Recent trailers for the port of Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King revealed additional playable characters. While both were included on the original Playstation 2 release as NPCs (Non-Playable Characters), the updated port now gives the player a chance to have Red and Morrie join the party.

Morrie Mozzarella (or simply Morrie), owner of the game's Monster Arena, will now be a new addition to the party. According to the trailer video seen on Silicon Era, which highlights how the character plays in battle, he is shown to use fisticuffs, boomerangs, claws and clubs. He is also seen throwing what appears to be a Slime ball, which the Sabrecats chase, running over some enemies and dealing damage in the process.

Red, on the other hand, is a thief and a pirate. Appearing in multiple quest lines in the original game, she can now join the team in the remake. Aside from using fisticuffs, whips, and daggers, Gematsu notes, she will be able to use one of the new weapons introduced in the port: fans. A special attack also features the rogue, along with her crew, preparing cannons and fires them to the enemy.

Aside from the new characters, the trailer for Morrie also hinted on a new rank for the Monster Arena. While showing the arena, it asks the question: "Can you beat the new X Rank?" This gives players an additional challenge to overcome, once the game has been released.

Originally released for the Sony Playstation 2 in November of 2004, it is noted as the first in the series to have its characters and environments fleshed out in full 3D. It follows the story of the Hero, a silent protagonist, and their party as they defeat Dhoulmagus, and break the curse that befell the kingdom of Trodain.  The game has been positively received, so much so that a gaming magazine gave the game the 4th spot on its best video game of all time list, behind Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VII and Dragon Quest 3.