Dragon Quest II - The right game at the right time | Retrospective Review

[@AltercateTV]

Finally! Here it is - my retrospective review of Dragon Quest II. Hope you enjoy, and let me know what your thoughts are about this classic game. (This video would have been out two months earlier if it hadn't been for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth lol.) As always, thanks so much for supporting me! 😍

[@rezterralico4369]

I'm still butthurt that the wii collection that had the OG famicom versions was not released in NA at all..... Would have loved to legit play DQ2 on a concole in the O format and difficulty. Had to settle for DQ11 with all those disabilities activated for a challenge mode.

[@nathanlenneman2805]

This game proved your mettle like few others... 1991, 12-year-old me limping into the Rhone sanctuary with a dead Prince of Midenhall, dead prince of Cannock, and a barely-alive Princess of Moonbrooke... finding out it was instant revival, healing, and save point led to an unbelievable whoop of accomplishment from me & my best friend 😂 Still feels like one my greatest-ever feelings from gaming!

[@AltercateTV]

I can totally see that! Arriving safely at the shrine in Rhone is an amazing feeling after finally getting through the horror of the Cave to Rhone 😂

[@nathanlenneman2805]

​@AltercateTV I had the fold-out posters that had the cave maps, bestiary, and spell lists and would spread them out at the school cafeteria tables, studying them, planning out how to navigate the Sea Cave and Cave to Rhone with my friends. Man, that was the best. I don't recall where the posters came from (maybe Nintendo Power?), but I definitely still have them!

[@AltercateTV]

@@nathanlenneman2805 Thanks for sharing, sounds like awesome memories :)

[@vankook]

For Real, my dude.

[@gavinlucas9761]

Looking back at DQII it's crazy to think that the game was made in less than 8 months from the first game! That isn't something you really see nowadays since games have only gotten bigger and longer to make, but back in the 1980's and 90's it was still possible to make game follow-ups in only just a single year or 2 while still being an improvement or even better than the previous game. And while DQII has it's fair share of issues I still liked the game and how it was even the first game to introduce the concept of gaining party members throughout the game which is among my favorite aspects of JRPGs in games like Suikoden. Thanks for continuing this series and I'm really looking forward to your review of Dragon Quest III and how it concludes the Loto / Erdrick Trilogy!

[@AltercateTV]

Nice to see you Gavin :) Yeah, I think this game deserves a lot of credit for what it meant at the time! I'm near the end of DQ3 right now. It'll be a while before I can get the video out but it'll come sooner or later!

[@gavinlucas9761]

@@AltercateTV After hearing your struggles and frustrations with the game it must have been incredibly relieving to play Dragon Quest III after the 2nd game, that certainly was the case for me back when I played these back-to-back for the first time.

[@AltercateTV]

@@gavinlucas9761 Haha yeah. DQ3 still has an insane amounts of random encounters, but the game feels SO much more fair... And the game actually gets easier if you spend a little time leveling up this time!

[@crpggamer]

I think that also includes modern amenities like being able to increase UI size and other accessibility options. Not all games today are 3D or use the latest technology. Many 2D games are successful and are pushed our fairly quickly. With AI things are going even faster. We may one day see even the most advanced games pushed out quickly. Personally, I don't need the latest tech. I just need to enjoy the game. Sometimes a simple game that is fun is better than a complex game that is not.

[@gavinlucas9761]

@@crpggamer That's what I've been saying for years! I don't need my games to be super long, massive or have the latest graphics I just want a good game with a satisfying length and a good art style to match the aesthetic.

[@CatVisionTM]

This game will always hold a special place in my heart because I remember the excitement I felt when I got it as my Christmas gift the year it came out. It was a hot seller and not a cheap game. My parents knew how much I loved DW1 and made sure I got DW2. It couldn't have been easy for them to get, but they did. The game didn't disappoint either. Thanks bro for this great and honest review of a game I truly love.

[@AltercateTV]

Hey bro! Thanks for sharing, love hearing these old memories of childhood gaming joys! I'll bet it must have been a blast back then. And glad to see you around as always :)

[@CatVisionTM]

I had to pretend to be surprised because I knew where my parents hid gifts and I was so excited I couldn’t help but peek lol😂

[@AltercateTV]

@@CatVisionTM I know that feeling! 😂

[@CatVisionTM]

@@AltercateTVI also noticed when you had the menu open which shows the crests you’ve collected you had only the moon crest, so when combined with the colon it made the smiley emoticon :)

[@AltercateTV]

@@CatVisionTM Lol, I didn't think of that! :)

[@shawnsindulfoabellana3912]

It was the first JRPG that has a party system way before FF1 came out in December 1987.

[@olympusgolemoflight7198]

31:24 HCBailly I believe ran into a group of green dragons, barely got away, then ran into another group almost immediately.

[@AltercateTV]

That one is absolutely brutal 😂

[@creepingnet]

I was let's playing this last month bum rushing the cave to Rhone exit.....same spot as HCbailey praying to myself "no green dragons", lol

[@EveryDooDarnDiddlyDay]

Stupid Cartoon Voice Guy

[@Zarathustra-rj4yz]

DW 1 had to crawl so DW 2 could walk so DW 3 could SOAR

[@Rod_Silva]

I want to put the some effort on the comment because you certainly put A LOT of effort in those Dragon Quest reviews and, although I can't pay you to create content, I want you to see that your efforts are not in vain. As I said on your Dragon Quest I review, there aren't many lenghty youtube review/essays about the series, so it's very importabt what you are doing. Please, keep up with these high quality in depth videos, they're amazing and they're only bound to get better as the series only gets better after each and every release. I bet you'll have a wonderful review of DQIII, since it's considered one of the best games of all time. But, most of all, I really hope you're having fun and getting that rewarding feeling after finishing each game and each video because that's what's really important. I also loved that you touched on a subject that I personally feel, but I don't see much on the DQ forums and communities: you'll rarely 'get good' in these games. You mostly get lucky or you get bad luck doesn't matter how much you leveled or what you've equipped. I love the games, but you can't just overlevel and button mash you're way through. DQ will always keep ypu on your toes by throwing you some bad RNG and you'll have to adjust course on the fly. To this day I don't know how I feel about it, what I do know is that the fairytale-like stories and the colorful characters in towns justaposed by the evil villains make this series kne of my all time favourites! Thanks for your video!

[@AltercateTV]

Hey Rodrigo! Nice to see you again. Thank you so much for the very thoughtful and supportive comment. It's hearing things like this that gives me the motivation to keep doing what I do. This channel is passion project, and I greatly enjoy the process of making these videos, but it's also a TON of work, so I don't think I would be able to keep going if I thought no one cared. I really appreciate it. I'm near the end of DQIII now and it's been a blast. Looking forward to putting the video out sometime in the (hopefully not too distant) future! Thanks again, and take care.

[@thecooki3guru438]

Just watching these DQ retrospecs is getting me so impatiently hyped for the dq3 hd2d remake and the follow-up dq1-2 hd2d remakes coming

[@AltercateTV]

Definitely looking forward to it!

[@newerstillimproved]

Thank you very much for the incredible effort that has gone into this. It is a wonderful view into the early days of JRPGs.

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you so much for your kind words!

[@lyozixv]

Stop everything you’re doing guys, a new AltercateTV Dragon Quest retrospective dropped!

[@AltercateTV]

❤

[@rezterralico4369]

Watching this while playing FF7 rebirth.

[@michaelheim1149]

Great work. Appropriate length video, and went into depth on all the right subjects. The Dragon Quest games were basically the first RPG's I ever played, and they deserve the spotlight you are giving them. Loved the Dragon Quest 1 vid as well, and certainly will remain a subscriber!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! I appreciate hearing that!

[@TheGregoryodd]

Taking notes and making maps with graph paper… those were the days. In a weird way, having to do such things actually added to one’s sense of immersion in the world

[@AltercateTV]

For sure! It pulls you into the experience like crazy :)

[@robert48044]

My friends dad still has note pads from the NES days

[@bownly]

Leaving a comment, as requested. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for DQ2, despite its balancing issues. I'm even a bit of a contrarian in that it's my favorite of the original 3. Can't wait to see how they tweak the game in the upcoming HD2D remake.

[@AltercateTV]

Same! I'm very interested to see what they're going to change (and what they're NOT)!

[@rezterralico4369]

@@AltercateTV Too bad the HD2D would not have an unlock of the OG titles or something.

[@charlesdilks3267]

I have a feeling they're going to go all out on that DQ2 in particular. With the reputation DQ2 has, and the fact it's gonna close out the narrative of the Erdrick Trilogy, it kinda has to be as thrilling a conclusion as DQ3 was back in the day.

[@Misa_Susaki]

I love DQ 2 a lot. It has that kind of innocent adventure vibe that not many other games do. I think a big part of it for me is the party. Youre playing as a family; three cousins who don't really know each other well at first. This is actually the first jRPG where the cast is entirely made up of children. Maybe you could call them teenagers, but only if youre looking at the SNES art. The GBC illustrations made it clear again that these guys are young and imexperienced. The world they lived in up until the attack on Moonbrooke was one of peace; a peace of 100 years established by their ancestor. I could gush about the story and characters for a good while. Mother (Earthbound) was directly based off of DQ 2, but DQ did the party of kids first! It also has some of my favorite music in the series. Later games (3 and 4 for me) are smoother and feel better to play, but DQ 2 still holds up and absolutely has merit on its own. 😊

[@AltercateTV]

Well said! I'm playing DQ3 right now and while I do share the majority view that the game is a significant improvement over the second game in many ways, the sheer sense of adventure I got from DQ2 was actually stronger. The game frustrated me a lot, but it was also a truly unique experience.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

canonically they're all 16. there are far more pieces of art that show them as roughly teenagers or young adults than the GBC's cute-sy artwork.

[@SeveredLegs]

This was an excellent and even-handed review of this game. This game is imperfect but a true challenge if the highest order. Beating this game, even with a guide taking you where to go (assuming you're working out your own strategies in battles), is a legitimate accomplishment. I think this game is wonderful and it's annoying seeing people taking shots at it in recent years. I love how you think you're over-leveled and yet you're still scared as hell taking into that lighthouse knowing 5 dragonflies are going to come in, get the first attack, and all breathe fire on the whole party. This is the only rpg I've ever played where you have to anticipate destruction and plan to heal characters that have full health because you know they're gonna take damage the next turn.

[@AltercateTV]

Yep, it's a unique experience for sure! Thank you for the kind words. :)

[@PringleTheOne]

This was a pretty damn amazing review. I played dq2 a couple of years ago and the game is really amazing, I mean with what the game did, its crazy, they fit so much into that game. My only true issue is the invisible items lol, outside of that I'm cool with the prince dying so much. Great job man I really appreciate this, can't wait to hear you tackle dq3. I also couldn't imagine having this game as a 10 year old kid, dude I would of been crazy hooked for months, this was like the type of game that was a community type game. Everyone talked about it and it was a big piece piece conversation.

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, I think I would have loved this game when I was a kid... Wish they'd released these ones over in Sweden. :)

[@ACameronUK]

What a great video ☺️ DQII always seems to get forgotten being between I and III fantastic to see such a well produced piece of work celebrating the game.

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you so much! That's very nice to hear 😀

[@بهزادسالمی-م9ث]

Really Nice Video. I have finished this game, The Nes, Snes And the Gameboy Color Version as well Can't Wait For DQIII✌️

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! :)

[@zhelldog]

Thanks for these. Scratches the itch to replay some classic DQ when I don't have the time.

[@AltercateTV]

Hey, glad you liked them! :)

[@jackgratehouse6320]

great video. I'm getting into JRPGS and I'd love to see you continue the trend and talk about DQ/DW3 especially since the pixel remake is coming out! would also love to see your analysis on some of atlus's design philosophy with JRPGS. thanks again, I'm looking forward to the next video!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! The DQ3 video is coming up, I’m working on it right now. And I definitely plan to cover Atlus RPGs in the future! 😀

[@jackgratehouse6320]

@ that’s exciting! Can’t wait, I’m playing persona 4 golden right now and loving it

[@d.j.8059]

Dear God. Having suffered through the hell that is the entire ending sequence from the first step into the Cave to Rhone, to the final blow on Malroth in the Americanized Dragon Warrior II, I can't imagine having taken on the original Dragon Quest II version.

[@AltercateTV]

Yep, the US version is bad enough lol

[@gunshotlagoon922]

Ugh I beat the original version and I really really don't recommend it to anyone unless they have absolutely zero respect for themselves.

[@AerynBella]

I'm so impressed with each video of this series. Your knowledge is immense. All these details make me love these games even more.

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you, that really means a lot to me! :)

[@ShrimplessScampi]

I just realized that this video dropped recently. Just beat DQ1 (SFC Remake) last week and started DQ2. Decided to stop and grind levels and gold right after I got access to the ship. I’m taking my time as I’m looking forward to going into DQ3 for the first time ever when the HD2D remake drops.

[@rezterralico4369]

At least you should not have to deal with the monster medel fiasco of the GBC port. Only did the silver metals to unlock grand dragon and beat it in less than 25 turns.

[@AltercateTV]

The SFC version is a lot of fun! Glad to hear you're enjoying your time with it :)

[@NoonDragoon]

Really glad to see these high quality retrospectives before the DQ3 remake releases in a few months. I haven’t had the chance to play the NES era DQ games so this part of its history has been mostly unknown to me.

[@AltercateTV]

Glad to hear you enjoyed them! :)

[@aestheticprima1160]

Great retrospective on Dragon Quest II! Despite it's reputation DQ2 is still a very important title in not only the Dragon Quest series, but RPGs in general. It showed that Dragon Quest wasn't just a one hit wonder and was a evolving, quality franchise worth playing. It experimented with multiple party members, multiple ways of traversal, enemy types, world map size, even the multiple overworld themes can be seen as progressive. Maybe today it's rough around the edges, and maybe some games from that era have aged better (like DQ3 and 4, Phantasy Star 1 and 2) but its still a great game worth playing. I played DQ2 a few years back with the Super Famicom remake, and I had a great time. Admittedly I used a guide shortly after getting the ship but that made the experience better overall. I didn't need to worry about getting lost and was always making progress in some way, and because of that I was able to beat it over a couple days, it was a surprising relaxing experience. Glad to see you continue with the Dragon Quest series! It keeps getting better and better from here on. I hope you enjoy going through Dragon Quest III. 😄

[@Misa_Susaki]

And it is worth noting that DQ was not a hit at all until DQ 2 came out. DQ sold okay in Japan, but it was not the succes they expected or desired. It wasn't until DQ 2 that the series exploded in popularity!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you for the kinds words! I'm near the end of DQ3 and it's been a lot of fun. :)

[@HeegeMcGee]

Fantastic reporting here. This was incredible. I wish gaming magazines of the era had stories like this.

[@naomisilverfang7098]

Kinda cool how the limitations of character sprites in the 8-bit era meant marketing in different regions were able to take such different interpretations of their designs while still fitting them and their themes.

[@AltercateTV]

That’s a great point! I never really thought about it like that 😃

[@Jacky_Raider]

As a newcomer to the DQ series I see alot of people write this game off, much respect for looking at the game from a perspective of when it released!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you!

[@johnnydemo7585]

Awesome video, I hope you can continue to make more, especially about Dragon Quest.

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks! I'm planning on covering the entire mainline series eventually :)

[@Megageoe]

I remember farming Metal Babbles (Liquid Metal Slimes) for the Dragon potion -- thinking I could have a save file right before Hargon, in order to avoid making the trek through Rhone each time I wanted to beat the game. Eventually I got the Dragon potion but it only recorded exp and gold, and started you back at the last save location (in my case Monolith of Rhone).

[@geminate]

I played Dragon Quest 2 when it was new, and many times since then. It is one of my favorites in the series. I agree with most of your points. Thanks for making this video!

[@drdarwin42]

I never finished DQ2. I was too young and impatient when it came out. My dad beat it though and I watched him play, it is some of the strongest nostalgia I have.

[@AltercateTV]

It's definitely a game that demands patience lol

[@VenomLion]

Very nice retrospective! Was looking forward to DQ III, but it seems I'll have to wait ab it :) Will take a look at your other videos in the meatime!

[@AltercateTV]

Sorry for the wait! I’m working on it right now, should be out sometime in November :)

[@WizardSteve01]

Love the channel! Excited to watch

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you!

[@svartedauden3566]

Your retrospective was fantastic. Well done.

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! :)

[@logolept]

One alteration, makes an altercation. I took the latter. Thank you for saying “heave a sigh.”

[@gto7795]

Thank you so much for this upload!

[@AltercateTV]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@BigA207]

I feel like “December 8th, 4:00am version” is going to be the subject of a Dragon Quest Creepypasta or ARG someday.

[@AltercateTV]

Hahaha I love that idea!

[@stephenneal23]

The NES version of this game is one of my favorite games of all time because I consider it a truly challenging open world adventure. It's obtuse and janky, the road to Rhone is like a literal march into Hell and that battle with Malroth is frustrating misery, but I love it. It is also a game cannot imagine me ever recommending to anyone because I can't imagine the person who would want to play it. Excellent video.

[@Josh-g9x]

Great video. I never beat this game but watching this video makes me want to try again

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! Good luck if you decide to give it a shot :)

[@CyrillKR]

Today I've defeated DG II (modern remake version) for the first time and I was so intrigued to know why it felt so much more difficult and unfair compared to the first one. This is an amazing retrospective, a subscription well deserved thou hast received!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you for the kind words! Verily thou hast made my day ;)

[@billmartovich9009]

Getting rhe Princess was a confounding process for me. I thought I needed the Dog out of town to get the treasure and I ended up grinding through the Tower of Wind and getting blocked from further progress. I also never got a chance to play DQ2 until much later, and having already played multiple sequels, a lot of items that are late-game in the future you nab really early. Also, the Crests were superior unfair and I absolutely appreciate the Orbs from 3, making the change into "at least they're actually in a chest" as opposed to "just keep using search until rng let's you find the item"

[@AltercateTV]

Haha, that's awesome. I can see how you'd think you're supposed to bring the dog out there somehow. Funny how puzzles can totally stump you if you draw the wrong conclusions!

[@SaxyDave]

I love these kinds of videos. I hope you go through the whole series!

[@AltercateTV]

Glad you liked it! Yep, I'm planning on covering the entire mainline series eventually :)

[@MegamanNG]

Yeah, I kind of forgot about commenting on this video. Yep. Dragon Quest II was hard as shit. I never played the original NES version because if I did, I would be having nightmares for days. I ended up playing the Mobile/Switch version. It was still a pain in the ass but on the other hand, it gave us Liquid Metal Slimes and taking one of them down is so worth it. I had to grind all the way to Level 45 just so I can take down Hargon/Malroth. Fucking christ. I did mention that the game had a 7-month development cycle. I have to wonder how much crunch the developers had to endure just to get it out. Man, that's messed up. I do look forward to the HD-2D Remake though. I wonder how they'll handle that.

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks for sharing! Yep, I’m very interested to see what they’re going to do with the HD-2D version of the second game…

[@MegamanNG]

@@AltercateTV The only thing I hope is that the difficulty be rebalanced. Hell, DQ3 HD2D gave us three difficulties. If they did the same for the other two, I wouldn't mind.

[@brotbrotsen1100]

​@@MegamanNGI think thats a given at this Point. It will be rebalanced and offer difficulty settings. Can't Imagine that they remove that.

[@MegamanNG]

@@brotbrotsen1100 If they did, people would be upset.

[@SilortheBlade]

I never did own a copy of the game when it came out, but I rented it so many times. Too bad 13 year old me didn't have the patience to save the money each time and buy it in a year or so. It was such a step up from DW 2. Great video. Lots of interesting information.

[@MrTonkiee]

Never played the game, still found the video great, great video!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you my friend :)

[@NoNameYooTube]

I never beat this as a child - the crest search defeated me, so I never even got to Rhone (I've gone back since). But it was such a huge step up from DW1! You can see the growth that led to the masterpieces that would be DW 3&4.

[@AltercateTV]

For sure! DQ2 was a big step up for the series, even if it didn't do everything right.

[@brunnomartins8137]

I am currently playing VII remake for 3DS and It's my 1st DQ. Really enjoying your reviews!

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks! Glad to hear that :)

[@ThaetusZain]

This one was a ball buster. I think the combat difficulty would have been a lot better if the random battles were less. I'd rather have a couple difficult fights then the "battle every 3 steps" feel of NES rpgs. I had to use gameshark codes to turn off encounters in more than a few dungeons in DQ4.

[@AltercateTV]

For sure! The worst part of the game is when the random encounters come too close together...

[@ahhkekeke]

Woohoo!! Quality work as always bro! Well done!

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks bro, much love!

[@HighPriestFuneral]

You did a great job with this review. You look at it from every angle. I especially like the idea of "We need to pay attention to when games were released". This was also the case with the original Legend of Zelda, word of mouth to discover secrets and the hopes to build community through those shared adventures. Using the term "It doesn't hold up" is a sad statement, I find and is a cop-out. What was the reason why people back then could have not just enjoyed, but been enthralled by a highly acclaimed game? I played DWII on NES, SFC(thank you translations), and Switch most recently. Yes, each version got easier in its own way, but they each show an iteration of an idea and I do agree that the potential is fully there but isn't quite reached. I was hoping to hear your ideas for the remake, any thoughts on what they could do to spruce up an old classic without ripping its soul out?

[@AltercateTV]

Hey, nice to see you again! 😀 Thanks for the kind words and for sharing your thoughts. Regarding the HD-2D remake, I think it’s inevitable that the new version will be a very different experience from the original or even the SFC Remake. What I’m hoping for (probably in vain) is that they DON’T include a quick save/auto-save feature like in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters. I think it honestly breaks the spirit of the game to never have to worry about getting wiped out in a dungeon. Instead, what I’d personally want is for them to remake the dungeons, embellishing them with a bit more detail, variety, and maybe some puzzles, while cutting down on the amount of random encounters. They could take a cue from DQ3 here which already has some basic puzzle elements even in the Famicom version. I’d also enjoy a larger variety of equipment, so you get more meaningful treasure in dungeons and have something to save up for to buy in towns. This is the kind of stuff that makes even the most primitive old school RPG addictive imo. And maybe they could add a bit of dialogue and cut scenes to some of the key moments in the adventure. I feel that changes like these, while altering details of the original experience, would still retain the overall spirit of the original game!

[@HighPriestFuneral]

@@AltercateTV Well said! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I largely agree with all of those ideas as well. Equipment is sparse in that game, and I would have liked if the Princess could equip Erdrick's Sword as well, that way it sees use in the hands of each of the three. I do think more cutscenes and characterizations would have helped, the event in that city closest to Rhone that causes the Prince to require a Yggdrasill Leaf is a really nice touch, but that was all they really added in terms of new story content in any version. I would have liked something like that for each location, or maybe even a character chat function like every DQ game has had since DQ5 if I recall, so that you get a clearer idea of the kind of people the characters are.

[@johnbaker5299]

I found your DQ and this video today and look forward to a DQ3 video

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you!

[@Carnationpetal]

Anytime I hear about how awful the development of this game was, I get queasy. I just can't imagine how stressful it was. Despite this games difficulty I have a soft spot for it. I am looking forward to 1, 2, and 3's remakes that are coming out soon! Great video!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you so much! :)

[@wabajabatrektoe]

Ty for these jrpg retrospectives. Help give me a way to distract my mind from some dark shit. Tyvm

[@AltercateTV]

Glad I could help! Take care of yourself ❤

[@richardxavier5442]

Thank you for this video, Altercate! It was a pleasure to watch, as always. I have a love-hate relationship with this game. I appreciate everything it did for the JRPG genre as a whole, and it is fundamentally a good game, but the unbalanced battles and the cryptic puzzles certainly don't show the game from its best sides... DQ2 is one of those games that I'm happy that I played through once (I played the NES version), but probably wouldn't want to ever touch again. Fortunately, the next game is Dragon Quest 3, a much much better game. I'm looking forward to seeing your video on that, once it drops! On another note, I think I said (or hinted) this on another video, but I would love if you would cover the original Phantasy Star series. It would be lovely to see videos on the original Phantasy Star on Master System, and Phantasy Star 2, 3 and 4 on Mega Drive/Genesis!

[@AltercateTV]

Hey, nice to see you again! I remember your comment about Phantasy Star. The Phantasy Star series is definitely on my "to do" list for retrospectives. I'd love to go through the four original games at some point. Sadly it'll probably takes a couple of years before I'll be able to get to them, given how slow I'm able to put these videos out lol

[@richardxavier5442]

@@AltercateTV Thank you! And no worries. Seeing that I have clearly commented a lot about Phantasy Star and that you have the games on your to-do-list, I'll stop nagging you about them now. XD

[@AltercateTV]

@@richardxavier5442 Nah, you're welcome to remind me now and then haha, I don't mind.

[@INFJ-Alien]

This game's difficulty tempered my expectations of difficulty for all other games I would play in the future. When I played this game as a kid, I didn't know the game was hard. I was blissfully unaware of all the problems with the game. Dragon Warrior II is probably the reason a game like Dark Souls doesn't feel difficult to me. I feel NES-talgic for old games like Dragon Warrior II because there is something to be said for having no waypoints or map markers. You must memorize locations, names, topography, npc's dialogue, and enemy weaknesses and strengths. I roll my eyes at modern games that have explanations on everything, and I get tired of all the hand-holding with games like Skyrim and others.

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks for sharing! I doubt I would have had much of an issue with the game's perceived flaws if I'd played it when it was new. And there's definitely something to be said for the lack of handholding. :)

[@Exiron64]

So much fun, but now we have to wait for the third video on the trilogy!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! I'll do my best to make the wait shorter 😂

[@karlmueller1980]

Well, my first dragon quest game was the PS three dragon quest which I think is seven or eight. But I’m eagerly waiting for to experience the 2.5 D remake of dragon quest one two and three..

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks for sharing! DQ7 was the first PS game, I believe. Can't wait to get further into this series and experience the later games for myself. :)

[@gildor5666]

amazing!! great videos man.

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you!

[@neonlove5456]

So glad my first intro to this game was the mobile port with the map

[@neonlove5456]

I beat 1 and 3 on GBC, but never 2

[@Bimbes_McFly]

DQ2 is definitely a rough ride, but while DQ1 was a game that laid the foundation of many JRPG conventions, DQ2 started the many mainstay themes seen throughout the series. Even if this game is generally considered one of the weakest entries in the franchise, it’s still worth checking out just to see from a historical viewpoint. And hey, that just means that the rest of the journey can only get better 😎

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks for sharing! Definitely, and the remake versions of the game are honestly quite solid experiences even today.

[@GigaDonk99]

Leaving my comment for engagement, already hit the like button. Your videos are really well researched and insightful and I hope you continue to make more! Especially on the Dragon Quest series in particular, I just finished my first playthrough of DQ2 and I'd love to hear your thoughts on part 3 after I finish it next

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you for your kind words! I'm planning to cover all over the Dragon Quest games eventually :)

[@while_coyote]

Great review!

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks! :)

[@bernielindell]

Wow! Just finished this and the DQ1 episode. Very well done! Subbed!

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! Glad you liked them :)

[@hggfhh4449]

Looking forward to your video on dragon quest 3.

[@AltercateTV]

That’s nice to hear! Working on it right now 😀

[@FinalFantaSteveRPG]

@@AltercateTV Good news! I love the channel. They're so well done!

[@AltercateTV]

@@FinalFantaSteveRPG Thank you so much! 😍

[@danteg9996]

amazing video

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! 😃

[@MatPress]

I haven't played DQII yet, but I have heard a lot of doom saying. I am looking forward to the HD-2D Remakes coming in the next year or so, and now I'm looking forward to see all the continued changes that make to 2.

[@AltercateTV]

It's going to be really interesting to see what they do with the HD 2D remakes of DQ1 and DQ2!

[@sephiroth29440]

I hope you make part 3❤

[@AltercateTV]

Working on it right now! 😀

[@Nivilack]

Where's the next part!? This shits good man

[@AltercateTV]

Thank you! Part three is out TODAY! :)

[@dragonchaserkev]

This is my favourite game in the series, the huge world and continuong story just blew my mind... And the difficulty/grinding has never bothered me, made it feel more epic. Not having to use the atair command was good but I missed rhe dark caves and need to light them. Yes many consider the next two gamea to be superior and they are of course but 2 is my favourite of the NES bunch. When I finally played a translated rom of 5 many years later it became my favourite without a doubt and 2 is suitably runner up.

[@creepingnet]

Dragon Warrior II was the first JRPG I ever played and it put me off so much I actually refused the elusive and excellent 4th release at bargain price when I was 11. Later I got a copy in my 30s and have actually beaten it twice. It takes a special kind of patience to survive and thrive in Rhone. Im doing a lets play of it on my youtube channel and im up to 44 parts now of 30 minute episodes due to me showing my work and not editing out the grinding.

[@AltercateTV]

Thanks for sharing! Good luck with the endgame lol

[@creepingnet]

@@AltercateTV Lol, funny you just commented, just beat it. My ending video comes out in October (I'm making some Tandy 1000A PC game vids for #SepTandy - always kinda' wished there was a port of Dragon Quest for DOS.)

[@shawnsindulfoabellana3912]

49:35 trying to introduce modern JRPG ideas that makes the difficulty less difficult is so not like Dragon Quest. Dragon Quest is like an adventure and like real life adventures, it’s supposed to be more difficult and dangerous if you’re going in a grand adventure and trying to minimize it makes it less so.

[@jimx45]

I'm trying it right now. This is the best way I can explain it. I couldn't continue playing DQ1 it was just one character and fighting one monster. It was beyond generic it was too two dimensional. There is of course some strat to what spells you used against said enemy but that was about it. Defending in that game was pointless since there wasn't someone to heal you while you were defending. DQ2 on the other hand is a massive improvement and actually started what made turn based RPGs so great. You get 3 characters, each being different from the other 2, combining their various specialties to making great team work fights. You got the hero who can equip the best gear and weapons in the game but he can't use magic at all having virtually no MP, has the highest HP, defense and hits the hardest with basic attack, many times obliterating enemies with one hit. The Prince of Cannock can equip some of the good gear the hero can use and has a decent attack power - hits enemies pretty hard just not as hard as the hero but he can use magic, has MP, seems to have a lot of niche abilities like escaping dungeons and returning to last save point as well as a way to protect you from damage from certain tiles. He kind of feels like a cleric but has some attack magic as well. The Princess of Moonbrook seems to start out like support but she has a lot of debuffs she can put on the enemies as well as attack magic, she's heavily focused on magic with high MP but she levels very poorly and can equip the least gear and weapons. They all come together with their strengths to cover each other's weaknesses. The way the map is laid out. Unlike other RPGs that are straight forward theme park rides, this was kind of gives you an open world to explore. In the beginning there are set motives then after a while you have to talk to NPCs to figure out where to go. Up until finding the prince and princess the challenge to find out where you're supposed to go is at an intermediate level but once you get them you have no idea what you should do. You have to explore the whole world to eventually find portals, a ship and then a NPC to advise you to find the crests. You do know you have to find this guy named Hargon and defeat him but that's it. The other things take a lot of wandering to figure out. There is no time limit but the encounter rate is a bit brutal making exploring kind of annoying. That is the only complaint I have. The Repel spell does help a bit but it only works outside of dungeons. Fair enough. This was at the time of "figure it out." I do think I got a World Map but I think I got it near the end of the game so kind of pointless. The game rewards you for exploring and that's something missing in nowadays RPGs.

[@mutasim8590]

Even tho I played the snes version, my favorite part of the game is how it shows off how much better having party is over going solo like in DQ1. You start off solo, battles are quite difficult because it's usually 1v3 and on top of that you got the 1st map theme playing which sounds lonely (it's even called lonely youth lol), eventually you get the prince making fights a bit easier and after finally getting the princess making the fights even more "fair", especially since she's the first to learn a multi-target spell, battles gets more manageable and enjoyable than compared to the start of the game or even the first game, and to top it off the game switches to the more cheerful 2nd world map theme (appropriately titled traveling with friends) Such a great "show, don't tell." method to show off what was at the time a new feature to the series, party members.

[@one1virtuoso]

"The critical path didn't give me too much trouble without a guide" Proceeds to detail the jrpg equivalent of point and click pixel hunting 🤣

[@AnAverageGoblin]

tbh I never liked that Prince of Midenhall gets singled out as "The Hero of DQ2" because in my eyes, all three Scions of Erdrick are The Heroes and act as a single unit.

[@AltercateTV]

That’s a fair point! I think it stems mostly from Yuiji Horii’s design philosophy that the protagonist of an RPG should be an avatar of the player, which in this case sets the Prince of Midenhall apart from the other two in the eyes of the designers. But to me they’re all equally the heroes of the story!

[@Diwasho]

And just like that, the whole premise of the series' title started and ended with the first game where it actually was a real "dragon quest" so to speak, an actual quest to kill (I'm sorry, defeat) an actual dragon. Nothing of the sort is in the sequel or any of the subsequent games, despite the title staying the same. It was kind of short-sighted to not expect that the first game might get a sequel or two and not name it in a way that reflects a broader concept that could encompass the whole series, but oh well. At least the title is true for _one_ game of the franchise, which can't be said for Final Fantasy.. I like to think that the "dragon" part of the title refers to the fact that the author of Dragon Ball illustrated all the characters and monsters, even if it is coincidental.

[@LB-yg2br]

I remember playing this game as a kid and never even getting the first prince because the game didn't do the best job of pushing you in the right direction. I played FF1 and even beat the earth fiend but couldn't get the first prince in DQ2. I beat DQ3 and made lots of headway in DQ4. As an adult, playing the game, I have to say the "hints" the game gives you to get you to go to the next place is just awful. Not sure if its bad translation or specifically designed to be obtuse. Needed gamefaqs to figure out how to use the cloak and jump from the tower to cross the river. The combat isn't bad...but the game is because it feels like an old point and click adventure where you just try random things until you accidentally do the "right" thing to progress the story. Stopped playing after getting the boat.

[@rneki254]

they better be sure to fix the wrong stuff in the hd2d remake of 1 and 2

[@robert48044]

Is this the game that just dropped you off and had you lost wandering randomly like a mega man game, It was either this or Warrior. I didnt touch the series again for years after that game. I mean it came out before YT walkthroughs and no way I was buying a 50 dollar strategy guide as a kid

[@kikyoohellkite6688]

ahh so that's why this game is so hard in the olden days It's literally a grown man's Waking nightmare!

[@JovemJogadorr]

I'll not buy DQ III HD-2D, i will buy DQ I e II HD-2D though

[@mr.j3rs3y]

Any reasons you’re not getting DQ III HD-2D as well?

[@AnAverageGoblin]

literally no reason to not get DQ3HD

[@alanc9995]

DQ3 when?

[@AltercateTV]

Working on it right now! Hopefully within the next month or so.

[@yuri_art_92]

FFX as the top 1? These fans are crazy 🤣

[@AltercateTV]

😂

[@BillyAnselmo]

Not really when dragon quest 2 was released people are sick of the game they wanted more rpg so there

[@raulrojas9253]

So this game was the Shin megami tensei Nocturne of the 90s? i am not going to play it.

[@NaziZombie]

Are you planning on doing Megami Tensei retrospectives?

[@AltercateTV]

I definitely want to! Megami Tensei is such a huge part of the history of Japanese RPGs. I don’t know when I’ll be able to get around to it, though.

[@NaziZombie]

@@AltercateTV Alright, good luck with that! Unlike FF or DQ, MT games are extreamly archaic and frustrating to play. But they have some charm I must say.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

a guy called Marsh does those, tho they're more like narrated playthrough/story recaps

[@NaziZombie]

@@AnAverageGoblin I know. I already watched his videos.