Very interesting exploites. Too bad we never got the WIi collection of the OG titles like they got back in like 2009 in Japan. Loved that they had the no item buying thing and shypox on the Dragon Quest 11 game at launch to simulate a harder dragon quest title will all the hard mode settings on. If I were to play DQ11 again I would use the added Super shypox (acts like the curse in DQ1 the shypox does missing turns).
In September 2023 I was looking through the PSN playstation store to see what some meager funds could net me. I happened about a two pack collection of Famicom games where at least 1 title used a fan translation for the script. Was like 5.50 CAD for two games on sale. The first game I'm playing is called like JaJaMaru the ninja scroll. The funny thing is that the game I think was an RPG that did the whole 3 separate quests then a final quest just like DQ4 but it was like in combat wise like a DQ1 clone (but two party members) that made it to the market 6 months before DQ4 came out. Thinking about the ambition of DQ4 I think it was not DQ4 coping this games structure but like they came to the same conclusion. The second game on the "Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs" collection that I still have to play is like a Zelda 1 kinda clone with powers you gain like a mega man title. The regular save system like it was ment to be played is a broken turd in the first game and had to resort to using the 6 save states built in (used them just to save, did not do any save scumming BS). I read that the Zelda like clone has to resort to allowing cheatcode mode to even be able to use the 6 of the 8 power ups due to a glitch. I mean the game you can not get a platinum trophy due to the script being screwed up. The huge redeming quality is the game itself is alot of fun and a good little challenge. This one item dropped from an enemy when I choose the 3rd quest first to play (may have glitched up the regular save by doing this?) is a healing katana kinda like that FF1 item that you can constantly use in battle to gain 20 hp. Not sure if this item will transfer over yet to the 4th quest as I have the 1st and 2nd quest to complete first but dought it since the quests use the same characters kinda losing the point of having separate quests in the first point. The game has some really nice emulation features to add a cathode ray tube rounded corners but allows you to adjust sliders. The emulation features are some of the best features I've seen on a console title and looks really good. The game has some fun old school grinding and you really need to be a certain amount of health points to take on the bosses in the title. The nice part is once you meet certain bosses you can choose to escape before the battle begins and the Ninka Kite item acts like the Chimera wings in DQ1 but they also work inside of dungeons!! To get to the safety I think of the last town you saved. Has the whole you get to keep the experience points but lose half your gold thing as well. A decent challenge but fair. Had some difficulty spikes but maybe just a few hours of grinding to overcome. Having a bunch of fun so far. Worth it on a sale price if you like NES RPG titles. Oh the game is set in like fuedal Japan instead of like western middle ages like Japanese middle ages. Fighting like yokai and oni.
That JaJaMaru game I'm not sure the rarity of this healing katana item dropped by like an invisible man enemy at the tale end of the third quest but I had a shot at getting another of the item I wanted but could not switch out the item for a preexisting item in my limited inventory. I was kinda choked but that was how games back then operated... I think I was grinding up 4 levels near the end trying to get that second healing katana to appear again as an item drop but only got the lesser common item to drop from said enemy. The whole not so rare and rare item drops remind me of what DQ11 did. Hmmm. I wonder how soon in the Dragon Quest (DQ) franchise that they pulled off the lesser rare drop and then rare item drop from the same enemy. I want to look that up.
As someone who played Dragon (Warrior) II in real time, this is the best recap I've seen. It may feel dated and grindy now but back then, the open world was mind-blowing. And even though it was very hard (and we didn't have google to help us) it was so satisfying to uncover the mysteries. It took me early a year to find that stupid Watergate Key. And Malroth as the real final boss was a crazy reveal. Great job.
Thank you for touching on the "imagination" subject. It's a HUGE factor in many these older games that many don't talk about. These kind of games rely on your imagination to help build the world around you. It's a very special thing and as you say, is sort of a lost art the more detailed / 3D a game becomes (because everything is provided for you).
Imagination is what keeps me up at night lol. Seems Imagination is the darksouls bonfire to me. A ember of what it once was. It exist don't misunderstand me but when I played legend of dragoon and got to play breath of fire and some other older games I had to use my imagination, I cried for every ugly pixel when lavatis or something died in legend of dragoon. What I'm saying is right on man glad to see people still comprehend using yer imagination
Rogue and the many roguelike games that used ascii graphics were the pinnacle of immersive rpg gaming that actually invoked the player’s imagination to create the world. It’s nice to have modern games like Breath of the Wild where the developer’s beautiful pre-imagined world is given to the player. But it’s also nice to have classic games with minimal graphics where each player can imagine their own world.
Fantastic review! I can understand what those Japanese commenters feel. This was THE GAME for me the Christmas that it was released in North America. It was one of the few years as a kid that I was unable to sleep at all. I actually got up at 3am to sneak downstairs and find the game box sitting in front of our fireplace where 'Santa' had left it. I opened it on the spot, put it into the NES in our living room and played with extremely low volume for over 2 hours, then carefully packaged it back up and placed it back where it had been and went back to bed. I managed to fake my way through Christmas morning and only told my Mom the truth over 30 years later. I was totally blown away and couldn't put it down!
That's lovely. Makes me long back to the sense or wonder and excitement we feel as children. I was born in 2000 so grew up with a different generation of games, but for me that game was probably Ni No Kuni for the PS3. 😊 I've since learned to really appreciate these older RPGs though. 😁
Did you do that again? One year I couldn't resist and carefully unwrapped a present while my parents were gone. It was the Super Game Boy. I opened it completely and played around with it before getting all nervous and searching for a way to convincingly reshrinkwrap it. I did, and got the paper back on intact. On Christmas day when I opened it I just acted really excited and ripped the paper off "Super Game Boy!" Immediately ripped the "shrinkwrap" off. I got away with it, but I felt really empty and never peeked at presents again after that. I mean I tried to figure out what they were but I never unwrapped anything early or snooped around to catch things before they were wrapped.
Started playing dragon quest pretty recently and I wish I'd been playing them my whole life. Your videos are lovely and I especially love that you meet these retro games on their level. I can't wait for the Dragon Quest III video!
Wow, what a fantastic, epic overview! Mandy Moore, LOL. This is easily the definitive video review of DQ2. I had given up all hopes of anyone on this platform seeing the game for what it really is and giving it a real review. I suspect that for some games, one popular channel makes a flippant remark like "Dragon Warrior II is far too hard and grindy", and then a lot of other channels just repeat the catchphrase and use it as an excuse to brush off a game that they never cared about but feel obligated to mention for the sake of their channel. You actually played the NES version, which almost no one does, but which everyone should do. The remakes of the first three DQ games remove most of the challenge and therefore most of the tension. Playing and reviewing the GBC or SNES versions of the original DQ trilogy to the exclusion of the NES versions makes as much sense to me as watching and reviewing the soulless The Omen (2006) without watching the far superior original version, The Omen (1976). That's the first example that came to mind, but there are many cases in which the original work is better than its remake but not many people know it. I think the DS remakes of IV, V and VI are good, though, and IV even allows you to control all the party members, which the NES version didn't. I didn't mind that quirk in the NES release much, though, so I think both versions are great. The amount of freedom in this game makes it revolutionary, and I love that you compared it to modern RPGs, because people back in the day did kind of feel like fans of The Witcher III feel in this generation. DQ2 actually has more freedom of exploration than most 16-bit RPGs. By the way, it's awesome that you shouted out so many fans of your channel!
You actually had a jacket be custom made to say "retro odyssey GX" in japanese. Now this is impressive, both a statement of dedication and good taste. 古いゲームのリビューをしてがんばってね。
I did! It was a process. The company I ordered it from, Midori-Anzen, didn’t ship overseas since it was more of a work uniforms distributor in Japan. I used another company called Japan Rabbit to place the order for me, and then ship it to me. The first one I got was a bit too small, so I ordered two in a size up. ありがとうございまし！
was wondering where your channel went in my algorithm! i missed these😭 had to look it up to find this but was glad to see i did it at just the right time! looking forward to more!
The gameboy versions are a port of the SNES remake. Since there's an English translation patch for that, I highly recommend giving that one a whirl. They made it easier than the NES originals, which I really dislike, but it looks and plays very nicely. Better than the Gameboy one, for obvious reasons.
Glad you enjoyed it! I can’t speak for the other versions myself, but I know that I like the aesthetics of the Gameboy version. Thanks for the comment!
I love this. I like your voice, I like the fresh perspective and I love working through the back catalogue. Kinda surprised your sub count isn't much higher. We'll work on that together.
Wonderful start to a new season! Good idea to do experience highlights for this one, and that last boss cutscene is still impressive. During the NES era, I had played DQ1, then all of a sudden there was DQ4 and then I was left wondering "What the heck happened to 2 & 3?!"
Man this was a banger my dude, Im so glad you can appreciate dragon quest 2, I really enjoyed it when I played it, the last boss battle was no joke either too! Definitely keeping up with your stuff from no on!
Cool to see this covered - I love DQII (actually all four of the NES releases) and have probably completed it more times than any of the others. In the west a lot of folks seemed to love DQIII (for many good reasons), not least because in the localization they not only translated to English but they nerfed the difficulty / reduced grinding by a proportionate increase in gold / XP gains. DQII had a lot that was quite difficult to figure out without assistance but, of course, that was part of the fun. I heard in the video that you haven't played DQIII yet - you are in for a pleasant surprise. Also such a great game. :) FYI, if / when you play Dragon Warrior III, you can restore the original (Japanese) gold and XP ratios to it if desired with a localization rom hack.
Thanks for the comment and tip on that ROM hack. I'll have to do a little digging to see which I'll want to start with, but I lean original difficulty with the hack.
Great episode! A review of the first Dragon Quest was the video that brought me to your channel. And I cannot agree more on DQ2! I've heard on YT that this game was disappointing for many, but having in mind how big an improvement it was in 1987 (my year of birth) I was very impressed. Also, I played the remastered/updated version on iOS, so my experience was smoother. But still, as for the late 80s game, this was a masterpiece.
Great video, we need more people to speak in favor of DQ II! I am playing every DQ game on their original versions and was pleasantly surprised of how much I liked this one. The main problem that I had was that damaging spells were so bad and the turn order was always skewed in enemies favor (They get a cheap shot even when I'm overleved, and when I'm about the same or underleved they piled on the dog princess before I get the chance to even heal her - I am looking at you goopies). I also definitely reccomend watching the You Can Beat Videogames UA-cam videos for these games, they are super informative too.
2:40 I adore Dragon Quest 6. It's my co-favorite alongside 3Remake. I truly do not understand why people have the attitude towards it they seem to; I could list so many resplendent aspects of it, so many ways it innovated the series and added complexity to the formula; and don't get me started on the aesthetics! I truly, truly do not get why it is ignored the way it is. I know there was an almost complete translation patch available for many years back in the day (which is how I played DQ6 first) that most in the community didn't play because it wasn't a pristine 100%, but it was absolutely playable and the only untranslated bits were some endgame sidequests. So there's a lot of inbuilt bias due to ignorance of the level of writing in the original.
Binged a few of your videos after watching this one. I really love what you're going for here since I find a lot of value in witnessing chronological progression in game development. That, and I also happen to be playing through several old RPG franchises that I've never played, in more or less the same fashion currently. So vids like these are really nice to have as a good recap on what I enjoy with these games! Cheers!
I'm glad that you made this video. I'm more adept to the Game Boy Color version of Dragon Quest 2 and my favorite thing that was done with that remake was allowing the Prince of Cannock to equip it. What was a weapon that quickly became obsolete by the Prince of Midenhal / Lorisa became the best weapon for the Prince of Cannock until the Prince of Midenhal was ready to give away the Light Sword to make room for the Thunderbolt Blade. One could just grind for a 2nd Light Sword, but I saw it as a waste of money since the Erderick Sword was doing a good enough job. Imo, The GBC version did the Sword of Erderick a much better job of giving the respect that it deserved.
I remember renting this as a kid, and yeah I was blown away by the intro as well. It's crazy how much of a step up this was from the first game. I'd played a ton of the first game before I eventually saw this; I think 3 was out by that time.
Hopefully you continue your dragon quest adventures. 3 and 4 are my personal favorites. I won't spoil anything but I feel they're some of the best nes titles
Glad you liked this. I didn't play this until I had it on emulator in the late 90s. The crest in the gate shrine seemed way too hidden for me, and the Thunder Sword was really hidden as well (maybe not too much, but it's close). I did like the game a lot, but not as much as III or IV. I'm glad you can appreciate games from before you were born, and can see that these simple games can in a way feel larger than even modern games. BTW I think Erdrick's Sword is still useful after you get the Sword of Thunder because I THINK it's the best sword the Prince of Cannock can use. I think he can also use the Falcon Sword, but his attack score is too low to make good use of that one.
I don't think in this version I was able to equip anything better than the Iron Spear to the Prince of Cannock, but if in later ports they let him hold Erdrick's sword that'd be sick. And I agree that if you had no idea where to look, it would be too laborious to search every tile to find certain things. I do expect I'll like III and IV more based on what I've heard, but I liked II a whole lot more than I expected to. It really does a lot right, and only has a few major missteps which I find impressive given the release date and its proximity to the first game in terms of development cycle.
I watched this video (and the DQ 1 video) a bunch of times while writing an adventure for a TTRPG and you inspired me to play both games and I have to say that I adore Dragon Quest II. I love the setting, I love having to find the other Scions of Erdrick and that the party is three cousins out in the world, saving it together. It was super satisfying. Idk if you're planning on playing Dragon Quest III for this series but I started it and it gave me serious whiplash to change the party system up the way that it did. I would be curious to see your thoughts on that one in a future video!
I'm glad you enjoyed them enough to come back! I haven't played Dragon Quest III yet, but it's slated for the first half of the next season, and I actually already own my copy of the game. It is definitely one of my most anticipated games to get to, but I don't know too much about it other than most people say it's *really* good. I've been doing my best to remain spoiler-free, but I have heard prior that it's a prequel to 1 & 2. But I'm glad you enjoyed this game! I did, too. I was playing it at the same time as I was Tears of the Kingdom, and I found it funny that this game was gripping me way more. Hope your campaign for the TTRPG went/is going well btw!
Another reason 2 isn't talked about much in the West is availability. Dragon Warrior was given out for free, and so many copies were made that it got a lot of eyes just through sheer numbers as opposed to 2.
I played Dragon Warrior 1-4 on NES when they were released. Dragon Warrior 2 blew me away and is still one of my favorites in the series. It’s not nearly as difficult as it’s made out to be. The music is amazing and I care for my characters. Thanks for the video!
@@HPRshredder I loved III as a kid but may have more appreciation for other games in the series now. IX feels like a sequel to III (not the story, more like the game mechanics). IV has a unique way of presenting the story and characters. I’m surprised they never made another one like that.
5 months late because it only now came into my recommended lol. Funny enough almost a year ago I beat DQ2 myself with the recent bundle on switch and I love it. I think it was a great upgrade from the 1st and Malroth and Hargon was a memorable battle, and I had memorable encounters around the world like being crit OhKo'd by Killing machines. I think it's a great game to leap into. Next for me is DQ3
That little white Sony Trinitron is amazing! My grandma had a black one very similar if not the same one in her kitchen back in the day. I would love to find one like it in the wild
I had a magazine with a review/guide of this game waaaay back when. I drooled over this game and never got a hold of it until about ten years ago. Finally played it about two years ago on the switch.
You can walk back into the area you were talking into in Roge Fastfinger’s cell to chat him up - he’s in the process of tunneling out so there’s a short hallway extending from the cell, and you can of course see him once you walk back there. Was kinda surprised to see you can have the convo from the actual cell, without going back there. Great channel man! Love when people can intelligently weigh the context the 8/16-bit era games were developed in when critiquing.
Okay, this is news to me! You can actually see him?? I did talk to him again at the end of the game just to get an idea of what his character sprite would have been if I could see him lol.
@@HPRshredder Yuuup, he’s back there making VERY little progress. Haha And yeah, that post-Hargon victory tour that you have total agency over is the coolest, most genuinely surprising thing that’s ever happened to me in an NES game. I was floored.
Going into the classic dq games, I was told the second game was just “ok” and was outshined by 1 and 3. I’m maybe half way into 3 and 2 is easily my favorite of them so far. Criminally underrated
Just watched your entire video and I must say you have just put together arguably the most thorough and comrehensive explanation of the game I've seen. You're right in that many people heap praise on DQ3 the most with the early NES tetralogy while giving lukewarm or tepid reactions to DQ2. The first time I played it was the SNES Famicom remake with English translation patch and I played up until the point I got the ship but didn't know where to sail or how to find the runes. I liked the game a lot but found the battles much tougher than DQ1 or DQ3 with a considerable amount of grinding at first. I may try the game again but probably with the newer remake for Switch and modern systems. Although Phantasy Star blew this game out of the water graphically later on in the same year with Phantasy Star on the Master System this game helped set the template for console RPGs over the next decade. Definitely a trailblazer. 😎
I decided to watch the Dragon Quest 1 video before this for proper context. Haven't played any of em, but it seems like DQ2's designers really understood what did and didn't work in the first game. Though both definitely have their charm. I am now also a fan of the Echoing Flute. It's such a cute and memorable way of giving the player feedback, makes the crest feel more special.
Hi! I was saving this video to watch last after getting a chance to beat this game for myself. I also went in totally blind, without save states, and with only the game manual. My main strategy was to keep a notebook near me while I was playing. I wrote down everything that seemed important, and it really helped me figure out what to do. I also struggled with finding Roge Fastfinger though. By this point in the game, I had talked to every person in every town and even used the search command on all 8 of the floor tiles of his jail cell. I also struggled with the fire shrine. I had extensively explored it and made a paper map of all entrances and exits to it. However, nothing in the game actually tells you about how that structure is the fire shrine; I had been there and I didn't even know it. Possibly the largest difficulty I faced while not using any sort of guide was using certain items during battle. At one point I had purchased a shield of strength, but upon equipping it the defense value was lower than my previous shield. I figured I had acquired the shields out of order and just sold the shield of strength. It never occurred to me to use the shield as an item during a battle. This same thing happened with both the Thunder and Wizard's wand. At some point I had also equipped the gremlins tail to the princess of Moonbrooke, not realizing that it was a cursed item. I beat the game this way, but it took me until the prince of Midenhall was level ~35. Despite these problems, I still had a ton of fun with DQ2. Part of the reason why this game might not be as frequently discussed is because if you are using any sort of guides or maps they break the intended pacing of the game. If you have to wander and struggle to find things in the overworld, it's likely that when faced with new enemies you will be at a more reasonable level to deal with them. As a side note, this is absolutely the best video and review about Dragon Quest II on the internet. Thank you for giving this game the time it deserves!
I really appreciate you sharing your experience with the game! While I didn't do it blind, I think it could have been a very fun way to play. Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
I agreed with basically every point you made! Grinding in Rhone now and it has been a pleasant surprise considering its reputation as one people often skip.
At one point I had Dragon Warrior (quest) II and IV cib before they became so expensive. I remember those being very packed boxes with a beautiful manual, map, and a separate beastiary! But on the cute scale nothing beats those little colorful famicom carts.
I played Dragon Quest 1-3 on the Switch all in a row. Dragon Warrior was my first NES game as a kid, and I knew that game very well. But I had never played 2 and 3 before. I found DQ2 and DQ3 to both be very good. DQ3 gives you a lot of freedom with the job class system, but I found DQ2's party to complement one another very well. Although I played Dragond Warrior with the manual (which was more like a walkthrough) back in the day, I found DQ2 and 3 to work well without a guide. They might seem "grindy" to someone that is trying to blast through the game, I found myself gaining levels just exploring and getting to know the world better. It is indeed leaps and bounds above DQ1, and it was really refreshing to have to seek out the game's party members instead of have them handed to you.
DQ 2 was fire. If you got this from the video store and liked grindy games you were in for a treat. It was also neat to go fo different video store and rent it to see what save files were on it. I loved this game but couldn't find it anywhere to buy sadly as a kid.
Man I need to get back to playing Dragon Quest 3 on my switch. It’s such a good game. I might want to check out the first 2, but I love the 3rd one so much that they might seem outdated to me. I also know that the remake is generally considered more balanced for these, so I don’t know if I will play the original versions of the trilogy. But great video.
@@HPRshredder I've only played the Switch version which is based on the SNES version which is generally considered superior, but since you are used to menus the original version is probably going to be great. It's one of my favorite (of my limited experience with JRPGs) JRPGs.
Having played the first dragon quest then skipping all the way to dragon quest 11 when it got a pc port I never got to see how the franchise evolved. it's pretty interesting how many sequels to ground breaking games on the NES/famicom get left in the dust despite being fundamental in shaping the franchise direction! These guys were pioneers in the RPG genre to make a game like this in 1987 just a month after final fantasy 1 dropped Season 3 hype!
Dragon Quest II actually came out almost a full year *before* Final Fantasy dropped! I still haven't played Final Fantasy myself but I'm really looking forward to it.
@@HPRshredder Your right i got it wrong yeah they they really set the groundwork for an RPG! FF is amazing but you will probably need a resource to explain items, the game is VERY vague even when it offers information
If you get a chance to play FF1 I would suggest playing the NES version because not having the auto targeting ability after defeating enemies is harder and I think in the pixel remasters (have not bought that pack yet waiting on a sales price) they removed an exploite area shortly after the first or second boss of the game. Lead to ealry grinding up mad levels if you used magic spells. Getting a healing cane in like the one sub quest castle dungeon is very useful for the last dungeon streach with limited magic charges. Used in battle like the DQ2 lighting staff. I so want to play FF3 the pixel remakes but should maybe play a famicom hack so that I don't see that save spot within the last dungeon of FF3 that they added in the pixel remake collection. At least I heard they have the FF4 original Japanese difficulty. I wonder if there is also the dark night move sets restored as well. @@HPRshredder
Don't see why this game shouldn't just get the praise it deserves. On top of the larger world to keep you busy and all, the addition of new party members kills the tedium of roaming with a single character in DW1. Of course we were deprived of these early RPGs in Europe and most of us had to wait until emulators, and by that time most of the magic of playing had waned. My 2-year-old save still sits there. If only they knew we were already sold to Japanese culture and cartoons...
Still havent played the NES version (I played the GBC one), I love the music and I enjoyed the first half quick a bit, the second half I remember not liking at all (expect for the end boss and the lead up t him) Loved the snow of the final area, the music is GREAT, the improved combat, and probably some other stuff. But I think that 3 just does what this game was trying to do but better. Maybe it's unfair to frame things like that but it's what I immediately thought of once I got to explore in the boat. Good news is, since you liked this game, you probably are gonna love 3. Again the music in this game is GREAAAAT.
Excellent video! Dragon Quest is my favorite series and I always felt II was underrated. I've only beaten the game in the GBC version but was surprised I heard it was considered so difficult and that's why many people didn't like it, the difficulty felt fine but I might have also grinded a bit too much. DQII just felt really expanded and it added so much new stuff that became staple for the series later on, and it only gets better from here, 4 is my favorite of the nes games and I respect 3 a lot.
I wanted to play the OG titles legit for this reason. Was kinda butthurt that that original DQ1,2 and 3 Wii collection in like 2009 was not here localized in the west. When I played DQ11 I placed all the 6 at launch settings for no items can be bought at shops and shypox like all 6 handicaps I used all of them. The limited grinding one was kinda crazy. Made using like the limit breaks to garantee getting growth seeds seem really rewarding. @@asimplenameichose151
I remember as a kid searching high and low where to buy this game, it became an obsession, I finally found it at a Funcoland when I was 17. The sad thing is that all my games were stolen and that copy I had searched all over was taken. Broke my heart
Channel memberships are now live! Thanks for watching & welcome to Season 3~
oh boy oh boiiiyy! good timing since I started re-watching Dai No Daiboken which is an anime spin off of Dragon Quest 🤭
Very interesting exploites. Too bad we never got the WIi collection of the OG titles like they got back in like 2009 in Japan. Loved that they had the no item buying thing and shypox on the Dragon Quest 11 game at launch to simulate a harder dragon quest title will all the hard mode settings on. If I were to play DQ11 again I would use the added Super shypox (acts like the curse in DQ1 the shypox does missing turns).
In September 2023 I was looking through the PSN playstation store to see what some meager funds could net me. I happened about a two pack collection of Famicom games where at least 1 title used a fan translation for the script. Was like 5.50 CAD for two games on sale. The first game I'm playing is called like JaJaMaru the ninja scroll. The funny thing is that the game I think was an RPG that did the whole 3 separate quests then a final quest just like DQ4 but it was like in combat wise like a DQ1 clone (but two party members) that made it to the market 6 months before DQ4 came out. Thinking about the ambition of DQ4 I think it was not DQ4 coping this games structure but like they came to the same conclusion. The second game on the "Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs" collection that I still have to play is like a Zelda 1 kinda clone with powers you gain like a mega man title. The regular save system like it was ment to be played is a broken turd in the first game and had to resort to using the 6 save states built in (used them just to save, did not do any save scumming BS). I read that the Zelda like clone has to resort to allowing cheatcode mode to even be able to use the 6 of the 8 power ups due to a glitch. I mean the game you can not get a platinum trophy due to the script being screwed up. The huge redeming quality is the game itself is alot of fun and a good little challenge. This one item dropped from an enemy when I choose the 3rd quest first to play (may have glitched up the regular save by doing this?) is a healing katana kinda like that FF1 item that you can constantly use in battle to gain 20 hp. Not sure if this item will transfer over yet to the 4th quest as I have the 1st and 2nd quest to complete first but dought it since the quests use the same characters kinda losing the point of having separate quests in the first point. The game has some really nice emulation features to add a cathode ray tube rounded corners but allows you to adjust sliders. The emulation features are some of the best features I've seen on a console title and looks really good. The game has some fun old school grinding and you really need to be a certain amount of health points to take on the bosses in the title. The nice part is once you meet certain bosses you can choose to escape before the battle begins and the Ninka Kite item acts like the Chimera wings in DQ1 but they also work inside of dungeons!! To get to the safety I think of the last town you saved. Has the whole you get to keep the experience points but lose half your gold thing as well. A decent challenge but fair. Had some difficulty spikes but maybe just a few hours of grinding to overcome. Having a bunch of fun so far. Worth it on a sale price if you like NES RPG titles. Oh the game is set in like fuedal Japan instead of like western middle ages like Japanese middle ages. Fighting like yokai and oni.
That JaJaMaru game I'm not sure the rarity of this healing katana item dropped by like an invisible man enemy at the tale end of the third quest but I had a shot at getting another of the item I wanted but could not switch out the item for a preexisting item in my limited inventory. I was kinda choked but that was how games back then operated... I think I was grinding up 4 levels near the end trying to get that second healing katana to appear again as an item drop but only got the lesser common item to drop from said enemy. The whole not so rare and rare item drops remind me of what DQ11 did. Hmmm. I wonder how soon in the Dragon Quest (DQ) franchise that they pulled off the lesser rare drop and then rare item drop from the same enemy. I want to look that up.
As someone who played Dragon (Warrior) II in real time, this is the best recap I've seen. It may feel dated and grindy now but back then, the open world was mind-blowing. And even though it was very hard (and we didn't have google to help us) it was so satisfying to uncover the mysteries. It took me early a year to find that stupid Watergate Key. And Malroth as the real final boss was a crazy reveal. Great job.
Thanks for sharing your story and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you for touching on the "imagination" subject. It's a HUGE factor in many these older games that many don't talk about. These kind of games rely on your imagination to help build the world around you. It's a very special thing and as you say, is sort of a lost art the more detailed / 3D a game becomes (because everything is provided for you).
Imagination is what keeps me up at night lol. Seems Imagination is the darksouls bonfire to me. A ember of what it once was. It exist don't misunderstand me but when I played legend of dragoon and got to play breath of fire and some other older games I had to use my imagination, I cried for every ugly pixel when lavatis or something died in legend of dragoon. What I'm saying is right on man glad to see people still comprehend using yer imagination
Battles in old games were things I'd spend hours as a kid visualizing what the fight would look like beyond the pixels.
This so much!
Rogue and the many roguelike games that used ascii graphics were the pinnacle of immersive rpg gaming that actually invoked the player’s imagination to create the world.
It’s nice to have modern games like Breath of the Wild where the developer’s beautiful pre-imagined world is given to the player. But it’s also nice to have classic games with minimal graphics where each player can imagine their own world.
Wow. I’m turning 40 soon and I’ve never thought of it that way lol. Very well said
Fantastic review! I can understand what those Japanese commenters feel. This was THE GAME for me the Christmas that it was released in North America. It was one of the few years as a kid that I was unable to sleep at all. I actually got up at 3am to sneak downstairs and find the game box sitting in front of our fireplace where 'Santa' had left it. I opened it on the spot, put it into the NES in our living room and played with extremely low volume for over 2 hours, then carefully packaged it back up and placed it back where it had been and went back to bed. I managed to fake my way through Christmas morning and only told my Mom the truth over 30 years later. I was totally blown away and couldn't put it down!
Happy Console Gamer has the funniest story about DW2 titled - Skipping school & gaming .
That's lovely. Makes me long back to the sense or wonder and excitement we feel as children. I was born in 2000 so grew up with a different generation of games, but for me that game was probably Ni No Kuni for the PS3. 😊
I've since learned to really appreciate these older RPGs though. 😁
Did you do that again? One year I couldn't resist and carefully unwrapped a present while my parents were gone. It was the Super Game Boy. I opened it completely and played around with it before getting all nervous and searching for a way to convincingly reshrinkwrap it. I did, and got the paper back on intact. On Christmas day when I opened it I just acted really excited and ripped the paper off "Super Game Boy!" Immediately ripped the "shrinkwrap" off.
I got away with it, but I felt really empty and never peeked at presents again after that. I mean I tried to figure out what they were but I never unwrapped anything early or snooped around to catch things before they were wrapped.
Started playing dragon quest pretty recently and I wish I'd been playing them my whole life. Your videos are lovely and I especially love that you meet these retro games on their level. I can't wait for the Dragon Quest III video!
I’m stoked for 3 as well. And eventually, 4!
These are some of my favourite videos on youtube! Glad the new season is starting back up and cant wait for more :)
love this game, the classics deserve to be remembered. great vid!!
Wow, what a fantastic, epic overview! Mandy Moore, LOL. This is easily the definitive video review of DQ2. I had given up all hopes of anyone on this platform seeing the game for what it really is and giving it a real review. I suspect that for some games, one popular channel makes a flippant remark like "Dragon Warrior II is far too hard and grindy", and then a lot of other channels just repeat the catchphrase and use it as an excuse to brush off a game that they never cared about but feel obligated to mention for the sake of their channel.
You actually played the NES version, which almost no one does, but which everyone should do. The remakes of the first three DQ games remove most of the challenge and therefore most of the tension. Playing and reviewing the GBC or SNES versions of the original DQ trilogy to the exclusion of the NES versions makes as much sense to me as watching and reviewing the soulless The Omen (2006) without watching the far superior original version, The Omen (1976). That's the first example that came to mind, but there are many cases in which the original work is better than its remake but not many people know it. I think the DS remakes of IV, V and VI are good, though, and IV even allows you to control all the party members, which the NES version didn't. I didn't mind that quirk in the NES release much, though, so I think both versions are great.
The amount of freedom in this game makes it revolutionary, and I love that you compared it to modern RPGs, because people back in the day did kind of feel like fans of The Witcher III feel in this generation. DQ2 actually has more freedom of exploration than most 16-bit RPGs.
By the way, it's awesome that you shouted out so many fans of your channel!
I love this comment. I'm super glad you enjoyed the video and that makes me happy you view it as the best DQ2 video on the platform!
Just saying, thank you for everything you do man. I can watch your videos several times. So calming
Superb video as always! So happy to to see Retro Odyssey back
I appreciate it, @homesweet! Thanks for the comment!
I owned and beat all 4 Dragon Warrior NES games in the late 80s / early 90s. I still own those copies and play them every so often.
You actually had a jacket be custom made to say "retro odyssey GX" in japanese.
Now this is impressive, both a statement of dedication and good taste.
古いゲームのリビューをしてがんばってね。
I did! It was a process. The company I ordered it from, Midori-Anzen, didn’t ship overseas since it was more of a work uniforms distributor in Japan. I used another company called Japan Rabbit to place the order for me, and then ship it to me. The first one I got was a bit too small, so I ordered two in a size up.
ありがとうございまし！
Thanks for bringing me back to the old school.
You got it!
Let's GOOOOOOO! Season 3 is here babyyyyyyyy!
was wondering where your channel went in my algorithm! i missed these😭
had to look it up to find this but was glad to see i did it at just the right time! looking forward to more!
More on the way!
Underrated channel. It's hitting the algorithm though. Good luck! :)))))
Loved this one. its my second favorite dragon quest. Thank you so much for making such a good quality vid for it!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment and the kind words - I appreciate it. It’s a really good game. Definitely under-appreciated in the states.
You nailed the analysis. I've only ever played this on the gameboy but it seems the experience translated to handheld just as well.
The gameboy versions are a port of the SNES remake. Since there's an English translation patch for that, I highly recommend giving that one a whirl. They made it easier than the NES originals, which I really dislike, but it looks and plays very nicely. Better than the Gameboy one, for obvious reasons.
Really great review, I may finally give this one a shot
Glad you enjoyed it! I can’t speak for the other versions myself, but I know that I like the aesthetics of the Gameboy version. Thanks for the comment!
oh what a wonderful video i just stumbled today
Dragon quest 2 is the best one. Such an amazing world and experience ❤️ it truely gives ypu great acomplishment beating it
I love this. I like your voice, I like the fresh perspective and I love working through the back catalogue.
Kinda surprised your sub count isn't much higher. We'll work on that together.
Wonderful start to a new season! Good idea to do experience highlights for this one, and that last boss cutscene is still impressive. During the NES era, I had played DQ1, then all of a sudden there was DQ4 and then I was left wondering "What the heck happened to 2 & 3?!"
Man this was a banger my dude, Im so glad you can appreciate dragon quest 2, I really enjoyed it when I played it, the last boss battle was no joke either too! Definitely keeping up with your stuff from no on!
Both Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest III are excellent games so you're in for a treat 😮
I'm stoked for both next season.
That Princess of Moonbrooke… she a dog 🐶👑 Great video and pace of editing, as always! I loved that and can’t wait for all of Season 3!!!
Also forgot to mention I loved the special thanks segment at the end 💗 cozy and relaxing editing
Cool to see this covered - I love DQII (actually all four of the NES releases) and have probably completed it more times than any of the others. In the west a lot of folks seemed to love DQIII (for many good reasons), not least because in the localization they not only translated to English but they nerfed the difficulty / reduced grinding by a proportionate increase in gold / XP gains. DQII had a lot that was quite difficult to figure out without assistance but, of course, that was part of the fun.
I heard in the video that you haven't played DQIII yet - you are in for a pleasant surprise. Also such a great game. :) FYI, if / when you play Dragon Warrior III, you can restore the original (Japanese) gold and XP ratios to it if desired with a localization rom hack.
Thanks for the comment and tip on that ROM hack. I'll have to do a little digging to see which I'll want to start with, but I lean original difficulty with the hack.
Digging your videos, keep up the good work!
Glad you're enjoying them~! I hope to!
Loved the video, and I just beat the game today! DW1 left a mark on me when I played it a decade ago, and I was so glad to enjoy its sequel even more.
Great episode! A review of the first Dragon Quest was the video that brought me to your channel. And I cannot agree more on DQ2! I've heard on YT that this game was disappointing for many, but having in mind how big an improvement it was in 1987 (my year of birth) I was very impressed. Also, I played the remastered/updated version on iOS, so my experience was smoother. But still, as for the late 80s game, this was a masterpiece.
RIP Akira Toriyama
Great video, we need more people to speak in favor of DQ II! I am playing every DQ game on their original versions and was pleasantly surprised of how much I liked this one. The main problem that I had was that damaging spells were so bad and the turn order was always skewed in enemies favor (They get a cheap shot even when I'm overleved, and when I'm about the same or underleved they piled on the dog princess before I get the chance to even heal her - I am looking at you goopies). I also definitely reccomend watching the You Can Beat Videogames UA-cam videos for these games, they are super informative too.
2:40 I adore Dragon Quest 6. It's my co-favorite alongside 3Remake. I truly do not understand why people have the attitude towards it they seem to; I could list so many resplendent aspects of it, so many ways it innovated the series and added complexity to the formula; and don't get me started on the aesthetics! I truly, truly do not get why it is ignored the way it is. I know there was an almost complete translation patch available for many years back in the day (which is how I played DQ6 first) that most in the community didn't play because it wasn't a pristine 100%, but it was absolutely playable and the only untranslated bits were some endgame sidequests. So there's a lot of inbuilt bias due to ignorance of the level of writing in the original.
Loved the video. It is one of my favorite title screens and game opens on the NES.
The NES title screen is really incredible tbh.
Your videos are quite professional, and your production is quite nice. Was surprised to see you sitting under a few dozen thousand subscribers.
Great episode, I can’t wait to see what this season brings! Keep doing your thing man!
Comment for the algo, keep it up king
I'll do my best!
Binged a few of your videos after watching this one. I really love what you're going for here since I find a lot of value in witnessing chronological progression in game development. That, and I also happen to be playing through several old RPG franchises that I've never played, in more or less the same fashion currently. So vids like these are really nice to have as a good recap on what I enjoy with these games! Cheers!
Finally!! Excited for this season!
I'm glad that you made this video. I'm more adept to the Game Boy Color version of Dragon Quest 2 and my favorite thing that was done with that remake was allowing the Prince of Cannock to equip it. What was a weapon that quickly became obsolete by the Prince of Midenhal / Lorisa became the best weapon for the Prince of Cannock until the Prince of Midenhal was ready to give away the Light Sword to make room for the Thunderbolt Blade. One could just grind for a 2nd Light Sword, but I saw it as a waste of money since the Erderick Sword was doing a good enough job. Imo, The GBC version did the Sword of Erderick a much better job of giving the respect that it deserved.
If you loved 1 and 2, dw3 will NOT disappoint you. If you aren't spoiled on the story yet, I recommend you play it ASAP blind.
Thanks for making this video, you brought me back to my childhood with this.
Yes! Clicking 'like' before I've even watched it! Can't wait :)
I remember renting this as a kid, and yeah I was blown away by the intro as well. It's crazy how much of a step up this was from the first game. I'd played a ton of the first game before I eventually saw this; I think 3 was out by that time.
i subscribed to your channel because you clearly, think, you think, about things.. a thinker... thats; what you are. and I personally, like that.
bless!!! a new hpr vid!!!
I remember playing this on game boy as a kid. That music makes me
Nostalgia so hard.
Hopefully you continue your dragon quest adventures. 3 and 4 are my personal favorites. I won't spoil anything but I feel they're some of the best nes titles
III is coming up next season! Looking forward to it
Glad you liked this. I didn't play this until I had it on emulator in the late 90s. The crest in the gate shrine seemed way too hidden for me, and the Thunder Sword was really hidden as well (maybe not too much, but it's close). I did like the game a lot, but not as much as III or IV. I'm glad you can appreciate games from before you were born, and can see that these simple games can in a way feel larger than even modern games. BTW I think Erdrick's Sword is still useful after you get the Sword of Thunder because I THINK it's the best sword the Prince of Cannock can use. I think he can also use the Falcon Sword, but his attack score is too low to make good use of that one.
I don't think in this version I was able to equip anything better than the Iron Spear to the Prince of Cannock, but if in later ports they let him hold Erdrick's sword that'd be sick. And I agree that if you had no idea where to look, it would be too laborious to search every tile to find certain things.
I do expect I'll like III and IV more based on what I've heard, but I liked II a whole lot more than I expected to. It really does a lot right, and only has a few major missteps which I find impressive given the release date and its proximity to the first game in terms of development cycle.
I watched this video (and the DQ 1 video) a bunch of times while writing an adventure for a TTRPG and you inspired me to play both games and I have to say that I adore Dragon Quest II.
I love the setting, I love having to find the other Scions of Erdrick and that the party is three cousins out in the world, saving it together. It was super satisfying.
Idk if you're planning on playing Dragon Quest III for this series but I started it and it gave me serious whiplash to change the party system up the way that it did. I would be curious to see your thoughts on that one in a future video!
I'm glad you enjoyed them enough to come back!
I haven't played Dragon Quest III yet, but it's slated for the first half of the next season, and I actually already own my copy of the game. It is definitely one of my most anticipated games to get to, but I don't know too much about it other than most people say it's *really* good. I've been doing my best to remain spoiler-free, but I have heard prior that it's a prequel to 1 & 2.
But I'm glad you enjoyed this game! I did, too. I was playing it at the same time as I was Tears of the Kingdom, and I found it funny that this game was gripping me way more. Hope your campaign for the TTRPG went/is going well btw!
Another reason 2 isn't talked about much in the West is availability. Dragon Warrior was given out for free, and so many copies were made that it got a lot of eyes just through sheer numbers as opposed to 2.
I played Dragon Warrior 1-4 on NES when they were released. Dragon Warrior 2 blew me away and is still one of my favorites in the series. It’s not nearly as difficult as it’s made out to be. The music is amazing and I care for my characters. Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching! Looking forward to III and IV myself!
@@HPRshredder I loved III as a kid but may have more appreciation for other games in the series now. IX feels like a sequel to III (not the story, more like the game mechanics). IV has a unique way of presenting the story and characters. I’m surprised they never made another one like that.
5 months late because it only now came into my recommended lol. Funny enough almost a year ago I beat DQ2 myself with the recent bundle on switch and I love it. I think it was a great upgrade from the 1st and Malroth and Hargon was a memorable battle, and I had memorable encounters around the world like being crit OhKo'd by Killing machines. I think it's a great game to leap into. Next for me is DQ3
I had the biggest crush on Mandy Moore back in the day. Just thought you should know. You're welcome.
That little white Sony Trinitron is amazing! My grandma had a black one very similar if not the same one in her kitchen back in the day. I would love to find one like it in the wild
Great video!
Thanks!
I had a magazine with a review/guide of this game waaaay back when. I drooled over this game and never got a hold of it until about ten years ago. Finally played it about two years ago on the switch.
You can walk back into the area you were talking into in Roge Fastfinger’s cell to chat him up - he’s in the process of tunneling out so there’s a short hallway extending from the cell, and you can of course see him once you walk back there.
Was kinda surprised to see you can have the convo from the actual cell, without going back there.
Great channel man! Love when people can intelligently weigh the context the 8/16-bit era games were developed in when critiquing.
Okay, this is news to me! You can actually see him?? I did talk to him again at the end of the game just to get an idea of what his character sprite would have been if I could see him lol.
@@HPRshredder Yuuup, he’s back there making VERY little progress. Haha
And yeah, that post-Hargon victory tour that you have total agency over is the coolest, most genuinely surprising thing that’s ever happened to me in an NES game. I was floored.
Wow this was brilliant! Worth the wait!
You have inspired me to play this one (somehow I never touched this one).cheers!
Hope you have fun!
Going into the classic dq games, I was told the second game was just “ok” and was outshined by 1 and 3. I’m maybe half way into 3 and 2 is easily my favorite of them so far. Criminally underrated
talked to the successor to the Dragonlord up in his castle after finishing Malroth and he told me he wants to be friends with me LOL
great content mate
Doing the 1 party member run that's so much time only did that once.
Loved it, thanks man.
Just watched your entire video and I must say you have just put together arguably the most thorough and comrehensive explanation of the game I've seen. You're right in that many people heap praise on DQ3 the most with the early NES tetralogy while giving lukewarm or tepid reactions to DQ2. The first time I played it was the SNES Famicom remake with English translation patch and I played up until the point I got the ship but didn't know where to sail or how to find the runes. I liked the game a lot but found the battles much tougher than DQ1 or DQ3 with a considerable amount of grinding at first. I may try the game again but probably with the newer remake for Switch and modern systems. Although Phantasy Star blew this game out of the water graphically later on in the same year with Phantasy Star on the Master System this game helped set the template for console RPGs over the next decade. Definitely a trailblazer. 😎
I really like your aproach to these games
I'm planning to play dq 1 2 and 3 on the Gameboy color.
I did the all silver medals on the GBC3 copy I had for the option super boss. I think I beat it in like 15 turns.
I decided to watch the Dragon Quest 1 video before this for proper context. Haven't played any of em, but it seems like DQ2's designers really understood what did and didn't work in the first game. Though both definitely have their charm.
I am now also a fan of the Echoing Flute. It's such a cute and memorable way of giving the player feedback, makes the crest feel more special.
Hi! I was saving this video to watch last after getting a chance to beat this game for myself. I also went in totally blind, without save states, and with only the game manual. My main strategy was to keep a notebook near me while I was playing. I wrote down everything that seemed important, and it really helped me figure out what to do. I also struggled with finding Roge Fastfinger though. By this point in the game, I had talked to every person in every town and even used the search command on all 8 of the floor tiles of his jail cell. I also struggled with the fire shrine. I had extensively explored it and made a paper map of all entrances and exits to it. However, nothing in the game actually tells you about how that structure is the fire shrine; I had been there and I didn't even know it.
Possibly the largest difficulty I faced while not using any sort of guide was using certain items during battle. At one point I had purchased a shield of strength, but upon equipping it the defense value was lower than my previous shield. I figured I had acquired the shields out of order and just sold the shield of strength. It never occurred to me to use the shield as an item during a battle. This same thing happened with both the Thunder and Wizard's wand. At some point I had also equipped the gremlins tail to the princess of Moonbrooke, not realizing that it was a cursed item. I beat the game this way, but it took me until the prince of Midenhall was level ~35.
Despite these problems, I still had a ton of fun with DQ2. Part of the reason why this game might not be as frequently discussed is because if you are using any sort of guides or maps they break the intended pacing of the game. If you have to wander and struggle to find things in the overworld, it's likely that when faced with new enemies you will be at a more reasonable level to deal with them. As a side note, this is absolutely the best video and review about Dragon Quest II on the internet. Thank you for giving this game the time it deserves!
I really appreciate you sharing your experience with the game! While I didn't do it blind, I think it could have been a very fun way to play. Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
Fantastic video!
Thanks, man!
My brother had dw1 for the nes. The nostalgia is what makes it one of my favorite games.
Another great video!
I agreed with basically every point you made! Grinding in Rhone now and it has been a pleasant surprise considering its reputation as one people often skip.
I agree, playing through this now and it really is underrated.
At one point I had Dragon Warrior (quest) II and IV cib before they became so expensive. I remember those being very packed boxes with a beautiful manual, map, and a separate beastiary! But on the cute scale nothing beats those little colorful famicom carts.
With the bigger box size I have no doubt those manuals were lit - but the manual for this one was still pretty thick considering. Love the artwork.
I played Dragon Quest 1-3 on the Switch all in a row. Dragon Warrior was my first NES game as a kid, and I knew that game very well. But I had never played 2 and 3 before.
I found DQ2 and DQ3 to both be very good. DQ3 gives you a lot of freedom with the job class system, but I found DQ2's party to complement one another very well. Although I played Dragond Warrior with the manual (which was more like a walkthrough) back in the day, I found DQ2 and 3 to work well without a guide. They might seem "grindy" to someone that is trying to blast through the game, I found myself gaining levels just exploring and getting to know the world better. It is indeed leaps and bounds above DQ1, and it was really refreshing to have to seek out the game's party members instead of have them handed to you.
I really can't wait to play 3 myself
Oh my. Hell yes. You're the best.
Finally it’s beginning, let’s goooooo
DQ 2 was fire. If you got this from the video store and liked grindy games you were in for a treat. It was also neat to go fo different video store and rent it to see what save files were on it.
I loved this game but couldn't find it anywhere to buy sadly as a kid.
Man I need to get back to playing Dragon Quest 3 on my switch. It’s such a good game. I might want to check out the first 2, but I love the 3rd one so much that they might seem outdated to me. I also know that the remake is generally considered more balanced for these, so I don’t know if I will play the original versions of the trilogy. But great video.
I'm really stoked for 3.
@@HPRshredder I've only played the Switch version which is based on the SNES version which is generally considered superior, but since you are used to menus the original version is probably going to be great. It's one of my favorite (of my limited experience with JRPGs) JRPGs.
Yes! It's back! Editing and pace were great as always. Love to see RPGs being highlighted too. Do Mario Kart 64 next
This is gonna be a 🔥season
Having played the first dragon quest then skipping all the way to dragon quest 11 when it got a pc port I never got to see how the franchise evolved. it's pretty interesting how many sequels to ground breaking games on the NES/famicom get left in the dust despite being fundamental in shaping the franchise direction! These guys were pioneers in the RPG genre to make a game like this in 1987 just a month after final fantasy 1 dropped
Season 3 hype!
Dragon Quest II actually came out almost a full year *before* Final Fantasy dropped! I still haven't played Final Fantasy myself but I'm really looking forward to it.
@@HPRshredder Your right i got it wrong yeah they they really set the groundwork for an RPG! FF is amazing but you will probably need a resource to explain items, the game is VERY vague even when it offers information
If you get a chance to play FF1 I would suggest playing the NES version because not having the auto targeting ability after defeating enemies is harder and I think in the pixel remasters (have not bought that pack yet waiting on a sales price) they removed an exploite area shortly after the first or second boss of the game. Lead to ealry grinding up mad levels if you used magic spells. Getting a healing cane in like the one sub quest castle dungeon is very useful for the last dungeon streach with limited magic charges. Used in battle like the DQ2 lighting staff. I so want to play FF3 the pixel remakes but should maybe play a famicom hack so that I don't see that save spot within the last dungeon of FF3 that they added in the pixel remake collection. At least I heard they have the FF4 original Japanese difficulty. I wonder if there is also the dark night move sets restored as well. @@HPRshredder
Don't see why this game shouldn't just get the praise it deserves. On top of the larger world to keep you busy and all, the addition of new party members kills the tedium of roaming with a single character in DW1.
Of course we were deprived of these early RPGs in Europe and most of us had to wait until emulators, and by that time most of the magic of playing had waned. My 2-year-old save still sits there.
If only they knew we were already sold to Japanese culture and cartoons...
Sometimes that bat can take forever to drop the mirror or ra so you can add the princess of moonbrooke to your party.
Bro I 100% agree with you I like the visual of party members walk through the fields and dungeons like in DQ , Phantasy Star or the Mother series
Finally!! I'm so excited!!!!
Finally. Long form game essays without the forced, overplayed HASHTAG UA-camR personality. Subscribed.
I’m a simple man, my party follows behind me while I walk, I’m a happy guy. 10/10
This was an incredible video, I really hope to see a similar one for arguably the best game in the series: DQ3
Currently it’s slated for Season 4 - likely a 2025 video! But I greatly look forward to it. Thanks for the comment, glad you enjoyed the vid
Still havent played the NES version (I played the GBC one), I love the music and I enjoyed the first half quick a bit, the second half I remember not liking at all (expect for the end boss and the lead up t him) Loved the snow of the final area, the music is GREAT, the improved combat, and probably some other stuff. But I think that 3 just does what this game was trying to do but better. Maybe it's unfair to frame things like that but it's what I immediately thought of once I got to explore in the boat. Good news is, since you liked this game, you probably are gonna love 3.
Again the music in this game is GREAAAAT.
I'm beyond stoked for 3.
My body is ready!
As is mine
Excellent video! Dragon Quest is my favorite series and I always felt II was underrated.
I've only beaten the game in the GBC version but was surprised I heard it was considered so difficult and that's why many people didn't like it, the difficulty felt fine but I might have also grinded a bit too much.
DQII just felt really expanded and it added so much new stuff that became staple for the series later on, and it only gets better from here, 4 is my favorite of the nes games and I respect 3 a lot.
If I recall, the original NES / Famicom versions were actually 'harder' (basically, enemies give less gold / XP and possibly merch costs are higher)
I wanted to play the OG titles legit for this reason. Was kinda butthurt that that original DQ1,2 and 3 Wii collection in like 2009 was not here localized in the west. When I played DQ11 I placed all the 6 at launch settings for no items can be bought at shops and shypox like all 6 handicaps I used all of them. The limited grinding one was kinda crazy. Made using like the limit breaks to garantee getting growth seeds seem really rewarding. @@asimplenameichose151
You are going to fucking love DQ3!!!!!
I look forward to it! It's going to be in the next season!
I’m so glad season 3 is here ❤
Me too
These are always great!
I remember as a kid searching high and low where to buy this game, it became an obsession, I finally found it at a Funcoland when I was 17. The sad thing is that all my games were stolen and that copy I had searched all over was taken. Broke my heart
That is super sad. Hope you manage to get another copy someday - it’d probably be a lot of fun to play it again. Thanks for sharing your story!
Man im gonna miss Toriyama's artwork. I love his designs especially wjen it comes to his monsters and characters
Dragon quest 3 is a perfect game. It shouldn’t affect 1+2 but it seems to.
I haven’t played 3 yet, so maybe once I reach that game I’ll understand. I look forward to it!
These are some great reviews!