Random Gaming Thoughts

[Exhuminator]

There are some qualms I have with IX:

The frame rate often gets to be sluggish, even in the overworld. I find this to be distracting.

The battle system is needlessly lethargic, compared to the blisteringly fast pace of the other DQ games' battle systems (if you configured them to be so). In DQIX I often have to sit there and wait as characters and monsters jostle around the battle field, shuffling their respective positions in an animated 3D fashion... I don't know, just seems pointless and takes up time for no great reason I can discern, other than graphical pizzazz.

The plot has utterly failed to engage me so far.

For those three reasons I've been unable to get addicted yet. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying DQIX is a bad game. It's still charming, aesthetically/aurally pleasing, and has a nice little world to explore. And I checked a walkthrough and I'm already 1/4th the way through the main campaign, I might as well finish it. Who knows it might eventually hook me.

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Prfsnl_gmr did you play through the other DS DQ games, as in IV, V, and VI? What'd you think of them?

[prfsnl_gmr]

Prfsnl_gmr did you play through the other DS DQ games, as in IV, V, and VI? What'd you think of them?

I have played through I, II, III, IV, and IX.

I think I is charmingly archaic.

I think II is repulsively archaic.

I think that III is one of the best very JRPGs, and I loved everything about it.

I think that IV is an interesting game that I need to play through again on the Nintendo DS now that I appreciate the series more.

I think that IX is a charming and incredibly addictive game with a staggering amount of content.

[Exhuminator]

Interesting thoughts. I'll add mine for the ones I've beaten:

DQ1 (GBC) = Great, charmingly archaic indeed.
DQ4 (DS) = Excellent, fun plot, lots of variety, I loved it.
DQ5 (DS) = Not as good as 4, boring plot, less variety, it was still decent.
DQ8 (PS2) = God tier amazing classic style JRPG, must play for JRPG lovers.

[MrPopo]

DQ1 NES - Super important milestone. Is short enough that the grinding isn't too bad.
DQ2 NES - Another super important milestone. What is this thing you call balance? Definitely the hardest of any DQ game.
DQ3 GBC - NES version is on my list to beat. This is definitely the first "complete" DQ game, with a full party that's well implemented and the existence of the job system we'd see is most other DQ games. Also has a much more developed story.
DQ4 NES & DS - Beginning of modern DQ storytelling. The introductory chapters are amazing and I wish more games used this feature. NES version is extremely playable even today. DS version fleshes out the characters even more and lets you control your characters.
DQ5 DS - I'd call this one the most epic in terms of the story progression. Introduces monster capturing to the series (which would be fleshed out more in the Monsters spinoff) but they end up being overshadowed by your regular party, most specifically your family.
DQ6 DS - This one just feels really average. The real vs. dream world conflicts and interactions just didn't resonate with me the way the past vs. future stuff happened in DQ7.
DQ7 PS1 - The longest DQ game for the main story stuff (IX beats it with the post-game content). Plays out like a weekly anime where you slowly realize that the problem of the week is actually part of the big bad's overall plan. The game also makes great use of the past vs. future mechanic.
DQ8 PS2 - The first DQ game to really make a change to combat in ages. The tension mechanic adds a dimension to battle. I also found this game to have the most interesting characters, as it focused on a very small party and spent more time giving these characters life.
DQ9 DS - I consider this game to basically be III all over again. Characters are back to blank slates and your class is most of who you are, rather than an enhancement to the base. Like DQ7 the overarching story takes a while to get going and you spend most of the early game focusing on local problems.

[Sarge]

Oh, boy, we get to rate Dragon Quest games! My favorite pasttime! I've beaten most iterations, and played all of them except the MMORPG one.

DQ1
- (NES) It's certainly a quaint game at this point, but it's not actively bad. Just a bit tedious. Still, this is the game that got me into RPGs.
- (GBC) Solid port / rebalance. It's not nearly as grind-heavy, and the graphics look decent enough. Haven't beaten this version.
- (SFC) I think this is pretty much the same as the GBC version, it just looks a little better. Either the GBC or SFC version is the way to roll.

DQ2
- (NES) Expands on the first game in meaningful ways. Multiple party members, more spells, more equipment, multi-enemy battles, the list goes on. It's pretty uneven in spots and very open-ended, but it's solid enough for an NES-era RPG. Some also find it brutally difficult, and I don't think I disagree. My secret to beating it was running from every encounter in the last area to get to the last boss with most of my resources.
- (SFC) I'm actually about 3/4 through this one. It's not nearly as hard, much like DQ1. Not a bad way to experience the game.
- (GBC) Very similar to the SFC game, can't go wrong with either of those if you want to experience it.

DQ3
- (NES) One of the greatest NES RPGs of all time. Fun job system, great story and callbacks to the original game, not as grind-heavy as the prior games, the list goes on. I think it's still quite playable today, but probably even better on the next platforms.
- (SFC) Uses the DQVI engine, and looks absolutely spectacular. The gameplay holds up even now. I finished it on SFC last year, and enjoyed every minute.
- (GBC) Based on the SFC version. Also a great way to experience the game, and it also has the animated enemy sprites, which is a sight to behold in an 8-bit GBC game. Adds a new dungeon and monster medals, but I never completed those bits.

DQ4
- (NES) Tied with DQ3 for me. Chapter-based story-telling, and your members all fall into the job types in DQ3, although there's some mixing up of certain spells. Also very playable today, doesn't require too much grinding except for certain spots. Also has a unique AI system for your party, which sometimes works fine, but will also make you pull your hair out when Cristo tries to cast Beat on the final boss instead of healing.
- (DS) Excellent update of the game, with a new chapter at the end with Saro. I actually like the original ending better, but whatevs. Looks like DQ7. You've got more control over your party, which is a boon.

DQ5
- (SFC) I didn't really cotton to this entry. It definitely felt like a Super NES title, with emphasis on the "NES". Not bad, not spectacular, just solid.
- (DS) A much better update, it plays a bit more smoothly and consistently. I liked the plot a lot more this time through, but I don't think from a gameplay perspective it's as good as DQ4 or DQ6.
- (PS2) Haven't put a whole lot of time into this version, but it looks and plays like a prettier version of the DS game. And yes, I know it pre-dated it.

DQ6
- (SFC) One of the best SFC RPGs, hands down. A beautiful game; it started the animated monster sprites. I actually love the plot and the dual worlds, and the class system is fun if you plan well. I highly recommend this one.
- (DS) And that recommendation doesn't change for the DS version. I don't think it looks as good in its DQ7-style engine, but the underlying game is still splendid. The longest of the DS remakes.

DQ7
- (PSX) Unfairly maligned by most because it looked awful (and yeah, it does), the meat of the game is excellent stuff. Highlights are the story vignettes that all tie into a more generic overarching plot, but I would argue that DQ has always been better at "charming" than "epic". And the game's got that in spades. Some poor decisions when it came to balance, though; character growth is pretty slow because level 40-ish takes around 80-90 hours compared to prior games. It's also got an infamously-slow start.
- (3DS) Cannot. Freaking. Wait. It sounds like it fixes everything with DQ7.

DQ8
- (PS2) Well, this is DQ being epic. And they pulled it off. Battles are a bit slower, but still speedy. The voice acting and music are all top-notch, and the landscapes are legit beautiful. It's a world that's fun to explore, for sure.

DQ9
- (DS) Allow me to be a voice of dissent here. I thought it was solid enough, but I wasn't enamored at all with the filler MMORPG-style quests. I also didn't like a lot of the limitations on the job system; I'd like to bring a lot more skills over between classes if possible. Some of the complaints Exhum has are correct; the framerate really tanks at times, and it's a huge graphical downgrade from DQ8. Even so, the core there is solid. Also, the plot takes quite a while to get rolling. It eventually does, but the early bits feel pretty aimless.

[Fragems]

I'm getting really tired of these early access games . Was interested in The Tomorrow Children on the PS4 which "released" 9/6 apparently. However this isn't the official release this is the "founder" release which cost $20 for which you are given $30 worth of currency/ingame items for this "free to play" game. However there is no way to access this "free to play" game without buying the $20 pack till it's "official release" which isn't announced anywhere . To make things even better they are already offering paid items in game and the items aren't even permanent they in fact have a preset durability and break pretty quickly .

Game is getting pretty well thrashed online and this is one case where I believe it deserves it. Micro transactions are one thing but locking your "free to play" game behind a paywall for an indeterminate amount of time is just idiotic .

[ElkinFencer10]

I've only played through I and II, and I absolutely loved I, but I'm with the crowd (especially Jordan's assessment of it as "repulsively archaic") about II. It was brutal, and while difficulty isn't a bad thing, I found Dragon Quest II (or, as I played it, Dragon Warrior II) to be SO difficult that the frustration far overpowered the fun, and the requisite grinding bored me to the point where I had to force myself to finish the game (and that was a chore).

[Sarge]

Dragon Warrior II was my white whale for the longest time. Finding that cart was a highlight of my hunts for games as a kid. I played it after the other games in the series, and I still enjoyed it, warts and all.

[ElkinFencer10]

Dragon Warrior II was my white whale for the longest time. Finding that cart was a highlight of my hunts for games as a kid. I played it after the other games in the series, and I still enjoyed it, warts and all.

Well, you're much more hardcore a retro gamer than I. I love old games, but that one's difficulty was just too offputting (and I managed to stick with Contra and Ghosts and Goblins long enough to power through them).

[Sarge]

Oof, G&G on NES is rough. Contra is darn near perfect, though.