Dragon Quest VI
Encyclopedia
, Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Reverie in Europe, is a console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat
and published by Enix
(now Square Enix
) for the Super Famicom
as a part of the Dragon Quest
series. It is the last Dragon Quest game in the Zenithia trilogy. It was released on December 9, 1995 in Japan. This installment in the series was developed by Heartbeat, whereas the previous Dragon Quest games were developed by Chunsoft
. In July 2007, Square Enix announced a series of remakes of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation for the Nintendo DS
, making this the first remake of the latter game on other consoles. The title was released in North America for the first time on February 14, 2011 and has now been released in Europe on May 20, 2011.
As the sixth installment to the Dragon Quest series, the graphics and gameplay remain close to the other games, with minor additions and upgrades. The graphics were vastly improved from Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, which was also for the SNES, but had rather unimpressive graphics due to being an early game on the console. Navigation remains largely unchanged from the previous games and the turn-based battles are still in first-person. The class system from Dragon Quest III returns, with minor adjustments. Despite the very high price of 11,970 yen
(about 100 dollar
s), Dragon Quest VI sold 3.2 million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995. The DS version sold an additional one million copies by March 2010.
The story follows the traditional Dragon Quest "Hero" on a quest to save the world. In this particular installment, the heroes also have to endure the personal struggle of amnesia
, as many of the main characters do not initially remember who they are. After completing a series of quests, the player learns that in addition to a Real World, there is also a Dream World, made up of people's dreams, and that there is a great evil that wants to conquer both. The Hero and his new party work together to save both worlds from the ever-growing threat.
RPG (in an overhead perspective) which features random battles
and a character class system
that the Hero and his party members acquire new skills and spells. The Hero travels around the world gathering a party throughout his adventure. To progress in the story, the party must defeat specific boss monsters or trigger specific flags
. In order to defeat the bosses, the player must spend time training the party by gaining experience point
s from battles to advance in character and class levels.
Other new features were added to the series, such as the monsters being animated when they attack. The Slime
Arena and Best Dresser Contest were new mini-games introduced; the casinos return from previous Dragon Quest games. Like previous games, mini medals can be found hidden throughout the worlds and can be traded for items. There are bonus dungeons and a few extra characters after beating the main storyline. There are day and night system, as in some previous installments; with certain storyline events happening at night. While the Monster Master class can catch monsters in the original Super Famicom version it is not a major part of the game. Another returning feature from the past two games is the use of the wagon, which allows characters to be swapped out for other ones on the world map.
This Dragon Quest, similar to Dragon Warrior III
and Dragon Warrior VII
, has a class system
. Once the party gets to Alltrades Abbey, they have the option of becoming one of several starter classes. Once a character has mastered two or three starter classes, they can change into a hybrid class; for example, a warrior and a martial artist make a gladiator. Some of these hybrid classes give special bonuses beyond their stats and abilities such as the Merchant who gives a small bonus to the party's income after every battle. or the Monster Master class which in the Super Famicom version allows you recruit monsters in battle. To master a class, the character must fight a set number of battles as that class. Once certain hybrid classes are mastered, a stat relating to that class will permanently go up. There are two classes as well, Dragon (Hackasaurus) and Liquid Metal Slime, which are unlockable through consumable books. Dragon Quest VI was the first game in the series to include (special attacks and other techniques which are not spells and usually do not cost MP) for human party members. These special techniques were added to the remakes of III, IV and V later on.
Like the other Dragon Quest
games in the series, the setting of Dragon Quest VI is very medieval, complete with castles, knights, and magic. The main world is divided into the "Real World" and the "Dream World", each with a separate, but similar map. To get from one world to the other, the party uses special warps (such as in wells), by ascending/descending stairs on the world map or falling through holes in the "Dream World" to the "Real World".
If something cannot be found in the "Real World", it may appear in the "Dream World", such as with Spiegelspire, in the middle of the quest. Also, another similarity to much of the series is the "Dread Realm". This separate map features a dark island with a psychedelic
sea surrounding it and some of the toughest monsters in the game. The final boss, Mortamor, lives there. Also, once Mortamor is defeated, the player can access the bonus dungeon and the secret final boss, Nokturnus.
The Hero is then given a task to get a crown in preparation for the annual Mountain Spirit festival from the elder which takes him to Haggelton. However he finds out the man that is supposed to make the crown has gone out somewhere to the northwest of town and never came back. The hero then heads in that direction and finds a large hole with the crown maker just barely hanging on. The hero attempts to rescue him and succeeds but in the process, slips and falls to the world below. In this mysterious world, the hero finds a nearby town in which the townspeople cannot see him. The hero grabs a tip from one of the townspeople that there's a special well to the north which people went in never came back; thus the hero heads in that direction and returns to his world.
After getting the ceremonial crown from the crown maker for no charge after saving his life, the hero heads back to Weaver's Peak just in time for the festival to begin. During the festival, the hero receives a mysterious vision that a great evil was to take over the world and asks him to leave the village in preparation for this disaster. The next day, the hero finds out that the world that he stumbled onto was called the "Phantom World" and is given a pass by the elder which allows him entry into Somnia, where he can meet the king.
At Somnia, the hero meets Carver, which doesn't seem to remember the hero. The Hero then meets Captain Blade, leader of Somnia's military which gives the potential soldier candidates a task to find a special item in a tower. The hero manages to find this item successfully and formally becomes a soldier of Somnia. After a task which the Hero and Carver work together to get a horse for an old man, Carver also becomes a soldier of Somnia and himself and the hero are given permission to talk to the king where they learn to defeat Murdaw, they need the Mirror of Ra. The Hero and Carver discover another portal similar to the one near Haggleton, which eventually leads them to Port Haven, another town where they can not be seen. Milly, also appearing to have lost her memory, does see them and helps them become visible via Madame Luca's help.
The party discovers a Somnia Castle in the “Phantom World” and learns that the prince is missing and that the Hero looks like him. They also meet Captain Rusty, who bears a striking resemblance to Captain Blade. Gaining entrance to the Moonmirror Tower, the party meets Ashlynn, a woman who was invisible in the “Phantom World” at first, too, and together they find the Mirror of Ra.
The four of them travel to Murdaw's castle, in the original world. After defeating Murdaw, the Hero uses the Mirror on him. Murdaw then turns into the King of Somnia, confused and unaware of what happened. The king reveals that the original world is in fact the Dream World and the Phantom World is the Real World. Upon traveling back to the Real World, the King of Somnia thanks the party for defeating Murdaw in his dreams, but that the real Murdaw lives and that the party must travel to Ghent to retrieve a boat to get to Murdaw's lair. In Ghent, Nevan, a healer, joins the party and allows them to use the Ghent Clan's ship. During the fight with the real Murdaw, the Hero gets is again sent back to Weaver's Peak. However, with the Mirror of Ra, the Hero warps back into the battle and defeats Murdaw.
The Queen of Somnia tells the Hero to discover who he really is. The quest leads the party to Arkbolt, where a terrible monster is blocking a nearby cave. The reward for defeating the monster is the famed Sunderbolt Blade, but before the party can strike the final blow, a warrior by the name of Terry kills the monster, winning the sword. After traveling both worlds, the party learns that Murdaw was not the only evil in the world, having fought several other monsters that all seem to be connected.
In Sorceria, the party learns that this is Ashlynn's home. The elders tell Ashlynn that the Demon Lord is watching her and give her the powerful spell Magic Burst to fight him. The party also learns that the only way to get to the Demon Lord is through Zenith Tower, but to activate the tower, they need to collect the sword, armor, shield, and helmet of legend. While doing so, the Hero meets his double in Real Weaver's Peak, who gets spooked, and speaks 'Y-You. Y-You're m-m-me!', and says that he must prove himself to be faithful to his family if he is to join powers. Returning to Real Somnia, the King and Queen tell the Hero that he is indeed the prince. When he fused with his clone, the Hero gained his memory back, much like Ashlynn and Carver had done.
The party reaches Cloudsgate Citadel and meets Dhuran, who claims to have taken over the castle. He summons Terry to fight the party and then fights the party himself. Dhuran then reveals that all the enemies the party has faced were just pawns of Mortamor, the Archfiend. Milly reveals that Terry is her brother and Terry decides to join the party and fight against Mortamor.
Once Cloudsgate Citadel is back to normal, the party speaks to King Zenith who informs them of Mortamor's doings and how to reach the Dread Realm. Mortamor plans on merging both worlds. The party’s horse fuses with Pegasus, allowing the party to fly to the Dread Realm. With the help of two Supreme Sage brothers, Benjamin and Isaac, the party enters Mortamor's Castle. After solving many puzzles, they come face to face with Mortamor and defeat him. Isaac reveals that the Dread Realm is falling apart and Pegasus helps them escape.
In a similar fashion to Dragon Warrior III, the hero's weapons and armor were renamed for this installment in the Zenithian series. They are known as the Sword of Ramias, Armour of Orgo, Shield of Valora and Helm of Sebath. After the events of this game, these armaments become the Zenithian equipment and are renamed as such.
. Similarly, the lead artist was Akira Toriyama
. This is the last game in the series to feature the Tenkuu no Shiro (Castle in the Sky) trilogy.
A prequel, Dragon Warrior Monsters (Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland in Japan), was released in 1998. This game featured Terry and Milly years before the events of Dragon Quest VI. It was released in North America the next year, even though Dragon Quest VI was never released in North America. Along with Terry and Milly, several of the main enemies, including Mortamor, reappear, however, their previous roles have been eliminated, making them appear as just normal enemies. Mortamor and Murdaw (DeathMore and Mudou, respectively, in the localization) do appear as very challenging, very late in-game bosses, though.
in November 1995. Dragon Quest VI was released a few weeks later on December 9, with the very steep price of 11,400 yen (roughly over 100 U.S. dollars). The game went on to sell over 3.2 million copies. Since then, in Japan, the game actually made the news in 2005, when a Japanese student threatened another student over an argument about which Dragon Quest is the best, the student doing the threatening favoring Dragon Quest VI.
was announced in late 2007
by Square Enix and was developed by ArtePiazza. The game was released in Japan on January 28, 2010, in North America on February 14, 2011, and in Europe on May 20, 2011.
This version has a few differences
On April 28, 2008, it was reported that Square Enix
has applied for the trademark "The Realms of Reverie" at the United States Patent and Trademark Office
, leading to speculation that it was the localized title for this game. On May 20, 2008, Square Enix opened up the North American site featuring the three Dragon Quest DS remakes, acknowledging Realms of Reverie as the official subtitle, as well as confirming a release in North America. The title was later changed to "Realms of Revelation" just prior to release.
Mark Franklin, director of Public Relations at Nintendo, made the claim that Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation “will give fans unique access to a classic game in the series for the first time” outside of Japan.
composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. Three soundtracks were released for the music of Dragon Quest VI. The first was a two-disk soundtrack, which included an orchestral performance and an OST. The second soundtrack was released on August 23, 2000, and just had the orchestral version. This version was released by SPE Visual Works (now Aniplex
), and was named Dragon Quest VI ~The Dream World~ Symphonic Suite. This version was featured on Dragon Quest Daizenshu Vol. 2, which is a compilation of Dragon Quest music. A second Symphonic Suite edition of the OST was performed in March 2005 and released on July 19, 2006, also by Aniplex. The Symphonic Suite tracklist is as follows:
adaptation of the game was also made. It was authored by Masaomi Kanzaki
and published by Enix
in the Monthly Shōnen Gangan
between 1997 and 2001. The storyline roughly follows that of the video game from which it was based but with several differences, such as the inclusion of the character Kizu Buchi, a spotted slime.
(about 100 dollar
s), Dragon Quest VI sold 3.2 million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995. In 2010, Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS sold almost a million copies in Japan in its first week. The game sold over 1.2 million copies by March 2010.
According to Nintendo Power
, Dragon Quest VI was originally planned for North American release in the spring of 1996 under the title "Dragon Warrior V." However, the Super Nintendo localization of the game never took place, Enix having already given up on the US market. Square, one of the only companies still willing to bring console role-playing games to the US, was also still struggling to get their games to sell in the US, and therefore, Dragon Quest VI had no companies willing to take a risk for it. In Nintendo Power vol. 81, the staff wrote an article on Dragon Quest VI, hoping the game would find a North American release. They also suggested why the series might not appeal to the American audience: there is too much fighting and not enough adventuring. Other critics have mentioned that class building becomes tedious and that the dual worlds are too overwhelming, both possible reasons against a US release. Dragon Quest VI was listed as #7 among the 10 Best Japanese Games Never Released in the U.S. by GamePro
magazine in their May 2005 issue.
Kurt Kalata of Gamasutra
praised the game's storyline, particularly its innovative scenario. While comparable to the light-dark world setting of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
, Dragon Quest VI featured a unique real world and dream world setting, which he suggests had an influence on the later Square
role-playing games Chrono Cross
and Final Fantasy X
. Kalata also praised the gameplay improvements, including its class system that improves on Dragon Quest III and is now more similar to Final Fantasy V
, and the addition of a bag that improves on the inventory management of previous games. He concludes that it is "still a fantastic game."
Heartbeat (company)
Heartbeat was a Japanese video game developer, famous for developing the sixth and seventh installments of the Dragon Quest series. Heartbeat also developed a remake of Dragon Quest IV. Plans to localize this remake in North America were halted when the employees of Heartbeat decided to take a...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) for the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
as a part of the Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series. It is the last Dragon Quest game in the Zenithia trilogy. It was released on December 9, 1995 in Japan. This installment in the series was developed by Heartbeat, whereas the previous Dragon Quest games were developed by Chunsoft
Chunsoft
is a Japanese video game developer specializing in console RPGs and visual novels. It was founded by Koichi Nakamura, a video game designer from Enix...
. In July 2007, Square Enix announced a series of remakes of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, making this the first remake of the latter game on other consoles. The title was released in North America for the first time on February 14, 2011 and has now been released in Europe on May 20, 2011.
As the sixth installment to the Dragon Quest series, the graphics and gameplay remain close to the other games, with minor additions and upgrades. The graphics were vastly improved from Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, which was also for the SNES, but had rather unimpressive graphics due to being an early game on the console. Navigation remains largely unchanged from the previous games and the turn-based battles are still in first-person. The class system from Dragon Quest III returns, with minor adjustments. Despite the very high price of 11,970 yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
(about 100 dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
s), Dragon Quest VI sold 3.2 million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995. The DS version sold an additional one million copies by March 2010.
The story follows the traditional Dragon Quest "Hero" on a quest to save the world. In this particular installment, the heroes also have to endure the personal struggle of amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
, as many of the main characters do not initially remember who they are. After completing a series of quests, the player learns that in addition to a Real World, there is also a Dream World, made up of people's dreams, and that there is a great evil that wants to conquer both. The Hero and his new party work together to save both worlds from the ever-growing threat.
Gameplay
Dragon Quest VI is a traditional, turn-basedTurn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
RPG (in an overhead perspective) which features random battles
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
and a character class system
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
that the Hero and his party members acquire new skills and spells. The Hero travels around the world gathering a party throughout his adventure. To progress in the story, the party must defeat specific boss monsters or trigger specific flags
Flag (computing)
In computer programming, flag can refer to one or more bits that are used to store a binary value or code that has an assigned meaning, but can refer to uses of other data types...
. In order to defeat the bosses, the player must spend time training the party by gaining experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s from battles to advance in character and class levels.
Other new features were added to the series, such as the monsters being animated when they attack. The Slime
Slime (Dragon Quest)
The Slime is the mascot of the Dragon Quest console role-playing game franchise. Designed by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame, the basic slime resembles a water drop with two large eyes and a big smile...
Arena and Best Dresser Contest were new mini-games introduced; the casinos return from previous Dragon Quest games. Like previous games, mini medals can be found hidden throughout the worlds and can be traded for items. There are bonus dungeons and a few extra characters after beating the main storyline. There are day and night system, as in some previous installments; with certain storyline events happening at night. While the Monster Master class can catch monsters in the original Super Famicom version it is not a major part of the game. Another returning feature from the past two games is the use of the wagon, which allows characters to be swapped out for other ones on the world map.
This Dragon Quest, similar to Dragon Warrior III
Dragon Warrior III
Dragon Warrior III, known in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix . It is the third installment in the Dragon Quest series , first released for the Famicom in Japan, and then the NES in North America...
and Dragon Warrior VII
Dragon Warrior VII
Dragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation in...
, has a class system
Dragon Quest character classes
In installments of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, published by Square Enix, character classes are specific roles for playable characters that determine a character's proficiencies and weaknesses...
. Once the party gets to Alltrades Abbey, they have the option of becoming one of several starter classes. Once a character has mastered two or three starter classes, they can change into a hybrid class; for example, a warrior and a martial artist make a gladiator. Some of these hybrid classes give special bonuses beyond their stats and abilities such as the Merchant who gives a small bonus to the party's income after every battle. or the Monster Master class which in the Super Famicom version allows you recruit monsters in battle. To master a class, the character must fight a set number of battles as that class. Once certain hybrid classes are mastered, a stat relating to that class will permanently go up. There are two classes as well, Dragon (Hackasaurus) and Liquid Metal Slime, which are unlockable through consumable books. Dragon Quest VI was the first game in the series to include (special attacks and other techniques which are not spells and usually do not cost MP) for human party members. These special techniques were added to the remakes of III, IV and V later on.
Setting
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
games in the series, the setting of Dragon Quest VI is very medieval, complete with castles, knights, and magic. The main world is divided into the "Real World" and the "Dream World", each with a separate, but similar map. To get from one world to the other, the party uses special warps (such as in wells), by ascending/descending stairs on the world map or falling through holes in the "Dream World" to the "Real World".
If something cannot be found in the "Real World", it may appear in the "Dream World", such as with Spiegelspire, in the middle of the quest. Also, another similarity to much of the series is the "Dread Realm". This separate map features a dark island with a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
sea surrounding it and some of the toughest monsters in the game. The final boss, Mortamor, lives there. Also, once Mortamor is defeated, the player can access the bonus dungeon and the secret final boss, Nokturnus.
Characters
Dragon Quest VI has six main party members, & several optional characters, most of which are recruitable slime enemies.- The Hero is the main character of Dragon Quest VI. He comes from the small town of Weaver's Peak (Raifukoddo). Unlike each of the other "Heroes" in previous Dragon Quest games, this Hero does speak- he does so while meeting his clone, and in sequences within Weaver's Peak at that time. The Hero is joined by other characters he meets along his journey. While he has no official name in the game, he was named Botsu in the manga based on the game.
- Carver (Hassan in the Japanese version and No Progress translation) meets up with the Hero at Somnia. Carver is the natural fighter of the party and the son of carpenters. After regaining his memory, Carver learns that he is from Port Haven (San Mariinō in the Japanese version), where his parents recognize him. At first, he does not believe them, but after an event in Murdaw's Castle, he remembers his past.
- Milly (Mirēyu in the Japanese version, Muriel in the No Progress translation and Milayou in the official localization of Dragon Quest MonstersDragon Quest Monstersor Dragon Warrior Monsters, as it was known in North America, is a spin off series of the Dragon Quest games. Published by Enix Corporation , it sets the player in a medieval/fantasy world filled with magic, monsters and knights...
) joins the Hero and Carver because she can see them in the Real World. She is the typical cleric of the group, and specializes in healing and supportive magicMagic (fantasy)Magic in fiction is the endowing of fictional characters or objects with magical powers.Such magic often serves as a plot device, the source of magical artifacts and their quests...
. Before meeting the Hero, she lived with her fortune telling grandmother Madame Luca Luminista.
- Ashlynn (Barubara in the Japanese version and Barbara in the No Progress translation) joins the group in the Moonmirror Tower, where she is trying to find a way to make herself visible to those around her. She casts magic like Milly, but uses mostly fire-based attack magic. She hails from Sorceria (Karuberōna in the Japanese version), a village known for its strong magic. Before the party reaches Sorceria, Ashlynn's past remains very mysterious.
- Nevan (Chamoro in the No Progress translation) joins the party next. He is a clericCleric (character class)The Cleric, Priest, or Bishop is a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. The cleric is a healer, usually a priest and a holy warrior, originally modeled on or inspired by the Military Orders...
from Ghent village (Gento), specializing in healing magic. He is also the only one that can steer the Divine Ship for the party.
- Amos is the protector of Scrimsley (Monsutoru in the Japanese version). He becomes a monster at nightShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
and is defeated by the party, but after receiving the Seed of Reasoning, he joins the party on their quest. Amos is an optional character, as it is possible to do his side story wrong & lose access to him forever.
- Terry is the final character to join the party, after appearing as an enemy for part of the game. He is a knightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
who defeats the monster terrorizing Arkbolt (Ākuboruto), just before the party does, thus gaining the reward. He joins the Hero's party after the battle with Dhuran and reveals that he is Milly's brother.
- Lizzie (Drago in the No Progress translation) is the female Hacksaurus that Terry defeated. After being locked in Arkbolt for some time, the beast, will join the party if they visit her with Terry. She is an optional character, & her job class is automatically set to Dragon without needing the special item.
- Goowain is a Slime Knight who, with his trusty steed, wanted nothing more to serve the kingdom of Howcastle among its knights. However, when he arrived there, he was imprisoned because he is a monster. The party can find & recruit a dejected Goowain once the events at Howcastle are done. His name is a play on Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table. Goowain learns support spells, as well as the ever-useful Falcon Slash technique.
- Healie is a Healslime who hangs out in Clearvale, he becomes super excited once the party acquires the flying bed & wishes to join them so he can ride it (despite having his own floating ability). As his name suggests, Healie will learn every Heal spell on his own, even Omniheal. It's unclear if he's the same one assisted Ragnar in Dragon Quest IV, as that one was later turned into a human for his heroics.
- Spot is a Mottle Slime who the party can find hiding along the bushes at Castle Graceskull. He gives no explanation of what he was doing there, but offers to help the party anyhow. Spot has an odd, questionably-useful selection of skills borrowed from vocations the party can use.
- Goober is a regular slimeSlime (Dragon Quest)The Slime is the mascot of the Dragon Quest console role-playing game franchise. Designed by Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame, the basic slime resembles a water drop with two large eyes and a big smile...
that the party is asked to train after they defeat the Champ at the Slime fighting arena. His owner, Sledge, wants this rookie to go on a journey with the party to further develop his strength. Goober learns a handy selection of healing & attack skills, & upon reaching level 45, he can be taken back to Sledge & acquire a secret skill from him.
- Kingsley, as his name implies, is a Kingslime. He is found at the bar in Slimopolis & will become impressed with the party after they are win many rounds in the Best-Dressed Contest. Kingsley chiefly learns healing abilities, including the rare Kazing revival spell.
- Curie is a Cureslime who can be found within Suite Dreams, meaning the party must acquire at least 10 dreams in order to reach the area where Curie resides. Alternatively, Curie will appear out in front of Suite Dreams instead once the player finishes the main story. Curie is very similar to Healie, only with slightly different stats.
- Shelley is a Seaslime who spends most of the game at various spots searching for Curie, before ending up at an undersea Inn. Shelley is recruited by including Curie in the party & speaking to it. Shelley learns mostly attack skills.
- Mercury is a Liquid Metal Slime (or, Metabble) who appears in the forest where the party acquires their horse early in the game once they have 20 dreams in their possession. Alternatively, beating the main story will cause him to appear here in a similar fashion to Curie's changing locations. The party will fail at capturing him a few times before a stranger intervenes to help them. Amazed at their ability to catch him, Mercury will join. Mercury, strangely enough, has a level cap of only 16 for some reason, but takes much longer to level up than any other character, he also learns Ashlynn's unique plot-acquired Magic Burst on his own! Mercury is also automatically set to the Liquid Metal Slime secret job class without needing a special item for it.
Story
Dragon Quest VI opens as the Hero, Milly, and Carver approach Murdaw, the demon king’s castle. After Milly summons a dragon, the party enters the castle and comes face to face with Murdaw. Overpowering the trio, Murdaw appears to destroy each member of the party. The Hero wakes up in Weaver's Peak, and cannot remember anything before the fight with Murdaw. Tania, a small girl from Weaver's Peak, insists that he is her brother.The Hero is then given a task to get a crown in preparation for the annual Mountain Spirit festival from the elder which takes him to Haggelton. However he finds out the man that is supposed to make the crown has gone out somewhere to the northwest of town and never came back. The hero then heads in that direction and finds a large hole with the crown maker just barely hanging on. The hero attempts to rescue him and succeeds but in the process, slips and falls to the world below. In this mysterious world, the hero finds a nearby town in which the townspeople cannot see him. The hero grabs a tip from one of the townspeople that there's a special well to the north which people went in never came back; thus the hero heads in that direction and returns to his world.
After getting the ceremonial crown from the crown maker for no charge after saving his life, the hero heads back to Weaver's Peak just in time for the festival to begin. During the festival, the hero receives a mysterious vision that a great evil was to take over the world and asks him to leave the village in preparation for this disaster. The next day, the hero finds out that the world that he stumbled onto was called the "Phantom World" and is given a pass by the elder which allows him entry into Somnia, where he can meet the king.
At Somnia, the hero meets Carver, which doesn't seem to remember the hero. The Hero then meets Captain Blade, leader of Somnia's military which gives the potential soldier candidates a task to find a special item in a tower. The hero manages to find this item successfully and formally becomes a soldier of Somnia. After a task which the Hero and Carver work together to get a horse for an old man, Carver also becomes a soldier of Somnia and himself and the hero are given permission to talk to the king where they learn to defeat Murdaw, they need the Mirror of Ra. The Hero and Carver discover another portal similar to the one near Haggleton, which eventually leads them to Port Haven, another town where they can not be seen. Milly, also appearing to have lost her memory, does see them and helps them become visible via Madame Luca's help.
The party discovers a Somnia Castle in the “Phantom World” and learns that the prince is missing and that the Hero looks like him. They also meet Captain Rusty, who bears a striking resemblance to Captain Blade. Gaining entrance to the Moonmirror Tower, the party meets Ashlynn, a woman who was invisible in the “Phantom World” at first, too, and together they find the Mirror of Ra.
The Queen of Somnia tells the Hero to discover who he really is. The quest leads the party to Arkbolt, where a terrible monster is blocking a nearby cave. The reward for defeating the monster is the famed Sunderbolt Blade, but before the party can strike the final blow, a warrior by the name of Terry kills the monster, winning the sword. After traveling both worlds, the party learns that Murdaw was not the only evil in the world, having fought several other monsters that all seem to be connected.
In Sorceria, the party learns that this is Ashlynn's home. The elders tell Ashlynn that the Demon Lord is watching her and give her the powerful spell Magic Burst to fight him. The party also learns that the only way to get to the Demon Lord is through Zenith Tower, but to activate the tower, they need to collect the sword, armor, shield, and helmet of legend. While doing so, the Hero meets his double in Real Weaver's Peak, who gets spooked, and speaks 'Y-You. Y-You're m-m-me!', and says that he must prove himself to be faithful to his family if he is to join powers. Returning to Real Somnia, the King and Queen tell the Hero that he is indeed the prince. When he fused with his clone, the Hero gained his memory back, much like Ashlynn and Carver had done.
The party reaches Cloudsgate Citadel and meets Dhuran, who claims to have taken over the castle. He summons Terry to fight the party and then fights the party himself. Dhuran then reveals that all the enemies the party has faced were just pawns of Mortamor, the Archfiend. Milly reveals that Terry is her brother and Terry decides to join the party and fight against Mortamor.
Once Cloudsgate Citadel is back to normal, the party speaks to King Zenith who informs them of Mortamor's doings and how to reach the Dread Realm. Mortamor plans on merging both worlds. The party’s horse fuses with Pegasus, allowing the party to fly to the Dread Realm. With the help of two Supreme Sage brothers, Benjamin and Isaac, the party enters Mortamor's Castle. After solving many puzzles, they come face to face with Mortamor and defeat him. Isaac reveals that the Dread Realm is falling apart and Pegasus helps them escape.
In a similar fashion to Dragon Warrior III, the hero's weapons and armor were renamed for this installment in the Zenithian series. They are known as the Sword of Ramias, Armour of Orgo, Shield of Valora and Helm of Sebath. After the events of this game, these armaments become the Zenithian equipment and are renamed as such.
Production
The scenario designer, as in all previous Dragon Quest games, was Yūji HoriiYūji Horii
is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, as well as the visual novel adventure game Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken.-History:Dragon Quest is recognized as the first role-playing game to posit the idea...
. Similarly, the lead artist was Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
. This is the last game in the series to feature the Tenkuu no Shiro (Castle in the Sky) trilogy.
A prequel, Dragon Warrior Monsters (Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland in Japan), was released in 1998. This game featured Terry and Milly years before the events of Dragon Quest VI. It was released in North America the next year, even though Dragon Quest VI was never released in North America. Along with Terry and Milly, several of the main enemies, including Mortamor, reappear, however, their previous roles have been eliminated, making them appear as just normal enemies. Mortamor and Murdaw (DeathMore and Mudou, respectively, in the localization) do appear as very challenging, very late in-game bosses, though.
Release
The initial release was delayed over a year because of Enix wanting to further develop their game. The game was eventually shown at ShoshinkaiNintendo Space World
Nintendo World, formerly called Nintendo Space World, Nintendo 64 Space World, Super Famicom Space World, Famicom Space World, and , is a video game trade show hosted by Nintendo, typically to unveil new consoles or handhelds...
in November 1995. Dragon Quest VI was released a few weeks later on December 9, with the very steep price of 11,400 yen (roughly over 100 U.S. dollars). The game went on to sell over 3.2 million copies. Since then, in Japan, the game actually made the news in 2005, when a Japanese student threatened another student over an argument about which Dragon Quest is the best, the student doing the threatening favoring Dragon Quest VI.
Nintendo DS remake
The Dragon Quest VI enhanced remake for the Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
was announced in late 2007
2007 in video gaming
-Events:*March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.*March 27: Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit . The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI...
by Square Enix and was developed by ArtePiazza. The game was released in Japan on January 28, 2010, in North America on February 14, 2011, and in Europe on May 20, 2011.
This version has a few differences
- The Monster Master Class is no longer able to recruit monsters.
- The after-battle monster recruitment has been removed. Instead, there are certain Slimes that will join you once you accomplish a specific task. Lizzie still remains recruitable.
- Since this version comes with a built in map of both worlds on the top of the screen, the World Map and the Magic Map have been removed.
- The 'Tag Mode' system from Dragon Quest IX has been implemented, which allows wireless communication and data transfer between two DS systems.
- A Slime Curling mini-game was added.
- The names of the following characters from this game were changed in Dragon Quest IXDragon Quest IXis a role-playing video game for the Nintendo DS released on July 11, 2009 in Japan. It is the ninth and most recent installment in the acclaimed Dragon Quest series created by Yūji Horii. The game was developed by Level-5 and published by Square Enix in Japan and by Nintendo in North America and...
as follows: Mireille (Mireyu) as Milly, Hassan as Carver, Barbara (Bābara) as Ashlynn, Redach (Reidakku) as Somnia, and San Marino as Port Haven.
On April 28, 2008, it was reported that Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
has applied for the trademark "The Realms of Reverie" at the United States Patent and Trademark Office
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.The USPTO is based in Alexandria, Virginia,...
, leading to speculation that it was the localized title for this game. On May 20, 2008, Square Enix opened up the North American site featuring the three Dragon Quest DS remakes, acknowledging Realms of Reverie as the official subtitle, as well as confirming a release in North America. The title was later changed to "Realms of Revelation" just prior to release.
Mark Franklin, director of Public Relations at Nintendo, made the claim that Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation “will give fans unique access to a classic game in the series for the first time” outside of Japan.
Soundtracks
As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi SugiyamaKoichi Sugiyama
is a Japanese music composer, council member of JASRAC , and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society...
composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. Three soundtracks were released for the music of Dragon Quest VI. The first was a two-disk soundtrack, which included an orchestral performance and an OST. The second soundtrack was released on August 23, 2000, and just had the orchestral version. This version was released by SPE Visual Works (now Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
), and was named Dragon Quest VI ~The Dream World~ Symphonic Suite. This version was featured on Dragon Quest Daizenshu Vol. 2, which is a compilation of Dragon Quest music. A second Symphonic Suite edition of the OST was performed in March 2005 and released on July 19, 2006, also by Aniplex. The Symphonic Suite tracklist is as follows:
Manga
A 10-volume mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation of the game was also made. It was authored by Masaomi Kanzaki
Masaomi Kanzaki
is a Japanese manga artist. He has worked on titles such as Flag Fighters, Ironcat, Hagane, and Xenon. He is best known worldwide for his work on the Street Fighter II manga in the early 1990s.-External links:*...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
in the Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
between 1997 and 2001. The storyline roughly follows that of the video game from which it was based but with several differences, such as the inclusion of the character Kizu Buchi, a spotted slime.
Reception
Despite the very high price of 11,970 yenJapanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
(about 100 dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
s), Dragon Quest VI sold 3.2 million copies in Japan, becoming the best selling game of 1995. In 2010, Dragon Quest VI for the Nintendo DS sold almost a million copies in Japan in its first week. The game sold over 1.2 million copies by March 2010.
According to Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, Dragon Quest VI was originally planned for North American release in the spring of 1996 under the title "Dragon Warrior V." However, the Super Nintendo localization of the game never took place, Enix having already given up on the US market. Square, one of the only companies still willing to bring console role-playing games to the US, was also still struggling to get their games to sell in the US, and therefore, Dragon Quest VI had no companies willing to take a risk for it. In Nintendo Power vol. 81, the staff wrote an article on Dragon Quest VI, hoping the game would find a North American release. They also suggested why the series might not appeal to the American audience: there is too much fighting and not enough adventuring. Other critics have mentioned that class building becomes tedious and that the dual worlds are too overwhelming, both possible reasons against a US release. Dragon Quest VI was listed as #7 among the 10 Best Japanese Games Never Released in the U.S. by GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
magazine in their May 2005 issue.
Kurt Kalata of Gamasutra
Gamasutra
Gamasutra is a website founded in 1997 for video game developers. It is owned and operated by UBM TechWeb , a division of United Business Media, and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine Game Developer...
praised the game's storyline, particularly its innovative scenario. While comparable to the light-dark world setting of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, known as in Japan, is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, and the third installment in The Legend of Zelda series. It was first released in Japan in 1991, and was...
, Dragon Quest VI featured a unique real world and dream world setting, which he suggests had an influence on the later Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
role-playing games Chrono Cross
Chrono Cross
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger, which was released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
and Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
. Kalata also praised the gameplay improvements, including its class system that improves on Dragon Quest III and is now more similar to Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
, and the addition of a bag that improves on the inventory management of previous games. He concludes that it is "still a fantastic game."