Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

The kingdom of Trodain has been cast under a dark spell by Dhoulmagus, its court jester. Using the power of a magical scepter, Dhoulmagus destroyed the royal castle, placed a curse on the land and its people, and turned the king into a troll and the princess into a horse. A lone survivor of the castle guard sets out with the king, princess, a reformed bandit named Yangus, and others in search of the evil jester and a way to break the curse.

The gameplay involves exploring the world, battling enemies, and managing the party's skills and abilities. Characters can learn new abilities and improve their combat prowess by allocating skill points to various categories. The Alchemy Pot system allows players to gather recipes and mix items to create new ones.

The international version of the game includes several updates from the original Japanese version, such as voice acting, improved graphics, and symphonic soundtracks. When released for the Nintendo 3DS, some changes were made, including the ability to quick save anywhere and a new photo mode feature.