Yangus takes the stage in Dragon Quest VIII spin-off

As Dragon Quest VIII crosses the 4-million sales mark, Square Enix announces release date for Japanese spin-off

January 30, 2006

Japanese fans of the Dragon Quest series will get another new title from Square Enix this year. A new spin-off of Dragon Quest VIII will be available in Japan on April 20.

The new game, Dragon Quest: Shounen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon, follows the childhood of DQ8 character Yangus.

The new game features similar graphics and characters similar to Dragon Quest VIII, and seems to be focused at a younger audience.

In Dragon Quest VIII, Yangus is a newly-reformed thief who aids the game's Hero in his quest. The new game will follow Yangus' early days growing up in a community of thieves.

April 20 is a big day for Square Enix. Not only is Dragon Quest: Shounen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon being released on that day, but it's also the Japanese release of the new expansion pack for Final Fantasy XI, Treasures of Aht Urhgan.

Meanwhile, Dragon Quest VIII has sold over four million copies worldwide, including over 400,000 copies of the game in North America.