, the setting of Dragon Quest VI is very medieval, complete with castles, knights, and magic.[8] The main world is divided into the "Real World" and "Dream World", each with a separate, but similar map. To get from one world to the other, the party uses special warps (such as in wells), by ascending/descending stairs on the world map or falling through holes in the "Dream World" to the "Real World".
If something cannot be found in the "Real World", it may appear in the "Dream World", such as with Spiegelspire, in the middle of the quest. Also, another similarity to much of the series is the "Dread Realm". This separate map features a dark island with a psychedelic sea surrounding it and some of the toughest monsters in the game. The final boss, Mortamor, lives there.[17] Also, once Mortamor is defeated, the player can access the bonus dungeon and the secret final boss, Nokturnus.
Characters
Dragon Quest VI has six main party members, & several optional characters, most of which are recruitable slime enemies.
Original characters:
- The Hero is the main character of Dragon Quest VI. He comes from the small town of Weaver's Peak. Unlike most of the other "Heroes" in previous Dragon Quest games, this Hero does speak- he does so while meeting his clone, and in sequences within Weaver's Peak at that time. The Hero is joined by other characters he meets along his journey. He is later revealed to be the prince of Somnia who often spent time away from the castle. This is due to his parents not giving much time to him or his sister. While he has no official name in the game, he was named Botsu in the manga based on the game.
- Carver (Hassan"ハッサン" in the Japanese version and No Progress translation) meets up with the Hero at Somnia. Carver is the natural fighter of the party and the son of carpenters. After regaining his memory, Carver learns that he is from Port Haven (San Mariinō in the Japanese version), where his parents recognize him. At first, he does not believe them, but after an event in Murdaw's Castle, he remembers his past.
- Milly (Mirēyu"ミレーユ" in the Japanese version, Muriel in the No Progress translation and Milayou in the official localization of Dragon Quest Monsters) joins the Hero and Carver because she can see them in the Real World. She is the typical cleric of the group, and specializes in healing and supportive magic. Before meeting the Hero, she lived with her fortune telling grandmother Madame Luca Luminista. Milly's past is more deeply revealed in the city of Felonia, where they had once grown up. She had been sold into slavery when her adoptive father became intimidated by the Gandino gang. She was then able to escape when an old man she had been locked up with opened a secret passage and gave her an ocarina: the same ocarina she plays in the opening scene.
- Ashlynn (Barbara"バーバラ" in the Japanese version and No Progress translation) joins the group in the Moonmirror Tower, where she is trying to find a way to make herself visible to those around her. The Hero obliges by sprinkling dream dew on her. She casts magic like Milly, but uses mostly fire-based attack magic. She hails from Sorceria, a village known for its strong magic. Before the party reaches Sorceria, Ashlynn's past remains very mysterious.
- Nevan (Chamoro"チャモロ" in the Japanese version and No Progress translation) joins the party next. He is a cleric from Ghent village, specializing in healing magic. He is also the only one that can steer the Divine Ship, the Providence, for the party.
- Amos is the protector of Scrimsley. He becomes a monster at night and is defeated by the party, but after receiving the Seed of Reasoning, he joins the party on their quest. Amos is an optional character, as it is possible to do his side story wrong & lose access to him forever. He can use an ability called Megamorphosis if he is recruited, however, which transforms him into the monster while surrendering control at the same time.
- Terry (テリー) is the final character to join the party, after appearing as an enemy for part of the game. He is a knight who defeats the monster terrorizing Arkbolt, just before the party does, thus gaining the reward. He joins the Hero's party after the battle with Dhuran. It transpires that he had attempted to rescue Milly when she was sold into slavery, but ultimately failed despite dealing a niggling injury to one of the Gandino members. This failure haunts him, which is the reason for his wanting to become stronger and gain the most powerful weapon no matter the cost. It is only after the battle with Dhuran that he is able to lay his demons to rest: in this scene, he and Milly, who is his sister, are finally reunited.
- Lizzie (Drango"ドランゴ" in Japanese version and No Progress translation) is the female Hacksaurus that Terry defeated. After being locked in Arkbolt for some time, the beast, will join the party if they visit her with Terry. She is an optional character, & her job class is automatically set to Dragon without needing the special item.
- Goober (Slalin"スラリン" in Japanese version)is a regular slime that the party is asked to train after they defeat the Champ at the Slime fighting arena. His owner, Sledge, wants this rookie to go on a journey with the party to further develop his strength. Goober learns a handy selection of healing & attack skills, & upon reaching level 45, he can be taken back to Sledge & acquire a secret skill from him.
Characters introduced in the DS remake:
- Goowain is a Slime Knight who, with his trusty steed, wanted nothing more to serve the kingdom of Howcastle among its knights. However, when he arrived there, he was imprisoned because he is a monster. The party can find & recruit a dejected Goowain once the events at Howcastle are done. His name is a play on Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. Goowain learns support spells, as well as the ever-useful Falcon Slash technique.
- Healie is a Healslime who hangs out in Clearvale, he becomes super excited once the party acquires the flying bed & wishes to join them so he can ride it (despite having his own floating ability). As his name suggests, Healie will learn every Heal spell on his own, even Omniheal. It's unclear if he's the same one assisted Ragnar in Dragon Quest IV, as that one was later turned into a human for his heroics.
- Spot is a Mottle Slime who the party can find hiding along the bushes at Castle Graceskull. He gives no explanation of what he was doing there, but offers to help the party anyhow. Spot has an odd, questionably-useful selection of skills borrowed from vocations the party can use.
- Kingsley, as his name implies, is a Kingslime. He is found at the bar in Slimopolis & will become impressed with the party after they win many rounds in the Best-Dressed Contest. Kingsley chiefly learns healing abilities, including the rare Kazing revival spell.
- Curie is a Cureslime who can be found within Suite Dreams, meaning the party must acquire at least 10 dreams in order to reach the area where Curie resides. Alternatively, Curie will appear out in front of Suite Dreams instead once the player finishes the main story. Curie is very similar to Healie, only with slightly different stats.
- Shelley is a Seaslime who spends most of the game at various spots searching for Curie, before ending up at an undersea Inn. Shelley is recruited by including Curie in the party & speaking to her. Shelley learns mostly attack skills.
- Mercury is a Liquid Metal Slime (or, Metabble) who appears in the forest where the party acquires their horse early in the game once they have 20 dreams in their possession. Alternatively, beating the main story will cause him to appear here in a similar fashion to Curie's changing locations. The party will fail at capturing him a few times before a stranger intervenes to help them. Amazed at their ability to catch him, Mercury will join. Mercury, strangely enough, has a level cap of only 16 for some reason, but takes much longer to level up than any other character, he also learns Ashlynn's unique plot-acquired Magic Burst on his own! Mercury is also automatically set to the Liquid Metal Slime secret job class without needing a special item for it.
Villains:
- Murdaw: At first, Murdaw appears to be the ultimate demon lord. He appears in the opening scenes and is spoken about as the true threat to the world. Murdaw is fought in both worlds, although during the first battle, the Mirror of Ra reveals him to be the King of Somnia. Murdaw is likely the hardest of the demon lords due to low level and quality of equipment had by the party. Defeating Murdaw for good unseals Alltrades Abbey, allowing the party access to the game's job classes to learn better abilities.
- Jamirus: A large chimera demon and master of deception. Rather than try to conquer kingdoms directly, Jamirus likes to lure people to his island; the misleadingly named "Isle of Smiles". He floats rumors to various cities about a place where no one has to work, and they can lead a hedonistic life without consequence. As people arrive via his floating island crewed by minions, people are lead into a massive hall where Jamirus steals their souls in front of a large crowd of demons. As his technique does not work on the party, he attempts to kill them and is thwarted. Defeating him not only grants the party usage of his floating island, but it unseals Medford's Manor, allowing the party to cash in on mini medals.
- Gracos: The evil merking of the undersea world. Gracos rules the deep and holds Sorceria hostage in the dream world. Known for his powerful trident weapon and vicious cold attacks. King Poseidon is very pleased with the defeat of Gracos, as he had caused him much trouble in the past. Gracos makes a return to the series, along with a descendant of his, as bosses in Dragon Warrior 7.
- Dhuran: The humanoid demon lord responsible for sealing Cloudsgate citadel, and by extension, the powerful King of Cloudsgate from the real world. Dhuran finds it hilarious how he was able to control Terry and use him as a puppet. Although he commands hordes of minions, he is a somewhat honorable demon, he hates an unfair fight and heals the party to full as they confront him directly. It is likely the castle itself was able to attack the party by way of his evil magic. Upon defeat, he offers nothing but praise, making him a true oddity among Mortamor's generals.
- Blackmar: Blackmar is a large, muscular bat-winged demon who runs the Gallows Moor prison in the underworld. Blackmar is served by Dogmus, an evil wizard, and Zozagel, a demonic knight, who seem to be his assistants of sorts in the prison chain of command. He delights himself in tormenting the prisoners of Gallow's Moor, but his job seems to solely lie in imprisoning Benjamin, the younger of the two sage brothers who can unlock Mortamor's Dreadlair. Blackmar is killed as the party interrupts his "wedding" to a nun in order to corrupt her to evil for his amusement. While Dogmus is beaten senseless by the prisoner uprising, Zozagel is something of an optional boss as he will only fight the party if confronted directly during this scenario (he will look to be passed out) as he will disappear from the game once Blackmar is killed.
- Belleau and Cabot: One last pair of demons who torment the elder sage brother Isaac, by repeatedly showing him false images of his brother's execution when he does not swear fealty to the demons. The evil statue Belleau and the boss troll Cabot attack the party simultaneously when they interrupt one of these torture sessions by bringing Bejamin with them to dispel the illusions. At this point it is clear the humans have the upper hand and their lord will be vulnerable if they are defeated, but in the end they too fall like Mortamor's other minions.
- Mortamor: The final boss of Dragon Quest VI. In typical Dragon Quest fashion, he goes through several forms as the battle against him drags onward.
- Nokturnus: An evil entity stronger than Mortamor who prefers to lay low in his own realm. The party witnesses his awful power during an event at Castle Graceskull, where the king attempted to summon a demon to help his kingdom defeat Mortamor. Nokturner, however, was not having it, as no mortal can command him without matching him in battle, and he laid waste to the entire kingdom. This is the last time Nokturnus is seem in the main story, but he can be confronted in the bonus dungeon. If he is defeated, a new ending occurs where he will eliminate Mortamor and events play out differently. Nokturnus resembles a larger, differently-colored Dhuran, and uses the strongest techniques in the game.
Story
Dragon Quest VI opens as the Hero, Milly, and Carver approach Murdaw, the demon king’s castle.[18] After Milly summons a dragon, the party enters the castle and comes face to face with Murdaw(Mudo"魔王ムドー" in Japanese version). Overpowering the trio, Murdaw appears to destroy each member of the party. The Hero wakes up in Weaver's Peak, and cannot remember anything before the fight with Murdaw. Tania, a young woman from Weaver's Peak, insists that he is her brother.[19]
The Hero is then given a task to get a crown in preparation for the annual Mountain Spirit festival from the elder which takes him to Haggelton. However he finds out the man that is supposed to make the crown has gone out somewhere to the northwest of town and never came back. The hero then heads in that direction and finds a large hole with the crown maker just barely hanging on. The hero attempts to rescue him and succeeds but in the process, slips and falls to the world below. In this mysterious world, the hero finds a nearby town in which the townspeople cannot see him. The hero grabs a tip from one of the townspeople that there's a special well to the north which people went in never came back; thus the hero heads in that direction and returns to his world.
After getting the ceremonial crown from the crown maker for no charge after saving his life, the hero heads back to Weaver's Peak just in time for the festival to begin. During the festival, the hero receives a mysterious vision that a great evil was to take over the world and asks him to leave the village in preparation for this disaster. The next day, the hero finds out that the world that he stumbled onto was called the "Phantom World" and is given a pass by the elder which allows him entry into Somnia, where he can meet the king.
At Somnia, the hero meets Carver, which doesn't seem to remember the hero. The Hero then meets Captain Blade, leader of Somnia's military which gives the potential soldier candidates a task to find a special item in a tower. The hero manages to find this item successfully and formally becomes a soldier of Somnia. After a task which the Hero and Carver work together to get a horse for an old man, Carver also becomes a soldier of Somnia and himself and the hero are given permission to talk to the king where they learn to defeat Murdaw, they need the Mirror of Ra. The Hero and Carver discover another portal similar to the one near Haggleton, which eventually leads them to Port Haven, another town where they can not be seen. Milly, also appearing to have lost her memory, does see them and helps them become visible via Madame Luca's help.
The party discovers a Somnia Castle in the “Phantom World” and learns that the prince is missing and that the Hero looks like him. They also meet Captain Rusty, who bears a striking resemblance to Captain Blade. Gaining entrance to the Moonmirror Tower, the party meets Ashlynn, a woman who was invisible in the “Phantom World” at first, too, and together they find the Mirror of Ra.
The four of them travel to Murdaw's castle, in the original world. After defeating Murdaw, the Hero uses the Mirror on him. Murdaw then turns into the King of Somnia, confused and unaware of what happened. The king reveals that the original world is in fact the Dream World and the Phantom World is the Real World. Upon traveling back to the Real World, the King of Somnia thanks the party for defeating Murdaw in his dreams, but that the real Murdaw lives and that the party must travel to Ghent to retrieve a boat to get to Murdaw's lair. In Ghent, Nevan, a healer, joins the party and allows them to use the Ghent Clan's ship. During the fight with the real Murdaw, the Hero gets is again sent back to Weaver's Peak. However, with the Mirror of Ra, the Hero warps back into the battle and defeats Murdaw.
The Queen of Somnia tells the Hero to discover who he really is. The quest leads the party to Arkbolt, where a terrible monster is blocking a nearby cave. The reward for defeating the monster is the famed Sunderbolt Blade, but before the party can strike the final blow, a warrior by the name of Terry kills the monster, winning the sword. After traveling both worlds, the party learns that Murdaw was not the only evil in the world, having fought several other monsters that all seem to be connected.
In Sorceria, the party learns that this is Ashlynn's home.[20] The elders tell Ashlynn that the Demon Lord is watching her and give her the powerful spell Magic Burst to fight him. The party also learns that the only way to get to the Demon Lord is through Zenith Tower, but to activate the tower, they need to collect the sword, armor, shield, and helmet of legend. While doing so, the Hero meets his double in Real Weaver's Peak, who gets spooked, and speaks 'Y-You. Y-You're m-m-me!', and says that he must prove himself to be faithful to his family if he is to join powers. Returning to Real Somnia, the King and Queen tell the Hero that he is indeed the prince.[21] When he fused with his clone, the Hero gained his memory back, much like Ashlynn and Carver had done.
The party reaches Cloudsgate Citadel and meets Dhuran(デュラン), who claims to have taken over the castle. He summons Terry to fight the party and then fights the party himself. Dhuran then reveals that all the enemies the party has faced were just pawns of Mortamor, the Archfiend. Milly reveals that Terry is her brother and Terry decides to join the party and fight against Mortamor.
Once Cloudsgate Citadel is back to normal, the party speaks to King Zenith who informs them of Mortamor's doings and how to reach the Dread Realm. Mortamor plans on merging both worlds.[22] The party’s horse fuses with Pegasus, allowing the party to fly to the Dread Realm. Several challenges await in the Dread Realm, with one such challenge being the party's strength suddenly and unexpectedly plummeting. With the help of two Supreme Sage brothers, Benjamin and Isaac, the party enters Mortamor's Castle. After solving many puzzles, they come face to face with Mortamor and defeat him. Isaac reveals that the Dread Realm is falling apart and Pegasus helps them escape.[23] After returning to the Real World, everyone parts ways, with Ashlynn having to return to the Dream World since her Real World self doesn't exist anymore. With Mortamor's link between the Real World and the Dream World severed, the Dream World vanishes, with only Cloudgate Castle being the remaining visible portion in the Real World. It's then shown that Ashlynn is in the castle, taking care of the newly hatched Zenithian Dragon.
In a similar fashion to Dragon Warrior III, the hero's weapons and armor were renamed for this installment in the Zenithian series. They are known as the Sword of Ramias, Armour of Orgo, Shield of Valora and Helm of Sebath. After the events of this game, these armaments become the Zenithian equipment and are renamed as such.
Development
Production
The scenario designer, as in all previous Dragon Quest games, was Yūji Horii. Similarly, the lead artist was Akira Toriyama and the sound was composed by Koichi Sugiyama.[24] This is the last game in the series to feature the Tenkuu no Shiro (Castle in the Sky) trilogy.[25][26]
A prequel, Dragon Warrior Monsters (Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland in Japan), was released in 1998. This game featured Terry and Milly years before the events of Dragon Quest VI. It was released in North America the next year, even though Dragon Quest VI was never released in North America.[27] Along with Terry and Milly, several of the main enemies, including Mortamor, reappear, however, their previous roles have been eliminated, making them appear as just normal enemies.[28] Mortamor and Murdaw (DeathMore and Mudou, respectively, in the localization) do appear as very challenging, very late in-game bosses, though.[28]
Release
The initial release was delayed over a year because of Enix wanting to further develop their game.[8] The game was eventually shown at Shoshinkai in November 1995. Dragon Quest VI was released a few weeks later on December 9, with the very steep price of 11,400 yen (roughly over 100 U.S. dollars).[8] The game went on to sell over 3.2 million copies.[29] In Japan, the game made the news in 2005, when a Japanese student threatened another student over an argument about which Dragon Quest is the best, the student doing the threatening favoring Dragon Quest VI.[30]
Like its predecessor, Dragon Quest VI did not receive an English-language localization because of being cost-ineffective. At 4MB, it was one of the largest games made for the SNES as well as the largest the console could support without adding bank-switching circuitry to the cartridge, and translating it would have necessitated even bigger and more expensive ROMs. In addition, the game was a late release for the SNES and by the time an English localization could be finished, Enix had already dropped support for the console in North America and moved to the PlayStation.
Nintendo DS remake
The Dragon Quest VI enhanced remake for the Nintendo DS was announced in late 2007 by Square Enix and was developed by ArtePiazza.[7] The game was released in Japan on January 28, 2010, in North America on February 14, 2011, and in Europe on May 20, 2011.
This version has a few differences
- The after-battle monster recruitment has been removed. In the original 1995 Super Famicon version of Dragon Quest VI, certain types of monsters can be randomly recruited if they are defeated with a Monster Master in the party. In the 2010 DS remake, this system has been removed, instead, there are certain Slimes that will join you once you accomplish a specific task. Lizzie still remains recruitable.
- Since this version comes with a built in map of both worlds on the top of the screen, the World Map and the Magic Map have been removed.
- The 'Tag Mode' system from Dragon Quest IX has been implemented, which allows wireless communication and data transfer between two DS systems.
- A Slime Curling mini-game was added.
- The names of the following characters from this game were changed in Dragon Quest IX as follows: Mireille (Mireyu) as Milly, Hassan as Carver, Barbara (Bābara) as Ashlynn, Redach (Reidakku) as Somnia, and San Marino as Port Haven.
On April 28, 2008, it was reported that Square Enix has applied for the trademark "The Realms of Reverie" at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, leading to speculation that it was the localized title for this game.[31] On May 20, 2008, Square Enix opened up the North American site featuring the three Dragon Quest DS remakes, acknowledging Realms of Reverie as the official subtitle, as well as confirming a release in North America.[32] The title was later changed to "Realms of Revelation" just prior to release. Listings in some stores, including on price tags and the like, still use the "Reverie" title.
Mark Franklin, director of Public Relations at Nintendo, made the claim that Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation “will give fans unique access to a classic game in the series for the first time” outside of Japan.[33]
Related media
Soundtracks
As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. Three soundtracks were released for the music of Dragon Quest VI. The first was a two-disk soundtrack, which included an orchestral performance and an OST. The second soundtrack was released on August 23, 2000, and just had the orchestral version. This version was released by SPE Visual Works (now Aniplex), and was named Dragon Quest VI ~The Dream World~ Symphonic Suite.[34] This version was featured on Dragon Quest Daizenshu Vol. 2, which is a compilation of Dragon Quest music.[35] A second Symphonic Suite edition of the OST was performed in March 2005 and released on July 19, 2006, also by Aniplex.[36] The Symphonic Suite tracklist is as follows:
All songs written and composed by Koichi Sugiyama.
| Dragon Quest VI ~The Dream World~ Symphonic Suite | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Overture" | 1:20 | ||||||||
| 2. | "At the Palace" | 3:40 | ||||||||
| 3. | "In the Town ~ Happy Humming ~ Inviting Village ~ Folk Dance" | 7:02 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Through the Fields ~ Wandering through the Silence ~ Another World" | 5:03 | ||||||||
| 5. | "Ocean Waves" | 5:11 | ||||||||
| 6. | "Flying Bed" | 2:08 | ||||||||
| 7. | "Pegasus ~ Saint's Wreath" | 5:39 | ||||||||
| 8. | "Evil World ~ Satan's Castle ~ Frightening Dungeon" | 4:22 | ||||||||
| 9. | "Brave Fight" | 6:23 | ||||||||
| 10. | "Melancholy" | 3:11 | ||||||||
| 11. | "Ocarina ~ The Saint" | 2:07 | ||||||||
| 12. | "Devil's Tower" | 1:36 | ||||||||
| 13. | "Dungeons ~ Last Dungeon" | 5:52 | ||||||||
| 14. | "Monsters" | 4:36 | ||||||||
| 15. | "Demon Combat" | 5:15 | ||||||||
| 16. | "Eternal Lullaby" | 6:46 | ||||||||
Total length: |
69:51 | |||||||||
Manga
A 10-volume manga adaptation of the game was also made, which titled Dragon Quest Maboroshi no Daichi (ドラゴンクエスト 幻の大地, lit. Dragon Quest: Land of Illusion). It was authored by Masaomi Kanzaki and published by Enix in the Monthly Shōnen Gangan between 1997 and 2001.[37] The storyline roughly follows that of the video game from which it was based but with several differences, such as the inclusion of the character Kizu Buchi, a spotted slime.
Reception
| Reception | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Despite the very high price of 11,970 yen (about 100 dollars),[5] Dragon Quest VI sold 3.2 million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995.[9] In 2010, Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS sold almost a million copies in Japan in its first week.[10] The game sold over 1.2 million copies by March 2010.[41]
According to Nintendo Power, Dragon Quest VI was originally planned for North American release in the spring of 1996 under the title "Dragon Warrior V."[42] However, the Super Nintendo localization of the game never happened, Enix having already given up on the US market.[4] Square, one of the only companies still willing to bring console role-playing video games to the US, was also still struggling to get their games to sell in the US, and therefore, Dragon Quest VI had no companies willing to take a risk for it.[4] In Nintendo Power vol. 81, the staff wrote an article on Dragon Quest VI, hoping the game would find a North American release. They also suggested why the series might not appeal to the American audience: there is too much fighting and not enough adventuring.[8] Other critics have mentioned that class building becomes tedious and that the dual worlds are too overwhelming, both possible reasons against a US release.[4] Dragon Quest VI was listed as #7 among the 10 Best Japanese Games Never Released in the U.S. by GamePro magazine in their May 2005 issue.[43]
Kurt Kalata of Gamasutra praised the game's storyline, particularly its innovative scenario. While comparable to the light-dark world setting of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Dragon Quest VI featured a unique real world and dream world setting, which he suggests had an influence on the later Square role-playing games Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy X. Kalata also praised the gameplay improvements, including its class system that improves on Dragon Quest III and is now more similar to Final Fantasy V, and the addition of a bag that improves on the inventory management of previous games. He concludes that it is "still a fantastic game."[44]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "SQUARE ENIX announces DRAGON QUEST titles including DRAGON QUEST VIII for smartphones (For Japan)" (in Japanese). Square Enix. 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ↑ "Welcome to Nintendo of America's Media Site". Nintendo. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
- ↑ "Experience Dragon Quest in the Palm of Your Hand Zenithia Trilogy Announced for Europe" (Press release). Square Enix. 2008-05-21. Retrieved May 21, 2008.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Kalata, Kurt (2008-02-04). "The History of Dragon Quest". Gamasutra. Gamasutra. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Dragon Quest VI Official Page". Square Enix. Retrieved June 4, 2007.
- ↑ "Enix Comments on DQVIII As Heartbeat Steps Away". RPGfan. 2002. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Dragon Quest 4 to 6". Square Enix. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 8.9 8.10 8.11 Nintendo Power Vol. 81, pp. 64–67. Nintendo of America, 1995. Retrieved 2007-4-6
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "販売本数ランキング". Game Ranking. Retrieved April 27, 2009.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Gantayat, Anoop (2010-02-01). "DQM: Joker 2 Announced". IGN. IGN. Retrieved 2010-02-10.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Super Famicom Games Roll Out the New Year!". GamePro (67) (IDG). February 1995. p. 160.
- ↑ Casino Owner: Welcome to my subterranean casino! I hope you enjoy yourself! Enix (2007-07-27). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Medal King: I collect small medals which were scattered around the world. Enix (2007-07-25). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ "Wednesday's News". 2000. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ Priest: This is the shrine at Alltrades. As you travel, you will learn the skills of your class. Does someone wish to change classes? Enix (2007-07-25). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Man: There are higher classes that combine the skills of regular classes...If someone first masters the Warrior and Mage classes...Then he can choose to become a Armamentalist. Enix (2007-07-25). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Girl: I heard the demon emperor lives in the dark world. Enix (2007-07-25). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Hassan: We have to destroy the demon king!Enix (2007-08-03). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Tania: Wake up, brother! Enix (2007-08-03). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Mrs. Calbe: But, Ashlynn, you should remain here as the new elder. As a descendant of the sorceress, it is your obligation. Enix (2007-07-26). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Shera: Now you can take your rightful place as prince of Somnia. Enix (2007-07-25). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Boy: According to the king, Mortamor wants to merge both worlds... Enix (2007-07-26). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Supreme Sage Isaac: Quickly, get out of there! This world is falling apart! Huh? you defeated Mortamor? That must be it! Enix (2007-07-27). "Dragon Quest VI". Super Famicom. Enix.
- ↑ Kalata, Kurt. "The History of Dragon Quest". Features. Gamasutra. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-09-20.
- ↑ Jonathan Creswell (2007). "Dragon Quest IV, V, VI". Retrieved September 17, 2007.
- ↑ "Dragon Quest IV, V, VI confirmed". Siliconera. 2007-07-30. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
- ↑ Jose Lopez (2007). "Dragon Quest Monsters DS: Enix's Pride & Joy". N-next. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Prima Games, ed. (2000). Dragon Warrior Monsters Official Strategy Guide. Prima Publishing. pp. 44–45. ISBN 0-7615-2730-3.
- ↑ "Japan Platinum Game Chart". The Magicbox. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
- ↑ David Jenkins (February 23, 2005). "Student Arrested In Dragon Quest Death Threat". Gamasutra. Retrieved July 21, 2007.
- ↑ Siliconera (April 28, 2008). "Dragon Quest VI: The Realms of Reverie for North America?". Silconera. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- ↑ "DRAGON QUEST". Square Enix. 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2008.
- ↑ "Nintendo announces North American debut of Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation". Business Wire.
- ↑ "Dragon Quest VI ~The Dream World~ Symphonic Suite". Play-Asia. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ Damien Thomas (2007). "Dragon Quest Game Music Super Collection Vol. 2". Retrieved July 23, 2007.
- ↑ Patrick Gann (2007). "Symphonic Suite Dragon Quest VI Maboroshi no Daichi". Retrieved July 19, 2007.
- ↑ "Dragon Quest Manga". 2003. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation". GameRankings. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ↑ Ashcraft, Brian (July 17, 2009). "How Do Dragon Quest’s Famitsu Scores Stack Up?". Kotaku. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
- ↑ Gifford, Kevin (02/03/2010). "Japan Review Check: Dragon Quest VI, Reginleiv". 1UP.com. Retrieved 21 September 2011. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ 【ゲームソフト販売本数ランキング TOP30】集計期間：2010年3月15日〜3月21日 – ファミ通.com. Famitsu.com (2010-01-04). Retrieved on 2013-01-07.
- ↑ "Epic Center: The Epic Calendar". Nintendo Power #76 (Nintendo). September 1995. p. 51.
- ↑ GamePro staff, ed. (2005). GamePro Magazine, May 2005. IDG Entertainment. p. 46.
- ↑ Kurt Kalata (February 4, 2008), Dragon Quest VI: Maboroshi no Daichi, Gamasutra
External links
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation Official Site
- Official Nintendo DS Dragon Quest Zenithia Portal site
- Dragon Quest VI at MobyGames
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