Dragon Quest II offers a look at the ingredients that make up a great video game sequel. This game subverts expectations in a wonderful way but stays true to its roots laid in the first game. Three party members over just one in Dragon Quest I offers experienced and new players to the JRPG genre a breath of fresh air coming off the last game. More strategy, more story and more lovable monsters to fight help make this game a must-play for Dragon Quest fans and JRPG fans in general. The ending stretch can become a little nauseating with obscene random encounter rates and a big level spike, but its worth it to see through to the end. (The music is also incredible)

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.