Final Fantasy, Mana, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Now on (or Coming to) Xbox

No preface needed here; the news speaks for itself: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series, Legend of Mana, and Trials of Mana are now available digitally for purchase and/or pre-order on Xbox Series X/S and PC via the Microsoft Store. Both Mana games are also available on Game Pass. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake launches on November 14th.

As usual, this year’s Tokyo Game Show had many highlights, but I imagine few were more exciting for classic JRPG fans than Square Enix’s near the end of the Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2024 broadcast.

The Venn diagram of dedicated Xbox and Windows users on one side, and classic JRPG fans on the other, has a more populated middle than one might think. I couldn’t be happier for folks who now get to experience these adventures in a new way.

We’ve got your breakdown below, including trailers, brief overview details, and any relevant screenshots.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

The much anticipated HD-2D remake of the 1988 classic is arguably the most anticipated game of its kind in recent memory, and the confirmation of its arrival on Xbox is a boon for DQ fans on the platform.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake got a prime spot during Xbox’s showcase as producer Hayasaka Masaaki walked viewers through the game demo playable at TGS 2024.

Pre-orders are available across all consoles, and the TGS footage can be checked out below:

Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series includes the first six Final Fantasy games with updated visuals, rearranged tracks, battle speeds, and quality-of-life improvements such as higher experience gains.

Previously released for the PlayStation and Switch back in July of 2023, Xbox and PC users can now see where it all began for some of the biggest games in JRPG history. Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI are considered the highlights by most, and all six remasters were featured in a Retro Encounter podcast last month where a few brave souls attempted to rank each game in a tier list.

In general, whether someone now gets to experience a classic for the first time, revisit an old favourite from the SNES days, or anything in between, it’s objectively awesome for JRPG fans that these games are more widely available.

Legend of Mana (Remaster)

The Mana series has been in the spotlight on more than one occasion in the last few years, with last month’s release of Visions of Mana and 2020’s popular Trials of Mana remake (more on that below).

Xbox users are getting Legend of Mana, a remaster of the game originally released on PS1 in 2000. A unique departure from other games in the series, Legend of Mana has a central plot generated by the player as they explore the world. Greg Delmage gave the remaster a positive review back in 2021, saying:

Those that loved Legend of Mana will fall in love all over again. The minor updates and the magical presentation may help ease in new players, but it’s possible some of the classic’s more obtuse systems may turn them away.

Luckily for Xbox and PC users, they now get the chance to make that decision for themselves.

Trials of Mana

Originally Seiken Densetsu 3 for the Super Famicom (it was never released in the West until Collection of Mana), the aforementioned Trials of Mana received the full HD remake treatment back in 2020.

Players choose three main heroes from a pool of six, which affects how the story itself unfolds. Seiken Densetsu 3 was ahead of its time in many ways, including the varied class combinations and replayability that came with each character providing a slightly unique gameplay experience.

A favourite of multiple members of the RPGFan staff, Greg Delmage gave it an Editor’s Choice in his review, saying:

[Trials of Mana is] an exciting remake that recalls a sense of fun by injecting the right amount of “new” into what made the original a classic.

Yes, it’s a great time to be an RPG fan.

While we celebrate the arrival of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters and these two Mana games to Xbox and Windows, as well as the impending launch of Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on November 14th, don’t forget that they are also on PC via Steam, Switch, and PlayStation.

Can’t get enough Square Enix from TGS? Check out Square Enix’s special program at the show (complete with English subtitles), as well as this recap of Square Enix at the event.

And for everything else RPG, head on over to the RPGFan main page. We’ve got you covered.