Daria & SuperDerek Review Mystic Quest [SNES]

[@zborgerd]

I actually think that this game gets way too much unwarranted hate, and I quite enjoyed it back when I was a kid. I beat this game several times over. And this was after I'd already had several years of console RPG experience, beating several Dragon Warrior and FF games, among others. It was a good play while I was waiting for other stuff. It's approaching 30 years old now. There have been so many better games that came before and after this one, but if you look at it for what it was in the early '90s, it's actually a charming game with some good music and reasonably fun exploration. I also recommend manually controlling the ally. You have a lot more control over what happens in battle that way and can fly through most of the encounters once you understand the weaknesses, which are mostly simple elemental spells. Not to mention that it's a better game than FF 13. Ha.

[@DuoBeard]

Zach B - I love this game, the OST is top notch

[@o0Azure0o]

I agree wholeheartedly. I had dipped my toe into a few other RPGs. Link to the Past, I think Super Mario RPG had come out at the point I played Mystic Quest, but there was something to Middle School me who really enjoyed this silly little game. The end boss "glitch" as it were is some of my favorite stories to tell. Making the boss switch 3 forms in one spell is comical. All in all, the shrug is great, the simplicity of it is fantastic, and everyone has their right to their opinions! Sorry our fantastic friends Daria and Derek didn't enjoy it as much.

[@Demaeter]

Im not sure about the invisible enemies being for "training" for random encounters. The first time it happens on the Pyramid you can actually find the Magic Mirror that reveals all the hidden enemies on the Dungeon right away. Happens again on the Volcano until you find the Gas Mask. Probably just some other game mechanic they wanted to introduce and i see a lot of people complaining about those invisible enemies, most of the time its from people that rush the game and dont look up for treasure so maybe its more about "Hey check all the corners for treasure first or you might have a bad time missing out on some items". Party members being strong alone is half the work you still need to catch up and find better gear for your character they are more like a guideline on what level you need to be and how well geared you should aim to be in order to progress. Also this features nice things as you said the jump button but another one i like a lot is how enemies change their sprites based on how damaged they get. A nice pointer to check their hidden health numbers. I did like the review but it seems like you both just ran the game for this video instead of exploring it well for an indepth review. Game has its charm as well as its problems glad you guys gave it a try. And yeah Kaeli is a pretty cool Girl with an Axe ;)

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I think you'd appreciate my friend's podcast if you have an hour to kill and reeeeaallly want to get indepth on analyzing Mystic Quest: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIG7n3Zsi9yclZo

[@RadishDoctor]

Special Note: Final Fantasy as a main series didn't get a jump designated button until Final Fantasy 15

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Dragon Quest XI has one too now!

[@lhfirex]

Don't be so hard on Dragoons, man! Nah but really, I guess if you don't count the MMOs... FF14 had jumping when they relaunched it back in 2014. Though I don't think it helps much in that game.

[@lnsflare1]

Good thing that you specified the main series, considering (at least) Dissidia Final Fantasy and World of Final Fantasy.

[@Kadaspala]

I liked Mystic Quest. I mean, yeah -- super basic plot and gameplay and everything. But I still liked it. It was charming, plus stuff like using weapons as tools, enemy sprites changing as they lose HP, great soundtrack, etc...good stuff. I mean maybe if I revisited it nowadays it'd be underwhelming, but I loved it as a kid. And I even played it after I had already played FF6, Chrono Trigger, etc -- so it's not as if I hadn't experienced legit RPGs.

[@Eener1000]

I find myself picking this game up again every once in a while and still liking it. It is very quick and easy to get into where other better rpgs take ages to get going and you really need to sit down for. I love the upbeat quirky story and characters and how little tedium there is (no slogging through random encounters just trying to cross a room) Most of the time in FF6 I spend hammering the A button during battles to get them over with aswell so meh, the combat here didn't bother me as much. And every now and then I discover something in or about the game I hadn't noticed before. (Some dialogue, dieing during the introduction battle, a hidden item or janky spell use during battle)

[@8thLife]

Such a great duo! I hope you two continue to do more videos together.

[@EvilCronos13]

How can you make a review for mystic quest without mentioning its best feature? The soundtrack and nostalgia are the primary reason to play the game in my opinion. Also, Ben really isn't that weak and keeps passing and then being surpassed by his companions throughout the game. Also, the game is supposed to be pretty easy and they usually give you the spell that is going to be good in the next area before you get there, making it somewhat obvious what to use in battle.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I don't know about Derek, but I don't discuss music in my videos. I do pick out my favorite tracks and use them as the background for the review though. So the music has definitely not been ignored.

[@theobscurestash6537]

Thank you for using the ultimate badass concept art Katsuya Terada did for this game for the thumbnail! That _Mystic Quest HD_ remake sure is an enigma on it's own too.

[@TheFirstTriplefife]

I think one of the things I remember most fondly about Mystic Quest was the animation for a monsters health transitioning from healthy to badly injured. They need more of that in RPGs in general. Yeah its a little bit more work to throw in a extra animation or 2, but it feels more realistic and it looks a lot better. It was probably one of the things that made the combat more tolerable for me when I played this game way back in the day.

[@Soumein]

It also gives the player an idea of how close they are to beating a boss. Only changed his sprite once? You're barely 1/4 through its HP pool.

[@lenia272]

i agree, i actually loved finding out what the damaged sprites would look like

[@NickEnlowe]

I will always love Mystic Quest for its goofiness, its great music, and its speedrunning potential.

[@jmarx3943]

I wasn't exactly an rpg veteran when I played this game...i had beaten FF4 and Lunar before I played this...but i have some decent memories of playing this game. Unfortunately, when I tried playing it again a few years ago, it just didn't do anything for me anymore. I appreciate it for what it was, but I'm done with it. Thanks for the review, Daria. You never disappoint. Your collaborations with super Derek are always welcomed

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Yeah before Derek suggested playing it, I kind of liked Mystic Quest. I had never beaten it, but liked what I had experienced. Playing though the whole game was tedious.

[@resinblade99]

Nice to hear an unbiased analysis of the game. My first JRPGs were Dragon Warrior I and Final Fantasy I, so I was a teenager when I first played Mystic Quest. The game felt really condescending to me then and overall it was just a really substandard experience (I did finish it). I suppose it could work as a first introduction to JRPGs, but honestly I feel it sets the bar too low. Someone is much better off playing an authentic JRPG as an intro.

[@TheGameGrinder]

Great review and fair points all around! I've always been in a "it's not good but it's not bad" camp. Maybe it was the music and silliness that saves it for me. At this point though, I don't see myself replaying it again. I've already ran through it a few times in my life, and I think that's enough.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I'm glad Derek picked this one, because although I'd played it before I'd never even come close to beating it. I'm glad to say that I've put in under my belt and now will probably never touch it again. But yeah, it wasn't bad, and had a lot of really cool things going for it that I'm glad to have experienced.

[@TheGameGrinder]

I do listen to the OST from time to time, some great tracks on there!

[@Regdren]

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a game I like to talk about a lot more than I like to play. For an introduction to Final Fantasy, it does an awful job. It's turn based, unlike most other FF games. It uses a freaking VANCIAN magic system, and not even the same kind as FF1. It's basically its own separate entity, which they should have seen coming considering that the game's director had previously worked on the SaGa series rather than FF. I'd especially like to note the game's difficulty. For the most part it's dead easy, but there are times when the 2 person party design causes a serious problem. There are instant death effects. Petrify effects. All kinds of nasty late game stuff. It turns out that having a party of only 2 people can make the line between "doing fine" and "total party wipe" extremely thin! Which, I guess, is also consistent with a director whose specialty is SaGa games. Watch some speed runs, it's not so much a case of will they party wipe, but how can they minimize the time lost due to party wipes.

[@calebbenoit4862]

I freaking LOVE your reviews Daria. Love your voice and delivery. Even though our opinions differ often :) Keep it up!

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Thank you, although after editing this video I'm very jealous of whatever audio setup Derek has going on. That man's voice is as smooth as butter.

[@TheCompletionist]

I actually have a lot of fondness for this title because from my memory it was the first jrpg that I've ever beaten. I know the game has its hates and it has a huge ton of flaws but I think beyond the flawed experience there is still something to enjoy about this rpg for beginners. While it may not be the best jrpg to start someone off on, I think it can teach some basic aspects to a young or inexperienced player. I certainly got my enjoyment out it. I enjoyed it so much that this game is fully completed to 100% and it is permanently retired for good. I even have a how to complete video for this game done on my channel. Regardless of how I feel about the game, people are well within their right to harp on the game for as much as they like because it does have its share of problems. At least you covered how cure can be such a broken spell on the boss especially when it causes 5 digit damage.

[@DusBeforeDawn2008]

I had a european version of MQ and the Dark King was weak to Cure in that

[@Emufreak]

Yes I can confirm that.

[@theflyingninja1]

@@Emufreak yup. Same.

[@ozzydio7233]

And guess which RPG was the first one i've ever beaten as an 8 year old child, and made me love the genre?

[@mopeybloke]

Final Fantasy IV?

[@ozzydio7233]

unfortunatly not, in Europe there was no Final Fantasy before 7. Some of my friends even believed that there weren't any entries in the series before the PS1 game.

[@mopeybloke]

But the title has 7 in it. I actually played 4 first, but I didn't like it so I only came back to the series after 7.

[@DuoBeard]

Torgeist - Dragon Quest 2?

[@lnsflare1]

Planescape: Torment?

[@YoshMaster]

What!? Mystic Quest is so good! It’s my go-to when I want to relax! The music is perfect!! The game is relaxing, simple. I beat it 1-2 times every year..

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Spoiler: I ended the review liking it.

[@YoshMaster]

DariaPlaysRPGs sounded more like “tolerating it” 😝 but I think this is the kind of game you had to play at 8-12 yr old to really “love it”. I think the soundtrack is one of the main reason I still want to play so often! It’s part of my soul! 😛

[@NovaSaber]

Fun fact: only Benjamin can damage the Dark King with Cure. Why? Because it's an overflow glitch where it heals so much the game interprets it as a large negative number, and Phoebe's magic is so high that the overflow goes all the way back into positive numbers.

[@EdreesesPieces]

You guys are absolutely hilarious and at the same time this is the best review i've seen of this game. Kudos.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Awww... thanks! :P

[@Jordan3DS]

I remember beating this game in one sitting a couple of years back. My brain felt like it was legitimately melting by the end of it... I will say that the Final Boss was actually pretty interesting, though. I missed out on getting Benjamin's cure spell earlier in the game, so I had no choice but to do it legit, making the fight much more tense.

[@bobsamurai]

I don't see whats wrong with having the ability to restart a boss battle if you die. There are several successful games with this feature, iirc it was an option in the later xenosaga games. I hate having to walk all the way through a dungeon to fight a boss again and again. plus the functionality of wood type enemies being weaker against axes sounds cool. did he dab when he woke up @ 7:43? lol. also the added jump feature is really awesome and most JRPGS today don't feature a jump button, even if they're open world. I haven't played this and I doubt I could get into it because it just doesn't look to be a very good story but there are some cool sounding features the game has

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I don't have a problem with restarting boss battles. It's really convenient. Were you commenting in response to something I said, or Derek? Also the no jump in modern games lends itself to some amusingly awkward situations, like the hero helplessly banging his shins on low fences and plants that any real life person would simply step over.

[@frogmancometh1430]

very funny! i remember one summer playing this at a family rental cabin at Waskesiu Lake maybe 16 years ago; i got to a certain point and the game kept freezing, but overall i didn't mind that i couldn't keep playing

[@GowtuGames]

My first JRPG, loved it at the age of 10 or something. Didn't even know it was Final fantasy till way later, in EU its just called Mystic Quest.

[@ozzydio7233]

by the way, don't forget Mystic Quest for the Game Boy. The confusion was real in europe!

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

The commercials didn't help either. ALmost used one for the video, as it's pretty much a live action recreation of the SNES Mystic Quest cover art - but for the gameboy tv advert. Like... why?

[@ozzydio7233]

just watched it on youtube because i've never seen this one when i was a kid, and you're right, this is ridiculous

[@shouryuuken4147]

Not 100% sure, but wasn't the European commercial for Mystic Quest on the GameBoy just a rebranded version of the (American?) Zelda: a Link to the Past commercial? You can find it here on KZbin. The (original?) Zelda commercial has an additional scene where the mountain is shown from far away and it has "Zelda" and the Hylian shield carved into it, similar to Mount Rushmore.

[@ozzydio7233]

oh my god, you're right, but it's the snes version from Mystic Quest! This is so weird, what we're they thinking. But we european got the ultra rad rapping and dancing zelda commercial!

[@mtaur4113]

Petrify shouldn't really be a thing in a 2-character party game, though....... It's been a long time, but I assume Derp Dude ended up mostly being there as an extra body to take and heal debuffs. It's not very fun or engaging to spend entire turns waiting for the status ailment cycle of pain to break by the mercy of RNGsus...

[@mtaur4113]

Oh, Mystic Quest, you were....... not bad...

[@abbisarchive8199]

Ooh I’ve been excited about this one for a while! Just gotta finish my hwk, but I’m very excited to watch :)

[@allenyates3469]

Mystic Quest is super fun. I've played it over and over since I was a kid. As I got older I started adding challenges. Don't open chests more than once, don't engage in any non essential battles, and don't do any battle grounds. Load from last save when you lose a fight.

[@hungrygoriya]

I played Mystic Quest right after finishing up Ultima IV and really enjoyed it. It had so many quality of life changes that really made a difference for me given what I had just completed, but I definitely acknowledge lots of things you mentioned here. I found the game a lot tougher than I expected and without that "retry" option at the end of bigger battles, it would've been even more difficult!

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I was really taken back with the battle difficulty. Like I thought this was supposed to be the easy game!

[@hungrygoriya]

@@DariaPlaysRPGs I definitely appreciated being able to try again, but sometimes I just had to admit that I was underprepared and had to start again from an earlier point. That petrification was especially a nightmare to deal with.

[@JFlickinger82]

I've always thought it would be cool if they made a sequel that kept things like jumping and the items in dungeons, but got rid of the training wheels stuff and made it more like a regular RPG.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

You'd like Shadows of Adam, indie game but it's pretty much Mystic Quest if it were a good RPG. :P

[@JFlickinger82]

I'll check it out, thanks!

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Oh I should have probably posted my review link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iauqm355jJlkj68

[@purpledawn2727]

I have never played through this game, but I have heard that soundtrack. The music is suprisingly good.

[@PragmatikReviews]

I know this was supposed to be watered down, but would adding more challenge make it more appealing to you? I'm genuinely curious. The only thing I really remember about this game was the weird shoulder shrug the main character would always do.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Not necessarily, I would have liked a more interesting battle system that either didn't throw so many enemies my way or was faster so that I didn't care. As an example. Shadows of Adam took the Mystic Quest presentation and matched it up with a fun combat system perfectly. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iauqm355jJlkj68

[@Hayastantzi92]

it's perfect for any Beginner to RPG's, even as a Veteran myself i enjoyed playing it

[@lenia272]

its a decent game for what it was and i have no real negativity to add about it. its not as AAA gamebreaking for its time as most FF games but that doesnt make it bad. actually to the contrary it was short and easily playable without having to get too long invested in and even though i prefer the super long games to this day like DQ 11 and octopath there are times in between games where i just really need a shorter less involved game to get me inbetween big releases and even now in 2018 ive played mystic quest as such a game. think of it as a less involved easy to understand/play short rpg "lite" version of a steriotypical final fantasy story/game for its time.

[@DuoBeard]

I’ve been waiting for this review FOREVER!!!

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Heh sorry, hey did you know that today is Mystic Quest's 26th birthday? :P

[@DuoBeard]

DariaPlaysRPGs - oh really!? We’re nearing the 30th anniversary remake :P

[@thingsiplay]

This game was the first rpg I ever played. We in Germany did not got many rpg titles and we never got Chrono Trigger, any Final Fantasy and no Earthbound on the SNES. So, I was unexperiented and really liked the concept of rpgs. The soundtrack is phenomenal. So, this game have its place in my heart.

[@EarthwormHam]

I enjoyed playing this during my childhood. Perhaps it was because, back then, I didn't know better. Perhaps it was because I had way more time and attention to devote to playing video games. Perhaps it was because of the amazing music... especially when you get a preview of Doom Castle in that little room. Though I don't intend to return to this game anytime soon, I appreciate my memories of it. Always glad to see folks giving FF: Mystic Quest some attention. Great review =D

[@Mintcar923]

D&D Daria & Derek!! Now that’s something to get excited about

[@FinalBaton]

I got burned so bad by this one back in the day. Lol. I was a RPG veteran by then so this was straight up insulting... Nice video you two! That was fun

[@AruwakEM]

Very unfair review. This is the first RPG I ever played, and if you guys gave this game an honest review keeping in mind the time this RPG came out, it was a great game and a real hidden gem, of course it is no Chrono Trigger, but this game is a classic, with great art, unique gameplay and music, everytime I think about this game I get nostalgic, and would recommend everyone with an open mind to play it and just have fun without judging and comparing it to newer RPG's.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I like the game a lot. But it definitely has flaws and I feel Derek and I were very honest about what the game did right and what it got wrong.

[@AruwakEM]

@@DariaPlaysRPGs well the tone of this comment is completely different from the tone and narative of the video itself, indeed you guys did point out some things the game did well, but the overall narative was a negative one. But in any case everyone is entitled to their opinions.

[@ryker3508]

Daria, don't forget JRPG Jungle and JayRPG. They're pretty awesome. Love you and Derek both. It's great to see content creators as enthused about rpgs as I am, with such awesome content. Keep up the awesome work.

[@icarusael]

This game was designed as an introduction to RPGs for young players. This was my first RPG of all time, alongside Final Fantasy IV (I rented both of them when I was about 5 ~ 6 years old) and I must say, Final Fantasy IV is my favorite FF, but back in the days, I enjoyed a lot more FF Mystic Quest. I could not read english when I was young so I did not care for the story, all I knew was that I needed to save the crystals. The graphics are good, the music is one of the most memorable ost of all time. Being able to jump and use weapon/tools outside of battle was very interesting. This game is a masterpiece for the aimed audience, and the world was beautiful. Oh and the enemies changing when they are feeling weak was awesome.

[@sparrow6190]

For me the two most memorable JRPG's i played growing up were Legend of Legaia, and of course FF7. But Golden Sun for GBA holds its own considering its just a GBA game. But nothing will ever compare to the amazing battle system and story of the one and only Legend of Legaia... it really was extremely underrated during its time, but it aged very well and it gets much of the recognition it's owed these days as a great RPG.

[@blazeknight4120]

You delivered! 😃 going to check this one out later!

[@Emufreak]

There was even another trick which made this game even easier, if you buy 0 Potions at a shop and use the non existent potion you get unlimited potions.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Oh that's funny!

[@Cuprite1024]

Honestly, this is one of those games I could see being really good with a rebalance patch or something (I'd be really surprised if that didn't already exist).

[@shouryuuken4147]

While I did enjoy your review and your collaborations, as I like both of your channels, I do not share your rather negative opinion of this game. It seems to me that Mystic Quest gets a bit too much of a bad reputation by Americans and it's always brought up, with a little undertone of resentment, how this game was specifically made as a beginner's introduction to JRPGs and how you got this instead of better JRPGs. Maybe it's a bit of rose-tinted glasses, but back when I was still a child it was a fun and decently challenging game, that really got me into JRPGs.And even though it is pointed out how this game is quite easy, it's still possible to die as could be seen by how your party was wiped out a few times by status effects or how some bosses could be somewhat tough. But this game is really forgiving as you can always start anew or save your game pretty much all the time. It's imho not fun on the other hand, when most other old JRPGs send you back to the last savepoint in town so that you have to play like 30, 60 minutes or more again just because you died in a random encounter or against a boss. This can get old pretty fast and luckily later games have been a bit more liberal with save points, but quite a few other games are rather frugal and have you replaing certain parts over and over again. That's not challenging, but a waste of time. And while the battle system may admittedly be very simple, it still has weaknesses that you can exploit, which is at least something. Actually, some other JRPGs of that time or generation have similar or even less complexity, while other games are just fine with a rock-paper-scissors-principle. A bit of experimentation, or trial and error, is also necessary in other JRPGs and at least Mystic Quest gives you some tells as to what might be effective against certain enemies. Furthermore I would like to point out that the graphics, while somewhat simple, are still quite charming and the enemy designs adorable or cool. I love the little chibi version of the enemies dancing on the map and then the oversized version of them in battle (in typical Square fashion). Moreover their sprites change when they suffer a certain amount of damage. Seeing the Medusas lose part of their snake hair, the Squids some of their arms, the Ice Golemn melting and shrinking, or my personal favorite, the Cerberuses lowering their heads and raising a white flag with their tail, was really fun to see and sometimes adorable as well. This is some attention to detail right there. It was also a cnvenient way to show you, how much life the enemies had left without using life meters or energy bars, which is quite nice, imo. After rambling so much I just wanted to close by saying that this game also has an amazing soundtrack! \m/

[@Chelaxim]

The soundtrack was great but this game was only created because Square thought westerners were to stupid to handle Final Fantasy V.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I also loved the visual cues that the monsters were low on health. Especially the funny ones (of course). I still maintain that Mystic Quest did a lot of things right, I just wish the battles were more engaging. Otherwise, yeah, it's a charming game.

[@shouryuuken4147]

Thank you for your time reading and answering! And I get where you're coming from. I just wanted to share my opinions and hope that I didn't come off as rude. @Michael Lewis That's a rough way to put it. They just assumed that the previous games lacked success because of their difficulty. According to translator Ted Woolsey it was more of an age or different target demographic kind of thing: "The action/adventure players...are larger in numbers and the demographic is different. They tend to be younger and like the idea of jumping straight into the action with a sword in their hands; it's an empowerment issue - you get to go out there, start whacking things and it feels good! With the more traditional RPGs, it takes a good 15 or 20 hours of playing before you're finally hooked." (Source: an interview that was quoted on Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Mystic_Quest#Development) And btw. we Europeans didn't get a mainline Final Fantasy game until 7 and our first Dragon Quest was 8! So what must they have thought about us? haha

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Yeah the "westerners are stupid" theory really isn't fair to either westerners or the Japanese. It was more a marketing thing, and while I don't think it was necessarily the success they were looking for, I can understand the thinking behind it. Besides the game was made by the SaGa team who were already known for being experimental when it came to RPG development in general. also, Shouryuuken, no problem. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. (:

[@japanimationman4442]

Funny, I kinda thought the final boss was a pushover, and I had no idea you could kill him with cure. In fact, I hardly died at all over the course of the game. A few boss fights got me, and the occasional random fight that hits you with the right status ailment, but it wasn't a regular occurrence. Everybody winds up with different experiences of a game, I guess. I did go through all the battle arenas and spent time to find all the secret stuff I could, so I may have been a good deal higher level. I generally found that the main character got more powerful than his companions if you did all the stuff there was to do. What I liked most was how quickly things progressed. It was a game I could play for an hour before work and actually get somewhere. Despite all the battles and thoroughly exploring dungeons, it went by very quickly, and I appreciated that. Somehow modern RPGs manage to take longer even with fewer enemies, so it never reached the point of burnout which seems to be what happened to you. Anyway, good to hear your opinions on it. Keep on rolling.

[@Endarire]

As an elementary schooler who played Mystic Quest after FFI & FFII/IV, I found this a pleasant change. I admit the battles got tiresome and the most frustrating part of the game was the Basin's moving platform puzzle. I even killed all foes in one run to get all the HP and levels I could since I owned the game and wasn't getting another game for weeks or months. Mystic Quest is sorta Final Fantasy + Zelda. Sorta. It wasn't my favorite FF game, but it helped highlight the random battle ickiness from other FF games. Overall, FFMQ was a game probably made for young elementary schoolers like me who wanted more action in a Final Fantasy game. It didn't normally leave the player guessing as to where to go and what to do.

[@RetroIslandGaming]

I rented this one back in the 90s and it sounds like it hasn't aged one bit. I liked the music, that was it. I had already played numerous RPGs on the NES and PC, so this game felt pointless to play. I forgot about the jump button! Love it! It's cool to see Derek on the channel. And yes, everyone should play Shining Force first :D

[@princelorian]

Oh this is a really cool channel, subscribed!

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Awww thank you!

[@BladeEdge86]

I rented this game years ago back in the day and while I didn't hate the game, it did fall a bit short of what I expected. It had good ideas, but could have done a better job of implementing them. For good beginner RPG's I would personally recommend Super Mario RPG or any of the Mario and Luigi Games because they combine familiar platforming mechanics with RPG elements making it a relatively easy learning curve. I would also recommend Earthbound for both its quirky humor and interesting story as well as its relatively easy mechanics, and pretty much any Dragon Quest game III and later as well as Final Fantasy IV.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I agree! Mario RPGs are a great starter. Kids are already invested in the character, and they're generally not too hard.

[@RetroPerspective]

The mechanics made sense if you paid attention to the results of your actions. If something delivered a low amount of damage then try something else. This is normal exploration of a game's details. Benjamin gets much stronger over time and eventually surpasses his companions by leagues when you find mid-late game equipment. I think the only thing that damaged this game were the intentions behind making it. If they gave it a couple more months to flesh out the mechanics with the weapons and action sections, they could have made something many other people would hate less, if at all.

[@joshfloyd]

I love this game! The music alone is badass

[@RetroDigitalus]

The music in Mystic Quest was the best part!

[@Studiofaeltube]

hahaha this game got me into jrpgs THANK YOU MYSTIC QUEST i wouldn't play you again. hahaha

[@Zoomy222]

Love the channel! Make sure to enable Vsync on your emulator and you'll get rid of those nasty screen tears :) I got Mystic Quest in 1992 after I beat FF2. I didn't play it 100 times like FF2, but there were just no choices at the time. You guys mention how it's for beginners, which is true, but also it was one of the first JRPG's to be released (as my memory serves). At least the sound track is banging.

[@Dosunceste]

In the end Mystic Quest was worth it for being a stepping stone toward the greatness of Super Mario RPG (well that and the soundtrack).

[@ZeroScore]

I agree that this is a baby game for babies, but I do feel you were both a little TOO negative...I personally played this as a kid as one of my first FF games, which I guess is why I enjoyed it more, but you did mention some of the neat mechanics like the traversal methods around dungeons and stuff, but just breezed past those innovations to focus on shitting on the other stuff. I'd love to see a more ADULT RPG that takes some of these gadgets like the grappling hook but puts them into a more complex game...but for a "my first RPG" I think it nails what it's trying to do. It shouldn't have an overwhelmingly weird story like all the others do, it should just be interesting to run around in, which it is. I like that the levels feel more puzzle oriented with the jump and items and stuff rather than the usual get into a random battle every 3 steps until you get out of the other side way that most RPGs repetitively play out but have an interesting story to give you incentive to get through the grind. (Again, I totally agree it's an annoyingly simple but also surprisingly frustrating game, though, but it has a special place in my heart as the first FF I beat)

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

You know.... in the end the only negative I gave it were the battles. Which were tedious and too frequent. :P

[@ZeroScore]

@@DariaPlaysRPGs That's the point! Though, I'll admit, in any other rpg the battles being boring would be a total deal breaker, so I get the criticism... But that's why I felt you were too negative AT FIRST since you had such positive things to say by the end, for an rpg that gets everything pretty right except the battle part... Which are even avoidable a lot of the time (and are simple to teach the mechanics)

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

In hindsight I should have skipped the battle arenas but I felt compelled to complete them all. And it really killed my enthusiasm for the dungeons. I'm also a bit biased after having played Shadows of Adam which took everything I loved about Mystic Quest and mixed it with a battle system that was fun to play with.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Also the battles aren't really that avoidable.... if you've played the game enough to know the paths I'm sure you could speed run it pretty efficiently but every dungeon was like, "I gotta go down this one tile wide corridor and it's being guarded by three battles, and oh. That was a dead end to a chest. Let me try this other hallway with four enemies now..." it turned into a chore.

[@mtaur4113]

Lufia 2 had some more advanced stuff going on and had gadget switch fiddling and the like. Very advanced, very hardcore, very grindy. Actually, way too easy to get lost, and had a ton of respawns... but it could be viewed as a grown-up Mystic Quest in a lot of ways, though it's a lot more than that too. Actually, a Lufia 2 review was the first Daria video I ever saw.

[@mopeybloke]

I believe the only reason for party members to be more powerful than Benji is that he can level up and they can't. They always come with the appropriate power to fight the section's boss. I just don't get Phoebe is so strong. I thought she was a kid.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

That makes sense. I didn't mind the over leveled companions though.

[@vashstarwind36]

I never really liked this game, buut, HCBailly kind of pointed out that it has some of the same artwork/art desingers as, Final Fantasy Legend III for Game Boy. That is by far my favorite Game Boy game ever.

[@darkrulerbob]

awww mang. i love derer and daria. now they are making a video together. its not even my bday.

[@DaR-Cee]

I never saw this game back in the day, didn't even found out it existed until the emulation scene exploded in the lat 90s.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I didn't either, but I grew up in a Sega-centric bizarro world.

[@theflyingninja1]

Time has taken the shine off this game. I live in the UK, and I got this game the week it was released. And I can confirm that back in the day, it was a popular and well received game. Most of the flaws you point out are only flaws with the benefits of hindsight.

[@lhfirex]

I like the music a lot, but I don't think the game even succeeded in teaching players how to play RPGs. The solution to difficult fights in FFMQ is to grind all the enemies and battlefields (if you do that, the game is REALLY easy and the hero winds up way stronger) and "go grind out some levels" should always be the last resort in RPGs instead of the first/best one. Though I can definitely see why they felt the need to make an easier FF game. The JP version of FF4 is pretty hard, and it follows up FF3, which is even harder, so I bet they got a lot of fan feedback saying they felt like FF games were getting too hard in Japan. May as well make an easier one intended to be an intro to RPGs, especially since the SNES/SFC was pulling in new gamers.

[@Eener1000]

I love Mystic Quest. It has great atmosphere, great music, cute graphics (like how all the items etc have graphics) and I love how streamlined it is while still allowing for some decent depth. This game isn't simply dumbed down, it also cuts away a lot of the tedium from other rpgs. This game leaves some mysteries so the world feels bigger then it actually is. Nowadays (since my attention span and available time has suffered a lot since the 90s) I like picking up this game every now and then, play for an hour to have a quick blast and then do something else. Where a game like FF6 (which I love) I won't even touch anymore because of how long and involved it is. MQ is under-appreciated and gets a big thumbs up from me.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

The "whole world feels bigger than what you see" thing is a great point. Thanks for sharing. (:

[@dannyboi7877]

I know this game gets a bad rap, and I totally get why, but i first played it as a kid, and it really was my first rpg, and honestly, back then it worked fantastically in that regard. I loved it at the time.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

It had a lot of good things going for it, no shame in liking it. (:

[@THESHMUPMASTER]

These were my thoughts in 1992, after I'd already played and loved Final Fantasy 2/4. I just didn't understand what the point of Mystic Quest was when FF4 was just so much better. And wasn't Mystic Quest released after FF4? That makes even less sense 🤔

[@jus4000kicks]

You have to keep in mind that FFVII hadn't come out yet. Neither had Chrono Trigger or FFVI come out yet or many of the other classic jrpgs. FFI and FFIV are the only Final Fantasy games released at that point and JRPGs didn't really have a following back then. Dragon Quest I, II, III, IV were certainly selling like hotcakes... in japan (but not so much here). Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star II were out too (phantasy star III too but we don't talk about that game) but were even more niche unless you were a Sega person. Final Fantasy IV didn't do well here when it first came out so this was the period where they thought we were just too dumb for RPGs (The SNES was marketed to kids after all). That's why they made Mystic Quest to be a beginners RPG with action elements. Just as the gaming historian (youtube channel) explains it was important in the big picture for helping Square to realize that it wasn't because of the reasons they had originally thought. It is perhaps because of this games reception that we got many Square games localized after including FFVI and Chrono Trigger. Also it was done by the people who made the Final Fantasy Legend games on the gameboy so it was essentially a gameboy game put on the snes. If you really look at the details it is like a different but better version of Final Fantasy I's plot. It is more apparent what the fiends destruction is doing in this world. For instance the life is drained out of the forest and the town (a few people even have their life drained out of them turning a young girl into an old woman and a young boy into an old man). When you defeat the Fiend of earth you see the place go back to normal giving you a real sense of completion. The plot twist was interesting as well for the time. Super Derek seems to forget that you can get rewards for clearing battle squares like the charm (armor) you get for clearing the second one. Final Fantasy IV may be the better RPG but this game had elements we hadn't seen in a game up to that point. Final Fantasy V wasn't localized here because it wasn't accessible enough to the average gamer (kids) but probably also due to FFIV's poor sales. This game is far from the worst RPG out there (even if you limited it to retro games). Kids didn't need complicated or deep character driven plots to be invested in a game like this. Having party members that were stronger than you gave you a goal to work up to until the end and I dug that feature. As an adult I still enjoy the game for what it is not for what its not. Its like what Shining Force is for you. It was one of the first RPGs I remember playing along with FFIV and Secret of Mana. "My allowance is only 2 GP a month!" (lines like that are clearly meant for teens and adults, huh. Also who the heck is giving him that allowance considering his home town was destroyed?)

[@StarlinkNova]

I remember playing this game for the first time and thinking it was a complete joke. It still is of course but the music was pretty good.

[@7thangelad586]

They could have made it into an adventure style game. That would probably have given more incentive to replay it. Final Fantasy Mystic Adventure.

[@willmistretta]

I question the sense in doing an RPG cliche piss take for an audience that by definition doesn't know those cliches.

[@blazeknight4120]

Shining force is a much better game, but as a kid playing Mystic Quest was great. I never noticed that the player character was under powered, instead I saw people like tristram and thought I want to be cool like this guy with his bombs, than he gives you the bombs. That being said, going back I get bored very quickly. 🤷‍♂️

[@LonelyGamr]

Fun review

[@minakohiashi8882]

A game where you play as some normal kid who is significantly weaker than his party members. You guys should play Okage Shadow King

[@mopeybloke]

I began I playthrough. I was hoping he'd get stronger.

[@maximusmansteel8481]

Marvel only wishes it could make a crossover this awesome.

[@lnsflare1]

Don't give Square jump-based ideas. World of Final Fantasy has a dedicated jump button that, after around 100 hours of playing, I am convinced has no actual use in the entire game.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Haha! But it's fun to just hop around. :P

[@lnsflare1]

@@DariaPlaysRPGs But was it really worth the psychological scarring I got from spending 6 hours futilely trying to get Lann to jump off an assortment of cliffs in the hopes that he suffered enough brain damage to at least partially undo the brain damage that he apparently suffered off screen some time after the intro of game? Thank goodness Persona 5 came out afterwards to renew my faith in a barista's ability to be worthy of being the protagonist of a massive monster collecting RPG series that is a spinoff of a series which originated in the Famicom. Edit: WOFF is still a really good game, I just think that Lann inexplicably went from a politely professional barista to someone I wouldn't trust to drink coffee without injuring himself, much less prepare it using professional grade equipment, to the point where everyone insulting him honestly felt less frustration towards a standard idiot hero and more like abusing an extremely mentally disabled person, which left me feeling increasingly annoyed as the game went on.

[@Burn_Angel]

So, bottom line? Mystic Quest: Bad Shining Force: Good. Huh. I didn't need you to say it out loud tho.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

I just like to hear myself talk.

[@thepositiver9977]

Been waiting for this :)

[@D0wnshift]

When I played through Mystic Quest way back when, I knew it was a bad game, and also enjoyed it the whole time.

[@d3nxfr494]

Mystic Quest was just a basic but nice RPG for me, but definetely far from a bad game or RPG. If you think FF MQ as a beginner RPG, remember of the auto-attack button in FF13...

[@redsyn]

While I enjoyed the game in it's day, I wish the US would've gotten FF V the first time around. Little did I know in my adolescence that FF II was really FF IV. 🤷‍♂️

[@Belcoot31]

I love this game! 😭

[@csbkota]

Finally! Hell yeah!

[@mikedl1105]

You poor thing. I'm so sorry you had to play this

[@SianaGearz]

You two haven't played Tales of Phantasia.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Umm... I can't speak for Derek but I have.

[@ericqdavies]

This game wasn’t... great but I did enjoy some of it? I fell asleep a lot while playing it though. Very basic and very easy. I enjoyed your review.

[@JohnnyProctor9]

Want to play a game with a REALLY shit story? Try one of the few, elusive JRPGs for the 3DO...also one positive feature of this game that you neglected to mention, the visible damage on the enemies really helps to break up the monotony of it's battles. I seem to recall that being a pretty unique feature among JRPGs from that time period...

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Yeah I'm not sure how I missed that in the script, was definitely one of the features I liked about the game. I tried to show it in the footage though.

[@JohnnyProctor9]

@@DariaPlaysRPGs Yes, it showed very well in the footage...

[@drew4564]

I don't get all the hate about this game I love it still love it and play through it all the time

[@Rpglucario]

George from peppa pig is horrible. He always gets what he wants by crying. He's almost as bad as cailou

[@chrisvanderhoef9885]

I love this game!

[@MrMegaManFan]

ProJared approves! 🎮

[@Tom_Van_Zandt]

I remember being thoroughly disappointed with this when I rented it...a Final Fantasy it most definitely was not.

[@moralesjourneyman]

Wait, wait, wait... So Daria ended up loving the game more than Derek?

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Plot twist!

[@moralesjourneyman]

@@DariaPlaysRPGs I certainly did not see that one coming ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

So when Derek originally proposed we play Mystic Quest he wanted a game that I"hated" and he'd force me to play. But I actually kind of liked Mystic Quest already, so we just rolled with the script anyway cause it was more fun to do. Although I had never beaten the game before and didn't realize how wearisome the battles would get. So my disdain for those is real.

[@TruePuffer]

I like this game more than FF8!

[@jimihydrox]

Peppa Pig has good writing for a cartoon for babies tho

[@NefariousWes]

I played this for the first time three years ago and was like, "why does this get so much hate? This is fun!" That was the first two hours. Oh my god, the rest of the game was so damn BORING! It does have great music at least.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

That's exactly what happened to me too. Actually when Derek suggested we play it, I really liked Mystic Quest. But forcing myself to play through the entire thing killed a lot of my enthusiasm for it.

[@hero3250]

I am offended, I love this game.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Hey me too (:

[@Galagaboy]

Daria...dont be such a negative Nancy...its a solid game. No be mad brah

[@Sidescroller64]

The two most awkward KZbinrs I've yet witnessed in a single video, oh boy.

[@DariaPlaysRPGs]

Awkward games deserve awkward videos.