Dragon Quest VIII

There are JRPGs that define the genre, and then there is Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King – a fairy tale about a cursed king transformed into a grotesque creature, a jester imprisoned in the body of a frog, and a young guardsman who sets out to undo the evil wrought by the malevolent mage Dhoulmagus. When the series first stepped into a fully three-dimensional world, it did so with such grace that it became one of the most beloved entries in the entire saga. The Nintendo 3DS version brings this classic story to a handheld console and adds a host of improvements.

The core of the gameplay remains purely traditional: turn-based battles, careful party building, exploration of a vast continent by horse-drawn carriage and on foot, and that unmistakable charm where every village hides its own story. The game became famous for its skill system, in which you allocate points according to your preferred weapons, and for the ability to combine characters' abilities into powerful combined attacks. The bestiary was, of course, designed by the legendary Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball, whose hand gives every monster that adorably unhinged character.

Development-wise, this is the work of studio Level-5, which at the time elevated the series to an entirely new visual level. The cel-shaded graphics, which literally brought Toriyama's drawings to life, made a stunning impression even on the PlayStation 2. The music was composed by the series' resident composer Koichi Sugiyama, whose orchestral themes are among the finest that Japanese games have offered.

The 3DS version brings enticements for fans: two entirely new playable characters, a reworked and less demanding enemy encounter system (which you now see on the map), and additional content after completing the main storyline. The stereoscopic 3D effect of the small screen lends the sprawling plains and dungeons a pleasant depth, albeit at the cost of a lower resolution compared to the original console version.

Culturally, Dragon Quest VIII is among the milestones that helped the series break through to Western markets, where Dragon Quest traditionally stood in the shadow of Final Fantasy. For many players in Europe and America, it was the very first entry that drew them into this world. The story of loyalty, sacrifice, and redemption remains one of the best-written in the genre.

Why play: A timeless turn-based JRPG with Toriyama's artistic magic and a heartwarming story, enriched on the handheld with new characters and extra content.