Earlier this month we received confirmation that the MMO Dragon Quest X would indeed be heading to NX, after Square-Enix backpedaled on an earlier announcement. Now the other part of that accidental reveal has officially been confirmed too – Dragon Quest XI will release on NX.
The news comes from Japan’s Nintendo Dream magazine, which featured a roundtable discussion between Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, Pokémon producer Junichi Masuda and Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai. At one point Sakurai steers the conversation to focus on the various platforms Dragon Quest XI will release on, including NX, resulting in the confirmation. Here’s the full discussion, with a translation courtesy of Gematsu:
Masahiro Sakurai: Well then, I would like to ask about each of your new games. First, Dragon Quest XI. The 11th installment in the series will be released simultaneously on Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4, and including NX it’s coming out on three platforms, right?
Yuji Horii: That’s right. The use of hardware is different for each system, so it’s quite a challenge.
Sakurai: Thank you for working so hard.
Horii: However, we’re making the 3DS version in both 3D and 2D. I asked my staff, “Is that something we can do?” And they said, “We’ll do it.” So we decided, “then let’s do it.”
Junichi Masuda: I get the feeling that means there will be four versions across three platforms then, yeah?
Horii: That’s right. There are a lot of difficulties because of that. Each one has a different look to it, and there’s also a PlayStation 4 version, so if we make a small fix then we have to fix it across every version.
Sakurai: I see. Including things like the release date, it gets dreadful when development is inevitably drawn out and the debugging piles up… But shifting away from the release date, they’re not going to be released apart from each other, right? Since Dragon Quest games are story-driven.
Horii: That’s right. Spoilers will emerge if we release one version earlier. (Laughs.) However, we’re a little concerned about the sense of distance in movement. It’s different for each of the supported hardware.
Sakurai: Oh, is that so?
Horii: The movement in the 2D of the 3DS version, and the movement in the 3D of the 3DS version and the PlayStation 4 version definitely feels different when it’s in action. However, there are concerns when making several versions at the same time, and to that extent it’s difficult, so we’re making the game to the best of our ability.
Sakurai: I made Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U at the same time, but it was nevertheless difficult. Since you’re making it for hardware from different companies, I would think that it’s even more difficult, so please by all means do your best.
Horii: Indeed. All of the staff is working very hard, so please look forward to it.
What’s perhaps most exciting about this interview is that they’re planning a simultaneous release across all platforms, which means the NX won’t be left waiting.
Another part of the interview worth noting is the confirmation that the NX’s hardware isn’t directly comparable to the 3DS or the PS4, as Horii’s team will effectively be making four different versions of the game. If you didn’t already know, the 3DS version of Dragon Quest XI has two modes – retro 2D or 3D – whereas the PS4 version will take advantage of the console’s power. All versions will share the same story, however.
It will definitely be interesting to see which version the NX version skewers towards. We’ll be sure to bring you more news on Dragon Quest XI as and when it’s released.
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Written by Tom Brown
Whether it’s an exciting new entry in a series long established or a weird experiment meant only for the dedicated, Tom is eager to report on it. Rest assured, if Nintendo ever announces Elite Beat Agents 2, he’ll be there.
