Dragon Quest IV was previously released in North America on NES under the series' former Dragon Warrior brand. Neither V and VI, both Super Nintendo entries, nor the PlayStation remakes of IV and V made it across the Pacific.

Late last year, Square Enix made ripples when it announced that the Dragon Quest IX would appear exclusively on DS--the first numbered entry in the series to debut on a portable instead of a home console. Other titles in the company's strong Nintendo DS lineup include a 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy Chronicles: Rings of Fire along with the pending North American releases of Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.

The DS version of Dragon Quest IV is expected to release in Japan this winter. No other information, including confirmation of possible North American releases, is available at this time. When contacted, a Square Enix representative declined to comment on the matter, noting only that the titles have not been announced for North America.