Dragon Quest Review for NES & Famicom 1986

[@Lwilibert]

the artbook for this series is my most precious possession.

[@gen1exe]

This game made me fall in love with RPGs. I liked exploring the towns and still remember the music to this day.

[@Saxysaboy77]

Sadly, I probably never would’ve played this game if my cousin hadn’t given it to me as a birthday present back in 1990. I surprisingly ended up loving it and it’s undoubtably one of my favorite NES games.

[@TheUnapologeticGeek]

This game hits me hard with the nostalgia bug. I’m an old man, so I first played it in 89, when it was the only real JRPG out there. It blew me away, and I grinded the heck out of it.

[@HPRshredder]

I'm grinding through II currently. I don't mind grinding as much as some though.

[@elishariedlinger559]

I love Dragon Warrior I. I remember in elementary school talk to my friends about how far they had come in the game and comparing notes. I have always like turn-based RPGs since then.

[@FullOvellas]

That Japanese manual is so slick

[@theironfox2756]

RIP Toriyama.

[@KreativeGames]

Great review mate! Will be watching your DQ2 video next and checking out some of your other content as well. Very entertaining, insightful, and knowledgeable. Thanks for stopping by during my live stream as well, hope to see you back some time.

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you! I appreciate that. I plan to catch more in the future

[@TheCoOpBros]

This is awesome, I (Gabe) have always wanted to play the early Dragon Quests! Dragon Quest 8 is one of my favorite games of all time. Great review, I love looking at the manual!

[@HPRshredder]

This is my first Dragon Quest! It's funny -- I actually own VII and VIII on the 3DS but I never got around to playing them. (partially because I had decided I wanted to start reviewing games in order...) But people whos gaming opinions I really respect seem to point to 8 as a GOAT contender. I know Dustin Kreis (older youtuber) really adores that game. Thanks for the comment!

[@Ian-ky5hf]

I got Dragon Warrior free with Nintendo Power and it was life changing 😀 I loved it.

[@Taldorin]

"Will thou take me to the castle?" NO "But thou must..."

[@Locke512]

Great video man! Can't wait to hear your thoughts and impressions of Dragon Quest II

[@HPRshredder]

Glad you enjoyed it! I’m playing through II right now, actually. Hopefully the video won’t be too far away!

[@Locke512]

@@HPRshredder Wow enjoy it! :-) I remember it being quite difficult at times but gameplaywise a big step forward compared to the first Dragon Quest. I just discovered your channel recently with your video on Metroid and you grew quickly to my favorite gaming related youtuber. Keep doing as you do - it's awesome!

[@HPRshredder]

@@Locke512 Thanks so much! I'm glad you're liking it!

[@danielarcher369]

Ultima is the grand daddy of all!

[@ChaossX77]

No

[@SSBBcore]

Love this channel, just recently found it. I'm surprised you don't have more viewers but I guess the algorithm is ruthless, anyway the quality it awesome and I love that you have a bit slower pace than what content makers usually go by nowadays

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you! I'm glad you've been enjoying the pace and the content. Things have been going really well so far this year for the channel despite being a little behind though. I keep seeing more new faces in the comments and it's really encouraging. I'm actually working on my Dragon Quest II project currently. Have a lot of footage shot but still need to capture a little more.

[@RealFerfer]

Found ya after your post on Reddit! Good stuff, subbed!

[@HPRshredder]

So glad you like the channel! I don't know why I didn't see this comment yesterday, but thank you so much.

[@spinoza2326]

Great video! I love this game and I've beaten it in several incarnations at this point. I think it's kind of genius how carefully designed the encounter/EXP rates are, RPGs are not usually this meticulous about it. The early DQ titles are unique for me because they manage to make grinding into a mechanic, rather than a chore to be done between story/progression beats. As you say, the goal of the game really is to reach a good enough level, the rest is small beans.

[@user-a5Bw9de]

Yuji Horii allegedly wanted an RPG (or a trilogy) more causal and tutorial-ish than what was already out in the market, and he provided everyone with this. While this game is archaic in today's POV, it sure did its job when it came out. I bet it still can work as an entryway for a person who never played an adventure/RPG video game throughout their life and who isn't too fond of getting bombarded with information until they get used to.

[@fazzeaibrag]

This is a hell of a underrated channel. Sub

[@HPRshredder]

That's kind of you to say! Thank you.

[@GreyKnight7777]

Dragon Warrior was still pretty awesome in 1989.

[@kushviper]

Great videos! New subscriber here. I first played Dragon Warrior in 1990 when I traded my copy of Excite Bike for it. It completely captivated me at the time despite never completing it at the time. I still have the cart, the guide, and the map from Nintendo Power to this day. I played the remake in 2019 or 2020 in the switch and it was almost as great 👏

[@HPRshredder]

Welcome aboard! Glad you enjoy them and thanks for the comment. I really want to give the GBC version of this game a shot, personally.

[@CerealCommander]

"I love thee, HPRshred..." 🧡

[@CerealCommander]

hidden mario kart 64 request. when is that dropping my guy.

[@FromWitchSide]

"but thou must..." Not sold on playing it in Japanese, thou I must, the instruction booklet sure looks like a blast to go through and to keep it open close by when playing.

[@samuelbaugh4952]

I haven’t played the original Dragon Quest yet. I guess I have to pick it up sometime soon!

[@HPRshredder]

I wouldn’t call it a must-play, but if you’re interested in it it’s fun to at least try. I’ve heard that the gameboy and SNES variants speed up the grinding process but I haven’t tried them personally. It’s a cool title to have under your belt though and to say that you’ve beaten.

[@Exmotable]

I've never played a Dragon Quest before, but the battle theme in this one gives me never-ending anxiety. Once again, good shit my dude. I really love old 8-bit era sprites because they always have that perfect balance of beautiful stylized limitations and "lol holy shit look at this guy's dumb expression" and "haha is this dragon trying to eat me or is it going to rob me of my coin".

[@HPRshredder]

The sprite for the dragon lord in his magician form I found especially hilarious. But yeah - as I said in the video, I had to turn the music off for most of it. It was just too much of the same and the battle theme itself was pretty grating. It’s okay for short bursts, but when you get into it it’s too much. I think even die hard fans concede that the battle theme in this one is pretty rough around the edges

[@TheCrawl]

Really great review! I *love* dragon quest, but I've only played the mobile and switch versions of DQ1 (and 2 and 3, 3 being my favorite in the series), but I've always been interested in giving this version a go. My first console was the N64 and I haven't gone back to many NES rpgs. But it's impressive they crammed a fully-fledged adventure into such a small game.

[@thedrunkmonkshow]

The first time I played and beat Dragon Quest was the Dragon Warrior I & II combo release for Gameboy Color back in the early 2000s. Unbeknownst to me at the time since I hadn't played the original Dragon Warrior at that time is that the GBC version has lots of tweaks with minor enhancements like new animated cut scenes with tweaked gameplay involving higher Exp and Gold output with slightly less enemy damage overall in battles. Over the years I used to recommend the GBC version for newcomers over the original but I've heard good things about the newer Mobile/3DS/PS4/Switch remake but unfortunately I haven't tried it yet. 😃

[@baitsadasuto]

Played through the SFC remake yesterday and i really liked it! Looking up stuff from the manual instead of online was really fun and Toriyama's designs really are amazing. I grew up with DB but never tried DQ before this, i'm excited to finally experience this side of his work.

[@HPRshredder]

I wish you all the best in your journey!

[@TheCoOpBros]

"I love thee, HPRshred..."

[@matthewbrookeart]

Also that little Sony crt you got is great! Love to get my hands on one of those

[@colonelquack]

In single digits back in the 80s, this was my first RPG. Fun fact: my grandma had a Nintendo a full year before we did. DW was hard as nails. I remember hitting level two, seeing the colors turn pink, thinking that's normal. I was low on HP. ; ) I beat DW. Then DWII. And played DWIII so many times when I visited. Switching a fighter into a soldier with agility, a wizard into a pilgrim, and a pilgrim into a wizard who knows healall. DWIII is one of my favorite games. I'd say it's the best rpg, but Chrono Trigger takes that spot.

[@HPRshredder]

I'm working on the Dragon Warrior II video right now! I'm really excited to make it to DWIII though. That's the one everyone talks about on the NES. Well, that and IV.

[@colonelquack]

@@HPRshredder That's great! I think I only played through DWII once. It was tough getting to the final boss. So, I had my paladin cast Sacrifice, thinking I wouldn't win anyway. ..... It was pretty much the mage healing and the Hero attacking, and somehow I grinded it out. DWIII is satisfying in it's customization.

[@averyrogers8103]

I

[@Sakeenster]

Me too ☺️ and the cute little manuals

[@funkybunko]

Dragon Quest is one of my go-to replay games, like the original Super Mario Bros. and Sonic The Hedgehog. It’s a game I know front to back, but it can still surprise me from time to time. I usually don’t play the NES version though, as it’s aged quite a bit. The Switch port is my go to, it’s got a much better translation and quicker pace but the graphics on that version aren’t particularly appealing. I hope we get an HD2D remake for it once the remake of 3 is out.

[@dosito86]

Playing this at 4 years old.... The demon knight gave me nightmares.... Yes it still does

[@Tchiko.]

You should try the SFC remake, very pleasant. Thanks for the video.

[@HPRshredder]

Weirdly it's the GBC remake I really want to try next -- but I'll try both in time. Thanks for the comment!

[@natetheoracle]

Great channel!

[@HPRshredder]

Thanks!

[@ryanwinter8813]

I love DQ1 but it really works best as a complimentary piece to the two games that came after it, and you can't really have those games without DQ1.

[@lutzdify]

Which of the Dragon Quest games in Japan introduced game saves?

[@HPRshredder]

Dragon Quest III was the first!

[@keatonreviews]

Orwick still waits to this day for his girlfriend. That's dedication right there.

[@RetroZoltan]

Great video!

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you so much, Zolt! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@tylerd4884]

“but thou must…”

[@jescis]

Someone's watched @HCBaily ! 😂😂

[@doktorwyzzerd]

Does anybody else think the mountain on the left in the battle screen background looks like ALF?

[@joshisnot11]

I played and beat Dragon Warrior for the first time a couple months ago and loved it. Though, the same thing happened to me with my save. I was lvl 16 and my power strip got jostled and for some reason my NES suddenly lost power for a second. When I turned the game back on my save was just gone. It was frustrating as hell to do all that grinding again, but at least I knew exactly what to do and where to go for the fastest leveling. Also, it was worth it just to complete the game. One of my favorite parts was right after saving the princess, one of the guards in the main castle would say how he hates you bc he loves the princess lol. Dude was NOT stoked that she loves you instead. The final castle leading up to the Dragonlord was legit stressful knowing I had to have a good amount of MP left when I got to him. Trying to balance that when fighting through the constant enemy encounters was really cool though. Luckily, I knew beforehand not to accept the Dragonlord’s offer of partnership bc that would’ve sucked haha. But, I love little dev trolls like that and it feels like an extra layer of freedom to even get a choice that does something in the game. Great game!

[@darian235]

Magi drakee can cast hurt.

[@HPRshredder]

Oops 😮

[@Taldorin]

This game was important but maybe it wasn't important for us? Final Fantasy really spoiled me on what an NES RPG could be and Dragon Quest didn't make such a cultural impact over here as it did in Japan. I may not have cared to much for it when I went through it but I appreciate what it did for us and lead too

[@HPRshredder]

I haven't played any FF game either. I'm kind of excited. I'm going to get to experience both series in-order essentially. And while it wasn't a huge deal here it indirectly was as its popularity in Japan is what spawned so many companies over there to create their own "take". As I said in the review it can be a little grindy -- but I've heard the SNES remake tones down the grinding significantly.

[@justinmarshall1744]

I loved dragon warrior as a kid. Ff has always failed to keep my interest one thing I hate is the partner building format

[@breno855]

I'm actually struggling with this game, it's like there's an imbalance between the moment you don't get much XP from the monsters in a region anymore and the next monsters. I got to level 7 and the only place it seemed i could go is the cave leading to the town with the key seller but it's a labyrinth and if you wander to low floors dragons will kill you in one hit, while there's actually a specific route to the stairs you need to find. Then there are the mages that in this area put you to sleep and have tons of hp, etc. It has this weird mixture of incentivizing exploration and exhaustion doing it. I'm taking breaks from it frequently.

[@HPRshredder]

There are a few moments in the game like this. Where you have an idea of where you need to be going, but going that way is too risky. That usually implies that it’s time to grind. If you’re talking about Rimuldar then 7 is kind of risky. If you managed to pick up keys though there are several places you can use them: one being in the main castle. Then you can purchase keys there, but they’re a little more expensive. It definitely can exhaust you though. Part of that helped me get through was making it to about where you are now and then accidentally nudging the cart and having to start over. But with all the knowledge from making it that far I felt a lot better about it. I did a lot of grinding in the fighters cave (or mountain cave) to get much better gear before headed east the second time.

[@breno855]

@@HPRshredder thanks for taking the time

[@HPRshredder]

@@breno855 Anytime! 🙂

[@MrTableDesk]

21:28 you know, if you go around the other way you run into Orwick's girlfriend

[@MikeRavia-xp5ig]

Fact. When I was a kid I used to be able to navigate the last dungeon with no light source.

[@gakeeeen]

Are you gonna play Ys games eventually? Given how influential they are

[@HPRshredder]

Yes! I plan to play them on the PC Engine though, since the NES versions seemed lacking? But the plan is to play Ys. I really want to experience them.

[@gakeeeen]

@@HPRshredder excited for eventual videos ~

[@gakeeeen]

@@HPRshredder Oh by the way, are you gonna play Mysterious Murasame Castle/Nazo no murasamejou? I think you'd love it

[@matthewbrookeart]

Never played this one but I like the newer dragon quests, I deffo wanna give it a go maybe it’s worth picking up on the switch? I love those little drawings of the spells. Toriyama (rip) designs are just so appealing

[@docdoom1987]

RIP Toriyama

[@Regularguy2121]

but thou must...

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

Any chance of you doing a mother (earthbound begins) review? I love it, for me it is the best of the mother series.

[@HPRshredder]

It’s already on the list! Very excited for that one myself - the cartridge is gorgeous

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

@@HPRshredder I never looked up how the cartridge looks, I know the box is a beautiful red with only the name on the front. It has all the flaws of early JRPGs and maybe some more. But it is a lovely story if you let yourself dive in in the world. You get a sense of identity and personality for each character even with little dialogue and "cut scenes". The world is filled with fun interactions. It is very grinding, but also a rewarding experience.

[@itsasecrettoeverybody]

@@HPRshredder Just saw a photograph, it is a red cartridge with a red label... very cool. XD

[@HPRshredder]

It was a later release for the Famicom, so it’ll probably be like a year + before I get to it, but I do really look forward to it.

[@wariodude128]

Don't know if you'll read this, but I actually made a violin and viola duet medley of the music for this game and called it Dragon Questing. Posted a video on my channel of the tune if you want to check it out. It's how I discovered the second form of the dragon lord is in a different time signature from everything else. Whereas most of the game music is 4/4, that one is 2/4.

[@HPRshredder]

I checked it out! Not bad!

[@johnhutt634]

Love your videos man not the same old shit everyone says

[@HPRshredder]

Thank you! I appreciate that!

[@travisspeer3151]

In the opposite corner of Rimuldar you'll find a girl who is looking for her boyfriend.

[@Unquestionable]

Growing up I of course had a copy of the US version, no idea where I got it, and pretty much everyone I knew who owned an NES had at least one (if not more) even if they had no interest in the genre. I really can't recall my first experience with it so much as just spending afternoons grinding the hours away just for the simple pleasure of it, by that point I had been a veteran of RPGs for at least a few years but far from an expert. I did get a copy of 2 at a garage sale but the Nintendo Power coverage of 4 made me incredibly interested in the series only to never come across a copy in the wild. Meanwhile the series kind of died after that one only to thankfully get a second chance with the DS remakes in the later 2000s. It's been like 35ish years since I first played DQ and to this day any new releases are immediate purchases for me.

[@HPRshredder]

You're on your way to commenting on every video lol, I appreciate it! This video was my second video I would consider being in the style that the show would kind of be molded by. Zelda 1 being the first. The earlier episodes were still experimenting and spit-balling.

[@Unquestionable]

@@HPRshredder Not even meaning to comment on all of them but once you get going I can't help but get pulled in!

[@quadpad_music]

Magidrakees can cast HURT too.

[@quadpad_music]

(Really enjoyed this review btw. You managed to explain the appeal of the game very well).

[@HPRshredder]

I guess they just never cast it against me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ but thanks for the comments and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

[@pc9434]

@@HPRshredder Amusingly, the magidrakee at 10:55 was casting HURT just as you were saying that they don't use magic. Still a good video. :)

[@HPRshredder]

@@pc9434 One of my biggest blunders lol

[@pc9434]

@@HPRshredder Haha, in that case you're way ahead of most people. I am really enjoying the series; I played a lot of these games back in the 80s, so it's bringing back some good memories.

[@emmiranda2]

I played the Switch version which is a port of the mobile version. Many people hate it but I actually liked it, and that’s because they included the original Toriyama artwork as the monsters. If you think about it, Toriyama designed them and then they had to be pixelated for the platform, so that’s actually a downgrade of the original vision (from the 80s remember). The port is not perfect but I really liked it. Here now just waiting for the Switch remakes.

[@jescis]

Nice thing about the US Dragon Warrior is that it's a QoL improvement to the Japanese Dragon Quest! And NOT just because of the battery backup save feature! 😉😉😁😁 However, that being said, I prefer the Japanese version of the game 😁😁

[@TheSegacampGamerandWerecamp]

1:58 THAT'S SO WEIRD! 😳😳😳 didn't you Review Metroid before this Episode? The Famicom Game you can save like Zelda but the NES Game you had the Password System but this is weird seeing this being the Opposite Dragon Quest One using a Password when Dragon Warrior One didn't and used a Battery Backup!

[@RegalPixelKing]

Although I appreciate this game and can have genuine fun with it, it's not a game that I can recommend to basically anybody in the current year and beyond. 90% of this game is level grinding with the other 10% being exploring and the actual "adventure" part of the game. This game was the first of its kind, and very clearly so.

[@TonyStarkCLC]

I want your opinion on Dragon Quest/Warrior III (FC/NES). The jewel of the crown in the original trilogy. Dont spoil yourself on this game WHATSOEVER before playing it. Just get it and play it. Please.

[@HPRshredder]

It's coming! I have a few more games lined up before it though. I think it might be in the next season or the very start of the season after that. I'm super excited to play it!

[@ericscarface]

I jus finished the android version. the artwork is different though

[@RoninCatholic]

20? The level cap is 35.

[@HPRshredder]

If you're referencing where I joke that the goal is to get to level 20 - it's because the game is very beatable at level 20.

[@RoninCatholic]

@@HPRshredder Yeah, that's a good natural endgame level. Like how most games with a level cap of 99 are beatable in the 40s with a bit of care and in the 50s or 60s casually.

[@yandman26]

Ten-tage-ell Castle. The home of King Arthur.

[@HPRshredder]

Wasn't aware until today Tintagel Castle was supposedly Arthur's home. Makes me want to visit.

[@yandman26]

@@HPRshredder I used to live nearby, it's a very cool place

[@spicajames]

But thou must

[@CerealCommander]

Dragon Quest made a huge impression , just like Mario Kart 64, when's that dropping?

[@anonamatron]

Dragon Quest actually didn't take Japan by storm. It did eventually, but not for a while. I've actually been to the Dragon Quest convenience store in Akihabara, but I thought they were just advertising a new game or something (I wasn't paying attention to the series at that time, in like 2014) and didn't pay much attention. I just thought it was a regular store. Wish I paid attention a little because I'd find it very cool now. My hotel was right next to the Square-Enix headquarters too, which I also didn't plan. in Shinjuku.

[@logantheking4598]

cor blimey

[@bernardoxbm]

JRPG sounds racist. Nobody says D&D is an USARPG

[@pc9434]

JRPG is about as racist as Chinese food or Russian literature (Hideki Kamiya for one thinks it's a good term that Japanese game-makers should be proud of). It's great that there's enough cultural distinctiveness that it comes through in as comparatively new a medium as video games (compared to food and literature that is). Just as "JRPGs" aren't called that in Japan, there are plenty of things called "American" throughout the world (but not in the US). American lettuce, American tape, American kitchen, American party, the list goes on. And I expect that most Americans would be just as baffled upon initially hearing these terms as many Japanese people were when first encountering "JRPG".