GamesJRPGDragon QuestUnreleased SNES Dragon Quest prototype could be “lost for good” as the only alleged copy of the 1993 JRPG worth $50,000 was sold to a private collectorWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesJRPGDragon QuestUnreleased SNES Dragon Quest prototype could be “lost for good” as the only alleged copy of the 1993 JRPG worth $50,000 was sold to a private collectorWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Square Enix)
The Dragon Quest series has been through countless iterations and spin-offs, but one version might be properly lost for good.
Dragon’s Quest’s first side step was Torneko’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon, an SNES game in which you collect items in randomized dungeons as the merchant from Dragon Quest 4. Despite being a success, the game never saw a proper release or translation outside of Japan.
Whispers about an official, unreleased English version called Taloon’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon have been floating around the internet for decades, though. SNES Central (RIP) mentioned the shadowy project years ago, according to thewebsite’s archives. In an old interview withNintendo Age’s eZine, game counselor Tom Kirstenson also mentioned that he playtested the localized version while it was still in development and apparently loved it.
That brings us up to the modern age, where anow-delistedeBay seller claimed to have had a copy of Taloon’s Great Adventure and wanted to offload it for €50,000 (or around $53,000). Anarchived listingincludes screenshots from the game, pictures of the cartridge, and claims that the prototype “comes from a former Nintendo employee who had access to Product Analysis,” the department that was responsible for Nintendo’s internal quality assurance. “The prototype was in private possession for a good 20 years and was never publicly exhibited or given away.”
The listing stretches as far back as 2022, but it seems like the seller did eventually find someone who matched the whopping price tag. YouTuber sackchief recently tweeted that he’d been in contact with the seller, who now “claims he sold it to a private collector so you can say it’s lost for good.”
So over the past year there was a supposed prototype cart on eBay for an English version of Dragon Quest Torneko Mystery Dungeon for SNES and the guy wanted $50k for it. Well he claims he sold it to a private collector recently so now you can say it’s lost for good… pic.twitter.com/NgSFAfFtnmJuly 31, 2024
So over the past year there was a supposed prototype cart on eBay for an English version of Dragon Quest Torneko Mystery Dungeon for SNES and the guy wanted $50k for it. Well he claims he sold it to a private collector recently so now you can say it’s lost for good… pic.twitter.com/NgSFAfFtnmJuly 31, 2024
“And yes, I did try negotiating since this game is not worth 50k,” he continues. “I offered to crowdfund up to 2.5k for the game and a friend of mine even offered 5 thousand and we both got turned down in the end. So you can’t say I didn’t try.”
It looks like the long-running mystery will only continue to drag on, asSquare Enixand Nintendo have never publicly acknowledged that an English port was ever in development, and three decades on, the likelihood of that happening only becomes slimmer. But this all reminds me of theNintendo PlayStation situation, where the long-rumored console prototype did eventually surface after falling into the right pair of hands. We might just need to wait a few years (or decades) before we see it. For now, there are fan translations online to tide you over.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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