The Dragon Quest series enjoys unparallelled success in Japan but is less famous in other parts of the world. All that is about to change when Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies for the Nintendo DS launches in Europe and the United States this month.

To mark the overseas' launch of Dragon Quest IX, Satoru Iwata conducted a special video interview with Square Enix producer Ryutaro Ichimura and Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, in which they discuss what the Dragon Quest phenomenon is all about and how the latest title in the series is the perfect entry point for newcomers.

Click here to watch the Iwata Asks video interview on Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies at our Iwata Asks hub!

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies will be in shops 23 July, only for Nintendo DS.