LOS ANGELES (February 17, 2009) Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that DRAGON QUEST® V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride™ for Nintendo DS™ has shipped to retailers across North America.

The second entry in the Zenithia Trilogy for Nintendo DS, DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride brings a pivotal title in the DRAGON QUEST franchise to North America for the first time. An adventure crafted for heroes across the globe by series creator Yuji Horii, manga artist Akira Toriyama and composer Koichi Sugiyama, DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride invites you to embark on an epic journey that spans three generations.

Try your hand at the game that introduced the monster recruitment system to the series and presented players with an ultimate choice that changes the course of the game. Now available exclusively for Nintendo DS, DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is ready to entertain players with its endearing, classic-RPG charm.


STORY

What begins as an innocent childhood voyage of a boy alongside his father's journey soon develops into an adventure of a brave young man travelling the world as he faces life-altering decisions. Step into the shoes of a hero in the making to fulfill your destiny, befriending a crew of quirky monsters along the way.

FEATURES

Indulge in the colorful DRAGON QUEST world created by Yuji Horii, combined with the charming characters and monsters designed by Akira Toriyama and memorable soundtrack from famed composer Koichi Sugiyama to create an unforgettable gaming experience

Journey through a beautifully rendered 3D world, with dynamic dual-screen presentation and newly animated monsters

Recruit a unique cast of DRAGON QUEST monsters and create an indestructible party of your own

Brace yourself for some life-altering decision making – a key decision will affect the outcome of the game, and change the course of the hero's life forever

Take a breather from the main quest with addicting mini-games like Bruise the Ooze, T 'n' T, the Slurpodrome and the tombola

Collect and customize knick-knacks from around the DRAGON QUEST world to create a personalized Knick-knackatory. With the wireless capabilities of Nintendo DS, players can now exchange their creations with friends for a one-of-a-kind collection of rare items!

Feast your ears on the opening theme performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, and a brand-new score by series composer Koichi Sugiyama

DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. DRAGON QUEST V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99 (USD). The official website can be found at http://na.square-enix.com/zenithia/.

About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.

Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 47 million units worldwide under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.

DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. HAND OF THE HEAVENLY BRIDE is a registered trademark or trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.