Back when videocassettes were in their prime, many entertainment production companies chose to promote their upcoming products by filming and distributing short videos on VHS. This included video game studios such as Enix (now known as Square Enix). 16-bit Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) were extremely popular in the 1990s, with video game publishers Square and Enix leading the charge with popular franchises such as Final Fantasy, Mana, and Dragon Quest.
Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation was one of the most anticipated JRPGs of the mid-1990s. It was set to release in Japan during the 1995 holiday season, and many were eager to learn more about the next installment of the legendary fantasy series. To hype up interest for the game, Enix worked with V Jump magazine to film and publish a promotional video showing off some of Dragon Quest VI’s development.
It is unknown how many of these Dragon Quest VI promo videos were produced for V Jump’s mail-in campaign. However, we do know that the production of these promotional videos was very limited, making this a rare video game and home video collectible. So far, CGC has only certified one example of this Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation – Original Video VHS. It is graded CGC 9.8 A+.
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The 19-minute preview showcased the latest information about the upcoming video game, including new characters, gameplay footage, story previews, and more. The preview also included exclusive interview footage with the game’s creators, including Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama, the series’ music composer, and Manabu Yamana, the head programmer.
To get their hands on this promotional Dragon Quest VHS, subscribers to V Jump would have likely mailed a special postcard included in their magazine to Shueisha’s headquarters. Shueisha — V Jump’s publisher — would then send the VHS back to the subscriber through the mail. These “all-applicant” giveaway campaigns remained popular for the remainder of the 1990s but were phased out in the early 2000s in favor of physical trading card releases, as TCGs were rapidly gaining popularity.
Promotional videocassettes like this Dragon Quest VI preview are excellent pieces of entertainment and media history. If you have a promotional video like this one, consider sending it to CGC for expert authentication, grading, and encapsulation services. CGC’s grading experts ensure the authenticity of your home video collectible before encapsulating it in our industry-leading holder, preserving its condition and value. Get started by creating a free membership account here. Paid members get discounts on grading services.