Dragon Quest, where to start?

[Xeogred]

Looks like HCBailly is planning a DQIV LP of the DS version, nice. Always love watching his stuff, haha.

[The Nihilist]

I haven't had much experience with the series (for the DW/DQ series, I have only played 1 and 4), but I'd recommend DQ4. Up to that point in RPGs when it was released, every RPG seemed like you'd go from point A to point B and amalgamate a party along the way.

The way 4 was set up (where you play every character who would later become the party in an individual sidequest) is alone worth the play. I especially liked playing the role of a shopkeep, I thought that was an awesome touch.

[Xeogred]

Omega bump. For those who have actually played the NES FF's and DQ games, how would you stack them up against each other? I think FFIII was really awesome all around. Flawed, but certainly set the blueprints for IV-VI to follow with a lot of things. But I'm kind of wondering if the DQ games are more refined and better. Were they bigger in Japan than FF back in the day as well?

Anyways, I'm definitely thinking I might jump into IV now via NES. I still think the original two FF's are too dated for me, though I've enjoyed a handful of the ports... and I suspect the same thing with the first two DQ's at least. Almost kind of instantly off putting seeing you only use one character in the first game. But I'll probably check out the GBC ports someday. Perhaps III has more polish, though I think I'd like to go with the SNES remake on that one.

So yeah, I think I'm really leaning towards IV now for my starter.

[MrPopo]

Omega bump. For those who have actually played the NES FF's and DQ games, how would you stack them up against each other?

DQ4 > DQ3 > FF3 > FF1 > FF2 > DQ2 > DQ1

DQ4 is on par with early SNES games with regards to story and world size. DQ3 has party building and a large world and story that wraps up the 1-3 trilogy. FF3 has the job system, but the story loses some of its pull after the first area. FF1 gives you initial party selection and does a good job of slowly opening up the world and showing that things are bigger than you once thought. FF2 actually has a pretty involved story but the leveling system fits in a weird place; it's extremely easy to break, but if you don't you'll usually find yourself outclassed. DQ2 has a much bigger world than DQ1 and gives you a party, but it also has some really nasty parts where it feels like they skipped some balancing.

[Nemoide]

I preferred DQIII to IV, but it's really a question of personal preference. The third game has much stronger gameplay mechanics while the fourth one has a much stronger storyline. IMO they both surpass every 8-bit game in the the FF series. (Disclaimer: I admit I've only played the remakes of all of those.)

Were they bigger in Japan than FF back in the day as well?

Totally. According to Wikipedia, the first DQ sold 2 million copies while the first Final Fantasy sold 400,000.

[skyknight]

DQ is crack for Japanese gamers, and it does tip the balance for console wars, it did solidify DS dominance over the PSP (could one image if the DQ was on PSP with Monster Hunter all together?)

The series differ one from another in terms of gameplay, which can be good or bad - my bros weren't much of a fan of the DQ series, and I have played DQ IV, V, and VI on the DS, and VIII on the PS2. I do hate the grinding, but somehow I keep going at it

I don't think there is necessary a right way to start with DQ, though I would say start with IV~VI or VIII, as IX (and X) will focus more on multi-player.

[D.D.D.]

This is my favorite NPC conversation from the first game:

Old Man: You cannot win with those weapons, return to me later.

...return a few levels later...

Old Man: You cannot win with those weapons, return to me later.

…return a dozen levels later...

Old Man: You cannot win with those weapons, return to me later.

…return a few more levels later and carrying the Flame Sword...

Old Man: You cannot win with those weapons, return to me later.

…return after finding Erdrick's Sword, essentially the last item you get in the game...

Old Man: You found the weapon!

Son. Of. A. Bitch.

[brunoafh]

You've probably already done your homework, but I found this pretty useful in deciding what versions of the different games to play.

http://hardcoregaming101.net/dragonques ... nquest.htm

[Xeogred]

You've probably already done your homework, but I found this pretty useful in deciding what versions of the different games to play.

http://hardcoregaming101.net/dragonques ... nquest.htm

This is awesome. VI has a dual world setup apparently... that really has my attention.

I'll still probably start with IV, but III does sound awesome too (still think I'll go with the SNES version). But yeah IV-VI all sound pretty amazing.

I imagine FF (NES) did better in the US here though, by my guess. It's just odd that we got all four NES DQ games, but then none of the SNES ones. Maybe the NES actually had a lot more localized games than the SNES overall?

[prfsnl_gmr]

DQ4 > DQ3 > FF3 > FF1 > FF2 > DQ2 > DQ1

I generally agree with this ranking.

I played though DQ4 on the NES some years ago, and it was certainly the most "16-bit" RPG on the NES. That said, it was a very "traditional" JRPG that progressed at a fairly steady pace through a pre-determined path.

I played through DQ3 on the Gameboy Color recently, and I was absolutely blown away by it. There was a ton to explore, and the leveling system was extremely addictive. Moreover, the combat was lightning fast; so, griding out levels in the various vocations never felt like a chore.

Moreover, there is a point in the game where - after exploring the variable sizable overhead map and defeating the antagonist - a new antagonist appears and an entirely new world (i.e., the entire overworld from DQ1) opens up for exploration. When this happened, it was no less shocking to me than when I discovered the dark world in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past or the inverted castle in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It is an amazing feeling when you think that you have played through an entire very enjoyable game, and it rewards you with even more of a great experience.

Finally, there are some hidden - exceptionally difficult - dungeons to explore after you have completed the main quest, and they add a tremendous amount of replay value to the game. (I am 65 hours into DQ9 right now, and the game reminds me very much of DQ3 on the Gameboy Color. The mechanics are extremely addictive, and I simply cannot pu the game down.)

That said, I have not played through the NES version of DQ3, but I know that it is not as well-regarded as the Gameboy Color version. Accordingly, if you are playing through the original NES versions, I would recommend DQ4. If you are open to remakes, however, I recommend DQ3 very, very highly.