The Dragon Quest franchise celebrated its 40th anniversary on May 27, which has brought with it a number of commemorative announcements and releases, including a slew of anniversary merchandise.
One such product is a hand-crafted music box which plays the iconic Dragon Quest Overture theme music, originally composed by the late Koichi Sugiyama and featured in every Dragon Quest title since the series’ inception. The asking price was 132,000 yen, which is currently equivalent to approximately $820 USD. Pre-orders for the luxurious item opened on the afternoon of June 3, and sold out by the following morning, as spotted by MagMix.
While some Japanese fans were taken aback by the high price point, with at least one commenting that it seemed about ten times higher than what such a novelty trinket would normally cost, many of the responses were overwhelmingly positive. Each of the music boxes sold is said to be hand-crafted by Japanese artisans using high-quality walnut wood, making it a premium collector’s item for hardcore fans.
The 50-note music box will measure approximately 8 inches wide, 5 inches long, and 3 inches deep, and the included musical piece will feature a playing time of roughly 1 minute and 52 seconds. Pre-orders are expected to ship by February 28, 2027.
Fans who were unable or unwilling to reserve such an expensive product will not be left out to dry, however, as Square Enix is still offering a large slate of 40th anniversary merchandise on their website such as plush toys, figures, keychains, and other collectibles at a variety of more affordable prices.
On the other hand, the future of the Dragon Quest game franchise itself is looking bright, as evidenced by the recently unveiled trailer for the upcoming Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams and the announcement of a new spin-off title, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World. While release dates for said games have yet to be announced, fans hopefully won’t need to wait long until their next Dragon Quest fix.
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