Dragon Quest IX: Defenders of the Starry Sky (Dragon Quest IX Hoshizora no Mamoribito, ドラゴンクエストIX 星空の守り人) is the ninth installment of the main Dragon Quest series, and the first numbered game to be released on a handheld console, Nintendo DS. The game was rumored to be in development from early 2006, with the first confirmation by series composer, Koichi Sugiyama, on August 19, and officially announced on December 12, during a press conference celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Dragon Quest franchise.