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/vr/ - Retro Games

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879549 No.879549 [Reply] [Original]

Picked this up today at a flea market. I know it's a little grindy, but I can deal with that.

What should I expect? Any tips? Has it aged poorly?

>> No.879551

>>879549
>Has it aged poorly
Your mom has aged poorly. Games don't age, they stay exactly the same.

Dragon Quest 1 is a curiocity best enjoyed when you're a big fan of the series. It has it's brilliant moments, but it can be tedious, and, although it does provide a glimpse at the DQ esperience, even at it's absolute best, it never surpasses any of the later games.

So, if you want, play DQV (PS2), DQ3 (GBC or SNES), become the huge series fan as an invariable result, and then consider 1, 2, 7 and the like when you get tired of 4, 8 or 6.

>> No.879564

>A little grindy.
I've got news for you...

>> No.879572

>>879551
Nice friendly post for a new fan, dickhead.

"Aging poorly" is an accepted term. As you so eloquently put it games stay exactly the same, which can mean, certain things like having to go into the menu to select "Stairs" to actually go up or down a floor is a hassle. It's what I don't personally like about the first game... That and having to use torches in caves in a bit of a pain, but realistic.

Graphic Whores will not appreciate the overworld, or combat screens... Hell, one of my friends loves retro games, but can't stand the old Dragon Quest games, due to the non-animated battle screens. He has to stick with the DS remakes.

/vr/ is a friendlier board that /v/, please stop being an asshole to people trying out a new series.

>> No.879579

>>879551
Honestly I don't think theres a problem starting with DQ1/DW. It's miles ahead of just about every NES RPG(one of the few that's playable in any way)

>> No.879581

>>879564
How grindy?

>> No.879582
File: 756 KB, 827x1280, 12353465756.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
879582

>>879572
>"Aging poorly" is an accepted term.
No.

>>879579
>Honestly I don't think theres a problem starting with DQ1/DW.
Except for the game being by far the worst in the series, of course.

>> No.879583

If you're familiar with using Earthbound's way of using the menu to do things, it shouldn't be that much of a change (though obviously you won't have an L button should you just want to talk to someone or check something quick), save for obviously 8-bit graphics. As for the aging? Well, one could regard the massive amounts of grinding you do as something that hasn't quite aged well. Now a days you could probably get through a situation slightly under leveled with the right set of plans, and some luck. Back then? GRIND LIKE YOU'RE IN A NIPPON ICHI GAME, FOR THE GODS OF FORTUNE SMILE NOT UPON YOU. Oh, it's not as bad as some Rogue-likes, but there are enemies out there that will simply wreck you.

Still, it is a fun game, a nice glance at the past if you happen to be a Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior fan.

>> No.879590

>>879549
Hello, OP, I have been playing Dragon Quest since it was called Dragon Warrior on the NES...

Yes, the game is grindy... Mainly due to the battle being one-on-one, if you don't mind a grind, you'll be fine.

There are mechanics I didn't like and found to be a hassle... Like having to select "Stairs" from the menu while standing over a staircase to go up or down a floor.

Having to use torches in caves. It's realistic, but I personally felt it was a pain in the ass. I don't remember if you get a light later... I want to say you do...

You MAY find the Ye Olde English a bit silly, or a bit charming... That one is personal opinion.

Other than that, old school JRPG goodness to be had! Equip new armor and weapons, watch out for cursed items, and be prepared for non-animated battle screens. I personally always found the battles to be charming... And I know it sounds strange, but the green font while you were poisoned was soothing to me...

And I LOVED the day to night time passing... Made the game "feel" bigger because townspeople had a second reply when talked to... One of my favorite parts of the Dragon Quest series...

>> No.879592

>>879549
max level is 40 so Its not really that grindy.
Tips:
If I remember correctly naming the hero 'Jason' is an easter egg

>> No.879610

>>879583
>it's not as bad as some Rogue-likes, but there are enemies out there that will simply wreck you.

The old school Dragon Quest OG guy here. I agree with this. If you are NOT ready to face the tougher enemies, you WILL get a game over.

One of the main reasons every Dragon Quest after 1 has had a multi-person party is because you are solo.

A trick I learned from dealing with Dragon Quest I is this... DO NOT cross a bridge until you have confidence you handle your CURRENT area! Crossing a bridge brings you into a "new" area and the enemies jump up in skill and power! Same goes for caves.

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE. After EVERY level, after every new piece of equipment, and after every milestone! Be damn near OCDish in your saving!

If you are feeling bold, and are well stocked, cross the bridge, or enter a cave, don't stray too far, get the hefty experience, go to an Inn, save, and repeat...

>> No.879613

>>879610
>One of the main reasons every Dragon Quest after 1 has had a multi-person party is because you are solo.


Errr, so it is therefore VERY easy to get a game over.

>> No.879615
File: 47 KB, 302x550, dragonquestiiiimport.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
879615

It's somewhat dated. Your level cap is 30, and you're only allowed 1 party member, and you can only encounter 1 monster at a time. There's no artificial boundaries, you can wander pretty much anywhere on the map from the start of the game, but unless you go where you're supposed to, you'll be trashed by high level monsters and die quickly. The action button isn't context sensitive, so if you want to talk to someone, you have to be in front of them, open the pause menu, and select TALK. Want to go up stairs? Same deal, you have to be next to them and then select STAIR from the menu.

Aside from that, it's a lovely game, and the charming Elizabethan-style script received a lot of praise when it was brought to the US. The game was highly influential, and introduced a lot of tropes that RPGs use to this day. For an RPG, it is very short. Expect to beat it in a couple days.

The game was remade along with Dragon Warrior/Quest II for the SNES in Japan, and for the Gameboy Color in the US. The SNES version is considered the best, and you can download translated ROMs of it online. The GBC version is also very playable, with the action button made more context sensitive, but the Elizabethan dialogue was removed and replaced with plainer text. You should be able to enjoy any version though!

>> No.879620

>>879615
>if you want to talk to someone, you have to be in front of them, open the pause menu, and select TALK.

Damn, I forgot about that...

Don't worry, OP, that is dropped with Dragon Quest II, and I believe any Dragon Quest I re-release.

>> No.879645
File: 78 KB, 537x714, gendo-on-his-throne.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
879645

> a little grindy
Son, I have some bad news.

>> No.879670

>>879581
If I was clever, I'd have a good analogy, but I'm not so I'm just going to say it's hella grindy.

>> No.879671

Dragon Quest stopped being grindy in DQ3. That's a good place to start, the first two are really only good to see the beginnings of a genre.

>> No.879676

Play the SNES translated ROM or the gameboy version if you want to play DQ1. It's a fun game if you're a fan of the series, but playing the NES version over one of the other versions is like grinding your own peanuts for peanut butter when you can get fresh (even organic) peanut butter at the store for $0.05 cents more than raw peanuts.

>> No.879679

Dragon Warrior 1 is shit. Simple as that.

Anyone who even tries to defend it is a fanboy.

>> No.879682

>>879679
>judgment without the context of time
It was interesting and even innovative for its day given the limitations of the system it was made for.

>> No.879686

>>879682
Even back in the early days people thought it was shit. This thing was sold in used record stores for $1 back in 1988.

>> No.879690

>>879686
It was probably the first console RPG for a lot of people. I'm not crazy enough to believe even the best JRPGs are for everyone.

Besides, being available for cheap at used goods stores is hardly a metric of quality.

>> No.879696

>>879582
>Except for the game being by far the worst in the series, of course.
DQ2 is worse

>> No.879701

>>879696
DQ2 is not worse. I'm so sick of seeing a lot of people on this board parroting this opinion as if it's fact. Yes, there is a large difficulty spike, and the one spell that can kill you, but do those two things make it the worst game in the series? No, of course not.

>> No.879706

You'll beat it in a day or two. They joke that Dragon Warrior has no real choices, but there actually is one you can do, that you might no expect.

>> No.879775 [DELETED] 

Start with Beneath a Steel Sky. It's a really awesome point and click from the makers of Broken Sword and it's available for free on GOG.

>> No.879780

Holy shit I love this series. The first is very grindy. And there are many areas in the game that will slaughter you if you're under leveled.

>> No.879787

I remember getting this game for free as a kid because I was subbed to Nintendo Power. Can't remember if I ever beat it though.

>> No.880019

>>879549
I think it has aged poorly. Its many imitators on the NES are all more enjoyable games, IMHO. It shows the most obvious blind imitation of Ultima without consideration of console ergonomics.

If you don't mind the grind, it's not a long game, and if you can get through it, you should have no problem getting past some of the superficial Dragon Warrior archaicisms of better games like Destiny of an Emperor, FF1, or Ultima 4 (NES; note that it's significantly JRPGified compared to other ports).

The DW sequels are improvements but the carts aren't ubiquitous like this one, so don't expect to find them cheap.