16-Bit Gems - #32: Dragon Quest I & II

[@DavideLattuca]

God bless this kind of videos, they are ageless, just as these magnificent games. Thank you for these spectacular reviews of these wonderful games. One day in like 2200 maybe people will watch this video to get a culture on this already lost era of gaming. 8 years later the release of this video I'm telling you good fucking job man. Please come back sometime with more video like this.

[@papapingas1797]

i used to watch this guy years ago i miss his old stuff

[@AE-jo2fy]

I'm only 21 and guys like this helped not only to get me into games from another age, but also help show me the culture and knowledge of the gaming scene. this man, his associates and thier work will alsway hold a special place in my heart.

[@NesSumSimpson]

Yuji put it perfect, that is what I enjoyed about the old school grinding. It made you appreciate what it was you were trying to get or achieve.

[@CyborgNinja7]

I disagree with your view on the GBC remakes. I just finished the first game, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, enough to surprise me that such an old game could be so much fun. In no way is it text-heavy like other RPGs: at most, characters speak three sentences. Usually just one. So the small screen was not a problem. The only problem with the small screen I had was it could be difficult to find your way in the overworld.

[@allyssa3733]

I really love Dragon Quest

[@diegoarmando5489]

Dragon Quest would have done better in the West if Nintendo had skipped the first two games and brought 3 over in 1989.

[@lvx_rose]

@@diegoarmando5489 that actually could've worked well, then have this snes 1&2 version. It would've also been chronological that way. Haha

[@switch1e]

I remember watching this channel as a kid. Takes me back.

[@DavideLattuca]

❤️

[@ConnerTheWaffle]

I agree, Roo is GREAT when it comes to doing videos about RPG's!

[@octoroc85]

Had to come back an re-watch your Dragon Quest videos. Can't wait for Dragon Quest XI.

[@michaelanderson8464]

it was Christmas 1987 i was setting up the new nes for my son so he could dive right in i subscribed to Nintendo Power and we got Dragon Warrior 2 as a bonus for Subscribing i was testing the game to see if it was any good the next thing i know my son is tapping me on the shoulder asking is that mine I turned red and handed him the controller and said its good really really good...

[@gamerelated8985]

No you didn't lol the game came out January 1987 they stopped giving the game away August of 1987.... So your whole story is bullshit...

[@ect893]

I just love the way the hero sashays around the overworld in the original 'Dragon Quest' game, never ever turning his back to the audience... Welcome back, Roo! Another gem of a Gem.

[@petsematarykeeper]

never cease to amaze me!! 16 bit gems is THE best series on video games on youtube. I can watch them over and over again and learn something new everytime!!

[@spiffy72985]

Roo, let me say this on behalf of all fans out there: PLEASE never stop making these videos as long as you are able! Heck, if you run out of games, go to 8-bit gems, 32-bit gems, hell even do MAINSTREAM 16-bit gems (chrono trigger, FF6, etc) You are FAR AND AWAY the best, most informative retro review/history collection of videos on YT, bar none, and please don't stop anytime soon!

[@MrMathLeB]

There is so much attention to details and accuracy in your videos, it really shows the passion you have for these. I would like to thank you for making these, I really enjoy every one of your videos!

[@BaoZakeruga]

You've convinced me to give the originals a try.

[@DenniselAzul]

The first Dragon Quest never came to Europe but we had the anime. In Spain Roto/Loto/Eldrick was named "Fly" and the anime was named "The adventures of Fly" in Spain. I know in Italy the anime was named "The knight of the dragon".

[@TheFloodFourm]

I remember watching this video years ago and only now have I finally gotten around to playing these games via the phone port and I love them! Especially Dragon Quest 2. He calls it the black sheep but I think its the best. Its the perfect blend between classic JRPG without too much customization to worry about but an amazing amount of stuff to explore and unique situations to find yourself in.

[@BubblegumCrash332]

2019 and I still come back to this video!! Im still holding out for season 5 lolz

[@OzymandiasWasRight]

Yup, few times a year I do the same. Its kinda sad, but at least I'm not the only one.

[@macneto1984]

Sad?

[@papilloneffect4015]

I always come back to your videos. I realize you aren't making 16-bit Gems anymore. However, I just wanted to thank you for the time you put into these. Comprehensive and entertaining. I hope you still realize that you we value you and everything you've done. Stay fuzzy, my pickle.

[@theflyingninja1]

I love the care, attention and knowledge that goes into these videos. Theres no stone left unturned.

[@fabs680]

Love these videos! I'm on hiatus from playing Dragon Quest 8 on PS2. This got me hyped to continue!

[@oopopp]

You can see Eldrick's tombstone in Final Fantasy...

[@Angel13691]

For thou must findeth the balls

[@tbb033]

Depends on the version. In some the tombstone is for Link instead.

[@Hoopydoo]

ror- i see what you did there...

[@Silverwind87]

And Link's tomb in Dragon Quest.

[@ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

A little of both. I personally knew nothing of the Japanese language starting out, but have learned as I create more videos. Plus, I had some great help with with the language in the last few episodes (check the credits!)

[@Helvetica_Scenario]

Hell of a history lesson, Roo. Love this series.

[@SuperTeeter64]

I am so happy you reviewed these games and talked about the series in a whole. It's just SO underrated. Love Dragon Quest series. My text tone is the Level Up noise. Haha. Great job on this video!

[@ashleymcmullin1892]

I was one of the kids who played Dragon Warrior through Nintendo Power and did this game ever redefine an entire medium. Video games were never the same again.

[@BrenTenkage]

watching this while grinding in Dragon Quest 11...Roo I miss your videos :(

[@OleMenn]

- Waited months on end for a new 16 Bit Gem - Got yet another RPG review - Hoping the next one will be something different - Was promised yet another RPG review - Drank to forget Seriously though, Roo is the man. The amount of effort and research put into this series is absolutely mind-boggling. I guess I'm just still hoping for more stuff akin to Sunset Riders or Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood, which is more up my alley. That's my opinion right there.

[@Animebryan2]

A word of warning to those who play DQ2 on a SNES Emulator. Stay away from the Beran inn! Normally, the Prince of Cannock becomes ill & you must give him a 'Leaf of the World Tree' in order to cure him. However, if you do, the game will get stuck in an infinite text loop, causing you to reset or reload a save state.

[@DrewKane]

+Animebryan2 I had this problem! Another BIG WARNING: You will see Prince of Cannock at the inn where you first encounter him *while he is already in your party*. Do NOT speak with him, or else you will lose the princess as he rejoins your party and the game transports you to an earlier state that is a bug.

[@Animebryan2]

+Drew Kane Wow, I didn't even know about that one. Thanks for the heads up.

[@boobio1]

This happens on all emulators and even real hardware; it is a bug from the English translation that was never fixed.

[@excrono]

Animebryan2 There is much more nasty bug if you talk to the priest at the temple in Rhone, after beating the game. This is also a text loop, and you'll have to do Hargon/Malroth again to see the ending.

[@Animebryan2]

Wow! I didn't even know about that one either! Makes me want to stay away from the SNES version & stick with the GBC version instead. I wonder if these bugs are listed in gameFAQs.

[@FadeDragontear]

LOL at the pronunciation lesson mid video, very well made and informative. You Rock Roo!

[@AE-jo2fy]

This video was suprisingly formative for me! It taught me that thing about the Japanese language and gave me some real insight into how older game mechanics can still be valid from a game design standpoint! Great video!

[@BakshisMouse]

This is so informative! I don't think anyone else has done as good of a job of explaining this series to an English-speaking audience!

[@historymaker118]

Oh how I've missed my retro game trivia. Welcome back, can't wait to see more episodes!

[@manofthehour114]

Best video game history lessons on KZbin. Keep them coming!

[@TylerBelmont]

I thought to myself "Hey, i just learned about that R and L sound in Japanese not too long ago"... but then i realized i learned it from you on a stream you did in the timeframe of "not too long ago". :)

[@vriskaserket467]

I don't know why but experience grinding is kind of calming for me, whenever I'm pissed I will just grind and feel relaxed again.

[@spectrevampire]

Shits Fucked Sometimes I like to put on a Spotify playlist and just level up for about an hour (I'm like this with most RPGs in general). It's great for when you wanna play a game without getting caught up in the plot.

[@cartmanbeer]

Another fantastic video Roo - I have never played any of the DQ games, so it is interesting to see the roots of modern JRPG's. Looking forward to the next one!

[@Zedekar9000]

Great transcition at the end from 8bit to orchestra.

[@Vyz3r]

Awesome episode like always, and great to have you back, Roo.

[@hypersonic1337]

Nice to have you back. Love your vids. I actually first experienced DQ/DW through the gameboy version and Dragon Warrior Monsters. And I always knew the hero as Loto. But either way. I love this series

[@cerberus144]

A good episode as usual. I only discovered your show a month or so ago. You inspired me to watch an walk through of dragon quest 8

[@Happytreefriendsfan3]

Excellent episode Roo! You've became my favorite internet reviewer.

[@12201185234]

I always liked the grinding in JRPGs. It was always an appealing little dopamine loop for me.

[@hcpnator]

I miss Roo

[@anonamatron]

Did he die or something?

[@hcpnator]

@@anonamatron no he retired

[@Morgil27]

I recently got my hands on the original NES versions of the first three games. I'm currently about midway through the second game. For such old-school RPGs, they're actually pretty fun. I've never played anything from this franchise before, but that's definitely changing, since i'm currently hunting down more of the games.

[@zackschilling4376]

Definitely check out Dragon Quest VIII any way you can - the 3DS port is like $100 bucks now, I know the PS2 version - the original - is a lot cheaper but its still like $30-40 I think. Its the best IMO,

[@Morgil27]

@@zackschilling4376 well in the four yeas since that original comment, I have played all the numbered DQ games, including 8, which I got for regular price at a Walmart. The only ones I had to pay more than retail price for were 6 and 9 on DS, which I paid $90 and $50 for, respectively. And aside from the NES games, everything was was brand new and factory sealed.

[@LostFallenCut]

Wow, this is what a youtube gaming video should be. You sir, are a true professional.

[@j0nnyism]

Best thing about dragon quest is that u keep ur xp when u die. U just lose ur gold and that I can live with

[@algol291]

I didn't like Dragon Warrior until I solved one of the puzzles where an old man says something like "Push on a wall of darkness and the way shall be revealed". So, I looked, saw that all round the room were dark areas behind the wall, and for the first time, experienced what it felt like to solve a competent dialogue puzzle. I was hooked after that... that pendant later on was a bitch to find because the coordinates are backwards. Really cool when I found that as well.

[@caitlinnothhard994]

OMG I waited soooooooooo long for this video. I've been a Dragon Quest/Warrior fan since I was about 10 years old and bought the DQ I&II remake for my GBC. But I'm really excited for your DQIII video since I am one of those people that do believe it is the BEST game in the entire series, not just because of gameplay updates , but also because of how it ties the 3 games together. Also, I REALLY wish they would release the Wii collection here in the states, because it would make me super happy.

[@RodniDemental]

I really appreciate you mentioning the consonant distinctions / similarities with the L and R tongue sounds compared to Japanese languages in terms of pronouncing these letters in our alphabet. I've never seen it explained like this and now it make so much sense, thank you! (I have a personal experience when I was younger with a Japanese foreign exchange student and as a kid we were amused that she couldn't pronounce rooster, and kept saying what sounded like looster to me. I tried to assist her in differentiating but she really struggled with certain words even though could clearly say other words with L and R specifically, but relative to which part thee 'shape of the sound' appear in the particular word. We both found it amusing of course but it's great to add this context, I wish could have understood the shape of tounge in relation to speech to potentially explain this at the time xD)

[@vriskaserket467]

I know this sounds weird but in RPGs I like the black backround in battles. The black backrounds just create surreal feeling. Also whenever I see the black backround and the white outlined windows it reminds me of Mother 1 :D

[@MPThreeee]

great review, but my god. the key change between the 8 bit and orchestrated credit music (and i on no way hold you responsible for it) gave me goosebumps!

[@GameUKShow]

A great video - I haven't ever check out Dragon Quest, mainly because I'm from Europe - I will have to check these out!

[@mediaglitch]

Another awesome episode. so glad i found this channel.

[@jamesstaggs4160]

I bought Dragon Warrior on the NES when it came out. I think I was maybe like 10 or 11. My previous experience with rpgs was limited to Zelda II- A Link to the Past. My favorite part of that game was collecting XP and making my character more powerful. Having cut my teeth on the 2600 as a six year old, then playing games like Super Mario, Trojan, Metroid, Kid Icarus and various other platformers (of course the first Zelda too) Link made me feel so much more connected to the character on the screen. So when I fired up Dragon Warrior man was I ever blown away. There was a pretty girl my age that lived next door and we often stayed over at each other's houses, and without going into detail due to our ages at the time I'll say we were very fond of each other and made more than a few clumsy attempts at becoming adults. The night I got the game she came over to spend the night. I was so obsessed with the game I barely paid the poor girl any attention, and of course she was none too happy about that. This was my first experience (but not my last) with why girlfriends often hate video games- they steal attention away from them. As far as the grinding goes I generally enjoyed that part, although it did get pretty tedious in the late game when it took forever to gain another level. I liked the fact that it was up to me how powerful my character was going to be entering the next dungeon. It also gave me a real rush when I finally got that level, and I could really tell the difference between one level and the next, unlike most of today's games where levels come very quickly or they just don't seem to matter at all, especially with enemy scaling. I loathe enemy scaling. What's the point of gaining levels if my enemy gains levels with me? That monster I ran into at level 3 who I couldn't even scratch then? I want to come back when I'm level 20 and do the same to him.

[@TAHK0]

YOU'RE BACK! I missed you...

[@weofparadigm]

Roo come back!!!

[@MadNoid]

You make me laugh good sir. I'm new to your channel and I'm going through all your videos and I'm loving it. Keep it up !

[@Videogamer80]

Also, I've always liked level grinding. I don't know why, but it's most likely because of a sense of accomplishment.

[@samuelward1148]

Karsten Ngai-Natsuhara I COMPLETELY agree... It seems like we are in the minority though... Sadly... :(

[@josephaether377]

i like possibility of grinding mixed with the possibility of non linear exploration and, if really lucky, getting high level weapons and armor if you listen to the right townsfolk and explore just right. risk and reward and work all together. i will shiver and shake when in an area with scary monsters i know can hurt me...idk; whatever can contribute to my imagination and imaginative investment in the world of the game is the magic for me. also, i dislike when i get unnatural feeling road blocks. idk if i have an exact point. i just thought i would agree with you all ;D

[@classicrockkid345]

Glad to see you back Roo

[@Horzuhammer]

Played through the GBC version of Dragon Quest 1 today. I've never before played any game in the series for like more than ten minutes, and actually I haven't really played any JRPGs for a very long time for that matter, with the exception of the Mother series. Today however when I started DQ1, I got immediately hooked. I even grinded for better gear for nearly the first hour and had a blast doing it. I ended up playing the game until the sucker was beat. I played on my trusty PSP, and for most of the time, I had the emulator's "turbo mode" in use, which makes the game run on about 1.5x speed. I'm really glad I thought of trying it. You don't lose a thing playing the game a bit faster. Next I'll play Dragon Quest III:s GBC version. That game actually has more fluent speed naturally, so no turbos required.

[@tripdefect87]

Glad to see you back Roo, I was afraid that you had abandoned the series for good

[@CarrowMind]

When it comes to grinding, I really don't ind it. I'm from the West, the side of the globe that stereotypically doesn't enjoy grinding, due to differences in personalities as well as storytelling tropes. In the East, grinding has its roots in "Bitter Work" of their philosophy, that a hero is only a hero because they worked hard for their strength and skill. While in the West, the concept of the "Chosen One" is more popular, a hero who is destined to be great no matter what, and innately possesses the powers they need to defeat their enemies from the very begining. To me, grinding, especially in old school games like this is very soothing and rewarding. I can comfortably spend hours running back and forth in between a town and the nearest 100 or so square block around it, killing the same enemies over and over again in order to see the slow but steady incremental gains. There is something comforting and cosy about venturing a short distance from the town, spending a while grinding away then heading back to a place you're slowly getting to know more and more to heal and trade. The older Pokemon games were fantastic at this, the amount of times I spent grinding away outside of certain towns to level up my team before a gym battle must easily be in the thousands of hours, and I don't consider a single second of that wasted! What's funny is that the simpler the game and the simpler its mechanics, the more rewarding it is for me, simply because of its simplicity. The more things I need to keep track of, the more features that I need to remember and keep an eye on, the more tedious grinding becomes. But if all you need to worry about is "kill X monsters to level to Y, while at the same time afford Z item upgrade", then its all the more satisfying and rewarding when I do eventually achieve that goal. I'm even happy when I overlevel a particular area, while others might find it dull to completely shatter the challenge and sweep through the content, I find it pleasurable to do so since I know I could only achieve such a feat through my own hard work, one-shotting enemies is so much more gratifying if its because you worked hard in order to do so!

[@OnechanbaraWii]

Oh sweet baby Jesus, I have been waiting quietly for these reviews.

[@lvx_rose]

Nice shout-out to Metropolis, I love that movie, and Dragon Quest II.

[@sylvesterolveda66]

And now they are all on the Switch!! I just beat all three of them! Three is my favorite so far. Fixing to start dragon quest 4.

[@LeonisBraefer]

Welcome back Roo!

[@LokoJoe6]

I know the video is old but pretty good man, DQI and II are worth to be played if you are a jrpg fan. Very well explained 😄

[@disciple012]

Where did you get that 8-bit pixel art of the main character from DQ1 carrying Gwaelin? That is awesome!

[@krenedel]

Hooray! It's only been 16 years sice the last 16-bit gems! Yay!

[@jooisgod]

why arent these videos more popular, their crazy entertaining

[@KarlBonner1982]

The SNES remake of DQ2 really balanced out the characters and their relative strengths. In particular the Prince of Cannock has better weapon options plus his Firebane spell is more powerful.

[@MicMacIRL]

Thank you for finallycoming back

[@ADDatWorkProductions]

Ahh, Good to have you back Mr. Bonertown!

[@notyoursavior78]

Good ol' Dragon Quest. I got II and IV on my android device. It's nice revisiting them even if Dragon Quest IV was a lot easier this time around compared to the NES version (and it wasn't just controlling your party in Chapter V). BTW I liked Horii's explanation for grinding. Personally I always called it training because I often found it fun. Plus also when I got older it was fun to just take wild risks to see how far you could make it. It was a way to make rpgs really thrilling much like a horror/suspense game.

[@ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

True enough - though I haven't tried it myself. Plus there's the constant threat of Nintendo updates breaking the mod if you aren't careful. Valid point regardless!

[@SinkingStarship]

I first played these games on the GBC, and I'm in the middle of DQ2 for Super Famicom. Good job explaining what makes these games so great. Since I "grew up" with the GBC-era names, the hero will always be Loto to me. III is good, but personally I'd say that V, VII, or VIII are the best ones in the series.

[@ClanOfTheGrayWolf]

Good to be back!

[@sir0nion]

I love that Horii quote. You got to have that strong work ethic to see the beautiful view. Roo, have you ever heard of Shadowrun on SNES? I think that would be a good candidate for 16 Bit Gems. It was an RPG with a cyber punk setting. Its music really made the game.

[@SoulStBlues]

LOL! The 'Birth of a Nation' reference actually got a " o.O " out of me before you switched.

[@TheDrunkenCelt]

The birth of a nation bit gave me a good chuckle.

[@loupetron]

As usual, awesome video! Informative and well scripted!

[@cutcc]

This was very enjoyable! Awesome documentary style videos ^^

[@jdfalcon08]

As a historian, I would love to see a national video game registry someday.

[@brillopad6901]

I wish we would of got Final Fantasy II III & IV on the NES to go along with the 4 Dragon Warriors, I seriously would of never made it to school on time and would probably of never got any homework done though if we did. Lol still would of loved it. Dragon Warrior 1-4 are so epic for that time period.

[@PaleHorseShabuShabu]

Final Fantasy IV was never released on NES or the Famicom.

[@brillopad6901]

Pale Horse I know I said I wished they would of

[@SageOwl]

Pale Horse Oh it was, just by those silly chinese bootleggers. And it sucks, badly.

[@8-BitEric]

welcome back roo. good stuff!

[@ATOMICoWAFFLEo]

This video was awesome! I love Dragon Quest and have never actually played the first 3. I want to even more now tho. I think my personal favorite of the series is DQ 8. It's one of my favorite games of all time. Great video!

[@proach6]

man really loved the vid came here from remag on gamesstation subscriber well earned

[@StrangerX9]

So nice, I had to watch it twice!

[@yokosmeargle]

More than worth the wait

[@Crolon]

I second that! Well said mister. And a lot of appreciation for you Mr. Roo.

[@daviddragoon82]

Been enjoying the DS verisons you mentioned, going to check out Dragon Quest 1 and 2 never played them, great job Roo!

[@Clarensee]

Thank you, a pleasure to watch.

[@rileytheenderguy8192]

Hey, they're all available on IOS and Android/Google Play now.

[@Feelin_DanDy]

I myself have not dipped into the Dragon Quest series at all yet, but I would like to in the future.

[@theguy3851]

RIP Koichi Sugiyama

[@Raichu2722]

I can't wait for your Dragon Quest 5 & 6 review.

[@largolagrande]

Finally... a new episode!

[@rob098890]

Very interesting stuff, love from one of Pats fans

[@ThirdWaveCrave]

Roo, I love you because you finally put a single one of my ponderings to rest: Is there another human out there that shares my opinions of Indiana Jones?

[@samuelward1148]

Amazing video as always... But at first, I totally thought that, in your intro, you were saying "This is the roof of the clan of the grey wolf." Yeah, I'm an idiot.

[@TheLunarLegend]

Must. Find. Now! I swear I cried when my GBC games stopped working.