Dragon Quest Creator Discusses Nintendo DS Exclusivity and Fan Reaction

Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii recently discussed the historical decision behind making Dragon Quest IX an exclusive title for the Nintendo DS handheld console. In a recent interview commentary, details emerged regarding why the development team chose the dual-screen handheld platform for the mainline entry in the long-running franchise.

Alongside the platform choice, Horii addressed the initial response from the community following the game's reveal. According to the comments, the development team felt a little disheartened by the early fan reaction to the platform shift before the title ultimately launched and found substantial success on the portable hardware. The discussion offers a retrospective look at the challenges and creative decisions faced by developers during the transition of major Japanese role-playing game franchises to portable platforms.