Dragon Quest I-VIII ported to iOS/Android.....in Japan.

[marurun]

And GTA San Andreas probably runs at a higher resolution in iOS to boot.

[Opa Opa]

I got a new phone and my curiosity got the better of me so I downloaded DQ VIII.

The pros:
- Graphics are better than the PS2 on component-out.
- The one-handed gameplay design works well.
- Quick-save anywhere and cloud saving between devices.

The cons:
- The load times are not bad but they're not that much better than the PS2 version.
- No VA/midi music. The music does not bother me that much. Sound coming through a phone speaker is not the highest quality. I'm not sure how much of a difference the orchestrated music would have made; now if I had a decent set of headphones I might take more issue with the inferior soundtrack.
I do take umbrage with the lack of voice acting. The experience is cheapened if you've already played the game on PS2. I hope they add Voice Acting in for the US/EU markets through an update.
- A battery hog like all other 3D games.
- the game, while perfectly playable, does not run perfectly smooth on my phone. I have not tested it on a tablet yet... DQ VIII didn't run well on a playstation 2 anyway so it is a step up from the console version at least.

If you want to play Dragon Quest VIII would I recommend the mobile version of DQ VIII?
Yes and No.

If you have a new phone or tablet capable of running the game, then by all means check it out.

If you have a PS2 and a compatible mobile device, it is up to you to decide if you value mobility over the full features on PS2.

If you only have a PS2, just spend the five dollars on a disc. One game isn't worth spending hundreds on a tablet or phone; not to mention a data plan.

[marurun]

Ah, thanks for the review. Which particular device were you playing the game on? That might help us evaluate smoothness of graphics and whatnot.

[Opa Opa]

iPhone 5c is what I am currently using. I would not recommend using anything older than that. Preferably you'd play DQ viii on a 5s if you were gonna upgrade and had a little more money to spend.

[Frag Mortuus]

I just can't see paying $20 for a mobile game. I know that I paid more than that on the PS2 when it first came out, but still. I wouldn't mind having this though.

If Rockstar can release their GTA games which are equivalent in size for $5.99, why can't this game be the same price? Square has always over priced their mobile games.

[Opa Opa]

YOU WILL PAY IT AND YOU WILL LIKE IT.

That Square Enix premium... They have always been like that though. I think their GBA games were always $5 higher, iirc.

[Opa Opa]

We're getting IV next.

[jfrost]

Yeah, I actually bought Final Fantasy IV for iOS, but couldn't justify any of the other games. DQVIII for $20 is pretty cruel.

The World Ends With You for $20 still sounds tempting though.

[Tanooki]

Thats my feeling on it, square is the most greedy supplier of console quality games on android and ios too. Id love to take a crack at dq8 but 20 for an old ps2 game turned digital rental can suck it. I have picked up FF3 and 4 but only when they were on 50% off sales for 8.