Shueisha's V Jump magazine will have details on a new scenario for the Dragon Quest VIII 3DS port, which is to be released on August 27, in their upcoming July issue (via ANN).
Known as Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King in the west and Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi in Japan, the upcoming 3DS version of the game will feature a new scenario that will focus on the protagonist's childhood, as well as the antagonist Dhoulmagus' past. Two screenshots (seen above) will aslo be shown in the July issue.
Originally released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2004 (2005 in North America), the 3DS port of the game will include full voiceover work from the following cast (the protagonist will remain silent):
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Takehito Koyasu as Dhoulmagus
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Ayana Taketatsu as Jessica
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Yoshimasa Hosoya as Kulule (Angelo)
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Risa Taneda as Mitia (Medea)
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Fumihiko Tachiki as Yangus
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Hiroshi Iwasaki as Trode
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Hitomi Nabatame as Gelda
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Jouji Nakata as Morrie
In addition to the new scenario, the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VIII will also include two new party members in the form of a female thief named Gelda and returning character Morie from Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road, an arcade game. The port will also take advantage of the Nintendo 3DS' StreetPass system and include an orchestral score from the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra.
Pre-order bonuses are also available in the form of in-game items that will differ depending on retailer:
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Square Enix e-Store: "Candy Cane" (can equip on Yangus)
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Amazon.co.jp: "Healie T-Shirt" (can equip on everyone)
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Aeon: "Healie Cap" (can equip on everyone)
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Game Tsutaya: "Gold Bamboo Spear" (can equip on main character)
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7-Eleven: "Lucky Pendant" (can equip on everyone)
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Yodobashi Camera/Yodobashi.com: "Metal Slime Tray" (can equip on everyone)