Despite “dragon” being right there in the title, the Dragon Quest video game series doesn’t really have an iconic dragon. Japan’s most widely-loved role-playing franchise doesn’t feature a particularly popular protagonist either, as each installment features a new, mostly mute hero.

Instead, mascot duties fall to the weakest enemy in each of the games, the lowly slime. Because of its cuteness and the almost complete lack of threat it poses to the player, the slime has become a fan favorite, with a shape as instantly recognizable as a Coca Cola bottle.

The franchise’s numerous titles for home and handheld consoles allow gamers to get their fix from the sofa or on the train, but now there’s even a way to enjoy Dagon Quest at your kitchen table.

Dragon Quest producer Square Enix previously released a set of slime-shaped salt and pepper shakers in 2007, featuring the standard blue slime and the crown-wearing king slime. The video game manufacturer has announced that it will be rereleasing this set, along with two alternately colored versions.

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Of course, Dragon Quest veterans know that these two new sets aren’t just regular slimes with more vibrant colors, but unique branches of the slime family tree. The second set consists of the she-slime, marginally stronger than the absolutlely bottom rung regular slime, and the king cureslime.

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The third set is the one to really get excited over, though: the metal slime and metal king. Intensely sought after by adventurers for the extravagant rewards they leave behind when defeated, metal slimes are notoriously timid and adept at running away, so the chance to gaze leisurely at one while eating your scrambled eggs might be just too sweet a deal for hardcore gamers to pass up. In keeping with its status as the rarest breed, the metal slime set will be available only through Square Enix’s online store.

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The smaller shakers in each set measure 50 mm in all dimensions. While king slimes are canonically formed through the synthesis of eight regular slimes, the larger shaker in each set is a more manageable 60 mm in length and width, with a height of 65 mm.

The slime shakers will be released on July 26, and preorders can be placed now through the company’s online shop. All sets have the same price of 3,000 yen (US$30.95). Assuming current gold piece to yen exchange rates hold steady, we calculate adventurers should be able to earn that sum by defeating approximately 3,000 slimes.

Source: Hatena
Insert images: Square Enix