At last year's Tokyo Game Show, eager Japanese gamers waited in lines an hour long just for a brief chance to play the latest game in the megahit Dragon Quest role-playing game series, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. Though Dragon Quest VIII doesn't have a solid North American release date yet, we do know that when the game finally arrives, it will feature a dramatically different look and sound from previous Dragon Quest games.

　　For years, the Dragon Quest series' graphics have been a strictly 2D affair. Now, Dragon Quest VIII--the first game to be released on the PlayStation 2--will benefit from true 3D graphics, another first for the franchise. From a stylistic standpoint, Dragon Quest VIII falls strictly into the cel-shaded category yet looks to be remarkably fluid, thanks in part to the character design of comic artist Akira Toriyama, who once again lends his artistic style to a Dragon Quest game. Conductor and composer Koichi Sugiyama has created the game's musical score, which looks to complement the game's visuals and narrative. Newly added for the North American and European release of Dragon Quest VIII will be English-language voice-overs for event scenes, which will look to heighten the tension and dramatic impact.

　　All of these graphical and sound elements will serve to tell the story of a search for a magical forbidden scepter, freed from its mystical captivity in Trodain Castle by a malevolent jester named Dhoulmagus. Wielding the power of the scepter, Dhoulmagus places a curse on the entire kingdom, which magically transforms the kingdom's inhabitants into thorns, freezes the land in time, and turns the king and princess into hideous beasts. Only one person escaped this strange curse--you. Therefore, it will be your quest to find and end this mysterious curse--for king and country.

　　With more than 3 million copies sold in Japan already, Dragon Quest VIII is aiming to storm the States to similar success. We'll bring you more information on this epic RPG as soon as we possibly can.