Nintendo Switch Getting New Square Enix Exclusive

05/28/2023 11:17 am EDT

Nintendo Switch released more than six years ago, but the system is still getting major exclusives. Publisher Square Enix has announced that a new entry in the Dragon Quest Monsters series will be released on the platform, and the game has been confirmed for release in North America. The announcement was made as part of a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the spin-off series, and was revealed through a trailer showcasing footage from previous games. Unfortunately, no release window was provided for the game, so there's no telling when it might release.

The announcement/anniversary trailer from Square Enix can be found below. 

The original Dragon Quest Monsters released in Japan on the Game Boy Color on September 25th, 1998. The game released about a year and a half later in North America, back when the series was still going by the name "Dragon Warrior" outside of Japan. Over the last 25 years, the series has had a spotty release schedule outside of its home country; two of the Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker games released in North America on Nintendo DS, while the third stayed exclusive to Japan, and that's not the first time that happened. Given that, it's pretty notable that this new Dragon Quest Monsters has already been confirmed for North America!

As the name implies, the Dragon Quest Monsters games are monster-taming RPGs, somewhat similar to the Pokemon franchise. However, the gameplay itself is closer to what players expect from traditional Dragon Quest games. The key difference is that combat involves trained monsters, instead of the hero. With Game Boy games now starting to release through Nintendo Switch Online, it will be interesting to see if the original Dragon Warrior Monsters or its sequel ends up in the app. Square Enix games have not been made available in the past in the NES or Super Nintendo apps, but that's because the Final Fantasy remasters are making a lot of money on the eShop. Dragon Warrior Monsters wouldn't generate nearly as much demand there, but an appearance on the Game Boy app could get players to try the series before the new Dragon Quest Monsters releases!

Are you excited for the new Dragon Quest Monsters game? Have you played any previous games in the series? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

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