2021 marked Dragon Quest’s 35th anniversary. To celebrate Square Enix announced a plethora of upcoming video game projects that will release over the next couple of years. This included the big guns, aka Dragon Quest XII. Compared to other franchises that have been around longer, or even shorter, that number might not seem that high. However, Dragon Quest is comprised of tons of spinoffs. There must be at least fifty titles by now if not more.
Some of these games have been forgotten over time due to no one porting them to modern consoles. Some games were never discovered at all because almost half of the franchise was released only in Japan. What are the best ones missing that should come back? One exclusion is the various mobile and browser games that only released in Japan. There are just too many to cover, as Japanese gamers really love their browser and mobile games. The games covered cover a wide range of platforms like SNES, Game Boy, DS, PS1, and Wii.
6 Dragon Warrior Monsters
Dragon Warrior Monsters, or Dragon Quest Monster depending on the territory, was released in 2000 for the Game Boy Color. That was two years after its Japanese debut. It expanded the concept of catching monsters from Dragon Quest V and turned it into a full-fledged game which then became a huge spinoff series.
The game, and its first sequel, would get an enhanced port in 2002 on the PS1. But this was exclusive to Japan. There was also a Japanese exclusive full remake on the 3DS released in 2012 under the name Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry no Wonderland 3D. There were many others, but because this original got re-released so much, it's the one to focus on.
5 Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart
Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart was another game in the spinoff series but it played a little different than most others. It was a 2003 Game Boy Advance release that never found its way out of Japan. However, since then it has been patched into English by fans.
It is a prequel to Dragon Quest VII which is another reason why it deserves to be highlighted. It was sort of like Dragon Quest meets Oregon Trail. Players could use monsters in their party but there were also human characters who could even change jobs.
4 Torneko no Daiboken: Fushigi No Dungeon
Torneko no Daiboken: Fushigi no Dungeon was released in 1993 for the SNES in Japan. It was the first entry in the Mystery Dungeon series which became a series of roguelike RPGs. This includes the more well-known spinoff, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon. While the West never received this SNES game, it did get a fan patch.
The West would get the sequel, Torneko: The Last Hope, in 2000 for the PS1. There are three games total that star Torneko from Dragon Quest IV. It’s an expansion from the beginning of the game wherein players fought monsters to collect loot to then sell in his shop. It’s worth pointing out that there has been one other Mystery Dungeon spinoff in the Dragon Quest series. There was one that starred Yangus from Dragon Quest VIII which was released on PS2.
3 Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest: Shogeki No Shippo Dan
Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest: Shogeki no Shippo Dan was released in 2003 for the GBA in Japan. It has remained that way since, without even a finished fan patch around to satisfy curious fans. It starred the series’ lovable mascot Slimes, thrusting them into an action RPG setting.
The West would eventually receive the sequel in 2006 on the DS, called Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. There was one other sequel on the 3DS in 2011 but that too has remained trapped in Japan. All three games are pretty identical wherein players need to rescue citizens from their destroyed towns in various dungeons.
2 Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen And The Tower of Mirrors
Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors is an on-rails experience for the Wii. It was released in 2008 in North America. It was actually sort of a sequel to a TV plug-in game that released in Japan only. It was called Kenshin Dragon Quest: Yomigaerishi Densetsu no Ken and came out much earlier in 2003.
Instead of most on-rail games that feature shooting, the gimmick here was to use the Wii remote to swing at enemies in battle as if they were really wielding a sword. It was a set of actions that got old fast, which is why it was probably a one-and-done situation on consoles. Games like these are best saved for the arcade.
1 Dragon Quest Wars
Dragon Quest Wars is easily the most forgotten game on the series because it's literally impossible to purchase now. This was a 2009 DSiWare title. That version of the eShop has been taken offline, and though there are ways to play it, DSiWare titles are difficult to get a hold of.
This is tragic since Dragon Quest Wars was such a great concept within the Dragon Quest series. It was developed by Intelligent Systems who are most known for the Fire Emblem series. The game plays like a tactical RPG, with monsters subbing in for the main party. It would be great to one day see this return in some form along with all of the other DSiWare titles.