A grindy mess. Yes, it is technically the first JRPG of its kind, but it's such a slog.
I enjoyed this more than I expected to, but that mostly comes as a type-2 fun of seeing where the series has its roots. The combat has very little depth, but there are still plenty of wacky NPCs. Would have been much more bearable today without random battles, but it’s cool as a time capsule.
Played the GBC version
Very much a proto-JRPG. Unfortunately still plays like it. Visionary but not terribly fun today. Interesting for fans of the series.
Played on SNES. Shows it's age via it's grinding needed to beat the game, but it's still enjoyable. Tried the NES version for about 15 minutes and could not recommend that, only boomers like that version.
I played it after DQXI ate my life, and honestly, it was a fun little game! Very simple and old, but it was really neat to see where a lot of the staples of the JRPG genre started. I think the old RPG I've played that it reminded me most of was Pokemon RGB, in terms of progression? Anyway, it was fun puzzling my way through. Also even if the writing is pretty simplistic, it's charming and often pretty funny. Obviously it's old as dirt, but if you're looking for a little break from a longer game, it's a good choice!
It's a short and cute RPG experience that I think any RPG fan should go back and play. It's kind of grindy but I can look past that and appreciate how refreshing this game is these days, no 70+ hour campaign, no complex narrative, and no party members, just go defeat the big bad.
Gold Golem should've become a bigger mascot for the franchise. It is a very good experience and worth whatever means you get it for, it only scores so low because of how much it has aged, but still, I highly recommend playing it... albeit with a guide
Purified. Distilled. Adventure, hero's journey, video game.
Historical for creating the JRPG genre, but lacking in any depth. Barely 9 hrs to get through with more than half of that requiring long stretches of grinding the same set of enemies. Charming despite this but not a game that holds up beside it being the start of a well regarded series. IOS/Android/Switch version less painless thanks to quality-of-life features.
The first true jrpg and the first title in a franchise I love. The game is incredibly simple but surprisingly it represented a sense of adventure better than any retro adventure game I've played has. Its so cool seeing how differently it plays from even DQ2. Its not perfect, the naming system is rather silly and can kill playthroughs, and there are too many empty places that waste time or lead to nowhere and few moments where I genuinely needed a guide, but cross referencing a printed map and discovering secrets via intuition, is an experience I won't forget.
one of the only jrpgs with no loser friends
this game has nothing to offer anymore, in my honest opinion.
Archaic in ways but plenty approachable in others, a charming little journey through a simplistic RPG world.
Not very long and a cool piece of gaming history.
Hey, 3 stars is pretty generous when you basically invent a genre! It's a decent romp, but nothing special. The real stuff comes later.
The importance of this game cannot be overstated. Dragon Quest single-handedly codified a genre for decades to come, and the series would continue breaking new ground until the franchise became so beloved and iconic in its native country that it became too beholden to tradition to innovate further. Unfortunately the entire game is literally nothing but grinding, which to a modern audience is utterly repulsive. However for the extremely patient gamer, DQ1 is a quaint and memorable journey.
A recent all time favourite of mine. Having gained my adoration for the Dragon Quest series with Dragon Quest VIII on the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, I had to find out first hand where it all began and Dragon Quest I quickly became one of my favourite games. Simple, straightforward game design with the immediately lovable art style of Akira Toriyama’s original monster designs, Dragon Quest offers an extremely concise portal into the role playing game genre, allowing new players to experience a still grand and sprawling but simple adventure while offering experienced players with a balanced challenge and fun battle system to engage with. I find myself booting up the game just to listen to the overworld music and to battle slimes every so often. At a playtime under a mere 8 to 10 hours on first play, it is a must-play for anyone interested in JRPGs or players looking to see where it all began for the Dragon Quest series.
Un clásico que es mejor apreciar hoy por hoy por su valor histórico y no tanto por su gameplay.
If you have a weekend to spare and are interested in the history of the genre, its an interesting history piece, otherwise ignore it.
At least its dirt cheap.
At least its dirt cheap.
Absolute kino
Dragon Quest Is Pure Video Games
Definitely very good for its time, this was a fun and short (and grindy!) diversion. Surprisingly for a game of that era, very little that made me throw up my hands and go "this is bullshit!" but not a lot that really blew me away either.
This game's age shows. It's a very short RPG. The level cap is 30, there is only one party member, and the world is not that large. You could beat this game in less than one day. In the meantime, you'd definitely be able to see some of its appeal. But be warned, aside from the somewhat intuitive puzzles, you'll be spending most of your time with this game grinding against Slimes.
The first and easily the weakest. The mobile version did add some helpful qol improvements but it still is the 1986 rpg at its core and still has mamh of the issues such as being sent back to tantagel when you die etc . Great if you want to see where the genre and series started but not really the most fun experience.
un juego entretenido aun con sus cosas malas, el combate es muy basico ya que consta solo de encuentros 1v1 y se enfoca mas en acumular experiencia que en la historia lo que lo vuelve bastante repetitivo, recomendado si queres experimentar los origenes de la saga
I played this SNES but the closest thing I can click is NES so lol. Fun game. Simple, sweet, and to the point.
the first JRPG is interesting to examine after 35 years of JRPGs. to get it out of the way the translation is bad, everything that is in this game has even developed in 1000 different directions, yes, BUT what's incredible about dragon quest is that, compared to its many lengthy successors, it doesn't feel lacking (to me). under the right light, dragon quest is a microcosm of every game that followed it. it's world map is easy to remember, the adventure is around 8 hours, it's one on one fights. at times it's mindless, sure, it's for kids, whatever.
anyways, a wonderful game to play on your phone at work. great time killer
anyways, a wonderful game to play on your phone at work. great time killer
Its impressive in what ways this game still holds up and how much fun it was even with no attachment to the franchise coming in. with only a single party member and exclusively 1-on-1 encounters made almost all fights play out the same manner. However, the openness of the world and the simple joy of exploring alongside some excellent pixel art kept the journey fun all the way through.
You get an item called "Gwaelin's Love" after saving the princess which goes to show how cute the original Dragon Quest is. Unfortunately, this game is very primitive and has no sense of balance at all. You're lucky you're cute, Dragon Quest.