Guys, this game is fucking insane. Like absolutely insane. I can not stress enough how fucking cool this game is. This dude from Japan, Yuji Horii, took this mostly Western PC genre and completely changed the world of gaming for-fucking-ever. I mean, I'm sure you already know that, and I'm sure you think, oh yeah, it's impressive how much this game did being a prime builder for the genre, but like guys... holy SHIT. This game is one of the first of its kind, and it still gets SO much right. It gets things right that games coming out way later might forget about (YES, I'm still bitter that Lufia doesn't have ANY indicator of how low your HP is in battle in fucking 2002 shut up), it gets things right that I full on went in expecting a game on the Famicom to understandably not get right it's first-time around, it got things right that I didn't even know I wanted to be done right. I've see people online argue about earlier Japanese RPGs, and they're what we should put more focus on, like Dragon Slayer or Black Onyx, but like come on - this was put on a way less powerful system compared to the PC-88 and it had a soundtrack of music, charmingly detailed enemies and backgrounds, it had fucking characters you could talk and learn from... Dragon Quest so perfectly surrounds you into feeling like you've been dropped into a fairy tale and finally get to be the hero for (which I lovingly named Fugger btw).
Now, lemme tell you the ways in which Dragon Quest blows my goddamn fucking mind:
- Dragon Quest takes a genre used to the complexity that a PC keyboard can allow a player, and was able to easily convert it over to a controller that has 2 buttons.
- It opened an uncountable amount of players to a concept they've never heard of, and had them fall IN LOVE with it. Like for real, how many kids in 1980's Japan do you think were playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends?
- This Horii dude was so worried about making sure the game was player-friendly enough that he straight up invented some amazing QOL elements that became naturally part of the genre, to the point we just assume it's going to be in any RPG we pick up. Examples include: Leveling-up quick in the beginning to keep motivations high, NPCs offering beginner advice, visual representations in knowing the changes in difficulty (bridges and tunnels), text boxes with all current information easy for access, etc. etc.
- Additionally, how involved the player's actions feel in connection to the game's story is so charming. Events such as being able to see the hero physically bridal-style carry the princess back to the castle, and seeing the poisonous swamps now brimming with flowers really helps emotionally connect the player to what they do to progress the story.
- And yes the story! Let's not forget about that! Yes, it features a damsel-in-distress storyline that we've seen a million times in plays, books, and movies, but the way Dragon Quest's story of self-growth and determination so perfectly mixes with the RPG gameplay brought forward. The villain is also really cool - especially his sort of plot-twist second form.
On top of all that, the absolute most important of all, Dragon Quest is FUN. It's fun! It's really fucking fun! Almost 30 years later, and you still find people online, old or young, Eastern or Western, no matter the gender, all talking about their fondness for the game. It's groundbreaking, beautiful (especially on NES), influential, it looks and works better than even goddamn Linda Evangelista. I played through it with the American Dragon Warrior guide book that came out the same time the game did in the West, and found that perfect for helping me know what to do next after I got bored wandering in circles trying to level up.
This is the first game I've played in the Dragon Quest series, even though really, I played Dragon Warrior for the NES in technicality, heh heh. This whole experience is definitely the start to a new series I think I will be very annoying about, so I hope anyone who, for some reason happens to like following my reviews, is ready for many, many more to come.
XOXO
4/5
Now, lemme tell you the ways in which Dragon Quest blows my goddamn fucking mind:
- Dragon Quest takes a genre used to the complexity that a PC keyboard can allow a player, and was able to easily convert it over to a controller that has 2 buttons.
- It opened an uncountable amount of players to a concept they've never heard of, and had them fall IN LOVE with it. Like for real, how many kids in 1980's Japan do you think were playing Dungeons and Dragons with their friends?
- This Horii dude was so worried about making sure the game was player-friendly enough that he straight up invented some amazing QOL elements that became naturally part of the genre, to the point we just assume it's going to be in any RPG we pick up. Examples include: Leveling-up quick in the beginning to keep motivations high, NPCs offering beginner advice, visual representations in knowing the changes in difficulty (bridges and tunnels), text boxes with all current information easy for access, etc. etc.
- Additionally, how involved the player's actions feel in connection to the game's story is so charming. Events such as being able to see the hero physically bridal-style carry the princess back to the castle, and seeing the poisonous swamps now brimming with flowers really helps emotionally connect the player to what they do to progress the story.
- And yes the story! Let's not forget about that! Yes, it features a damsel-in-distress storyline that we've seen a million times in plays, books, and movies, but the way Dragon Quest's story of self-growth and determination so perfectly mixes with the RPG gameplay brought forward. The villain is also really cool - especially his sort of plot-twist second form.
On top of all that, the absolute most important of all, Dragon Quest is FUN. It's fun! It's really fucking fun! Almost 30 years later, and you still find people online, old or young, Eastern or Western, no matter the gender, all talking about their fondness for the game. It's groundbreaking, beautiful (especially on NES), influential, it looks and works better than even goddamn Linda Evangelista. I played through it with the American Dragon Warrior guide book that came out the same time the game did in the West, and found that perfect for helping me know what to do next after I got bored wandering in circles trying to level up.
This is the first game I've played in the Dragon Quest series, even though really, I played Dragon Warrior for the NES in technicality, heh heh. This whole experience is definitely the start to a new series I think I will be very annoying about, so I hope anyone who, for some reason happens to like following my reviews, is ready for many, many more to come.
XOXO
4/5
I believe that considering Dragon Quest, as MudkipTheGodly does, as the Ur-JRPG is a fundamental mistake, which distorts greatly the interpretation that one can have of the game. An approach that makes Dragon Quest a precursor of the genre neglects the earlier titles, with their already well-defined mechanics and even years ago, while giving a teleological value to the progression of JRPGs. To the modern eye, Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy may represent the essence of the genre, but this sidesteps the question of what characterises a JRPG and how it defines itself in relation to other adventure game traditions.
I have already mentioned this in my review of Hydlide (1984), but JRPGs are tributary to an old history, largely connected with the Western tradition of role-playing games. Its emergence is linked to the Wizardry and Ultima series, which largely fuelled the Japanese passion for dungeon crawlers. Many games have been inspired by this approach and Hydlide is one of these titles, serving as a transition for Japanese game design. A year before the release of Dragon Quest, Enix had already released their first RPG, Chikyuu Senshi Rayieza (1985), whose mechanics may seem archaic, but are inherited from the turn-based tradition initiated by the West. The same year, Cosmic Soldier (1985) also offered a formula very close to Wizardry, but with the possibility of recruiting opponents during the fighting by talking to them. The Screamer (1985) was inspired by the same series. As for Ultima, there are many games modelled on it, such as Seiken Densetsu (1983) – not the Square series – or Ken to Mahou (1983), illustrating a real vitality for the genre in Japan, especially on PC.
My argument is that Dragon Quest came within a context that was already punctuated by role-playing games. Its uniqueness, however, lies in the approach of Yuji Horii, who had made his mark on investigative games, notably Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken (1983) and Karuizawa Yūkai Annai (1985), the latter featuring some Ultima-like sequences. A joint interview with Rika Suzuki reveals Horii's emphasis on story and guided progression in an adventure game. He stands in opposition to the very cryptic and overwhelming approach of Western RPGs, where the difficulty is very high and the levels are extremely long, often with no short term goals provided to the player. This philosophy infuses the development of Dragon Quest, which, like Hydlide, attempts to offer an adventure that is accessible to neophytes. Similarly, disliking the command system in text-based adventure games, he proposed a menu system for possible actions: this has become the hallmark of JRPGs – the idea is not new, but he provides a strong synthesis of it. It seems to me that these elements must be kept in mind to understand the flow of this first title.
The player is the descendant of the hero Roto, who once saved the continent of Alefgard from destruction. The appearance of the Dragonlord has led many adventurers to follow in his footsteps, but it is up to the descendant to triumph over this evil and save Laura, the daughter of King Lars, who has been kidnapped by the Dragonlord to be his wife. The story doesn't take much longer to present its stakes and the player is dropped into the vast world of Alefgard. While the land may seem vast, progression is limited by the enemies, who grow exponentially more powerful the further the protagonist gets from Ladatorm Castle. Unlike Hydlide, it is not possible to freely explore the entire map, since encounters are random: venturing too far is like signing one's death warrant, especially since running away from battles to progress is not a very viable option.
On the other hand, the progression of the main quest is conditioned by the resolution of small mysteries that the player must solve. Talking to different NPCs reveals crucial information to locate an object or perform an action. The player is strongly encouraged to take note of all relevant information so that they can retrieve it when the time comes, whether it is the whereabouts of an item or its use. Since the clues take the form of rumours circulating throughout the kingdom, the game forces the player to go back and forth between different locations – which also allows them to gain experience along the way – to access secrets hidden in places they have already visited. Several critics have criticised the linear nature of the title, claiming that it hides behind a veneer of freedom. It seems to me that this is a misunderstanding, considering Horii's interview. The goal is not the same as in Metroid (1986), where it is indeed possible to explore quite freely. Here, the placement of clues creates a natural sense of progression, which keeps the player interested in the immediate future.
For Horii, the combat system fulfils the same function. Even when the player is lost, they can fight enemies to pass the time. This system is unfortunately quite rudimentary. While the hero can attack or use magic, defending himself is not possible, and there is little use for items in general – except in very specific cases. Compared to the novelties of earlier games and the formula popularised by Wizardry, this is a step backwards. All encounters look the same: attacking with the weapon is generally good enough and only magic-users change this approach a little, whereby spells can be used to silence them. While this makes the experience very accessible, such an approach creates an extreme redundancy in the gameplay loop, especially since the experience grind is mandatory and tedious in its length. It is indeed possible to increase the hero's power through equipment, but it is equally necessary to reach level 20 to have a concrete chance of clearing the last dungeon and facing the Dragonlord.
This is where the title shows its weaknesses. By virtue of simplifying its design, it loses what made the charm of previous games, which could keep the player's interest for a longer period of time because of their brutal nature. Horii wanted to shift the focus to exploration and puzzle solving, but these are only minor parts of the game time. The dungeons are enjoyable sections, making good use of the darkness mechanic, but they are a far cry from the extremely complex and trap-filled floors found in Wizardry. In some ways, this may be for the better, but it makes for consistently too short experiences. Encounters with unique enemies remain memorable, but can be counted on two fingers – this includes Merkido's guardian or Domdora's hidden fight.
Nevertheless, the game manages to charm with its atmosphere. Although it is based on the western fantasy setting, Dragon Quest brings a freshness through its humour. Akira Toriyama's design still works, with expressive and easily recognisable enemies. The game also has a cheerful soundtrack, with baroque and classical accents. As a side note, the composer, Kōichi Sugiyama, is known for his far-right nationalism and historical revisionism: on this point, it is difficult to have a clear answer on where to stand. Just as Wagner is an antisemite whose work is culturally important, Sugiyama popularised erudite music in video game soundtracks. The money he made working on the franchise was reinvested in far-right propaganda, and no matter what ethical solution one chooses, this is something to keep in mind. Incidentally, Dragon Quest's soundtrack accompanies the game's sense of heroic and faux-naive exploration. The Overworld theme has a contemplative and romantic quality, which is underlined by the symphonic version with strings that swell freely in complex layers. This very innocent side is contrasted by the Castle theme, composed in a very baroque and serious style. These emotional outbursts give character to a game that may seem simplistic in its narration. As such, the discovery of the city of Domdora has a tragic feel to it, although the game never really conveys this explicitly.
Dragon Quest certainly set new standards, although it was not the earliest precursor to JRPGs. Its success in Japan, thanks to its accessibility, made it a classic title, widely imitated thereafter. However, it is a title that suffers from certain design choices. While exploring and discovering the world, through puzzles and discussions, is still very enjoyable, the game breaks its own rhythm through the experience grind. The title is far from unpleasant and has some really clever moments, where the player can feel a real sense of accomplishment, when a secret is discovered. But these euphoria are too scattered and drowned in a rather ponderous monotony. Nevertheless, it is still easy to recommend the title to someone who would like to discover some early JRPGs without having to deal with a title that is impossible to finish, due to a decidedly too intense difficulty.
I have already mentioned this in my review of Hydlide (1984), but JRPGs are tributary to an old history, largely connected with the Western tradition of role-playing games. Its emergence is linked to the Wizardry and Ultima series, which largely fuelled the Japanese passion for dungeon crawlers. Many games have been inspired by this approach and Hydlide is one of these titles, serving as a transition for Japanese game design. A year before the release of Dragon Quest, Enix had already released their first RPG, Chikyuu Senshi Rayieza (1985), whose mechanics may seem archaic, but are inherited from the turn-based tradition initiated by the West. The same year, Cosmic Soldier (1985) also offered a formula very close to Wizardry, but with the possibility of recruiting opponents during the fighting by talking to them. The Screamer (1985) was inspired by the same series. As for Ultima, there are many games modelled on it, such as Seiken Densetsu (1983) – not the Square series – or Ken to Mahou (1983), illustrating a real vitality for the genre in Japan, especially on PC.
My argument is that Dragon Quest came within a context that was already punctuated by role-playing games. Its uniqueness, however, lies in the approach of Yuji Horii, who had made his mark on investigative games, notably Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken (1983) and Karuizawa Yūkai Annai (1985), the latter featuring some Ultima-like sequences. A joint interview with Rika Suzuki reveals Horii's emphasis on story and guided progression in an adventure game. He stands in opposition to the very cryptic and overwhelming approach of Western RPGs, where the difficulty is very high and the levels are extremely long, often with no short term goals provided to the player. This philosophy infuses the development of Dragon Quest, which, like Hydlide, attempts to offer an adventure that is accessible to neophytes. Similarly, disliking the command system in text-based adventure games, he proposed a menu system for possible actions: this has become the hallmark of JRPGs – the idea is not new, but he provides a strong synthesis of it. It seems to me that these elements must be kept in mind to understand the flow of this first title.
The player is the descendant of the hero Roto, who once saved the continent of Alefgard from destruction. The appearance of the Dragonlord has led many adventurers to follow in his footsteps, but it is up to the descendant to triumph over this evil and save Laura, the daughter of King Lars, who has been kidnapped by the Dragonlord to be his wife. The story doesn't take much longer to present its stakes and the player is dropped into the vast world of Alefgard. While the land may seem vast, progression is limited by the enemies, who grow exponentially more powerful the further the protagonist gets from Ladatorm Castle. Unlike Hydlide, it is not possible to freely explore the entire map, since encounters are random: venturing too far is like signing one's death warrant, especially since running away from battles to progress is not a very viable option.
On the other hand, the progression of the main quest is conditioned by the resolution of small mysteries that the player must solve. Talking to different NPCs reveals crucial information to locate an object or perform an action. The player is strongly encouraged to take note of all relevant information so that they can retrieve it when the time comes, whether it is the whereabouts of an item or its use. Since the clues take the form of rumours circulating throughout the kingdom, the game forces the player to go back and forth between different locations – which also allows them to gain experience along the way – to access secrets hidden in places they have already visited. Several critics have criticised the linear nature of the title, claiming that it hides behind a veneer of freedom. It seems to me that this is a misunderstanding, considering Horii's interview. The goal is not the same as in Metroid (1986), where it is indeed possible to explore quite freely. Here, the placement of clues creates a natural sense of progression, which keeps the player interested in the immediate future.
For Horii, the combat system fulfils the same function. Even when the player is lost, they can fight enemies to pass the time. This system is unfortunately quite rudimentary. While the hero can attack or use magic, defending himself is not possible, and there is little use for items in general – except in very specific cases. Compared to the novelties of earlier games and the formula popularised by Wizardry, this is a step backwards. All encounters look the same: attacking with the weapon is generally good enough and only magic-users change this approach a little, whereby spells can be used to silence them. While this makes the experience very accessible, such an approach creates an extreme redundancy in the gameplay loop, especially since the experience grind is mandatory and tedious in its length. It is indeed possible to increase the hero's power through equipment, but it is equally necessary to reach level 20 to have a concrete chance of clearing the last dungeon and facing the Dragonlord.
This is where the title shows its weaknesses. By virtue of simplifying its design, it loses what made the charm of previous games, which could keep the player's interest for a longer period of time because of their brutal nature. Horii wanted to shift the focus to exploration and puzzle solving, but these are only minor parts of the game time. The dungeons are enjoyable sections, making good use of the darkness mechanic, but they are a far cry from the extremely complex and trap-filled floors found in Wizardry. In some ways, this may be for the better, but it makes for consistently too short experiences. Encounters with unique enemies remain memorable, but can be counted on two fingers – this includes Merkido's guardian or Domdora's hidden fight.
Nevertheless, the game manages to charm with its atmosphere. Although it is based on the western fantasy setting, Dragon Quest brings a freshness through its humour. Akira Toriyama's design still works, with expressive and easily recognisable enemies. The game also has a cheerful soundtrack, with baroque and classical accents. As a side note, the composer, Kōichi Sugiyama, is known for his far-right nationalism and historical revisionism: on this point, it is difficult to have a clear answer on where to stand. Just as Wagner is an antisemite whose work is culturally important, Sugiyama popularised erudite music in video game soundtracks. The money he made working on the franchise was reinvested in far-right propaganda, and no matter what ethical solution one chooses, this is something to keep in mind. Incidentally, Dragon Quest's soundtrack accompanies the game's sense of heroic and faux-naive exploration. The Overworld theme has a contemplative and romantic quality, which is underlined by the symphonic version with strings that swell freely in complex layers. This very innocent side is contrasted by the Castle theme, composed in a very baroque and serious style. These emotional outbursts give character to a game that may seem simplistic in its narration. As such, the discovery of the city of Domdora has a tragic feel to it, although the game never really conveys this explicitly.
Dragon Quest certainly set new standards, although it was not the earliest precursor to JRPGs. Its success in Japan, thanks to its accessibility, made it a classic title, widely imitated thereafter. However, it is a title that suffers from certain design choices. While exploring and discovering the world, through puzzles and discussions, is still very enjoyable, the game breaks its own rhythm through the experience grind. The title is far from unpleasant and has some really clever moments, where the player can feel a real sense of accomplishment, when a secret is discovered. But these euphoria are too scattered and drowned in a rather ponderous monotony. Nevertheless, it is still easy to recommend the title to someone who would like to discover some early JRPGs without having to deal with a title that is impossible to finish, due to a decidedly too intense difficulty.
played using a fan translation of the Famicom version
someday I'll write a more detailed review but for now I'll just mention that this game's influence cannot be underestimated. without Dragon Quest I don't think we'd see a lot of JRPGs as we do nowadays, plus the game's pretty fun and the short length really benefits it. you can really beat it in just a couple of hours and that's enough to warrant a great recommendation from me. you can also complete the game just fine without a guide as talking to NPCs gives you valuable information that allow you to figure things out and progress, something later Dragon Quests are known for as well. the only real negatives I can think of at the moment is the grinding takes a while to the point where it'll take up a lot of the game time so you should be prepared for that, the other being that some of the enemies in the final dungeon are a little too tough to the point that they're more difficult than the final boss. but yeah some good old fashioned kino, the Famicom sprites elevate that vibe even further, the redone sprites in the NES version are technically better but the simplistic Famicom ones that only have front facing sprites are so goofy I can't help but prefer them. so yeah you should check the game out, maybe get an EXP and Gold patch if you want to save some time or showcase the game to some friends.
also it has Slime, peak character design
someday I'll write a more detailed review but for now I'll just mention that this game's influence cannot be underestimated. without Dragon Quest I don't think we'd see a lot of JRPGs as we do nowadays, plus the game's pretty fun and the short length really benefits it. you can really beat it in just a couple of hours and that's enough to warrant a great recommendation from me. you can also complete the game just fine without a guide as talking to NPCs gives you valuable information that allow you to figure things out and progress, something later Dragon Quests are known for as well. the only real negatives I can think of at the moment is the grinding takes a while to the point where it'll take up a lot of the game time so you should be prepared for that, the other being that some of the enemies in the final dungeon are a little too tough to the point that they're more difficult than the final boss. but yeah some good old fashioned kino, the Famicom sprites elevate that vibe even further, the redone sprites in the NES version are technically better but the simplistic Famicom ones that only have front facing sprites are so goofy I can't help but prefer them. so yeah you should check the game out, maybe get an EXP and Gold patch if you want to save some time or showcase the game to some friends.
also it has Slime, peak character design
Dragon Quest I is the Ur-JRPG. It's missing a lot of what makes JRPGs what they are, and it definitely shows that this was a new type of RPG. That said.... oh my God I love this game. It's so simple, yet so fun. I went in expecting a slow, plodding grindfest, and.... that's exactly what I got.
See, you're not really supposed to play Dragon Quest I the way you play your average modern JRPG. The way I see it, you're supposed to play it in short bursts, playing only a little at a time, as well as with a dozen or so sheets of graph paper for mapping dungeons and taking notes. It breaks up the grinding and makes it less tedious. Though strangely enough, I found that I was strangely okay with grinding in this game. Though that has more to do with the combat system than anything.
The combat is nothing special, and it's even a bit simpler than other NES JRPGs. You can basically just clobber enemies until they die in most cases, so there's not much incentive to do much else. Not that that's a bad thing, at least not for me, but it makes grinding a lot easier when you can mindlessly button-mash while doing something else.
All in all, this game is really nice for what it is, and while it may be a bit primitive nowadays, I'd still recommend it to someone if they asked.
See, you're not really supposed to play Dragon Quest I the way you play your average modern JRPG. The way I see it, you're supposed to play it in short bursts, playing only a little at a time, as well as with a dozen or so sheets of graph paper for mapping dungeons and taking notes. It breaks up the grinding and makes it less tedious. Though strangely enough, I found that I was strangely okay with grinding in this game. Though that has more to do with the combat system than anything.
The combat is nothing special, and it's even a bit simpler than other NES JRPGs. You can basically just clobber enemies until they die in most cases, so there's not much incentive to do much else. Not that that's a bad thing, at least not for me, but it makes grinding a lot easier when you can mindlessly button-mash while doing something else.
All in all, this game is really nice for what it is, and while it may be a bit primitive nowadays, I'd still recommend it to someone if they asked.
There used to be a time period where if you wanted long D&D-esc adventures to play on your own you essentially had to play PC games developed by creative programmers who also suffered from the archaic nature of software development in the 70’s-80’s with over-complicated control schemes, incredibly tedious mechanics that sounded way cooler in their head, and vague stories that basically required you to look at a piece of paper (and also write on one) while you played.
While that style of RPG isn’t even remotely bad, it was the opposite of user-friendly and it’s why we celebrate Dragon Quest so many years later because very literally it brought that style of adventure to casual players with way less memory. Obviously by the standards of today there isn’t a lot going on here but the progression of your character on a journey is something that (especially to me) pulls players in and makes RPGs unique from other genres.
Dragon Quest is a fantastic example of the importance of user interface and game design over spreading an adventure too thin.
While that style of RPG isn’t even remotely bad, it was the opposite of user-friendly and it’s why we celebrate Dragon Quest so many years later because very literally it brought that style of adventure to casual players with way less memory. Obviously by the standards of today there isn’t a lot going on here but the progression of your character on a journey is something that (especially to me) pulls players in and makes RPGs unique from other genres.
Dragon Quest is a fantastic example of the importance of user interface and game design over spreading an adventure too thin.
Rest in peace Akira Toriyama, you will be missed. I will be eternally grateful to the joys you have brought me with your works.
I respect this game a whole lot. It might just be the most important RPG of all time, as it was the first to actually attempt to adapt RPGs to video game format rather than simply emulating tabletop RPGs.
With that said, that's pretty much it. It's an important and interesting piece of history. If you are curious about video game history or about the origins of the series as a whole, then by all means, play this, it's not really so "bad" as it is 70% grinding.
It's not fun, deep or even really stimulating, I had to put on an audiobook to endure this game's grinding. And I'm sure that for its time, that was fine. But damn this is a slog.
Thank you Dragon Quest 1, for being the necessary step needed so that much better games could be made.
I respect this game a whole lot. It might just be the most important RPG of all time, as it was the first to actually attempt to adapt RPGs to video game format rather than simply emulating tabletop RPGs.
With that said, that's pretty much it. It's an important and interesting piece of history. If you are curious about video game history or about the origins of the series as a whole, then by all means, play this, it's not really so "bad" as it is 70% grinding.
It's not fun, deep or even really stimulating, I had to put on an audiobook to endure this game's grinding. And I'm sure that for its time, that was fine. But damn this is a slog.
Thank you Dragon Quest 1, for being the necessary step needed so that much better games could be made.
Experience farming turned into an art form. Widely considered outdated and tedious, the design of Dragon Quest/Warrior is actually increasingly relevant with the proliferation of "incremental" RPGs intended to waste time on phones and browsers. Yes, the majority of the gameplay is spent repeatedly fighting monsters and waiting for the next level-up. However, I have always considered so-called "grinding" to be a legitimate mechanic for RPGs that can be utilized well or badly. Dragon Quest games in particular stand out as beacons of well-paced progression, where you are obstructed not by artificial barriers or long story beats but the simple necessity to survive the route to the next town. As soon as you start this game, basically the entire overworld is open to you, you are simply far too weak to reach beyond a small stretch surrounding Tantegel Castle. The evil Dragonlord's fortress is visible just across the river, shamelessly teasing the player. The core of the game consists in becoming strong enough to actually walk all the way there and survive the encounters. This simplicity, only broken up by a couple of optional side quests, is what cements this as a classic experience. Any frustration the player might feel after dying is heavily mitigated due to the mechanic of losing half of your gold and being revived in Tantegel castle. Essentially, you are always gaining experience, whether you die in the final stretches of a dungeon or five tiles away from a town. This simple design choice streamlines the game enough to be compulsively playable more than thirty years after its release. The American NES localization of the original Dragon Quest was already a sort of remaster, giving the player battery saves and some improved sprites, and removing the tedious necessity of choosing a direction every time you talked to a NPC (rotating character sprites were apparently not invented in 1986).
Simply put, this game is incredibly charming and evokes the feeling of a medieval fairy-tale, something that would thankfully persist in future sequels and form one of the core attractions of the series. When it comes to the Japanese RPG genre which this game largely inaugurates, I have found that less is usually more, and extended plotlines or fancy combat animations would only harm the integrity of this experience. The entire game can be finished in about 12 hours, which decisively refutes the complaints aimed at the slow character progression - after all, I would rather replay Dragon Warrior than a plodding, 100-hour monstrosity frequently found among the later incarnations of the genre. It may not be the best RPG found on the NES (that honor I grant to Dragon Quest 3) but there's never been anything else quite like it.
Results:
Completed the localized NES release and a fan translation of the SNES remake
Simply put, this game is incredibly charming and evokes the feeling of a medieval fairy-tale, something that would thankfully persist in future sequels and form one of the core attractions of the series. When it comes to the Japanese RPG genre which this game largely inaugurates, I have found that less is usually more, and extended plotlines or fancy combat animations would only harm the integrity of this experience. The entire game can be finished in about 12 hours, which decisively refutes the complaints aimed at the slow character progression - after all, I would rather replay Dragon Warrior than a plodding, 100-hour monstrosity frequently found among the later incarnations of the genre. It may not be the best RPG found on the NES (that honor I grant to Dragon Quest 3) but there's never been anything else quite like it.
Results:
Completed the localized NES release and a fan translation of the SNES remake
I am not going to sugar coat this. Dragon Quest is an absolute relic of its time. Overtly simplistic, agonizingly slow and painfully generic. I absolutely adore this game but I am not here to just say how much fun I had with this game but instead determine if I should recommend this game to a hypothetical person.
"Dost thou wish to play Dragon Quest?"
Console JRPGs are a rather storied genre in current year. A genre that has had many an iteration, development and splinter. A genre with many a setting and world to explore. Most though can trace their genetic ancestry to this title right here. The developers accomplish what most only dream of, pioneering an entire genre. Generally speaking though the first of a kind is almost never perfect and many a series and genre went through rapid but painful growing pains. Console JRPGs are no exception.
Fundamentally the largest flaw of Dragon Quest, a true make it or break it feature is its own simplicity. You have only a single party member and do battle with only single opponents. This game embodies the concept of "1v1 me irl". You play as a jack of all trades adventurer on a quest to defeat an evil dragon lord. You are not going to see anything here you haven't seen before.
The simplicity alone wouldn't be as big of an issue if the progression were just a tad faster. I have over 14 hours clocked on my save here and I spent probably 11 of those grinding. The amount of tasks required of you are shockingly few. Basically what I am saying is that if you want to play this game be sure to have alternative entertainment available if your attention span is below that of a bored seven year old shut in with no friends.
Thankfully though this adventure is rather casual compared to other quests found on the same console. The simplicity is almost a boon in this regard. You aren't going to get kicked in your proverbial genitals. If anything you are going to leave a bloodbath in your wake.
Another positive aspect of this game definitely lies within the bells and whistles. The visuals and sound are both extraordinary and iconic. Akira Toriyama's designs matched with Koichi Sugiyama's musical prowess is synergy incarnate. These elements take the rather dark and gritty atmosphere of something like Dungeons & Dragons and gives it a rather whimsical interpretation. Incredibly stylized and unique.
Ultimately though this review isn't the most in depth. Primarily because I don't think mentioning turn based battles presented with menus and a first person perspective along with random battles is something one wouldn't know going in.
I will bring things back for a second though by asking again:
"Dost thou wish to play Dragon Quest?"
Yes
>No
"But thou must!"
>No
"But thou must!"
>NO
"But thou must!"
Memes aside. I do highly recommend playing Dragon Quest with one single caveat. Just don't play the NES version. Super Famicom and Gameboy are a much more satisfactory experiences. Hell even go Mobile or Switch as long as you are okay with the graphics looking dumb.
For the uninitiated though let me explain why you should NOT play the NES version with an example. There is a rather early game enemy aptly named "Skeleton". Killing one in the NES version nets the hero 11exp and 30g while other version you would get 25exp and 42g. That should articulate my point better than any long winded diatribe about numbers. Ultimately the re-releases aren't full priced affairs so they can afford to trim the fat.
Also like, bro, just save the princess. I know saving her is optional but canonically your superior chad genes get carried on for future generations. Just do it. Thou must afterall.
"Dost thou wish to play Dragon Quest?"
Console JRPGs are a rather storied genre in current year. A genre that has had many an iteration, development and splinter. A genre with many a setting and world to explore. Most though can trace their genetic ancestry to this title right here. The developers accomplish what most only dream of, pioneering an entire genre. Generally speaking though the first of a kind is almost never perfect and many a series and genre went through rapid but painful growing pains. Console JRPGs are no exception.
Fundamentally the largest flaw of Dragon Quest, a true make it or break it feature is its own simplicity. You have only a single party member and do battle with only single opponents. This game embodies the concept of "1v1 me irl". You play as a jack of all trades adventurer on a quest to defeat an evil dragon lord. You are not going to see anything here you haven't seen before.
The simplicity alone wouldn't be as big of an issue if the progression were just a tad faster. I have over 14 hours clocked on my save here and I spent probably 11 of those grinding. The amount of tasks required of you are shockingly few. Basically what I am saying is that if you want to play this game be sure to have alternative entertainment available if your attention span is below that of a bored seven year old shut in with no friends.
Thankfully though this adventure is rather casual compared to other quests found on the same console. The simplicity is almost a boon in this regard. You aren't going to get kicked in your proverbial genitals. If anything you are going to leave a bloodbath in your wake.
Another positive aspect of this game definitely lies within the bells and whistles. The visuals and sound are both extraordinary and iconic. Akira Toriyama's designs matched with Koichi Sugiyama's musical prowess is synergy incarnate. These elements take the rather dark and gritty atmosphere of something like Dungeons & Dragons and gives it a rather whimsical interpretation. Incredibly stylized and unique.
Ultimately though this review isn't the most in depth. Primarily because I don't think mentioning turn based battles presented with menus and a first person perspective along with random battles is something one wouldn't know going in.
I will bring things back for a second though by asking again:
"Dost thou wish to play Dragon Quest?"
Yes
>No
"But thou must!"
>No
"But thou must!"
>NO
"But thou must!"
Memes aside. I do highly recommend playing Dragon Quest with one single caveat. Just don't play the NES version. Super Famicom and Gameboy are a much more satisfactory experiences. Hell even go Mobile or Switch as long as you are okay with the graphics looking dumb.
For the uninitiated though let me explain why you should NOT play the NES version with an example. There is a rather early game enemy aptly named "Skeleton". Killing one in the NES version nets the hero 11exp and 30g while other version you would get 25exp and 42g. That should articulate my point better than any long winded diatribe about numbers. Ultimately the re-releases aren't full priced affairs so they can afford to trim the fat.
Also like, bro, just save the princess. I know saving her is optional but canonically your superior chad genes get carried on for future generations. Just do it. Thou must afterall.
An absolute cornerstone of its genre and the video game industry as a whole. While this game was certainly not the first RPG ever made, it did a lot to set a standard for a specific flavor of role-playing video game. Usually, people refer to that flavor as JRPG -- and I tend to as well -- but that term has always been an imperfect and somewhat problematic one and has recently been reevaluated after some prominent figures in the genre have voiced some concerns. So I suppose I should refrain from using that term in my reviews from now on.
Besides that, I also don't think I will waste too much time boring you with the much repeated details of how this game came to be and the immense importance of its legacy.
Instead, I want to look at it from a more modern perspective, as this is this marks the beginning of a lengthy series of (re-)playthroughs of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and adjacent RPG franchises, with the goal of re-examining their growth and evolution and to put them into some kind of (utterly pointless) ranking or tier list.
From a modern perspective, especially if we more-or-less ignore its historical significance, there isn't all that much that Dragon Quest has to offer that you won't find in other games; usually done way better.
In many ways it actually feels like a free sample project you would find in something like an RPG maker, there to serve as a template and to give you a basic understanding of what you might want to go for and the kind of things you can do with it; to be easily edited and played around with. This even shows in some completely pointless inclusions such as an NPC in the first town following you around as if she had joined your party -- there is no party in this game -- and a late-game town's tower that you can jump off of, which has absolutely no use or effect and seemingly is just there because the devs wanted to show off the possibility of such a thing; much like a sample project of a game creation tool would.
The premise and plot, while definitely a little more elaborate than your average 80's console game, is super simple; especially for an RPG.
You're, allegedly, the descendent of a legendary hero (a fact nobody believes until you find a way to prove it), the king's only daughter has been kidnapped and is being kept by a dragon, and there is an evil dragon lord threatening to take over the world. Of course, it's on you to right these two wrongs, while also finding a way to prove your heritage.
To do so, you, somewhat aimlessly, wander the semi-open world, exploring caves and dungeons, talking to many NPCs in order to find both the princess and all the necessary MacGuffins, slaying tons of monsters on the way and grinding to a high enough level that allows you to take on the overall villain.
In reality, this means a ton of grinding, going back to safety, using the earned funds to stock up on necessary items and better equipment and aimlessly wandering around until you inevitably find what you need.
This always sounded absolutely horrible to me. A game consisting almost entirely of arguably the worst part of any other RPG; even the good ones? I hate having to grind and a lack of knowing where to go can be the most frustrating thing in the world!
On top of that, there really isn't much else to latch onto. I mentioned the super basic story, but even the battles are the most barebones, basic thing in the world.
They're turn-based, 1v1 fights without much tactical depth. Some basic spells, even more basic items, but mostly you just select Attack until the enemy perishes, then you check if you still got enough HP, MP and healing items to move on or if you should head back to town to heal and stock up.
There also are absolutely no choices when it comes to how your character is built or how he progresses. No choice of stats, no specialization in some type of weapon or magic, no skill tree, no nothing.
Yet... I don't dislike this game at all and have played through it multiple times over the past decade-or-so, without any real nostalgia since we didn't have this where I lived when I was a child.
The thing is, when you know what you're in for and that there isn't any big set-pieces you can't wait to get to, no huge questions that you REALLY need the story to answer asap, you're way more okay with taking things slow.
When I play this game, I enter a kind of zen state that not many other games really give me. It's not too different from, say, an idle game like Cookie Clicker in that regard. Or something like Vampire Survivors. Just without the constantly ticking, increasing numbers pushing your mental buttons. At least not in that way.
Personally, I really like playing this game as part of a dual-monitor setup, or on a handheld (which is where the GBC, Switch and mobile versions really come in handy) while being distracted by something else, like watching a TV show or some YouTube stuff or something.
I don't travel much at all, but I could also see this game being a great little distraction while you're on the train or something, where you might not be able to really focus on anything more mentally engaging.
Don't get me wrong, this game isn't impossible to enjoy on its own, especially if you aren't too far gone from the constant stimulation of modern-day online media. I'm just saying that this game is pretty great as a companion piece to some other side-activity.
The other thing that makes this feel as unique as it does, is the kind of sense of overwhelming adventure that you don't often get from an RPG of this style.
You don't know where you're going, aside from a few context clues here and there. There is no in-game map, you might forget how far away from the last town you are, you don't know where the next point of interest is or what kind of monsters await you on the way.
This makes every step you take, especially on a first, blind, playthrough, feel really really scary. Because you really don't want to die, since the grind is so simple-minded and slow, and dying brings you back to the castle where you began your journey, while also halving the money you were carrying, which can be devastating when you're grinding for a pivotal new piece of equipment.
This kind of progression and flavor of exploration tickles a very similar part of my brain as something like Ragnarok Online did. When I was still fairly new at that game, had no idea where to go or what to do, or where the most efficient leveling spots would be, there was a very unique sense of danger and adventure involved when I tried to travel anywhere without help from other players.
This isn't something we get much of anymore in modern, more streamlined games. We get a way more carefully designed path, fine-tuned to not hurt the pacing. We have quest-markers and maps to keep us from getting lost. And often, dying isn't penalized as much.
All of these are good things, for the most part. And I'm absolutely not asking for any game to directly mimic Dragon Quest 1's nature in that regard.
But this still makes Dragon Quest feel kind of fresh and unique because of that. Which is why I would, if you can stomach the grind and the lack of anything hugely surprising or interesting, still recommend this game to this day.
Besides that, I also don't think I will waste too much time boring you with the much repeated details of how this game came to be and the immense importance of its legacy.
Instead, I want to look at it from a more modern perspective, as this is this marks the beginning of a lengthy series of (re-)playthroughs of Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and adjacent RPG franchises, with the goal of re-examining their growth and evolution and to put them into some kind of (utterly pointless) ranking or tier list.
From a modern perspective, especially if we more-or-less ignore its historical significance, there isn't all that much that Dragon Quest has to offer that you won't find in other games; usually done way better.
In many ways it actually feels like a free sample project you would find in something like an RPG maker, there to serve as a template and to give you a basic understanding of what you might want to go for and the kind of things you can do with it; to be easily edited and played around with. This even shows in some completely pointless inclusions such as an NPC in the first town following you around as if she had joined your party -- there is no party in this game -- and a late-game town's tower that you can jump off of, which has absolutely no use or effect and seemingly is just there because the devs wanted to show off the possibility of such a thing; much like a sample project of a game creation tool would.
The premise and plot, while definitely a little more elaborate than your average 80's console game, is super simple; especially for an RPG.
You're, allegedly, the descendent of a legendary hero (a fact nobody believes until you find a way to prove it), the king's only daughter has been kidnapped and is being kept by a dragon, and there is an evil dragon lord threatening to take over the world. Of course, it's on you to right these two wrongs, while also finding a way to prove your heritage.
To do so, you, somewhat aimlessly, wander the semi-open world, exploring caves and dungeons, talking to many NPCs in order to find both the princess and all the necessary MacGuffins, slaying tons of monsters on the way and grinding to a high enough level that allows you to take on the overall villain.
In reality, this means a ton of grinding, going back to safety, using the earned funds to stock up on necessary items and better equipment and aimlessly wandering around until you inevitably find what you need.
This always sounded absolutely horrible to me. A game consisting almost entirely of arguably the worst part of any other RPG; even the good ones? I hate having to grind and a lack of knowing where to go can be the most frustrating thing in the world!
On top of that, there really isn't much else to latch onto. I mentioned the super basic story, but even the battles are the most barebones, basic thing in the world.
They're turn-based, 1v1 fights without much tactical depth. Some basic spells, even more basic items, but mostly you just select Attack until the enemy perishes, then you check if you still got enough HP, MP and healing items to move on or if you should head back to town to heal and stock up.
There also are absolutely no choices when it comes to how your character is built or how he progresses. No choice of stats, no specialization in some type of weapon or magic, no skill tree, no nothing.
Yet... I don't dislike this game at all and have played through it multiple times over the past decade-or-so, without any real nostalgia since we didn't have this where I lived when I was a child.
The thing is, when you know what you're in for and that there isn't any big set-pieces you can't wait to get to, no huge questions that you REALLY need the story to answer asap, you're way more okay with taking things slow.
When I play this game, I enter a kind of zen state that not many other games really give me. It's not too different from, say, an idle game like Cookie Clicker in that regard. Or something like Vampire Survivors. Just without the constantly ticking, increasing numbers pushing your mental buttons. At least not in that way.
Personally, I really like playing this game as part of a dual-monitor setup, or on a handheld (which is where the GBC, Switch and mobile versions really come in handy) while being distracted by something else, like watching a TV show or some YouTube stuff or something.
I don't travel much at all, but I could also see this game being a great little distraction while you're on the train or something, where you might not be able to really focus on anything more mentally engaging.
Don't get me wrong, this game isn't impossible to enjoy on its own, especially if you aren't too far gone from the constant stimulation of modern-day online media. I'm just saying that this game is pretty great as a companion piece to some other side-activity.
The other thing that makes this feel as unique as it does, is the kind of sense of overwhelming adventure that you don't often get from an RPG of this style.
You don't know where you're going, aside from a few context clues here and there. There is no in-game map, you might forget how far away from the last town you are, you don't know where the next point of interest is or what kind of monsters await you on the way.
This makes every step you take, especially on a first, blind, playthrough, feel really really scary. Because you really don't want to die, since the grind is so simple-minded and slow, and dying brings you back to the castle where you began your journey, while also halving the money you were carrying, which can be devastating when you're grinding for a pivotal new piece of equipment.
This kind of progression and flavor of exploration tickles a very similar part of my brain as something like Ragnarok Online did. When I was still fairly new at that game, had no idea where to go or what to do, or where the most efficient leveling spots would be, there was a very unique sense of danger and adventure involved when I tried to travel anywhere without help from other players.
This isn't something we get much of anymore in modern, more streamlined games. We get a way more carefully designed path, fine-tuned to not hurt the pacing. We have quest-markers and maps to keep us from getting lost. And often, dying isn't penalized as much.
All of these are good things, for the most part. And I'm absolutely not asking for any game to directly mimic Dragon Quest 1's nature in that regard.
But this still makes Dragon Quest feel kind of fresh and unique because of that. Which is why I would, if you can stomach the grind and the lack of anything hugely surprising or interesting, still recommend this game to this day.
O brave warrior, save us from such a dreadful omen!
Dragon Warrior is a milestone of a game not just for NES, but for the future of video games altogether. Late to the party from North America by three years, it is considered to be THE original "Japanese Role-Playing Game" experience that cemented a subgenre that would become pivotal to the ecosystem.
Sure, the mechanics are old and outdated, however I have managed to appreciate them as "antiques" rather than something rotten, like a very old liquor that manages to feel refined with age... all with a historical perspective of course. Progress on Dragon Warrior may be perceived as sluggish and relatively monotone compared to far more solid hits that came later years, but by all means Dragon Warrior really never does something "wrong" by the contextual standards. It does help that Akira Toriyama's illustrations had become part of this project's conception as they do breathe a lot of air in the enemy character sprites.
I recommend you to experience Dragon Warrior as a timepiece, I believe you need certain mindset to fully appreciate the significance of this game in this day and age.
Dragon Warrior is a milestone of a game not just for NES, but for the future of video games altogether. Late to the party from North America by three years, it is considered to be THE original "Japanese Role-Playing Game" experience that cemented a subgenre that would become pivotal to the ecosystem.
Sure, the mechanics are old and outdated, however I have managed to appreciate them as "antiques" rather than something rotten, like a very old liquor that manages to feel refined with age... all with a historical perspective of course. Progress on Dragon Warrior may be perceived as sluggish and relatively monotone compared to far more solid hits that came later years, but by all means Dragon Warrior really never does something "wrong" by the contextual standards. It does help that Akira Toriyama's illustrations had become part of this project's conception as they do breathe a lot of air in the enemy character sprites.
I recommend you to experience Dragon Warrior as a timepiece, I believe you need certain mindset to fully appreciate the significance of this game in this day and age.
Reading Ulysses is easier than beating this absolute beast of a grind fest
As important as Dragon Quest 1 is, I didn't have a lot of fun playing it. Combat is turn-based, but there are no party members and you only ever fight one enemy at a time, so the strategy is minimal. There's not much story but it still has a lot of heart to it; the really basic setting is surprisingly compelling. The music is great and so are the enemy designs, and the key system is cool too. The game is also mercifully short which is good, otherwise I would've ended up too bored and quit.
If you're not someone who's really into experiencing old games for history's sake, you're not missing much by just playing a more refined later game in the series, or better yet, just playing Chrono Trigger. I think 8-bit action games aged much better than 8-bit RPGs, because while the former have an immediacy to their gameplay which still translates well in sheer fun factor, the latter simply couldn't reach much potential on this old hardware and needed more refinement to amount to much of an interesting experience. Granted, I played the Super Famicom version of Dragon Quest I, but it is still fundamentally an NES game in construction and feel. (And that is the version you want to play, if only for the more forgiving level scaling.)
If you're not someone who's really into experiencing old games for history's sake, you're not missing much by just playing a more refined later game in the series, or better yet, just playing Chrono Trigger. I think 8-bit action games aged much better than 8-bit RPGs, because while the former have an immediacy to their gameplay which still translates well in sheer fun factor, the latter simply couldn't reach much potential on this old hardware and needed more refinement to amount to much of an interesting experience. Granted, I played the Super Famicom version of Dragon Quest I, but it is still fundamentally an NES game in construction and feel. (And that is the version you want to play, if only for the more forgiving level scaling.)
Used a hack that doubles EXP and Gold gain. I also utilized an online map to help guide me, and save states to ensure I wasn't losing too much progress.
Even so, the first Dragon Quest feels like a more luck-based RPG than any I've ever played. You're all alone, with no party members to speak of, so dying is a death sentence with no backup plans. Through persistence, you will eventually make it through, it's just... not a particularly deep gameplay system with just one playable character to speak of.
The decision to make every dungeon require a light source was also a questionable one. It's a neat gimmick for one dungeon, but for all of them, it gets pretty tiring. There's also the matter of what you name your character influences your starting stats, which led to a pretty miserable playthrough my first time.
It's a rough entry, but an admirable starting point. The later games will go on to be more fleshed out and fun, though it might take a little while for them to get there. I would personally recommend Dragon Quest 4 as your starting point, but, if you're patient, seeing how the series evolves might be an interesting challenge too, as long as you bring some outside help in.
Even so, the first Dragon Quest feels like a more luck-based RPG than any I've ever played. You're all alone, with no party members to speak of, so dying is a death sentence with no backup plans. Through persistence, you will eventually make it through, it's just... not a particularly deep gameplay system with just one playable character to speak of.
The decision to make every dungeon require a light source was also a questionable one. It's a neat gimmick for one dungeon, but for all of them, it gets pretty tiring. There's also the matter of what you name your character influences your starting stats, which led to a pretty miserable playthrough my first time.
It's a rough entry, but an admirable starting point. The later games will go on to be more fleshed out and fun, though it might take a little while for them to get there. I would personally recommend Dragon Quest 4 as your starting point, but, if you're patient, seeing how the series evolves might be an interesting challenge too, as long as you bring some outside help in.
Version de SNES.
Cortita y al pié.
Acostumbrado a los juegos posteriores de la saga que no suelen bajar de las 80h esperaba que este, pese a ser el primero, durase al menos 20h, pero con el (bendito) fastforward se ha hecho todo el grindeo y la exploración muy suave y rápido.
Trama muy primitiva, salvar a la princesa y matar al malo, no tiene mucho más, un poco de lore en los objetos y NPCs pero nada exagerado.
Sprites y banda sonora muy chulos para la época, además del característico diseño de los enemigos.
Cortita y al pié.
Acostumbrado a los juegos posteriores de la saga que no suelen bajar de las 80h esperaba que este, pese a ser el primero, durase al menos 20h, pero con el (bendito) fastforward se ha hecho todo el grindeo y la exploración muy suave y rápido.
Trama muy primitiva, salvar a la princesa y matar al malo, no tiene mucho más, un poco de lore en los objetos y NPCs pero nada exagerado.
Sprites y banda sonora muy chulos para la época, además del característico diseño de los enemigos.
So simple but so satisfying. Can get a bit tedious walking back and forth between areas and RNG tended to not be in my favor, but the progression and ending made it all worth it. This game singlehandedly revived my jrpg passion and I can't wait to play more.
First rule of Dragon Warrior: you always let the beat drop on the title screen.
The king, the legend. Not a perfect game by any means, but a game that shames many later entries. Sure, the grind is… well, there's a lot of it. This is cribbing off of Ultima's bones: the walk around, get stronger, push outwards, delve deeper style. Equipment is linear, thoughtless. Secrets are simple, but required. The story is non-existent: save the princess, beat the bad guy.
But there's something about it. Tentative forays over bridges followed by hasty retreats, diving into a dungeon and trying to map out the maze before coming up for air. Not knowing exactly where to go, talking to everyone, taking notes. It's all almost entirely nonlinear. The princess? You don't have to save her. Towns? Optional, but filled with critical clues. You can go everywhere but the final castle right from the start. Surviving there is another matter, but the option is there.
It's truly open world, even if the open world is primitive. The handholding is minimal, the risk is real, the satisfaction palpable. It's a relic now, an artifact from a time when JRPGs were much closer to their western CRPG cousins in style. The years would sand off the difficulty, add progression systems and flash, become more linear and bolstered by stories that lived more on paper than in the mind. Which is all good and well. Evolution is inevitable. Still, it's worth remembering what we lost in the process.
The king, the legend. Not a perfect game by any means, but a game that shames many later entries. Sure, the grind is… well, there's a lot of it. This is cribbing off of Ultima's bones: the walk around, get stronger, push outwards, delve deeper style. Equipment is linear, thoughtless. Secrets are simple, but required. The story is non-existent: save the princess, beat the bad guy.
But there's something about it. Tentative forays over bridges followed by hasty retreats, diving into a dungeon and trying to map out the maze before coming up for air. Not knowing exactly where to go, talking to everyone, taking notes. It's all almost entirely nonlinear. The princess? You don't have to save her. Towns? Optional, but filled with critical clues. You can go everywhere but the final castle right from the start. Surviving there is another matter, but the option is there.
It's truly open world, even if the open world is primitive. The handholding is minimal, the risk is real, the satisfaction palpable. It's a relic now, an artifact from a time when JRPGs were much closer to their western CRPG cousins in style. The years would sand off the difficulty, add progression systems and flash, become more linear and bolstered by stories that lived more on paper than in the mind. Which is all good and well. Evolution is inevitable. Still, it's worth remembering what we lost in the process.
Once upon a time, there was a little video game company known simply as Enix. You may know them now for being one half of a bigger company known as Square Enix, but back in the day, they were a much smaller game company who were just starting out in the early 80s, with not too many noteworthy titles to their name. Their first two games were Door Door, a cute little Famicom game about cute creatures and… well, doors, and The Portopia Serial Murder Case, another Famicom game that takes a drastic shift from the last game, being an adventure game where you solve, well, a murder case. They seem like interesting titles, but they wouldn’t really be enough to launch the company into the spotlight quite yet. Their next game, though, developed by Chunsoft, would do just that, after the game’s director and designer respectively discovered the RPG known as Wizardry, and they wanted to try their hands out at making their own RPG specifically for Japanese audiences. After a year or so of development, this game would be released to the public, and be known simply as Dragon Quest… or, you know, Dragon Warrior for us Americans, but for the sake of this and future reviews, I am just gonna be calling it Dragon Quest.
While Final Fantasy is the main thing that Square Enix is known for, Dragon Quest is right behind it as their secondary flagship franchise, and it has had quite a large number of entries ever since its introduction in 1986. I myself had played my fair share of Final Fantasy back when I reviewed that original game, but when it comes to Dragon Quest, I had little to no experience with it whatsoever. I remember I used to own a Dragon Quest game for the DS when I was kid, and I remember really liking it, but I also remember there was this black knight who I just could not beat no matter how much I tried in that game, and I eventually just stopped playing that. That’s the extent of my knowledge with the series, and I wanted to see what it was really all about, so I decided to play through the original game to do just that. I ended up really liking it overall, and I think it is a good game. You can definitely tell how old this game is when you play it yourself, and it probably wouldn’t interest modern RPG fans that much, but I can’t help but appreciate what it did for the genre, and it does have its own quirks that I am glad that I experienced.
The story is as basic as it gets, being about a chosen warrior needing to go save the princess of a kingdom from a dragon, and defeating the Dragonlord before he can take over the land, which may be done to death, but again, I can't really blame this game for having that plot, so I ended up liking it enough, the graphics are also very basic, being what you would expect from an NES RPG, but it is a good looking game overall, and the designs of the characters and enemies help make it more charming, the music is great, with there being plenty of iconic tracks that would be become staple for the series, as well as several other good ones, but the music didn't stick with me as much as, say, the music from Final Fantasy, the control is exactly what you would expect from an RPG, so no need to comment any further on that, and the gameplay, while being exactly what you would expect from a JRPG, would go on to establish many tropes that the genre still uses to this day, and it still remains fun after all this time.
The game is your typical turn-based RPG, where you take control of the warrior descended from the hero Erdrick, travel through a world full of towns, caves, and castles, talk to NPCs for useful information, buy items, weapons, and magic to help you out along the way, and get into random encounters, where you will fight a wide variety of monsters that will either be complete pushovers, or will prove to be quite a challenge, and by defeating them, you will gain experience and level up to get stronger. It is your typical JRPG in the most literal sense of the word, but considering as it is the first of its kind, you really can't blame it for that, and after playing it, you can see how much it still holds up to this day despite its simplicity.
While it may not be the first RPG, it did introduce many different elements that would become a staple for the genre that are still being used to this very day, influencing many other games like Final Fantasy, and after playing through this particular game, it all still works really well. It obviously is a lot more primitive and basic when compared to many other games that would come after it, but sometimes, the bare essentials is all you need to make a fun game, and Dragon Quest certainly did that. Before this, I had never played any other game in the genre that used the first-person battle perspective, or even one that only had one sole party member, so it was a little jarring to see, and it took a little getting used to, but I managed to do so very quickly. While it may not be that different from other RPGs, I really liked this style of battling, and it was helped not only by the satisfaction of leveling up and getting stronger, but also the charm of seeing all the enemies, a lot of which would become an iconic part of the series, such as with the slimes. I mean, come on, you can't help but admit that they are pretty adorable. Also, one thing I really liked about the game was how "medieval" all of the dialogue was, with characters constantly using words like thy, dost, thou, and more. Sure, some may see this kind of dialogue as stupid, but I thought it added another level of charm to the game, and made it feel more like I was going on an adventure in a genuine medieval land.
With all that being said, when I said this game is basic, I mean it is EXTREMELY basic. This is quite possibly the most "by-the-numbers" RPG I have ever played, which, again, isn't the game's fault at all, but it is something to keep in mind if you decide to play it for yourself. Throughout pretty much the entire game, it is mainly just you traveling around the world, going into caves and castles, fighting monsters, and collecting items, plot-related or otherwise. There are no real side-quests, no real bosses other than the Dragonlord himself, no big optional goodies to find, none of that. It is all about just you saving the princess, stopping the big bad, and LOTS of grinding, and even then, you don't even need to save the princess to beat the game, as you don't get anything from it, which in turn could make the game even more basic. I will say though, despite how basic it really is at the end of the day, I did still end up having a good time with it, but for anyone else, if you are looking for a little more complexity when it comes to RPGs, then Dragon Quest isn't the game for you.
Overall, despite being pretty basic and having more grinding then I would've liked, I still found myself having a pretty good time with the original Dragon Quest, and I still think it holds up almost 40 years later. I would definitely recommend it for big fans of the series, as well as RPG fanatics in general, but for others, it isn't gonna be something you absolutely need to play. Now that I have played through this game finally, I am looking forward to checking out the rest of the titles in the series. The best part about this too is that, as far as I know, they didn't flub it up with a second entry like Final Fantasy did! That's great news!
Game #376
While Final Fantasy is the main thing that Square Enix is known for, Dragon Quest is right behind it as their secondary flagship franchise, and it has had quite a large number of entries ever since its introduction in 1986. I myself had played my fair share of Final Fantasy back when I reviewed that original game, but when it comes to Dragon Quest, I had little to no experience with it whatsoever. I remember I used to own a Dragon Quest game for the DS when I was kid, and I remember really liking it, but I also remember there was this black knight who I just could not beat no matter how much I tried in that game, and I eventually just stopped playing that. That’s the extent of my knowledge with the series, and I wanted to see what it was really all about, so I decided to play through the original game to do just that. I ended up really liking it overall, and I think it is a good game. You can definitely tell how old this game is when you play it yourself, and it probably wouldn’t interest modern RPG fans that much, but I can’t help but appreciate what it did for the genre, and it does have its own quirks that I am glad that I experienced.
The story is as basic as it gets, being about a chosen warrior needing to go save the princess of a kingdom from a dragon, and defeating the Dragonlord before he can take over the land, which may be done to death, but again, I can't really blame this game for having that plot, so I ended up liking it enough, the graphics are also very basic, being what you would expect from an NES RPG, but it is a good looking game overall, and the designs of the characters and enemies help make it more charming, the music is great, with there being plenty of iconic tracks that would be become staple for the series, as well as several other good ones, but the music didn't stick with me as much as, say, the music from Final Fantasy, the control is exactly what you would expect from an RPG, so no need to comment any further on that, and the gameplay, while being exactly what you would expect from a JRPG, would go on to establish many tropes that the genre still uses to this day, and it still remains fun after all this time.
The game is your typical turn-based RPG, where you take control of the warrior descended from the hero Erdrick, travel through a world full of towns, caves, and castles, talk to NPCs for useful information, buy items, weapons, and magic to help you out along the way, and get into random encounters, where you will fight a wide variety of monsters that will either be complete pushovers, or will prove to be quite a challenge, and by defeating them, you will gain experience and level up to get stronger. It is your typical JRPG in the most literal sense of the word, but considering as it is the first of its kind, you really can't blame it for that, and after playing it, you can see how much it still holds up to this day despite its simplicity.
While it may not be the first RPG, it did introduce many different elements that would become a staple for the genre that are still being used to this very day, influencing many other games like Final Fantasy, and after playing through this particular game, it all still works really well. It obviously is a lot more primitive and basic when compared to many other games that would come after it, but sometimes, the bare essentials is all you need to make a fun game, and Dragon Quest certainly did that. Before this, I had never played any other game in the genre that used the first-person battle perspective, or even one that only had one sole party member, so it was a little jarring to see, and it took a little getting used to, but I managed to do so very quickly. While it may not be that different from other RPGs, I really liked this style of battling, and it was helped not only by the satisfaction of leveling up and getting stronger, but also the charm of seeing all the enemies, a lot of which would become an iconic part of the series, such as with the slimes. I mean, come on, you can't help but admit that they are pretty adorable. Also, one thing I really liked about the game was how "medieval" all of the dialogue was, with characters constantly using words like thy, dost, thou, and more. Sure, some may see this kind of dialogue as stupid, but I thought it added another level of charm to the game, and made it feel more like I was going on an adventure in a genuine medieval land.
With all that being said, when I said this game is basic, I mean it is EXTREMELY basic. This is quite possibly the most "by-the-numbers" RPG I have ever played, which, again, isn't the game's fault at all, but it is something to keep in mind if you decide to play it for yourself. Throughout pretty much the entire game, it is mainly just you traveling around the world, going into caves and castles, fighting monsters, and collecting items, plot-related or otherwise. There are no real side-quests, no real bosses other than the Dragonlord himself, no big optional goodies to find, none of that. It is all about just you saving the princess, stopping the big bad, and LOTS of grinding, and even then, you don't even need to save the princess to beat the game, as you don't get anything from it, which in turn could make the game even more basic. I will say though, despite how basic it really is at the end of the day, I did still end up having a good time with it, but for anyone else, if you are looking for a little more complexity when it comes to RPGs, then Dragon Quest isn't the game for you.
Overall, despite being pretty basic and having more grinding then I would've liked, I still found myself having a pretty good time with the original Dragon Quest, and I still think it holds up almost 40 years later. I would definitely recommend it for big fans of the series, as well as RPG fanatics in general, but for others, it isn't gonna be something you absolutely need to play. Now that I have played through this game finally, I am looking forward to checking out the rest of the titles in the series. The best part about this too is that, as far as I know, they didn't flub it up with a second entry like Final Fantasy did! That's great news!
Game #376
One of the most influential RPG's ever made. You can see how unique and charming the enemy designs are here even in an NES game. Enjoyable but you probably will need a guide, and the grind can get tedious. Back in the day this would've been mindblowing to play but with speedup and guides, the game is honestly not that long and only serves as a piece of history to experience.
Reviewing a game like Dragon Quest is never easy. First of all, as many of you probably do, I have a very deep childhood connection to this game, which means it’s a nostalgic trip for me every time I play it. Then there’s the fact that this is a genre-defining game, and as a result, can’t possibly be expected to be as refined as the games that followed in the path it carved out. Ultimately, this game is both a classic and a curio, a piece of history that feels like one, no matter how much Square Enix tries to pretty it up. Its age is in its fundamental structure. I think it holds up very well relative to other games from its era, but that’s perhaps faint praise, given the state of console RPGs in 1986. A completely new player without any sort of fondness for the history of the series would be better off checking out Dragon Quest IV first. That doesn’t mean that the first Dragon Quest has nothing to offer, but it’s probably not the best way to break the ice in 2023.
As usual, though, a little bit of history first. This is the game originally known to many an English gamer as Dragon Warrior, a title adopted to avoid legal conflicts with TSR, the then-owners of Dungeons & Dragons. A lot of North American kids had this in their NES libraries, though precious few actually handed over money at a shop for it. Nintendo, the American publisher, widely overestimated the game’s potential sales and were left with tons of unsold cartridges. These were distributed as a free bonus for subscribing to Nintendo Power, something a heck of a lot of kids were doing anyway. Nintendo would take a more careful approach in publishing their next overseas RPG hope, Final Fantasy, but given Dragon Quest‘s notoriety, it’s easy to see why Nintendo was bullish on it.
Contrary to popular lore, Dragon Quest was not the actual first JRPG. It might be accurate to say it was the first really good one, however, and it certainly set down a blueprint that the genre followed. By the time Dragon Quest began development, games like the pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons, Ultima, and Wizardry were all fairly popular with a certain subset of Japanese gamers, along with Henk Rogers’ The Black Onyx and Falcom’s Dragon Slayer games. Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii enjoyed those games, and wanted to make a more accessible game along similar lines. Grabbing the menu system from his previous adventure game Portopia Serial Murders, the overhead exploration of Ultima, the first-person battles of Wizardry, the artist from the then-recent manga Dragon Ball, and television composer Koichi Sugiyama, Yuji Horii put together his game that would change everything.
The idea was to simplify the extremely complex systems of RPGs, but still offer the player the satisfying feeling of following the story of a character who becomes stronger the more you play. That’s just what Horii did, cutting away things like party members and job classes, leaving just a single hero with a simple goal: Defeat that jerk on the other side of the lake who’s ruining things for everyone. Granted, getting to the other side of the lake involves a trip around the world, but it wouldn’t be much fun if the hero just built a canoe or something, would it? That’s basically the game, though. You travel clockwise around the world, sniff out a few magical items, rescue a princess, get to level 17 or 19 depending on how bold you are, and knock off the evil Dragonlord.
It’s not a very long game by modern standards, and its even shorter in its current form. In its original form, Dragon Quest involved a lot of grinding. The game is basically unwinnable without the spell you get at level 17, so no matter how fast or slowly you reached the final castle, you still had to get yourself up to level 17. You also needed to grind to afford the gear necessary for survival. From the Super Famicom remakes onward, the enemies in Dragon Quest give a much better experience point and gold reward, reducing most of the need for grinding. With that drudgery removed, the game is over in mere hours if you know where you’re going. I’d be awfully surprised if anyone took longer than 10 hours to get to the end, and most will finish well before that.
Clearly, Horii’s plan to make the genre less intimidating to the average player went over very well, and later games in the series were able to slowly build complexity. It’s probably impossible to overestimate what this game did for the genre, and that makes it a very important game. Important games are not always good in a modern context, though. Dragon Quest is still a very enjoyable game for me, and I replay it fairly often, but I’m not sure how much of that is on the game’s lasting merits and how much is just my own nostalgia. It’s all very sound, if very primitive, and certain elements, like Akira Toriyama’s spectacular monster designs and Sugiyama’s wonderful music, haven’t aged a day. Other things haven’t aged as gracefully.
There are no elements of customization whatsoever to your character. The list of equipment is very small and really just consists of stuff in each new town being better than the stuff in the last town. Battles offer very little strategy. You’re either strong enough to survive, or you’re not. If you’re not, you have little recourse but to level up more or buy new gear. The closest thing to battle tactics you have at your disposal is the ability to put enemies to sleep. Abuse that, by the way, it works a wonder in this game. There are no subquests, few characters to speak of, and a whole lot of old-school design in locating the key items needed to beat the game. It’s not a particularly friendly game by modern standards, which is kind of funny given its design roots.
Dragon Quest is many things. It’s historically important, simple, fun, archaic, esoteric, nostalgia-inducing, genre-defining, focused, and mercifully brief. This port is decent enough, if not ideal, thanks to the somewhat-messy graphical style and the fiddly controls, which will be a much bigger problem come Dragon Quest 2, I promise. The price is, I suppose, about right for what Dragon Quest is. A classic, a museum piece, a nostalgia trip, and a reminder of just how much things can change, for better or worse, over the course of more than 25 years of game design advances. I think it’s a game best experienced in portable format these days, but even with that in mind, it’s still really only for those looking for a return to the most simple of times.
- Me (never)
As usual, though, a little bit of history first. This is the game originally known to many an English gamer as Dragon Warrior, a title adopted to avoid legal conflicts with TSR, the then-owners of Dungeons & Dragons. A lot of North American kids had this in their NES libraries, though precious few actually handed over money at a shop for it. Nintendo, the American publisher, widely overestimated the game’s potential sales and were left with tons of unsold cartridges. These were distributed as a free bonus for subscribing to Nintendo Power, something a heck of a lot of kids were doing anyway. Nintendo would take a more careful approach in publishing their next overseas RPG hope, Final Fantasy, but given Dragon Quest‘s notoriety, it’s easy to see why Nintendo was bullish on it.
Contrary to popular lore, Dragon Quest was not the actual first JRPG. It might be accurate to say it was the first really good one, however, and it certainly set down a blueprint that the genre followed. By the time Dragon Quest began development, games like the pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons, Ultima, and Wizardry were all fairly popular with a certain subset of Japanese gamers, along with Henk Rogers’ The Black Onyx and Falcom’s Dragon Slayer games. Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii enjoyed those games, and wanted to make a more accessible game along similar lines. Grabbing the menu system from his previous adventure game Portopia Serial Murders, the overhead exploration of Ultima, the first-person battles of Wizardry, the artist from the then-recent manga Dragon Ball, and television composer Koichi Sugiyama, Yuji Horii put together his game that would change everything.
The idea was to simplify the extremely complex systems of RPGs, but still offer the player the satisfying feeling of following the story of a character who becomes stronger the more you play. That’s just what Horii did, cutting away things like party members and job classes, leaving just a single hero with a simple goal: Defeat that jerk on the other side of the lake who’s ruining things for everyone. Granted, getting to the other side of the lake involves a trip around the world, but it wouldn’t be much fun if the hero just built a canoe or something, would it? That’s basically the game, though. You travel clockwise around the world, sniff out a few magical items, rescue a princess, get to level 17 or 19 depending on how bold you are, and knock off the evil Dragonlord.
It’s not a very long game by modern standards, and its even shorter in its current form. In its original form, Dragon Quest involved a lot of grinding. The game is basically unwinnable without the spell you get at level 17, so no matter how fast or slowly you reached the final castle, you still had to get yourself up to level 17. You also needed to grind to afford the gear necessary for survival. From the Super Famicom remakes onward, the enemies in Dragon Quest give a much better experience point and gold reward, reducing most of the need for grinding. With that drudgery removed, the game is over in mere hours if you know where you’re going. I’d be awfully surprised if anyone took longer than 10 hours to get to the end, and most will finish well before that.
Clearly, Horii’s plan to make the genre less intimidating to the average player went over very well, and later games in the series were able to slowly build complexity. It’s probably impossible to overestimate what this game did for the genre, and that makes it a very important game. Important games are not always good in a modern context, though. Dragon Quest is still a very enjoyable game for me, and I replay it fairly often, but I’m not sure how much of that is on the game’s lasting merits and how much is just my own nostalgia. It’s all very sound, if very primitive, and certain elements, like Akira Toriyama’s spectacular monster designs and Sugiyama’s wonderful music, haven’t aged a day. Other things haven’t aged as gracefully.
There are no elements of customization whatsoever to your character. The list of equipment is very small and really just consists of stuff in each new town being better than the stuff in the last town. Battles offer very little strategy. You’re either strong enough to survive, or you’re not. If you’re not, you have little recourse but to level up more or buy new gear. The closest thing to battle tactics you have at your disposal is the ability to put enemies to sleep. Abuse that, by the way, it works a wonder in this game. There are no subquests, few characters to speak of, and a whole lot of old-school design in locating the key items needed to beat the game. It’s not a particularly friendly game by modern standards, which is kind of funny given its design roots.
Dragon Quest is many things. It’s historically important, simple, fun, archaic, esoteric, nostalgia-inducing, genre-defining, focused, and mercifully brief. This port is decent enough, if not ideal, thanks to the somewhat-messy graphical style and the fiddly controls, which will be a much bigger problem come Dragon Quest 2, I promise. The price is, I suppose, about right for what Dragon Quest is. A classic, a museum piece, a nostalgia trip, and a reminder of just how much things can change, for better or worse, over the course of more than 25 years of game design advances. I think it’s a game best experienced in portable format these days, but even with that in mind, it’s still really only for those looking for a return to the most simple of times.
- Me (never)
NES version is legit good in 2023.
The simplicity allows the game to feel elegant and manageable.
Monster sprites are outstanding.
Dragon Quest's feature of keeping your exp when you die make the grind much more tolerable.
The simplicity allows the game to feel elegant and manageable.
Monster sprites are outstanding.
Dragon Quest's feature of keeping your exp when you die make the grind much more tolerable.
I'm not pressing 3 buttons to go up and down the stairs
I appreciate the captivating world design in this game. While its simplicity adds charm, the grind can overshadow progress. Opt for the SNES version with translation or Nintendo Switch release for a more immersive experience.
Dragon Warrior, the first of the beloved Dragon's Quest franchise. I know this game influence greatly the game genres of JRPGs. This is my first time playing any of those games and it's also the forst real RPG on the list. So I have no nostalgia for those games.
First of all, the graphics are really charming for his time. A lot of bright enemies sprites that are now icons for the series ( especially the slimes). Everything is recongnizable in the environnement and the UI is well done.
The story is kind of classic. The chosen one that needs to save a kidnapped princess. It does his job and that's about it. The dialogs of the characters are generic or really cryptic. You need to talk to everybody to be sure that you won't miss anything. Without those dialogs, you couldn't found certain mandatory things for sure.
Gameplay wise, it's pretty simple, but a good simple. Since it's some of the first of his genre, a lots of things are barebone or just unpolished. When starting the game, you start at level 1 with some stats. What I found BS about those stats is that depending on your name that you chose, the stats will change. This is kind of stupid, because when you are a kid, you use your name to be the hero's name, but your name could suck more than another kid name.
Also, your "party" is composed of only one character. You also always fight against one enemy at the time. This makes the things really simple. When trying to interact with something on the map, you need to open the menu. So that means that each time you want to talk, items, stats, open a door or even using the stairs, you need to open the menu and use the right option (which makes the thing a little tedious).
The level system is really grindy. You will pass a lot of time turning in circle around a village and beat enemies, go heal and then go back. You will want to grind around a town, because if you die, you will go back to the first town and you will lose half of your gold.
Speaking of towns, the map is really huge for a first JRPG. You will need a map on your computer to find yourself in this map. It's kind of impressive when you thing about it.
I'm gonna be honest, I used a guide to help me save time with this game, but I still enjoyed my time with it. Since the combat system is really simple, you can watch something else while grinding XP or gold and it won't be that bad. I think it's a good game for his time and I would recommand people to at least to try it, only to get a feel of what it was back in 1986.
Game #30 of my challenge
First of all, the graphics are really charming for his time. A lot of bright enemies sprites that are now icons for the series ( especially the slimes). Everything is recongnizable in the environnement and the UI is well done.
The story is kind of classic. The chosen one that needs to save a kidnapped princess. It does his job and that's about it. The dialogs of the characters are generic or really cryptic. You need to talk to everybody to be sure that you won't miss anything. Without those dialogs, you couldn't found certain mandatory things for sure.
Gameplay wise, it's pretty simple, but a good simple. Since it's some of the first of his genre, a lots of things are barebone or just unpolished. When starting the game, you start at level 1 with some stats. What I found BS about those stats is that depending on your name that you chose, the stats will change. This is kind of stupid, because when you are a kid, you use your name to be the hero's name, but your name could suck more than another kid name.
Also, your "party" is composed of only one character. You also always fight against one enemy at the time. This makes the things really simple. When trying to interact with something on the map, you need to open the menu. So that means that each time you want to talk, items, stats, open a door or even using the stairs, you need to open the menu and use the right option (which makes the thing a little tedious).
The level system is really grindy. You will pass a lot of time turning in circle around a village and beat enemies, go heal and then go back. You will want to grind around a town, because if you die, you will go back to the first town and you will lose half of your gold.
Speaking of towns, the map is really huge for a first JRPG. You will need a map on your computer to find yourself in this map. It's kind of impressive when you thing about it.
I'm gonna be honest, I used a guide to help me save time with this game, but I still enjoyed my time with it. Since the combat system is really simple, you can watch something else while grinding XP or gold and it won't be that bad. I think it's a good game for his time and I would recommand people to at least to try it, only to get a feel of what it was back in 1986.
Game #30 of my challenge
There's a style to 80s video game RPGs that doesn't really exist anymore but is exemplified by the original Dragon Quest. The game world is more or less wide open - there are a few lock-and-key puzzles that require the player to get a certain key item or clear a certain dungeon to open up another chunk of the map, but those are the exception to the rule; were those checks not there, it would be theoretically possible for a gutsy player to wander from Tantagel clear to the lowest sub-basement of Charlock Castle as soon as the game opens. The limiting factor is the player's avatar strength - at Level 1, you're barely strong enough to clear the Slimes and Red Slimes outside Tantagel. Don't even think about roughing it with the Starwyverns and Dragons in the end game. No, all there is to do is to GRIND.
Normally I'm opposed to excessive grinding in my RPGs. I'm impatient, I have better things to do in video games than wait around until the numbers go up. But there's something to how it comes across in the original Dragon Quest that's super cozy. I think, because the sum total of the experience is the grind, once the player comes to realize that's all there is, they're able to enter into something of a zen state. Progress in the overworld is checked organically by the challenge posed by random encounters. More than make the numbers go up, every level expands the player's access to the game world, bit by bit. There's something extremely empowering to how much of a difference Level 2 makes over Level 1, then again for Level 3 over 2 (HEAL opens up SO MUCH of the map). Even then, the game never stops posing a challenge - Charlock Castle is brilliant in just how long it is, requiring the player to traverse seemingly endless floor after floor of endgame monsters slowly whittling away at your resources.
I think it's easy to be turned off by how simple and grindy the original Dragon Quest is these days, but I dunno - there's a purity of form to it that makes it still a nice, cozy playthrough for me.
Also, I know Dragon Quest's fondness for silly accents is a localization quirk from after the Square-Enix merger, but it's cute that even in the early Enix days of it being Dragon Warrior, it had fun with its excessive "thou hast"s and "thy"s.
Normally I'm opposed to excessive grinding in my RPGs. I'm impatient, I have better things to do in video games than wait around until the numbers go up. But there's something to how it comes across in the original Dragon Quest that's super cozy. I think, because the sum total of the experience is the grind, once the player comes to realize that's all there is, they're able to enter into something of a zen state. Progress in the overworld is checked organically by the challenge posed by random encounters. More than make the numbers go up, every level expands the player's access to the game world, bit by bit. There's something extremely empowering to how much of a difference Level 2 makes over Level 1, then again for Level 3 over 2 (HEAL opens up SO MUCH of the map). Even then, the game never stops posing a challenge - Charlock Castle is brilliant in just how long it is, requiring the player to traverse seemingly endless floor after floor of endgame monsters slowly whittling away at your resources.
I think it's easy to be turned off by how simple and grindy the original Dragon Quest is these days, but I dunno - there's a purity of form to it that makes it still a nice, cozy playthrough for me.
Also, I know Dragon Quest's fondness for silly accents is a localization quirk from after the Square-Enix merger, but it's cute that even in the early Enix days of it being Dragon Warrior, it had fun with its excessive "thou hast"s and "thy"s.
This sure does feel like one of the first JRPG's.
Dragon Quest 1 isn't something that I'd recommend people play because it's "fun" rather, it's a game you experience so you can witness the birth of this style of game firsthand. I'll give it credit for all of the features and mechanics working correctly (a lot more rare than you think for these old games) but beyond that, there isn't much to see beyond a lot of grinding. You need to already have some level of appreciation for super retro games to be willing to see it through to the end. Certainly a one-and-done for me, but I'm at the very least glad I got to experience it.
Dragon Quest 1 isn't something that I'd recommend people play because it's "fun" rather, it's a game you experience so you can witness the birth of this style of game firsthand. I'll give it credit for all of the features and mechanics working correctly (a lot more rare than you think for these old games) but beyond that, there isn't much to see beyond a lot of grinding. You need to already have some level of appreciation for super retro games to be willing to see it through to the end. Certainly a one-and-done for me, but I'm at the very least glad I got to experience it.
it's pretty astonishing how much they got right from the very first title, as far as the music and enemy design go, as well as setting what would be the "vanilla" jrpg story.
however, be aware that they REALLY are not kidding when people say this game is almost all grinding. i don't mean this as inherently negative --i actually enjoyed grinding out some enemies before i went to bed each night, and there's not much more satisfying than the level up jingle.
for anyone wanting to play the first in the series, i HIGHLY recommend checking out the patch "that's exactly
the same, only all enemies drop 255 experience and large amounts of Gold upon their defeat. This way, you have the option of skipping the hours of grinding and just seeing all the original game has to offer."
which you can get here: https://www.romhacking.net/translations/5554/
however, be aware that they REALLY are not kidding when people say this game is almost all grinding. i don't mean this as inherently negative --i actually enjoyed grinding out some enemies before i went to bed each night, and there's not much more satisfying than the level up jingle.
for anyone wanting to play the first in the series, i HIGHLY recommend checking out the patch "that's exactly
the same, only all enemies drop 255 experience and large amounts of Gold upon their defeat. This way, you have the option of skipping the hours of grinding and just seeing all the original game has to offer."
which you can get here: https://www.romhacking.net/translations/5554/
Loved this game way more than I thought I would. Might have been a bit spoiled by the fast forward on my emulator though. Some of the grinding was brutal even on that.
+.5 star for being the granddaddy of jrpgs
80% of the game is just running in circles in an area to be strong enough to access the next area. That said its simplicity was enjoyable and it wasn't particularly frustrating, I like how it doesn't overtly punish death and the process of finding and talking to npcs to figure out what to do next.
Sadly, the game just doesn't hold up unlike some nes games I've played.
80% of the game is just running in circles in an area to be strong enough to access the next area. That said its simplicity was enjoyable and it wasn't particularly frustrating, I like how it doesn't overtly punish death and the process of finding and talking to npcs to figure out what to do next.
Sadly, the game just doesn't hold up unlike some nes games I've played.
just a lil guy on a big adventure to save the world. simple but very charming and a silly good time.
p.s. i'll never recover from the thousands of gold i lost in this game.
p.s. i'll never recover from the thousands of gold i lost in this game.
This game isn't, by any reasonable measure, actually good, I think in general JRPGs didn't really find their stride until the SNES. But I find it useful to return to from time to time as a reminder of what the Default JRPG Experience is. Pokemon, Final Fantasy, SMT/Persona, all of it has its roots in the time that a visual novel writer and the Dragon Ball guy decided to adapt the role-playing game for a home console.
You spend 90% of the game mindlessly grinding, the combat has almost no room for strategy thanks to a single party member, the game's writing has been totally neutered in translation by getting rid of all the humor and heart for some bizarre Old English thing Nintendo of America was going for.
But all of this is on some level useful, it makes it the Default JRPG Experience, every interesting thing a JRPG does can be judged in reference to the formula this laid down, which makes this I think worth playing (with heavy use of emulator speed-up) for people who have Thoughts on the genre.
You spend 90% of the game mindlessly grinding, the combat has almost no room for strategy thanks to a single party member, the game's writing has been totally neutered in translation by getting rid of all the humor and heart for some bizarre Old English thing Nintendo of America was going for.
But all of this is on some level useful, it makes it the Default JRPG Experience, every interesting thing a JRPG does can be judged in reference to the formula this laid down, which makes this I think worth playing (with heavy use of emulator speed-up) for people who have Thoughts on the genre.