May 27, 1986 was when JRPGs took over gaming, and now Dragon Quest is celebrating 30 years of life with big news for Japanese AND American fans…

Today marks the 30th anniversary of what I daresay is my favorite RPG franchise, the beloved Dragon Quest. It’s been around since 1986, though I’ve been a fan of Yuji Horii’s series ever since I grabbed a copy of Dragon Warrior for the NES in 1992. The series is known for reliably engrossing turn-based combat in a gorgeous world of lovably designed characters. And I’m happy to say that, after some lean years, the series has been revitalized internationally. Just take a look at this…

Timed perfectly for its May 27 anniversary, we get news of a North American and European release for Dragon Quest Builders. Now, you may wonder why I, a jaded millennial, would be excited for this obvious Minecraft ripoff. Well, that’s because the import reviews of the Japanese release have been so damn good! And (shockingly) it’s even coming out on the Vita, a system I honestly forgot existed.

Compare this to the last five years of Dragon Quest, which has seen no fewer than six different games be passed on for release in the west. Those years seemed to show Square Enix didn’t feel like sharing DQ beyond the borders of Japan. But now, as it turns the big 3-0, it seems like the localization engines have started up once more.

Are you as excited as I am for DQ’s return to US relevancy? Did you get as giddy as I did when seeing Dragon Quest VII announced for America?

If so, share your love for the franchise in the comments, and maybe even check out our fan contributor list of the best Dragon Quest games, or listen to me chat about DQ with my good pals at Retronauts. And check us out playing the recent Dragon Quest game that marked its return to the USA, Dragon Quest Heroes!