I've been playing the original
Dragon Quest on mobile for the past year or so. I also keep a personal gaming blog which you can read
here that has all the fancy formatting and pictures. Anyway, figured I'd share my thoughts as someone who grew up with Square & FF RPGs. The following is two of my blog posts posted back to back.
My first role-playing games (RPGs) were Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI (otherwise known as Final Fantasy III in North America). I knew about Enix's Dragon Quest (Warrior) and Sega's Phantasy Star, but for whatever reason, I wasn't exposed to them as a kid. As a child, no matter how much you try to influence and educate your parents on the games that you want, at the end of the day, they're the ones footing the bill, so what you get is what you play. Fortunately, my parents chose wisely and I was gifted some of the best games/RPGs to grace the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). As an adult, I've sort of regretted not growing up with Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star, but it's something I've been looking to rectify for many years.
Box art says it all.
My History with the Franchise
Although I've dipped my toes into various Dragon Quest games over the years, I didn't truly understand the appeal of the franchise until I sat down with Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the Nintendo DS. I typically prefer to play a franchise in chronological order, but much like Final Fantasy, each Dragon Quest tells a story from a different perspective set in a unique world with new characters. Familiar terms, themes and monsters appear throughout each entry, however (like the iconic slime enemy and some of the music, for example), which creates a comforting through-line for series devotees.
As a collector and a preserver of save data, I booted up my files for both Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the DS to see where, when and why I stopped playing. As I mentioned earlier, these are the only two DQ games I've finished. Although I'm still a completionist at heart, I had way more time to complete games to their full completion 10 years ago than I do today. Looking back, it looks like I took 46 hours to see the "Happy Ending" in DQIV. Having never fled a battle nor being wiped-out is rather impressive as well (although I'm pretty sure I died plenty of times and reloaded my data to maintain my clean slate)! I also believe I completed most, if not all of the side-quests and optional bosses. I'm eager to move onto DQV as I've heard it's a series favorite among veterans.
I recall thoroughly enjoying my time with Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime. There have been quite a few Dragon Quest side-spin titles since, but this was the first one I experienced. Rocket Slime was a big departure from the traditional DQ formula and instead offered a Zelda-like experience with giant tank battles. I remember being pleasantly surprised by this game and was bummed when its sequels never made it to the west. Based on my old save file, it looks like I completed the game with max heart containers and all 100 slimes saved. I recall an in-game museum that required a huge grind in order to complete, however, which I never finished. One day, I'd like to go back to Rocket Slime and mop-up the remaining content, but for now, it'll be a distant memory I was extremely fond of.
Dragon Quest the 1st
While there are numerous ways to play the original Dragon Quest, for convenience purposes, I bought and downloaded the mobile version for my Android device. The first Dragon Quest released back in 1986 and it's still a very simple, yet extremely enjoyable game, even by today's standards. The mobile version comes equipped with slightly advanced visuals, a touch-screen interface and even a quick-save feature (which I try not to use). It's not my preferred method to experience the game, but the extra quality-of-life (QOL) features are appreciated. I've mainly been playing game during my work commute and on lunch breaks.
The story is as cliché as it gets, but for a game from the 80s, it does its job well enough; an evil overlord has kidnapped a princess and it's your job as the hero to rescue her. Castles, towns and dungeons comprise the majority of the journey and random encounters are front & center. Like many old-school RPGs, townsfolk guide the player with vague clues and secrets in order to progress, too. For instance, in one town, a hidden villager hints at a treasure "2 paces south" from some bathhouse in another location. The majority of the map can be explored right from the start of the game as well. Bridges act as warning signs as stronger, more deadly foes await the player on the other side, yet nothing is stopping you from stepping foot into new areas (and subsequently getting slaughtered).
The most interesting thing about the original Dragon Quest's combat system is its one-on-one encounters. There are no party members or additional allies and each battle pits the player against a single foe. While options are limited and most battles play similarly, it's ironically manageable and somewhat relaxing. Considering the fact that I'm playing a mobile version (usually single-handed), I welcome the low-key party management. So far, the dungeons have been a letdown, as they've all been maze-like caverns which require consumable torch items or a "Glow" spell (learned at Level 9) in order to navigate. I've been playing for a few hours and I just gained access to purchasable keys (which should allow me to make some significant progress in the story as certain areas are gated), so look forward to my next update soon!
With the announcement of Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition – (what a mouthful) for the Nintendo Switch, I'm reminded that there's an incredible old-school RPG on modern platforms waiting for me at the end of seemingly endless road of adventures. As someone who enjoys playing most, if not all of the entries to a franchise, it's been taking every fiber of my being to not unseal my PlayStation 4 (PS4) copy of the game. What's also stopping me is the fact that I'm still in the middle of a handful of other RPGs (Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Octopath Traveler, Ever Oasis, just to name a few). While I've been wanting to make time for DQV, DQVI, DQVII and DQVIII on the Nintendo DS and 3DS, respectively, I'll most likely take a slight detour to checkout DQ Builders and the first DQ Heroes on my PS4 once I conquer the original game.
Keys to the Kingdom
Keys are really important. There's nothing worse than misplacing your car keys when you're in a hurry or getting locked-out from your house when you've had a miserable day at the office and you just want nothing more than to collapse on your couch. In the original Dragon Quest, "Magic Keys" are essential to making any sort of significant progress in the game. Not only are important items locked behind certain doors, but treasures and even shortcuts can be discovered if you have an abundance of these special keys. One may asketh where doth one become the master of unlocking? Well, some random non-playable character (NPC) in town might know! The first DQ was a relatively progressive game for its time and beyond its (quite literal) gated progression, a lot of the game can be accessed from the beginning of the quest.
As I mentioned, bridges connect each major continent in the game. Although there's nothing stopping you from venturing across these rickety old walkways, the enemies on the other side will most likely take your life if you're not prepared/properly leveled. Unlike the bridges, however, locked doors prevent you from accessing particular areas in the game. In one such cavern, the princess you're tasked to pursue at the start of the game can be discovered behind one of these doors, which also happens to be guarded by a dragon. Upon defeating the dragon and rescuing the princess, the hero escorts the maiden back to the castle and is welcomed with open arms. Although some players may take minor details like this for granted today, the fact that the townspeople/castle-folk changed their dialogue in response to your actions was relatively groundbreaking for its time.
After rescuing the princess, one would think the quest is over, right? Wrong! There's an evil overlord who needs to be vanquished and your next objective is to travel to each corner of the map in search of special relics in order to gain access to his secret lair. The NPCs in the various towns speak in riddles and provide vague clues regarding points of interest on the map. One person speaks of a flute that must be used on a golem in a village named Cantlin and another teases a hidden item that can be discovered underfoot at a specific location. Finally, wise old men in shrines provide the juicy details, such as a staff of rain needed to make a bridge appear and proof of a hero's birthright to (presumably) become a true dragon warrior. Regardless, if you put the game down for a period of time and you're not taking notes, prepare to be lost upon loading your save file. Fortunately, I wrote down most details when I could and I'm likely nearing the end of the journey.
Final Steps
I believe I'm a few steps away from reaching the final dungeon. I have a golem to beat in Cantlin (which I don't think I'm properly leveled for) and a location or two I've yet to discover on the map before I reach what is presumably the overlord's castle. Fortunately, I discovered the location of the fan-favorite Metal Slimes on my own, so let the grinding commence. I've been doing my best not to use a guide nor have I been abusing the save-state features available on the mobile version. If I fall in combat, I either deal with the loss of gold or load a prior save-point and make amends with the time lost. A part of me wants to experience the original home console version too, but for now, the convenience of playing the mobile port has given me a new perspective on an old classic.