The first three games in the Dragon Quest series are being ported to the Nintendo Switch and will be released in Europe and North America on the same day as Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition.
Square Enix has been making a push to popularize the Dragon Quest series outside of Japan, with an enhanced port of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch and by allowing several Dragon Quest protagonists to become part of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in the form of the Hero character. It was recently revealed that the first three games were being ported to the Nintendo Switch in Japan, but that they would feature an English language option, so they would be easy for international fans to purchase on the eShop.
It seems that fans won't need to mess around with the Japanese eShop after all, as the official Dragon Quest Twitter page has revealed that the first three Dragon Quest games will be coming to Europe and North America on September 27, 2019. This marks the first time that the games will be released on consoles in Europe. All three games are currently available on mobile phones. Dragon Quest will cost $5, Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line will cost $6.50, and Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation will cost $12.50.
The first three Dragon Quest games show the early growth of the series, with the first game starring a lone hero on a journey to save a princess in what is a relatively short adventure by today's standards. Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line introduced a party mechanic, as the player now controlled three distinct characters in battle, while Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation introduced a character class mechanic and the ability to customize characters in different ways.
It's possible that the release of this initial trilogy will pave the way for other Dragon Quest titles to be ported in the future. Dragon Quest IV-VIII are available on mobile phones, so there are already updated versions that could be ported to the Nintendo Switch.
Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line, and Dragon Quest III: Seeds of Salvation will be released for the Nintendo Switch on September 27, 2019.
Source: Dragon Quest/Twitter