It seems that a remake of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is on the cards, as the prospect of a new version of the game for the Nintendo Switch was discussed during the ten-year anniversary livestream. According to Gematsu, the livestream was made up of five prominent staff members of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies, including Yuji Horii, who is the creator of the Dragon Quest series.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies put the player in the role of a Celestrian, the guardian angels of the world. An attack upon the heavens forces the main character to plunge into the world below, where they lose their angelic powers and become a regular mortal. The main character must then form a team of adventurers and discover the truth behind the attack against the Celestrians. Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies was released for the Nintendo DS and it has yet to receive any kind of port or remaster.
The livestream hosts discussed the idea of a remake of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies with the graphics potentially being brought up to the same level as Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, as well as the addition of new content for returning fans. It was also mentioned that Level-5 would be the perfect studio to handle such a remake. All of the staff members during the livestream seemed excited about the prospect, but none of them were actually able to officially announce a new project for this remake.
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies was the game that inspired the StreetPass feature of the Nintendo 3DS, as it had a feature called “Tag Mode” that allowed players to trade maps wirelessly. The Tag Mode could not appear in a remake, as the StreetPass feature wasn’t brought to the Nintendo Switch, but its effects could be emulated with regular online modes, as stated by Horii.
When Dragon Quest XI: Sentinels of the Starry Skies was released ten years ago, it was one of the most innovative games - both for the Nintendo DS and the Dragon Quest franchise. A modern remake of the game that bolsters its creative features and engaging story with updated graphics as well as improving upon the shaky online functionality of the original title would make for something truly special.
Horii: “Is there a StreetPass communication feature for Switch?”
Fujisawa: “No, there isn’t.”
Hino: “We have to do something that replicates that.”
Horii: “Then smartphones?”
Hino: “Well we can use the online features on Switch whenever it detects Wi-Fi and do something as well?”
Horii: “I see. So you can party up with complete strangers.”
Hino: “Yes. That way you can party up online.”
