History Videogame / DragonQuestVIII

* ItIsPronouncedTroPAY: Prince Charmles is quick to insist that his name is pronounced "Sharm-LAY", particularly whenever he's called "Prince Charmless". It's actually just "Charm-ulls".

*** A dinosaur named [[Franchise/Godzilla Hackzilla]].
*** In the 3DS version we have a [[TeenWolf "Teen Fox"]] whose nickname is [[Creator/MichaelJFox Michael J.]], a spitnik named [[Music/RayCharles Ray Churls]], a Wight Priest named [[Music/BarryWhite Barry Wight]], and a Chimera named [[Creator/AlPacino Flappacino]].

** A mustachioed man with a thick Italian accent that wears red and green is definitely a ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' reference.

*** One of the [=NPCs=] in the Monster Arena actually refers to Morrie's Harem as the "Super Morrie-o Sisters", shedding all doubt.

*** One of the recruitable monsters is named [[Music/{{Eminem}} Slime Shady]].
*** One of the new 3DS-edition recruitable monsters is titled Teen Fox. Real Name: [[Creator/MichaelJFox Michael J.]]
*** Another 3DS-recruitable is a spitnik, [[Music/RayCharles Ray Churls]].

* FaunsAndSatyrs: Satyrs show up in the bestiary. Apparently, they use their flutes as a weapon.

* ItemCrafting: The alchemy pot again.

* MonsterArena: A literal one, since only monsters are allowed to fight in it.

** In regular battles, as per series tradition, slimes in sufficient quantities can do this to become a [[KingMook King Slime]].

** Particularly glaring when Red and/or Morrie [[OffscreenTeleportation outright swap places with party members they replaced]] when the party is thrown into jail on Purgatory Island.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Geyzer, the guardian of the waterfall, comes as a surprise. Also Don Mole and [[spoiler:the monsters you fight while escaping from the collapsing Dark Citadel]].

** Cash and Carrie view themselves as this way, but the player can see that they are NotSoDifferent.

** Right after [[spoiler: murdering Abbot Francisco]], Dhoulmagus briefly [[spoiler: speaks in a voice very different than his own, hinting at his DemonicPossession.]]

* TheDyingWalk: [[Marcello]] walks into the horizon after you defeat him in battle. In the PS2 version, he's never seen again.

* ChangeOfHeartRecruitmentScenario: The player can reject Jessica from entering the team when she asks if she can join. She then forces herself on the team by stating that they both have the same quest and need each other, and the player finds out that they actually need her to proceed as she raises the number of the team.

* Dystopia: When compared to other Dragon Quest games, this one is the most dystopic.

* {{Curse}}: The premise is that everyone in the kingdom of Trodain except the main character has been cursed by the villainous Dhoulmagus. King Trode is now a little troll-like creature, Princess Medea is a horse, and everyone else is a statue. The main character escaped the curse because [[poiler:a memory wiping curse that was cast on him when he was younger]] had the beneficial side effect of rendering him immune to other curses.

%%There's a running message that occurs frequently during the game, from Jessica leaving her home, to Angelo wanting to leave the Abbey and even Medea not wanting to go through with the wedding at the end: That people should be free to live their lives as they wish and seek their own happiness.
%%This is most assuredly ''not'' the Central Theme, sorry. Jessica is disowned when she leaves home, Angelo is expelled from the abbey and the Knights Templar, and Medea only elopes because her betrothed is a wretched brat. Absolutely none of these are presented as the optimal solution. People pursuing their own happiness causes its own variety of problems -- remember, Dominico and Marcello are "pursuing their happiness", too, and it's turned them into assholes.

* BraggingRightsReward: The Gospel Ring. [[EncounterRepellant It eliminates random encounters when equipped]], but the only way to get it is to defeat every enemy in the game at least once, including Rhapthorne and the final trial of the Lord of the Dragovians. So, by the time you get it, there's nothing left to do. However, the 3DS version allows you to obtain it by defeating most of the game's monsters, not counting the ones added into the 3DS version. In other words, it becomes more useful for what remains of the game.