Dragon Quest Wars waging on DSi in Japan

In late April, Square Enix filed an application to trademark Dragon Quest Wars with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. And while Square Enix remains tight-lipped on a North American release for the game, the publisher did announce its arrival in Japan, saying the DSiWare strategy game will be available for 500 points ($5) this June.

Dragon Quest Wars is in development at Intelligent Systems, better known as the Japanese shop behind Nintendo's Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and Paper Mario franchises. According to Square Enix's Japanese-language announcement (which was translated by GameSpot), Dragon Quest Wars will play out as a board game of sorts, with players engaging in a series of battles with various monsters from the series' universe.

The downloadable game will feature both single- and multiplayer modes, with gamers able to square off against a computer-controlled opponent or up to three friends. Dragon Quest Wars will also support online play via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

Square Enix had not responded to queries regarding a North American release of Dragon Quest Wars as of press time.