Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake has been among the top 3 most preordered games in Japan every week since its announcement in June 

According to Amazon Japan’s video game preorder ranking (reported by Famitsu), Square Enix’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake was the most preordered game in Japan from October 20 to October 26, its Switch and PS5 versions coming in at first and second place respectively. 

This is nothing new, however, as the upcoming remake has consistently been among Japan’s top three most preordered games since its official announcement in the June 18 Nintendo Direct.  

Different editions of the Dragon Quest III remake took up the top three spots of preorder rankings for two weeks following the announcement, and between July 21 and September 26, the game was in the No. #1 spot for seven consecutive weeks. In the following weeks, the remake was briefly pushed down to second place by titles like The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Monster Hunter Wilds and Super Mario Party Jamboree, but has now climbed back up to the top spot. 

Developed by Square Enix’s Team Asano and Artdink, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake completely revamps the original 1988 NES title, blending 2D pixel art characters with dynamic 3D backgrounds and modern lighting, in a similar style to Octopath Traveller and Triangle Strategy.   

The story will mostly follow the original, with some additions and changes supervised by series’ creator Yuji Horii. The remake will also introduce many features from later Dragon Quest titles, such as Recall (the ability to memorize NPC dialogues, destination and quest guides), and speed adjustments for battle and character movement.   

Square Enix originally announced the project back in May 2021, which Team Asano later recognized as being “too early.” Needless to say, fans have been waiting for Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for a while, and if the preorders are anything to go by, the demand for it is sky high, especially in Japan. 

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is scheduled to launch on November 14 for the PC (Microsoft Store), Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The Steam version will come out a day later, on November 15.