Square Enix held an exclusive stage event for the upcoming DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake at Tokyo Game Show 2025. Read on to learn more about the event and what was announced!
Everything Announced at the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Tokyo Game Show 2025 Special Stage Event
Presented by Eiko Kano’s Critikano Hit and Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii
The exclusive Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake stage event is hosted by the Critikano Hit crew, composed of Eiko Kano, Kenta Sakai, and Masayuki Kibe. Joining them on stage are producer Masaaki Hayasaka and the creator of Dragon Quest himself, Yuji Horii.
They begin the program by first describing the HD-2D project, which was developed by the Asano team at Square Enix. This project combines both pixel art and 3D CG to create a nostalgic yet new graphical experience.
In addition to that, they also briefly talk about the interconnected story of the first three games, dubbed the Roto Trilogy
or the Erdrick Trilogy.
This is mainly because the main characters of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 are descendants of the legendary hero Roto, or Erdrick. For context, Roto, or Erdrick, is the main protagonist of Dragon Quest 3, as the third iteration serves as the first game in the series’ narrative timeline.
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Ocean Floor Gameplay Preview
After that brief introduction, the hosts then move on to showcasing the gameplay of the new Ocean Floor addition in the Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake.
The first notable thing to point out is that there are now 4 playable party members in the remake, as opposed to the original NES release having only 3. The newest addition to the crew is the princess of Cannock, who is the younger sister of the prince of Cannock.
Second, there are seemingly new cosmetics that players can use. During the live event, the special save data had all of the playable characters wearing cute cat costumes. This also affected the characters’ appearances during battles.
Underwater travel is a completely new addition in the remake. The band of heroes uses their ship, encased in a magical bubble, to scour the ocean floor, which is comparable to how exploration works in the more modern titles in the series.
Similarly, the characters themselves are encased in a bubble when exploring the different areas outside of the ship. After landing on their destination, producer Hayasaka notes that the underwater area they’re in is a bit complicated and is an area meant to be explored later in the game.
With regards to combat, it still follows the classic turn-based gameplay that the series has both pioneered and followed all throughout. However, there are a few tweaks and additions that spice up this particular part of the game.
They noted that one of the new additions is the use of new enhanced abilities that can be used in a pinch. These are stronger versions of these abilities, with the condition being that the character’s HP is at 50%.
However, if the character gets healed above 50% before they use the enhanced ability, they will instead use the normal version. This adds a bit of strategic depth to the combat, as you’ll need to be able to balance this aspect of combat.
During the fight with the red Octophants, the producer also noted that enemies will also pull off more moves when they’re in trouble. It’s also especially important to note that the bosses were particularly difficult to fight against, as the hosts themselves failed to defeat them despite the use of the new enhanced skills.
After the failed attempt at the boss fight, they presented additional gameplay related to more of the game’s added exploration. The producer then reveals that there is actually a deeper layer aside from the initial underwater exploration, where you can access the deep-sea area.
The new deep-sea area showed stronger variants of underwater enemies, which actually gave the hosts their next failure, as the enemies just pummeled them and prevented them from escaping multiple times. After failing to chase after the ghost ship, the producer then opted to use Zoom
instead to head inside the ghost ship, as he revealed that this save file had already boarded the ship earlier.
In the ghost ship, they encountered another boss that was clearly way too strong for Kano’s party again and got destroyed in the process. After failing spectacularly yet again, Horii then mentions that they should probably just reveal what happens if you do beat the boss. This revealed the next addition to the narrative and worldbuilding across the trilogy, which are the Memories of the World.
Hayasaka mentions that these collectable memories are key story fragments to the overall story of the trilogy, highlighting them as the missing pieces of the trilogy’s mysteries. To end the gameplay segment, Horii then revealed one more cutscene showing a monster by the name of Mo-kun that the party interacts with. He mentions that while Mo-kun is not with the party directly, it’ll be important to the story later on.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Saved Data Rewards
Players who have Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake saved files on the same PC or console they are playing the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on will receive an extra "Legendary Makeover Set" as a bonus! This cat and dog-themed makeover set puts the characters in cute dog or cat plush toy costumes, with each of them having their own unique style.
Dragon Quest Island x Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Collaboration
In celebration of the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake launch in October, Dragon Quest Island: Nijigen no Mori, the outdoor field RPG attraction themed after the series, will hold a special event called "Reviving Roto’s Memory Rally" sometime in November!
Specific details have yet to be announced on the Dragon Quest Island official website and social media accounts, so stay tuned for more.
New Merchandise Line for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
Ahead of the game’s release in October, Square Enix and the Dragon Quest team have announced several merchandise lines and collaboration goods for fans to collect.
Descendants of the Brave Roto Set
Fans can get their hands on the special "Descendants of the Brave Roto Set" which includes the base game (either for the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or Nintendo Switch 2) and an exclusive acrylic block of Descendants of the Hero (set of 5).
While purchasing through Lawson @ Loppi or HMV is now unavailable due to being sold out, the bundle is still purchasable on the Square Enix e-Store for 11,980 JPY. Buying through the e-Store will grant additional benefits of Roto’s Shield pins and 2 types of digital wallpaper for download.
Dragon Quest I & II Remake V Jump Legendary Guidebook
V Jump Books will be releasing a Dragon Quest I & II Remake Legendary Guidebook starting October 30th, available for 1870 JPY. The guidebook contains data, maps, and powerful strategies to help guide players all the way to the ending! Additionally, it also comes bundled with illustrator Akira Toriyama’s image gallery, as well as exclusive in-depth commentary from DQ series creator Yuji Horii and DQ I & II Remake producer Masaaki Hayasaka.
Players who purchase the guide will also receive a digital code for special items "Slime Earrings" and "Strength Ring" that will be useful for early adventuring.
Dragon Quest I & II Remake Square Enix Official Guidebook
Square Enix will also be releasing the game’s Official Guidebook for the remake, scheduled to be released on November 27, 2025. It will come in B5 size with 496 pages (subject to change), and will retail for 2530 JPY.
Purchasing the official guidebook will net the player bonus items "Narikin Vest" which increases the amount of gold obtained after a battle, and a "Mysterious Hat", an equipment that reduces the MP consumption of spells and special abilities.
Aside from the official guidebook, two related books, Dragon Quest I & II/III Art Works: The Art of Alefgard, and Dragon Quest I & II / Dragon Quest III Super Michikusa Adventure Guide are also currently under production.
Dragon Quest Series Chara-Magnets
Acrylic Chara-Magnets themed after the monsters of the Dragon Quest series will be available starting November 2025 at any participating candy stores all across Japan, with 24 types to collect. The package comes bundled with the Chara-Magnet, a Memo Card, and a piece of gum in soda flavor. It will retail for 270 JPY (297 JPY with tax).
Dragon Quest Series Wafers
Dragon Quest appears with more food items, also in the form of wafers. The Dragon Quest Wafer ~The Roto Trilogy~ will be launched sometime in November 2025, available to purchase for 155 JPY (171 JPY with tax) at any participating candy stores across Japan. Each wafer packet comes with one vanilla cream-flavored wafer, plus any random card among 33 types. Rare cards, in particular, are foil-stamped.
Dragon Quest Series x Boss Quest Coffee Collab Collectible Cans
And rounding up the food and drink collaborations is the Dragon Quest x Boss Quest Coffee campaign. The collaboration coffee cans will feature characters from Dragon Quest I, II, and III.
Particularly for Dragon Quest II, the first set of characters, featuring the Descendant of Lot, Lady Lora, Ryūō, and the enemies Dragon and Golem, will run from September to October. In November, the Prince of Lorasia, the Prince of Sumaltria, the Princess of Moonbrooke, the Princess of Sumaltria, and a mysterious dog character will replace them on the cans.
There are also 24 types of coffee cans that bear an image of a character from Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest III, and these are presumed to run until the end of November as well. Additionally, there is a campaign where Boss Coffee drinkers can win limited edition goods such as clothing patterned after Roto and the Dragon Quest protagonist’s shirt.
Dragon Quest I & II x Loft Goods Caravan 2025
Dragon Quest I & II make their way to over 173 Loft stores across Japan, and on the online store for the Dragon Quest I & II x Loft Goods Caravan 2025, featuring a wide selection of Dragon Quest I & II Remake-themed goods and official limited edition goods. Notably, the mascot of this caravan appears to be the popular yellow slime enemy "Lemon Slime".
Buying related products totaling 2200 JPY or more (with tax included), the purchase will come with an original sticker of one of six characters from Dragon Quest I & II Remake, given on a first-come, first-served basis!
Dragon Quest Lottery: The Legend of Roto Returns
The Dragon Quest Lottery is back and will start sales on November 1st, 2025. Specific details have yet to be announced, but the prizes up for grabs were revealed on the livestream, including an alarm clock, a soundblock that plays either a Level Up tune or the Inn tune when opening a door, and more!
Square Enix Dragon Quest Goods
Square Enix has now put up pre-orders for various Dragon Quest-related items on the official Square Enix e-Store, such as adorable plushies of the famous Slime enemy, Roto-themed accessories, a card holder, and more.
Included in the lineup is the all-new Dragon Quest Plastic Model Kit series, which will be up for sale starting September 27th. As of writing, the available model kits are for the Slime with a Grassland Base, Slime Beth or She-slime with a Grassland Base, and a Lime Slime with a Dungeon Base.
Everything We Know About Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Tokyo Game Show 2025 Special Stage Event
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Special Stage Event Schedule
Square Enix held a special stage event for the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. during TGS 2025 on September 27, 2025, at the Makuhari Messe Convention Center in Chiba City, Japan.
Check out the time tables below to find out what time the event started in each region.
Special Stage Event Starting Time
| Region | Local Release Time |
|---|---|
| United States (ET) | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 2:30 a.m. |
| United States (PT) | Friday, September 26, 2025, 11:30 p.m. |
| United Kingdom | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 7:30 a.m. |
| Central Europe | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 8:30 a.m. |
| New Zealand | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 7:30 p.m. |
| Australian East Coast | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 4:30 p.m. |
| Australian West Coast | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 2:30 p.m. |
| Japan | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 3:30 p.m. |
| Philippines | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 2:30 p.m. |
| South Africa | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 8:30 a.m. |
| Brazil | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 3:30 a.m. |
| Universal Time (UTC) | Saturday, September 27, 2025, 6:30 a.m. |
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Tokyo Game Show 2025 Special Stage Event Stream Starts on September 27, 2025
For those unable to attend the special stage event in person, Square Enix also hosted an official livestream of the event through their official YouTube channel on September 27, 2025 at 2:30 AM ET / 11:30 PM PT.
Other Tokyo Game Show Announcements
EIKO KANO'S CRTIKANO HIT Tokyo Game Show 2025 Special Edition
A special edition of EIKO KANO'S CRITIKANO HIT will be included in TGS 2025's September 25 official program. This special episode will feature live gameplay from the upcoming Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.
Joining CRITIKANO HIT's cast will be Dragon Quest series Creator Yuji Horii and Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Producer Masaaki Hayasaka to share more details about the game.
What is Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Tokyo Game Show 2025 Special Stage Event?
The Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Tokyo Game Show 2025 Special Stage Event is an exclusive live event that will be hosted by the cast of Critikano Hit and developers from Square Enix, featuring Eiko Kano (Japanese Media Personality), Kenta Sakai (Alco and Peace), Masayuki Kibe (TV Writer), Yuji Horii (Dragon Quest series Creator) and Masaaki Hayasaka (Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Producer).
Fans will learn more about the upcoming remake, which includes details about its release and some gameplay. Additionally, all audience members will get two unique cheering signs with the phrases Nice!!
and Heal!!
on them, which is in collaboration with DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake and the hit TV show EIKO KANO’S CRITIKANO HIT.
Furthermore, those who will pass by the game's booth at TGS 2025 and play the demo will receive a complimentary can of BOSS QUEST (Draconian Dark Roast Canned Coffee). They will also get the chance to meet and greet DRAGON QUEST 1's villain, the dreaded Dragonlord, and take home his exclusive photocard.
