A Guide for Getting Into Dragon Quest
With the imminent release of Dragon Quest XI (which is a huge deal - it's been a full 8 years since we got Dragon Quest IX), I figured now would be a fantastic time to provide some advice about "getting into" the series.
This post was originally much longer, but I cut it down quite a bit to really just hit what I feel are the basics of what Dragon Quest is, why you should play it, how you can play each entry, and which entries I'd recommend for a beginner. Hopefully this post will be of use to newcomers who either plan to play DQ11 or are merely curious about the series since it's "in the zeitgeist" at the moment.
Additionally, I'd like to give a shout-out to the Dragon Quest OT. You should definitely swing by if you want to discuss the games or want any more advice about where to get started.
I'd also like to encourage anyone knowledgeable about the series to let me know if I should add anything to this post, or if there are any errors. Most of this is just what I have in my head supplemented by a bit of research where my understanding of things is foggy.
Without further ado...
What is Dragon Quest?
Dragon Quest is a series of role-playing games and associated spinoffs, generally set in a medieval-fantasy setting and featuring polished turn-based combat. It is also one of the longest-running gaming franchises in the world, predating its JRPG counterpart Final Fantasy by a little more than a year (Dragon Quest 1 was released in 1986, Final Fantasy I in 1987).
At its core, Dragon Quest was originally conceived by its creator and designer, Yuji Horii - who has remarkably stayed at the helm of the series for three decades - as a sort of amalgamation of Wizardry and Ultima, two long-running WRPG franchises that had their primary heyday back in the classical antiquity of the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s. Horii intended for Dragon Quest to introduce the broader Japanese gaming audience to the RPG genre, which drove his decision to release the game on the Nintendo Famicom and enlist the services of popular manga artist Akira Toriyama in developing the visual identity of the game. Koichi Sugiyama, already a well-respected composer at the time, had contacted the team and expressed admiration for their prior work on an unrelated game, and subsequently accepted an offer to compose the soundtrack for Dragon Quest. This core trio - Yuji Horii, Akira Toriyama, and Koichi Sugiyama - still stands as the foundation of every mainline Dragon Quest game, and it is one of the reasons why the series has boasted such remarkable consistency over the many years of its existence.
In the lead-up to Dragon Quest I's release, there were concerns that it would not appeal to a Japanese gaming audience that was primarily enamored with sci-fi settings rather than Dragon Quest's "swords and sorcery" image. Those concerns were quickly laid to rest upon release, when Dragon Quest smashed sales expectations, and the series has since evolved into a cultural phenomenon in Japan. Yet, despite this incredible success, the series has never abandoned its core identity and "experience" - a quality that has made it beloved by fans the world over.
Why Should I Play Dragon Quest?
In this section, I could write general praise such as "fantastic soundtrack, engaging combat, wonderful atmosphere." These are all certainly true of the Dragon Quest games. But instead, I'd like to focus on what Dragon Quest means to me in particular, in the hopes that articulating the joy that these games bring me will encourage you to try them yourself.
When I was younger, I didn't like Dragon Quest. I sampled several entries and found them fairly unremarkable in the few hours I put into them. I was, instead, enamored with the bombastic flair of Final Fantasy, and the raw challenge of Shin Megami Tensei.
As I grew older, however, I returned to Dragon Quest and began to make my way through the series, and found that the "Dragon Quest experience" that I had finally uncovered was fundamentally unlike any other RPG I've played. Indeed, it became something I cherished quite a bit, and more and more as time went by.
The closest analogy I can provide to the "Dragon Quest experience" is relishing a subtly flavorful choice steak, or perhaps sipping, in a measured way, an earthy wine. The games are carefully designed in such a way that they are neither frontloaded, nor backloaded; neither fast-paced nor lugubrious; neither too easy nor too hard. They are balanced in every way, carefully crafted, artisan-like, to provide a warm, purposeful slow-burn over the course of a few dozen hours. In some ways, it is the aesthetic and methodology of traditional Japanese theater conveyed through the lens of a swashbuckling video game adventure; simple but elegant, suggestive rather than overbearing, occasionally humorous, occasionally tragic, and faithful to tradition just enough to be quietly nostalgic rather than slavishly derivative.
Building on that, it is often said that Dragon Quest is traditional or conventional; this might be true in a general sense, but I think it's ultimately reductive and glosses over one of the series' most important strengths. "Traditional" suggests, to a degree, that Dragon Quest stagnated and iterated where other JRPGs evolved and innovated. I would argue that this is not the case at all; Dragon Quest, in its staunch adherence to the elegance of its core design while seamlessly incorporating more experimental ideas, is arguably one of the most innovative and exciting series in JRPGs. The fact that many consider Dragon Quest games to be "refinements of convention" is not an indictment of the series' failure to evolve; it is, rather, an implicit celebration of the series' success in masterfully absorbing bold new ideas into a core experience that is still undeniably "Dragon Quest" at its heart.
This incredible elegance in game design is why Dragon Quest, to me, is unlike any other RPG series. The experience of playing Dragon Quest is the experience of savoring a few dozen hours of carefully, meticulously constructed game design by grandmasters of their craft - masters who, at this point, have been doing this longer than arguably any other active RPG developers on earth. It is a slow-burn not because it's poorly paced, but because it encourages the player to play it slowly and relish its more measured cadences and rhythms. To achieve this in one game is no small feat; and to achieve this consistently for three decades is simply awe-inspiring.
What I can say with certainty is that I once had no interest in delving into this series, and now I can't imagine my RPG experience without it. At the end of the day, that's really the best, and most sincere, recommendation I can give.
Which Game Should I Play First?
As with any long-running series, there are many opinions about how a beginner should start their journey through Dragon Quest. The generally-accepted consensus amongst series fans is that the strongest two entries are Dragon Quest V and Dragon Quest VIII, and many would recommend starting with one of those. Others, such as myself, would actually recommend starting at the very beginning, because it's the best way to see how the series has both changed and stayed the same over the years. Still others would recommend just jumping into Dragon Quest XI first, considering it's on the cusp of releasing and is considered to be pretty accessible.
A fundamental problem with general advice like this, though, is that we have no way of knowing what your tastes are. At the end of the day, you are the one who best understands your preferences in RPGs. So, instead of elaborating further on the recommendations in the paragraph above, I'd instead like to provide a brief blurb about each entry in the series, including some general info about it, what I feel its strengths are, and - perhaps most importantly - where you can play it.
The information provided here isn't necessarily comprehensive, but that's partially because I cut a lot of material that I felt wasn't expressly needed. This is the bare basics to get a newcomer off the ground. Also, I'll be linking to Hardcore Gaming 101 in each game header if you wish to read more about the game.
I will not be including Dragon Quest X on this list since it's not reasonably playable by anybody trying to start with the series (it is a Japan-exclusive MMO).
Also, the "playtime" stat is based on a mostly critical path playthrough with some natural exploration and optional content. Expect to add many hours of additional time if you wish to 100% these games.
Dragon Quest I.
Originally Released: 1986.
Playtime: 8-12 hours.
Difficulty: Moderate (original version); Easy (remakes).
Strengths:
DQI is an appealing starting point because it allows you to come in at ground zero. This is Dragon Quest at its most fundamental. It establishes many of the core conventions of the series, and also serves as an excellent warm-up before moving onto Dragon Quest II and especially Dragon Quest III, which tie back into this first game in some really awesome ways (especially DQ3). You only have one party member, rendering the turn-based combat less strategic and engaging than later entries, but it's still polished and fun. The game is also very short by series standards, so it's not much of a time investment. But the main benefit to playing this first is the historical aspect: this is one of the most influential and important games ever made, both in its own series and in general, and it's always nice to have something like that under your belt before moving on to later games.
Where to Play It:
Your main options are the original localized NES version (called Dragon Warrior); a fan translation of the SNES remake; the localized Game Boy Color remake, Dragon Warrior I & II; and the mobile version, restored to its original title of Dragon Quest, which is available on both iOS and Android.
Unless you really want the original experience, I would recommend either the GBC or mobile version (the SNES version is also great but the GBC version is based on it, so there isn't necessarily a reason to fiddle around with patching it and emulating it if you don't have to, unless you much prefer the SNES graphics to the GBC graphics).
A recurring theme for the earlier Dragon Quest entries is that I'll actually be recommending the mobile versions, which are mostly pretty great ports (and are naturally pretty accessible). Unfortunately, that is not entirely the case with DQI; the mobile version has some pretty noticeable issues with sprite scaling that make it look a bit off and can be kind of grating. If that issue, and touch controls (they're really quite intuitive, I promise) won't bother you, then by all means pick up the mobile version; I've played it myself and it's quite fun, and fits very well in the mobile format. But if you want a more "authentic" experience with traditional controls and a more traditional graphical presentation, I recommend the GBC version. Also - DQI has a fairly pithy amount of text, but for what it's worth the game was retranslated for the mobile version.
One other benefit of the mobile version is that it only costs a measly $3. That's a bit cheaper than the GBC version, but keep in mind that the GBC version also comes with DQII, which has to be bought separately on mobile (for $5 to be exact).
Dragon Quest II.
Originally Released: 1987.
Playtime: 10-15 hours.
Difficulty: Brutal (original version); Moderate (remakes).
Strengths:
DQII is the first entry where you fight with multiple party members, and as a result it set many of the foundations for how team-based combat works in DQ. Because the three party members here are entirely preset, you can focus on working with their strengths and weaknesses as opposed to determining the party composition yourself like many of the later games let you. There's certainly a lot of appeal to the degree of customization in those games, but there's also something to be said for the more "puzzle-like" nature of games like DQII that give you a set of tools and ask you to work with them. The game also expands on the world of DQI in a really neat way, and features a much more expansive adventure. Despite this increase in scope, the game is also quite short and therefore isn't too much trouble to power through. Well - at least in terms of time commitment. The game is a bit harder than most of the other DQ entries, and one dungeon in particular - The Road to Rhone - is legendarily difficult. But the remakes tone this down a bit - and in any case, maybe that difficulty is something that appeals to you.
Where to Play It:
Like their counterparts, Final Fantasy I and II, Dragon Quest I and II often go hand-in-hand in their remakes as a bundle, so you essentially have the same options here as you had with DQI. The one exception is the SNES fan translation of DQII, which reportedly has a game-breaking bug, and I'm not sure if that was ever addressed. So I'd recommend avoiding that version since you have other options.
That pretty much leaves the same decision here as with DQI, between the GBC and the mobile version. And there are pretty much the same pros and cons too - the mobile version has the same sprite scaling issues that DQI had, while the GBC version retains the more authentic presentation and controls but sacrifices some of the accessibility of mobile. The situation is clouded further by the mobile version sporting a brand-new retranslation, though DQII isn't particularly text-heavy and thus I'd argue that that isn't really quite as much of a selling point as it'd be for the later games.
So, same deal. If you don't mind the sprite issues and don't mind the touch controls, spring for the mobile version which is $5. If either, and especially if both, of those things bother you, the GBC version is probably the best option, and it's also bundled with DQI in the same cartridge.
Dragon Quest III
Originally Released: 1988.
Playtime: 20-25 hours.
Difficulty: Hard (original version), Moderate (remakes).
Strengths:
DQIII is probably my favorite entry in the series because it succeeds with flying colors at quite a few things. It has a ton of strategic possibilities and replay value due to its comprehensive class system, one of the first in the genre (and still a pretty great one, all things considered). The game either invented or codified many of the conventions that we associate with JRPGs, to the extent that playing through it almost feels like playing a direct blueprint for an enormous swath of the genre in later years. Despite this enormous influence, the game retains its own unique identity by honing the Dragon Quest template into its most balanced and meticulously crafted iteration yet, and applies this framework to an even more sprawling adventure that is still impressive in its scope today. The incredible ways that the game ties back into the previous two games leads to one of the most epic finales in, well, any RPG. The game bumps the party member count up to 4 and features some of the most engaging combat encounters in the series, as it retains a degree of DQII's difficulty but provides many more tools for you to experiment and overcome these obstacles. Also, while each of the DQ games sports a fantastic soundtrack, DQIII features perhaps the most iconic game-specific song in the series, and many other excellent songs as well. It is, in many respects, the foundational game upon which an enormous portion of the Japanese game industry was built, and is arguably the most influential Japanese game not made by Nintendo. It is to JRPGs what Metroid is to Metroidvanias. If all of that doesn't convince you to play it then I don't know what will!
Where to Play It:
Other than the fact that DQIII has a separate remake from DQI+II on SNES and GBC, your options are pretty much the same. The original version is quite a bear by modern standards and more of a historical novelty in the context of the remakes, as it lacks some very important QoL changes. That leaves the three remaining major options as the SNES, GBC and mobile versions.
I'll discuss the mobile version first since that's actually my recommendation for which version to play. It is the most accessible version, features the most recent/accurate retranslation, and - perhaps most importantly - doesn't have any of the graphical problems that DQI and DQII on mobile had. It adheres pretty faithfully to the SNES graphics, other than the lack of enemy animations (which is admittedly an unfortunate omission, as those animations in the SNES version give the enemies a lot of character). It also cut a few songs from the soundtrack, and also doesn't include some of the minor bonus content in the GBC version; however, I feel that these little flaws don't detract from the overall conclusion that it is a great port, runs well, looks good, the touch controls are intuitive, and it's fairly cheap and accessible ($10, and of course you probably have your phone with you more than anything else, so it's easy to play it on commutes and the like).
If, however, you prefer an experience more "authentic" to the original version, I'd recommend the GBC version. While the GBC version is based largely on the SNES remake, it features 8-bit music and sprites, and thus is a sort of middle ground between the original's charm and the accessibility and QoL improvements of the remakes (note that those sprites aren't entirely faithful to the way the original looked, but it still captures a lot of the same charm). I am a big fan of this version as well and you really can't go wrong with it. It also has an additional bonus dungeon that the other two versions don't, but unfortunately this bonus dungeon is so soul-crushing to actually get access to that I'm not sure whether or not it should count as a pro or a con.
Finally, the SNES remake is certainly another great option, and all things considered is probably the "best" way to play the game with conventional controls (i.e. not the mobile version). It has the beautiful SNES graphics of the Dragon Quest VI engine, the entertaining monster animations, and is the basis for both the later GBC and mobile remakes (in other words, you're not missing out on any major QoL improvements by playing this version instead of the others). This version also features the entire soundtrack in what is probably its highest quality compared to the other remakes. It does, however, require a fan translation to be playable in English. It is also somewhat harder than the other versions due to some balance differences, though I'd still considerate it "Moderate" difficulty overall.
Dragon Quest IV
Originally Released: 1990.
Playtime: 25-30 hours.
Difficulty: Hard (original version), Moderate (remake).
Strengths:
DQIV is the first entry in the series that features a fleshed-out cast of charming and endearing characters, which is accomplished in large part through the Party Chat - a feature that allows you to solicit opinions from each member of your party about virtually everything that happens on your travels, including opinions about their own motivations on your quest, the various NPCs that you talk to, and even how stinky the current dungeon is. For this reason, DQIV is arguably the first "narrative-focused" game in the series, and this characteristic is further evident in the innovative structure of the game - rather than playing through one longer campaign, you play through a handful of shorter ones exploring the lives and scenarios of various people, who ultimately come together as the hero's main party in the final chapter and help him save the world. Each of the chapters feature unique mechanics, encounters, and tones - one of my favorites is Torneko's chapter, in which you play as a down-on-his-luck merchant and take advantage of price differences across regions to buy and sell goods for a profit, eventually culminating in buying your own shop in the nearby major city. The game's innovative structure and unique scenarios make it one of the first really experimental entries in the series, and it still remains a fascinating JRPG to this day. Finally, on a completely different note, the "fully matured" Dragon Quest combat from DQIII returns, with four party members working in tandem to overcome foes. It's a very engaging experience, and one of the best the franchise has to offer.
Where to Play It:
There are three options for playing DQIV: the original NES version, the DS version, and the mobile version. Unlike every other DQ game with multiple versions, I would actually argue there is currently only one definitive version of DQIV: the mobile version.
The original version had a significant remake on the DS, vastly modifying/improving nearly every aspect of the game; for this reason, other than historical interest, I would recommend sticking with the remake. While the DS version is great in most ways, it has one critical flaw: the Party Chat was completely excised from the game. What this essentially means is that the DS version has had the vast, vast majority of its script removed, rendering most of the characters in the game little more than faceless archetypes with a bit of background flavor. This is a huge problem in DQIV in particular, which has one of the strongest casts in the series, if not the actual strongest.
As such, the mobile version - which is functionally identical to the DS version in most ways, but restores the Party Chat - is absolutely the best way to play the game, and costs $15. To emphasize yet again - I do not recommend playing the DS version of Dragon Quest IV. I understand a lot of people have a distaste for playing more "core" gaming experiences on mobile, but in this case it's really the best option by quite a bit. It's difficult to fully express how much personality, character, and charm the Party Chat adds. In a more character-driven game like DQIV, removing the Party Chat is essentially cutting the soul out of the game. Unless you literally do not care at all about the characters, and are purely interested in the gameplay, the mobile version is the way to go.
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