Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
↗ 45%
😊 8.3/10
(Playstation 2 - US, RPG)
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$39.53
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Developed_By:
Level-5 Inc.
Published_By:
Square Enix
Released On:
27 Nov 2004
Also available on:
The court jester Dhoulmagus of the kingdom of Trodain stole a powerful magical scepter sealed beneath the royal castle. Using the power of the sceptre, Dhoulmagus destroyed the castle, placed a curse upon the kingdom and its people, and turned King Trode into a troll and the princess into a horse. A sole surviving castle guard journeys with the king, the princess, a reformed bandit named Yangus and a few other companions in search of the evil jester and a way to break the curse.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is a traditional Japanese-style role-playing game with random enemy encounters, simple turn-based combat mechanics, and management of a party consisting of four characters, each belonging to a clearly defined class. Unlike its predecessors in the series and most Japanese RPGs in general, the game features a continuous world with fairly vast landscapes and integrated towns and dungeons, as opposed to world map traveling and locations represented by icons.
The player can interact with many objects, such as barrels that can be physically lifted, carried, and broken to reveal hidden items. The player also receives skill points from battles, which can be manually allocated into a skill category of the player's choice. These categories include three different kinds of weapons, fisticuffs, and a discipline unique to each character.
The Alchemy Pot system allows players to gather recipes and mix items to create new ones. The game features full camera rotation and optional first-person view, similar to previous Dragon Quest games. The international version of the game includes voice acting, graphic menu, symphonic soundtracks, and flashier effects.
The 3DS version of the game has some changes, including new features such as the ability to capture and caption screenshots with a new photo mode feature, faster battle animations, and quicker saving anywhere. The Alchemy Pot now produces items instantly and can also produce multiples of the same item right out of the gate.
eBay Product ID:
47662883 (United States)
UPC-A:
662248905013 (United States)
Sony PN:
SLUS-21207 (United States)
Part #:
SLUS-21207GH (USA)
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Media Type:
DVD-ROM
Gamepads Supported:
DualShock 2
Number of Offline Players:
1 Player
Save Game Methods:
External Storage
Input Device Features Supported:
Vibration
Video Modes Supported:
Widescreen (16 x 9)
Controller Types Supported:
Analog Controller, Digital Controller
Prices as of 30 Jul 2026
Typical $37.66–$39.53 (last 90 days)
New
Complete
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Box
Manual
Smoothed
Log · Auto
Medians
Market activity: active · about 706 sales a year
Activity is a 12-month sales count. Dashed segments rest on two sales a year or fewer.
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Manual
Game Guide
Extracted from the original game manual
This is a fantasy role-playing game where the player embarks on a quest to lift a curse cast by an evil jester, restoring the kingdom and its transformed inhabitants to normal. Players will explore various locations within the world to achieve this goal.
Story
PROLOGUE
Long, long ago a scepter with extraordinary magical powers was created. For many a year it slumbered, safely confined within a castle.
But then came the twisted jester known as Dhoulmagus. He broke the seal protecting the scepter, awakening its terrifying powers and unleashing a foul curse upon the kingdom.
Time froze as enchanted vines enveloped the castle and everyone within. The king and the princess found themselves changed by vile magic into strange new forms.
Only one person has escaped the curse unscathed, and that is you. So begins your quest to restore the kingdom to normal, and rescue its hapless inhabitants!
THE WORLD OF DRAGON QUEST VIII
•
SEAVIEW CHURCH
•
FAREBURY
•
ALEXANDRIA
•
PORT PROSPECT
•
MAELLA ABBEY
•
ASCANTHA
•
PICKHAM
Controls
DIRECTIONAL BUTTONS
Walk (Run with Δ)/Move cursor
LEFT ANALOG STICK
Run/Move cursor
RIGHT ANALOG STICK
Rotate view up, down, left, or right
L1
Display battle records
L2
Confer with party
R1
Rotate view left/Move one tab left on menu screen
R2
Align view behind party leader/Cancel
X
Rotate view right/Move one tab right on menu screen
O
Toggle first-person view
Δ
Confirm/Action (Talk, lift, climb, open)
□
Display main menu/Confirm
START button
Cancel
SELECT button
View map/Cancel/Close all windows
Enemies & Characters
THE HERO (You)
A royal guard who had to leave his kingdom when a curse was placed upon it. Through his training as a royal guard, he is proficient with swords, spears, and boomerangs.
YANGUS
A former bandit with a rather strange accent. An unexpected turn of events brought you together, and now Yangus treats you as his trusted "guv." He is a physically powerful man who favors axes, clubs, and scythes in combat.
JESSICA
The only daughter of an aristocratic family from a small village. Something of a tomboy, she is constantly arguing with her mother but is respected by her fellow villagers. She is a budding sorceress who is adept not only at casting combat spells, but at wielding short blades, whips, and staves as well.
ANGELO
A Templar knight who has sworn an oath to protect his abbey. He seems to be far more dedicated to gambling and beautiful women than to the church though, so he is somewhat scorned by his fellow Templars. Still, he is quite competent with swords, bows, and staves and is capable of casting a variety of recovery spells.
TRODE
Your odd-looking traveling companion. Despite his outward appearance, he speaks with a royal tone befitting a king.
How to Play
Starting Your Adventure
An adventure log records the progress you and your party make. It's important for keeping track of everything that happens.
Creating an Adventure Log and Starting a New Game
•
First, insert a memory card (8MB) (for PlayStation®2) into your PlayStation®2 console in MEMORY CARD slot 1 or 2.
•
When the game starts and the adventure log menu appears, select "Create a new adventure log."
•
You can give yourself a name of 8 letters or less. Use the directional buttons or the left analog stick to move the cursor, and press to select a letter.
•
Select "Back" or press to delete the last letter. Once finished, select "End."
•
You'll be asked if you want to save the adventure log. If you pick "Yes," choose a MEMORY CARD slot and a location to save it. Once saved, your adventure can begin!
Visit Churches to Update Your Adventure Log
When you want to take a break, visit a church to "confess" and record your progress. If you don't, you'll have to start from your last confession point.
•
When you enter a church and talk to a priest or nun, you can choose to make a "Confession (Save)" of your travels. They will record it in an adventure log.
•
During your confession, choose a MEMORY CARD slot, then select which adventure log to update. If you choose an existing log, you'll be asked to overwrite it. Saying "Yes" will erase the old data.
Resuming Your Adventure
Choose "Continue your adventure" from the adventure log menu, then select which adventure log you want to play from. Everything will be exactly as it was when you made your confession.
Erasing an Adventure Log
Choose "Delete an adventure log" from the adventure log menu, then select which adventure log you'd like to erase. Remember that once erased, it's gone for good.
Getting the Most Out of Your Adventure
You can explore anywhere, but it's good to have an objective to avoid getting lost. Sticking to paths is advisable until you're familiar with the area. Climbing to high places for a view can reveal buildings or towns you didn't know were there.
•
Check signposts to ensure you're headed in the right direction.
•
Try using L1, R1, and the right analog stick to survey your surroundings.
Useful Establishments Found in Towns
There are many helpful places to visit in towns. Be sure to drop in on them when you arrive in a new town.
Churches
Priests and nuns can assist you in many ways. Visit them to save your progress or if you're feeling unwell.
How the Church Can Help You
•
Confession (Save): Record details of your progress in an adventure log.
•
Divination: Discover how many experience points (Exp) each party member needs to reach the next level.
•
Resurrection: Bring a party member back to life.
•
Purification: Cure poisoning.
•
Benediction: Remove a cursed item that cannot otherwise be removed.
•
*These services require a donation.
Weapon, Armor, and Item Shops
You can buy various items at shops. Ensure you're properly equipped before traveling.
•
Use the right and left directional buttons to adjust the number of items you want to buy.
Inns
Staying at an inn restores the party's HP and MP. The rate varies by town and party size. You can choose to spend the night or rest until evening.
•
Stay overnight: Fully restores HP and MP, and you'll wake up the following morning.
•
Rest until evening: Fully restores HP and MP, and you'll wake up on the evening of the same day.
Banks
At banks, you can save your money (gold coins) in units of 1000G. You can withdraw money from any bank at any time. If the party is wiped out, you'll lose half the coins you're carrying, but money in the bank remains untouched. It's a good idea to save money you won't need right away.
Use the Map to Check Your Location
•
Press to view the map and check where you are.
•
Press to put the map away.
Town Maps
In town, check the map to understand the layout.
•
Press to toggle key symbols on and off for a clear view.
Town Map Key
•
Weapon Shop
•
Armor Shop
•
Item Shop
•
Inn
•
Church
•
Bank
•
Pub
•
Well
World Map
If you obtain a world map, you can check your location while exploring in the wild.
•
When the map screen is displayed, press to zoom out, hide the cursor, and then zoom back in.
Dungeon Maps
In caves, towers, and dungeons, you can check your current floor by looking at the map. You'll need to find the map first.
Use the Compass to Check Your Direction
It's easy to lose your bearings after fighting monsters or changing the viewpoint.
•
Check the compass at the bottom-left corner of the screen to find your direction.
•
The compass won't be displayed in some places, such as towns.
Differences Between Day and Night
As time passes, your surroundings and people's behavior change. Returning to the same place at a different time of day might reveal new things.
What's Special About Nighttime?
•
People often have
Items & Weapons
COPPER SWORD
A basic sword for novice warriors.
STEEL SCYTHE
A scythe of tempered steel designed specifically for combat.
IRON AXE
A thick and sturdy axe with a cast iron head.
THORN WHIP
A whip covered in thorns. Capable of striking a group of enemies with a single lash.
SHORT BOW
A light bow for novice archers that is easy to handle.
WIZARD'S STAFF
A magical staff that launches tiny fireballs at enemies when used as an item in battle.
IRON SPEAR
An iron spear of the kind commonly found throughout the world.
BOOMERANG
A throwing weapon capable of hitting all enemies with each attack.
POISON MOTH KNIFE
A knife that can paralyze the enemies it cuts.
WAYFARER'S CLOTHES
Rugged hempen garments loved by travelers for their sturdiness.
IRON HELMET
A sturdy helmet made of iron.
SCALE SHIELD
A shield made from extremely hard scales.
LEATHER SHIELD
A simple shield made of leather stretched over wood.
GOLD RING
A gleaming ring that slightly increases the wearer's "defence" when worn.
PRAYER RING
A ring that restores some of the wearer's MP when used as an item.
SLIME EARRINGS
Cute earrings in the shape of slimes.
MEDICINAL HERB
A special herb that helps to heal injuries.
ANTIDOTAL HERB
This herb can cure the effects of poisoning. Make sure to carry some when fighting poisonous monsters!
SEED OF STRENGTH
Permanently increases the strength of a single ally.
MOONWORT BULB
An herb blessed with the power of the full moon. Cures the entire party of the effects of paralysis.
HOLY WATER
Temporarily prevents weaker monsters from attacking the party. Useful on long trips.
PLAIN CHEESE
One of Munchie's favorite foods. Feed it to him during battle for a surprise...
YGGDRASIL LEAF
A mystical leaf that resurrects a single fallen ally.
THIEF'S KEY
A useful key that allows even those without thief skills to open locks.
CHIMAERA WING
Allows your party to warp instantly to any town or place of note that you have previously visited.
CRYSTAL BALL
A fortune-teller's crystal ball.
THIEF'S KEY RECIPE
A suspicious-looking document that contains tips on how to make a thief's key.
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