Dragon Warrior (Dragon Quest) Review! (NES) - The Game Collection
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- In this Dragon Warrior review, SuperDerek takes a look at Dragon Quest 1, the definitive JRPG to determine if it's going to be a part of The Game Collection!
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Special thanks to Niko "The Wii Guy" for letting me use his enhanced. 8-Bit Stereo soundtrack! • Dragon Warrior (NES) S...
#dragonquest #dragonwarrior
I remember back in the late 80s being like 4 or 5, having a Nintendo, and seeing this game in the local Toys R Us and seeing the dragon and knight box art behind the glass and being blown away. Never bought it back then, actually beat it on my phone when I downloaded a mobile emulator about 5 years ago. Game is a classic intro to the genre. Still holds up today IMO.
I disagree about the music. While it's definitely repetitive, there is one music trick that still boggles my mind for an NES game. In every labyrinth, for every floor you go down, the music drops a step and becomes slower. Some of the other tracks became iconic as well. Even compared to something like the original Zelda, there's actually quiet a bit of variation for it's time.
Yea spooky spooky spooky
Yep. The further away you are from safety, the more eerie it becomes. Original formula was all about weighting in your chances of surviving in an unknown dungeon, and the fact that leveling was slow added to the player's frustration: "Argh I can't wait any longer maybe this cave has an upgrade for me. maybe I should walk in and see how hard it is".
it boggles your mind that something constantly pitches down? you don't know much about how this works right?
@@larrote6467 It doesn't "pitch down" it slows down and the pitch drops as a result of that. I guess you don't know much about it either 😉
The OG. The beginning of a franchise. DRAGON WARRIOR! Gotta go grind slimes brb
I played this game when it first came out and loved it! My friends hated it and made fun of me for liking it. This game made me an RPG'r
That’s awesome, thank you for sharing
What shitty friends lol
Similar story here. A kid in my class brought it in because he didn't understand it and didn't like it. I was considered a "nerd" (disparaging at the time) and he gave it to me more as a way to get rid of it and make fun of me (5th grade... Children were mean) but I took it home and was mesmerized by this game that was like nothing I had ever seen before. I was addicted to it and even got in trouble when I was supposed to be doing homework and my dad walked in on me playing the game instead. So I have a very important place in my life for this game. DW is why I love RPGs and even video games in general today and why I enjoy collecting them.
My absolute favorite series. I'm so glad its finally get some love again in the west.
My friends and I absolutely loved this game growing up. A classic and one of the best RPG games of all time in my opinion.
Enjoyed this game surprisingly. I never beat it as I got the point of the game where the instructions are "Just grind all the levels so you can beat the final area and boss" and I just said "Nah, I get the gist of the game."
Haha
Never heard of this game before but great review! :D
Yeah, it's a bit of a hidden gem, ya know? My friend Bob Cornhole told me all about it. ;)
SuperDerek RPGs
Always trust Bob!
You have never heard of the pen and paper rpg Dragon Quest??? It was all the rage back in the late 80s! :P
SuperDerek RPGs the perfect crossover doesnt exi-
Mmmmmmm sus
I think it is so sweet when your character carries the princess home in his arms.
Congrats on the milestone! Dragon Warrior was my first JRPG, and has always remained a special game for me. I lucked out to get my hands on one of those free copies from a friend who got it with Nintendo Power. Great review!
Thanks TGG! How lucky to be one of the people who both got a free copy, and actually enjoyed it the first-go-round! Must have felt like Christmas. :D
SuperDerek RPGs
It single-highhandedly contributed to my love for the NES/SNES JRPG's. It makes me curious to if I'd have played the games I played if I hadn't known about Dragon Warrior.
Did you create that XP graph? Great work because I've never seen anyone do that in rpg reviews.nice vid!
Thanks man! I was afraid throwing it in might be a little dry, but I really thought it was worth mentioning. :)
No, the effort was well-spent. When you see it laid out in a visual depiction it becomes all the more puzzling. As far as I know, every RPG I've ever played goes by an exponential XP system where each level takes more than the last. That's really an oddity
Ya man, graphs are great
im glad you did, its a very unique thing that when i noticed, really suprised me, never seen something like that before.
Thanks for the video and the info graphic!
I'm not an expert, but it seems that the reason behind the weird experience between levels 29 and 30 could possibly have been due to the hardware limitations.
It appears that 65535 (or 65536 not counting 0) is the largest number able to be formed by a 16-bit integer (unsigned short int).
On the NES/Famicom hardware (the 6502 chip) it was limited to a 16-wide register (bus?); so two 8-bit sections combined for the experience number.
So based on this assumption, I'm guessing it was not a conscious UX/story design decision by Horii, but a compromise so they didn't have to go back and re-balance everything.
This is a great video! I love the old tv filter when showing gameplay. You did an excellent job with this review.
Wow congrats on 50 reviews and over 10k subscribers (you deserve 20 times that).
Dragon Warrior was the very first concole RPG and JRPG I ever played. I still love it
Thank you very much! :)
That was a real slick move at 0:35 when you hold up the game. I'm impressed.
lol, I'll be sure to include a how-to in my "Making of" video. ;)
I remember when I first got my copy, I played it and Final Fantasy both obsessively. At one point, my NES only ever had one of those two games in it.
Objectively, Final Fantasy is a better game, but it came out later and had the benefit of leaning on Dragon Quest. Regardless I love both to this day, and my copies still work fine!
Ya know as many times as I've played this title I never noticed the whacked out leveling curve. Shit I don't think I've ever even questioned the level gains in any sort of mathematical approach before. Thanks for teaching me something new Derek. Video was awesome as always. (:
Thanks Daria! Admittedly, the last time I cared about an XP curve was when I was playing around with RPG Maker 2001 years back. But this time through it just really struck me as odd. :)
+SuperDerek RPGs lol okay yeah RPG Maker is the only time I've looked at XP curves too and that was to say: "WTF is this? I'll figure it out later."
Right as I'm about to start DQ4 after work today! So excited!
I love how you kept the scanline (I recently started doing the same in my videos.
I remember watching your Lufia Fortress of Doom way back when. Just recently started watching your stuff again, and your quality has significantly improved.
Great video keep up the good work!
Hey thanks man! I try to find ways to improve each review, so it means a lot to know that all those little things I've learned are making a difference. :)
Dragon Warrior was the first game I ever played back as a very young kid. I couldn't make any progress as I just kept dying to the same enemies over and over again (not understanding how to play beyond press the attack button). I picked up a copy of the Dragon Quest 1-3 Collection for switch online and just beat Dragon Quest. It feels amazing and I really enjoyed my time with it. I'm hopping right back in for Dragon Quest II.
Dragon Warrior for the NES popped my RPG cherry and have been playing them ever since.
that intro... that style... catch my atention... after that? an awesome review of dragon Quest... you win man! here is my sub!
Surprised there was no mention of the remakes. I couldn't beat the NES game, but I've beaten the GBC version multiple times. In fact, it's the only Dragon Quest game I've beaten.
I played the NES version as a kid back when it came out, and was the first RPG of its type I ever played. Hard to believe, it took me only three days to beat. I did it without reaching the highest level one can get to.
I challenged myself by doing something odd with it after. I played through it again from the start, but wile not collecting any weapons. I hit everything with just my hands. This time I did reach the highest level, but forgot what that was, but not far from where I was last time. I still beat the boss with just my hands.
Though I went back to him again after starting the game up from my last save, and picked up the last sword, the only weapon used at that time, and I beat the boss way easy. I found if you play through the game with only your hands, and pick up the final weapon at the end, you are far stronger at the end than if you played wile collecting weapons throughout the game.
Damn, seeing the vid brings back memories. ^.^
I like the Android remakes of the DQ series. I have several of them. I think number IV has to be the best one on the NES. It is about $100 for a game cart and probably the most I would pay for a NES game. But I think it is worth it to add to my collection.
I played the crap out of this game back in the day. It is one of my favorite NES games and one of the handful of boxed games in my collection. I also have some extras for it such as a map, strategy guide and quick reference card. These items were distributed along with the game in the early '90s. I believe it was a special offer in Nintendo Power so there are probably many sets of these items still out there. It is one of the cheaper boxed NES games and makes for a visually appealing display.
I think, like myself, many people had their first RPG experience with this game.
Played this on my NES in 1989 and have been addicted to RPGs ever since. This game should be a rite of passage.
love your roon you had a nes same as me when we were kids. great review
I got my copy free with a subscription to Nintendo Power in 1990. Not really knowing how to play this type of game at age 11, it really turned me off to role playing games. It wasn't till about 5 years later where I committed myself to learning how to play and beating the game, which I ultimately did enjoy.
Man, the kid in me is so jealous! Getting a free NES game back in the day would have been amazing! It's too bad the game was so off-putting though.
Definitely a great marketing strategy though! I'm sure it helped out with Nintendo Power subscriptions and it must have helped with Dragon Warrior sales if we got another three games on the NES. We certainly didn't get any more Final Fantasy games on the NES after the first one.
Congrats on 10,000 subs!
Thanks man! :D
Playing right now on switch - wish the original pixel style was on it but I have been loving it
I still hum the over world tune... And the one on the title screen but the game will always hold a special place in my heart.
It was the first game I remember playing, and I was like 3 or 4. I could not read yet but I loved looking at the monsters. Swear I must have beaten ten thousand slimes to death with my fists, though I likely died more to ghosts and wizards.
I just remember playing it. Every thing else I put down are assumptions I've made. I do know I walked to Kol, and that's the part I remember... I did not know the name of the town just that it was full of people.
I love Dragon warrior.
thk u for giving this classic a shout out, i always felt like it doesnt get the credit it deserves so this is great!
OH SNAP! Derek are you gonna do every single Dragon Quest game?! You have now officially out done 16 bit gems! Love your channel and I always insta thumbs up your vids!
Thanks StrangerX9! I believe I'll at least go up through 8, but I can't record DS games yet. I'm saving up though, so hopefully it'll be possible sooner than later. Also, I may take breaks between DQ reviews, but I believe this next one will be DWII. :)
SuperDerek RPGs Sweet! Thanks for the insider info!
My first console RPG.
That's so weird, fam. I just finished up with the first 5 Dragon Quests, and started my playthrough of 6. I figured it was a disservice being a huge JRPG fan, and only having played the 8th and 9th installment.
I can't fault anything you've said here. Solid review, tbh famicom.
Good to see you +Casp Osaurus :) yeah it felt a bit wrong having not finished more DQ games. Really looking forward to their next console release! :)
The first installment of my all-time favorite game series
I have to very strongly disagree about what said about the music. Its absolutely iconic and amazing
Totally fair, music is extremely subjective. It's absolutely iconic, and the things about it that bother me likely won't bother everyone. :)
Glad to see that this crazy-go-nuts series got the Super 'Do Super Review! Good Jorb!
Thanks, Walla Chopsteak. :D
Derek, thank you for reviewing Dragon Warrior/Quest and for acknowledging the lack of reviews/coverage/credit (whatever you want to call it) it get.
this was my first rpg ever. and i still play it from time to time
I still gotta get the box and manual. I got the game itself as a graduation present when I graduated middle school
Just played like 20 minutes of this game today and it's legit. The game has this appeal to it.
Replaying these videos and the games themselves, RIP Akira Toriyama
But that spell hath been blocked! :d
I really like the nice stereo mixes of the music you are using.
You know, I've never really sat down and played through DQ. I've always preferred having a small party in RPGs. I do remember when the game came out and remember when Nintendo Power subscriptions came with a free copy of the game. It's a shame that those days are long gone. Great look at a true classic.
Yeah, well even I hadn't played it until this review, and RPGs are kinda my thing. Glad I can finally mark this on off my backlog. :)
The Dragon Warrior series on the Nintendo is quite possibly my favorite video game series of all time. Objectively, I couldn't say it's the best, just likely my favorite. Something about these games just seems pure and unspoiled and for this they have remained relevant to me and something I still revisit now and then.
Hell I'm buying this full copy
5:40 Yes you are right, the music is good but it loops too often. To be honest, though, I didn't place a very high value on music in games back in the 80s and early 90s. I had a boom box *and* a Sony Walkman (I was a very cool dude, obviously!), and so I tended to make my own soundtrack to go with my NES and SNES games. I'd guess that a lot of other people did that too.
I remember really liking this game for what it was but forgetting a lot about it plot wise.
That graph was cool. interesting.
That is such a weird EXP graph. That makes me curious to see what the EXP graphs look like for other games of that era. Might be worth doing a video about!
The only Dragon Quest game I've played is Dragon Quest Heroes The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below... nice to know how the series started!
Man that XP graph is nuts. Reminds me of OG everquest when it still had "hell levels" which bascially used the same concept.
It's pretty weird, that's for sure. Those last few levels though are a huge pain since you stop running into stronger creatures around level 18 or so.
Sounds like after 18 it's time to pop in a game genie.
I wasn't aware that the NES version was so abundant, and I now find myself wondering why I don't own a copy.
This was a spectacular video. I already knew a fair bit about the game's history, but for people totally new to the DQ/DW series, this will be very informative. Looking forward to the rest of your DQ/DW reviews!
Thanks Seafoam! Really looking forward to digging into the rest of the series, resuming DWII tonight, hopefully!
Glad that you enjoyed it in spite of its age. I really liked it when I was a kid, and it was fun to watch you play it. Can't wait until you get to the third game. It's one of my favorites. I'm currently playing IV on DS, and eager awaiting the 3DS release of VII.
Nice review, Der-bear. Looking forward to more Dragon Warrior reviews! I've played through the entire series now except for 7. Been waiting for that remake on the 3DS. So far it looks really awesome.
Thanks Tom! Looking forward to playing more of them. ;)
Wrapping up vesperia and plan on playing dragon quest . Can’t wait. Sadly hear switch version isn’t great but it’ll have to do
Super video, Derek! ;) Dragon Warrior is a game that I have many fond memories of and will still pop in from time to time to this day. That being said, I haven't played any of the Dragon Warrior/Quest series past the NES days. I'm going to have to start seeking out the remakes for the DS at some point. Great review! Looking forward to the rest of the series.
My sought out game of all time . The game that started it all. I loved this one even though your alone in this one. I really want a reboot of all of them in PS4
Personally, I think the mobile ports are an excellent way to play the first three Dragon Quest games. While DQ1 and DQ2 are excellent games, their simplicity doesnt lend itself to long play sessions on console for the modern gamer. They are, however, perfect for playing on mobile while you are in line, or at work, or whatever. Even though they are simple for a modern console game, compared to most mobile games they are leagues ahead (and no microtransactions!). Also, the updated graphics, rebalancing, and ability to save anywhere are extremely welcome features.
If you have always wanted to play the early DQ (or FF) games but didnt think they would hold your attention then get the mobile ports! I beat DQ1 and DQ2 on mobile and enjoyed them both. DQ3 is also the enhanced snes port we never got so its basically the definitive way to play the game. I got like hafway into it but am about to start a new playthrough once I finish FF5 (would def reccomend FF5)
Awesome review man. I need to go back and complete DW1 again so I can go through the others in the series. I've recently acquired DW3 & DW4. Have you ever tried the Dragon Warrior Monsters series? The first two are in my top 10 games. Seriously love them. They play a lot like Pokémon games but in my opinion better.
Nope, never heard of it but now that I know about them I'll need to pick 'em up! And here I thought I had completed my "Warrior" collection. :-P
+SuperDerek RPGs The DQ Monster series is fantastic! I believe there has been 5 games released here in the states, 3 for the Gameboy/GBC (II is 2 versions of the same game sorta like Pokemon does) and 2 on the original DS. There's some entries on the 3DS as well which I hope to see localized before the handheld's life cycle is up!
Just wanna' point out that I actually much prefer the NA box/manual art for this game than Akira's despite me being a DB/DBZ fan growing up as a kid. Because the NA art was so amazing and epic, the instruction manual had so many beautiful illustrations for all the items, equipment, and spells too.
Niceee as usual Derek! You gonna do every dragon quest?
+Poo Mcgee Yep! Dragon Quest II ought to be next! 😃
Welcome back, SprD
Thanks Chu! :)
Nice, but was kind of hoping for a comparison to the other versions.
You'll get that shortly. I'm reviewing them in chronological order, and will be making comparisons as I progress, sort of how I did the Breath of Fire series. :)
Man I hope we'll get DQXI in the west...
Me too. I think at this point it would be ridiculous for us not to get it. Then again, Square kinda has been ridiculous for a while now...
SuperDerek RPGs Can't imagine that they'd give us the new Star Ocean game and not DQ no matter how ridiculous they are.
5:59 - Complete copies for less that 20 dollars? Not when you're in Europe, sadly. Combined with shipping, it's about 50 or 60 dollars for a complete copy.
Beat the mobile version the other day. Was pretty basic, but not to the extent that I had initially feared.
I was a final fantasy kid growing up. I didn't own this game, not sure why, but I remember playing it at friends' houses. I never was a fan of the 1st person perspective, I want to see my characters in battle.
How are you walking so far without an encounter? I'm getting encounters almost every 3-4 squares I move!
Just bought this game today! Huge FF fan but I've always overlooked Dragon Quest for some reason.
Playing the SNES version now and don't you actually need to save the princess to get the location to Roto's token? Which lets you get the rainbow gem.
In the NES version she gives you coordinates to find an item, but if you already know where it can be found you can go pick it up right away without her guidance. :)
Since that's the clue to the token location, and you need the token to proceed, I wouldn't call it a side quest.
I finally own this entire series (thanks to dragon warrior 1-3 releasing on switch) and someday I'll complete them all...(minus that online one?)
Yay, new Super Derek! Informative stuff, as always. I was a Final Fantasy kid, I think I may have rented one of the Dragon Warrior games and played it for a weekend, but I never owned any. So you're saying that there was a single NPC, the king, that you had to go to to save? That sounds really inconvenient. Also, most Japanese people don't own computers? That really surprises me if that's true. Do they just rely on their smartphones?
Yeah, apparently the Japanse public at large just never really got into them. Something to do with the written language not translating well to a keyboard, (pun not intended, but welcome). Now smart-phone use is very big, but people still don't get computers. That's why in anime, whenever someone is forced to use a computer they act clueless. It's not just because the anime takes place in olden times, they really are just computer illiterate.
So in a way, JRPGs are a side-effect of computer-illiteracy. Who would have guessed it?
Whoa, that's really fascinating. It makes sense though, their written language, Hiragana at least, has more than 26 characters, and I can't even imagine how difficult it would be to type Kanji
Great series of games. Also one I played completely out of order. I think Dragon Warrior VII was the first one I played. I was more of a Final Fantasy guy growing up.
Same here, except I started with VII. Unfortunately we never got the SNES DQ games, otherwise I may have gotten hooked a bit sooner! :)
I love this game. Talk about rpg grind! Great review. After watching this I will definitely be playing this one on my channel soon!
I got a copy at a swap meet a few months back for $8.
I got 1 of those free copy's couldn't remember why but it was nintendo
Man! You'll be pleasantly surprised when you'll reach to and finish Dragon Quest(Warrior) IV for NES, and would have to make a longer video.
The game that started it all for me...well..Dragon WARRIOR after that Nintendo Power giveaway. I know for a fact I have Erdrick's blood line in me. Great Review bud!
Are you kidding me? The music of Dragon Warrior, all of them is great!
Has anyone ever defeated the Golem without the flute?
Yes, you just have to be level 17 or higher (Healmore is absolutely necessary) and have good equipment.
man i hope you review all the DQ series....man i want a game adaptation of the manga adventures of dai
Next up is DQII. ;)
SuperDerek RPGs
thanks,something i forgot to post in my comment is...
what assholes the localisation team was when they replaced Mr toriyama`s art for that generic art,no wonder theyre sales was so bad XD
Hi Derek. I love the channel. I was wondering if you could do the review of Alundra 2? I know you just did the 1st one last year but Im a huge Aludra fan but I wanted to know If its even worth a buy.
You can rest assured that it's going to be getting a review! Might not be a bad one after I finish the Dragon Warrior NES series, & the first 2 Suikoden games I've got planned... So many games, not enough time! :)
I agree, it really isn't as bad as one may think, it has annoying things, but it is the story, the beginning of JRPG's.
Great Video.
Great Video! Very insightful. 👍👍
I recently played the Android version, it has improved leveling, graphics and quick save features, but I think it's a missed opportunity. The graphics are ok but they look stretched, there's only portrait mode, there's no added content, the spells, monsters and everything else is the same, no improved script and it uses old English translation that I found pretty annoying after a couple of minutes. I wouldn't mind paying more for a proper remake.
wow that brought me back. Have you considered a "Tales of" or "star ocean" game, both series are well worth the time.
You bet! There's a ton of games out there I've been wanting to review. Hopefully some day I'll have reviewed them all! I'll get to these, but can't really guess about when I'll be able to though just yet. :)
Did you beat the game without using the internet? I did when I was like 14 years old. Some cryptic shit in this game, like finding a medallion with just coordinates with no marker illustrating where the stupid medal is. Or, the vague riddles given to find paths.
Yes, 1993 If I recall correctly. No internet, no guides, or maps at all. Games today are (often) much easier it seems like.
Great Video as always!
what is your favorite RPG game??
It's a tough call. Action RPG would probably be Terranigma or Alundra. Turn based maybe either Grandia or maybe Breath of Fire III.
The final level grind before the last boss ruined the game for me. I just couldn't make myself do it. Was having a great time until that point, though.
Yeah, it did get pretty rough toward the end. The end-game enemies just didn't give out enough experience points, I think.
The music is burnt into my brain though.
36 years huh kind of late for a review dont you think
Hey this game only runs 10$ crazy how cheap it is for the American console hope there helps people want to buy it
Another great review.
Thank you Andre! :)
SuperDerek RPGs Anytime.
Can you do a review on Space Channel 5 Parts 1 and 2? It isn't really that long of a game only about 2 hours and its really cheap anyways :D
your subscriber graph just went +1
Your logo/avatar should look a wee bit heavier. Anyway, good OC!
Nah, I just lost 45 lbs instead. :)
@@SuperDerek Well done Sir! I could stand to lose at least 20 elbees. Advice?
in February I switched to a ketogenic diet. It's a more extreme take on the low-carb diet. Lockstin has a really great couple of videos on it I'd recommend checking out, since they got me started. Here's the first one: th-cam.com/video/SjKEiUGgWEI/w-d-xo.html
Good luck! :D
what did u mean by there was some inconsistencies? i thought it was very consistent for the time lol, great review, i forgot how much i loved this game, i thought dragonlord was one of the greatest villains ever lol
yea but is it better than Rolan's Curse??
Oh yeah... I still need to buy that game. I seem to keep hearing about it... ;)
SuperDerek RPGs YES. There is even a sequel. Rolan's Curse 2. Prob most underrated franchise of all times