Spoons-On with Dragon Quest Builders at Menchie’s

While doing some more Delisted work last week I checked in at Licensemag.com where I look to see what games have upcoming licensing deals. Lo and behold, there’s Dragon Quest Builders in a deal with Menchie’s, one of the many nationwide froyo franchises. I immediately signed up and redeemed their DLC code but over the weekend we decided it’d be worth the trip to check out the point-of-purchase experience.

I lit up even before we got into the place at the sight of Pippa and Rollo beaming out of the front door. Posters, window clings and tabletop standees adorn the tiny space but only one of them implies what Dragon Quest Builders even is. The single employee on duty said that her and the boss have been trying to figure out what these colorful characters were from. Katy and I explained and got the usual blank stare and “oh ok,  that’s cool” response. A simple PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita logo would’ve helped a lot.

I did like the touch of calling out specific flavors as “So-and-So’s Favorite” but I think they missed the mark on the selections. I mean, a Blue Slime probably has to go with a blueberry flavor right? I really can’t remember a lot of the food items in the game but I’m sure there were better accompaniments than cake batter, Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate.

Finally, after we ate (I had carrot cake with graham cracker crumbs, Katy had a mix of vanilla and chocolate) I asked if I could grab a couple of clean cups and the girl also gave us a pair of pins. She said they’ve been trying to give them out but nobody wanted them. Awww. Please allow this 40-year-old couple to take them off your hands!

It’s been a long time since a game I cared about got a real world promotion. It was genuinely exciting to see it advertised outside of the typical game shops and surprising to see Dragon Quest marketed in North America, period. JC from Tiny Cartridge said it best, “most importantly: Square Enix, in the year 2017, has gone out of its way to advertise a Dragon Quest game. This is far outside of what I’m used to, and I love it.”

If you’ve got a Menchie’s nearby and if Dragon Quest ever meant anything to you, take a look; you’ve got until January 31st for the promo.