Dragon Warrior II (Dragon Quest II) Review! (NES) - The Game Collection
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Dragon Warrior was awesome, but was Dragon Warrior II able to live up to expectations? Find out in this Dragon Warrior II Review!
Visit www.SuperDerekR... for more RPG Reviews
#dragonquestii #dragonwarriorii
![Terranigma Review! [SNES] The Game Collection](/img/n.gif)
I heard that Dragon Warrior 2 came after Dragon warrior 1, is this true?
What an interesting question! I suspect that Dragon Warrior 1 came first, because on the subject of Dragon Warrior 2, I never came at all.
HappyConsoleGamer Gonna be taking two weeks of from school..
That is very obviously what he meant. His review was not misleading at all.
Yes, Dragon Warrior 2 did follow Dragon Warrior 1. A lesser-known fact is that legendary RPG designer Richard "Lord British" Garriott stole the design of Dragon Warrior 2 in 1987 and re-released the game for home computers in 1983 under the misleading title "Ultima III". He was able to do this using the principles of space-time science he learned from watching "Time Bandits".
Sadly, Mr. Garriott failed to use his powers for the good of humanity by travelling back in time and preventing the release of Double Dungeons on the Turbografx-16.
To anyone reading this thinking this is a crazy question: it's actually not crazy at all. After all, Street Fighter II was the first game released in the Street Fighter series, and Episode IV was the first Star Wars movie, even though only three Star Wars movies were ever made.
This is one of the best, most evenhanded channels covering console RPGs on UA-cam. The fact that you have a genuine passion and knowledge for the genre really helps. Well done!
Thanks UrbanaSupernovA! :)
I remember when this game originally came out when I was a kid and there was no internet to run to when you got stuck. All you had to rely on was Nintendo Power and even then, they only release tips here and there. It took probably around 5 - 8 months to make it through this game only because it was so painfully cryptic, no map system, having to talk to every NPC and townsfolk to find key info, searching every coordinate in every shrine to find every key item to progress, and unenjoyable grinding with unbalanced enemies to level up. And sure, I could have just said "Fuck it" and given up, but I was only able to get a new game every Christmas and for my birthday or if I saved up for it and bought it myself. So when I didn't have a lot of other games to play, I wanted to make sure that I finished every game that I have.
Back when you would swap Gamepro and Nintendo Power mags, cheats, and tips at the lunchtable. I feel your pain sir.
@@bradfowesker9778 You know it all to well.
This came out when I was a kid too but I never got around to playing it. Just recently finished it and holy crap I can't imagine a little kid trying to get through this, you must've been pulling your hair out lol. If I didn't have online guides and save states so I could cheat, I don't think I'd have the patience to finish it
@@mogdor Well, it came out in September 1990 for the NES when I was 10 years old and my older brother was 13. We pooled our allowance together to get it and we were expecting an incredible experience after reading the reviews in Nintendo Power and finishing the first game. But then we started playing it, and the problems just presented themselves just a few minutes into gameplay. We did our best, he'd work on it, I'd work on it, we would play it together, but like you said, hair pulling frustrating. I can't remember exactly how long it took, but I remember it was around 5 - 8 months to finish the damn thing. But, at least I can look back on it and say that I managed to beat it back when it originally came out.
@@Harbinger28567 props to you soldier
Oh the Cave of Rhone, did you really think I'd forgotten? My god the end of this game is one of the most punishing endurance marathon's I've ever experienced in any RPG but god damn is it satisfying to clear it.
The cave to Rhone is one of my favourite parts precisely because it's so fucking hard!
Is VERY Challenging!
@@KayWizz I actually loved that part too!
I really hate the early game and fuck the Sunken Treasure Quest! But late game was the most fun for me!
True 🤣
My friend just played DW2 for the first time and he kept talking about how easy it was...until he got to the Cave to Rhône lol.
Dragon warrior 2 is my favorite in the series. The music vibe and exploration are amazing. I also did alot of using my imagination. The end is so hard even maxed out level wise. It's a brutal but satisfying experience to complete on your own. Following a guide is as fun as making a microwavable meal. Also the GBC, Snes and other remakes fix some of the grind and money balance issues
I'd love to see a full video dedicated to the "Seven Deadly Sins of RPGs" and your thoughts on what makes for good game design.
They made it challenging that's for sure. Without the grind the challenge isn't there. I liked the Dragon Quest II grind as well as I III and IV
@@THECARS7879 One thing is challenge the other is repetitive and boring content which is pricisely what This game has
@@THECARS7879 Grinding isn't challenging, just tedious and time consuming
The GBC port which comes with Dragon Warrior 1 and 2 is definitely a better deal. Enhanced graphics, both games, an improved experience system = less grind and enemies yield more money from being defeated. I think thats the way to go if you want to play these games.
Not to mention, didn't both games have an improved save system? Wasn't there a quicksave option?
I would recommend the Super Famicom remake with fan translation. To be it's the definitive version.
Greensmurf
How so?
+Chase fan translation is probably closer to the source material and of course better graphics and audio. I think the mobile version on Android and iPhone of Dragon Quest 2 is a remastered SNES port actually, could be worth a shot. Only issue is you need internet for SOME reason to play your fully paid for single player game.
otakon17
is the grinding better tho?
"And less than a year later, in Japan of '87, Dragon Quest II was unleashed upon Japan"
Yeah, man. Japan is my favorite month of the year. ;)
It's truly the best month, when you think about it. :)
Yep. Mine, too.
I did not like how they removed the background which the 1st game had which made it feel like a step down.
I see you review, then get all worried, but after some days, I beat it.
Now the Nes Dragon Warrior 2 is my favorite one, thanks
I don't care if this game is insanely hard and super vague, because it's still one of my all-time favorites and....someday.....SOMEDAY..... I will beat it. We've all gone into that fucking lighthouse at full strength, with solid stats and a ton of herbs ...only to bump into 5 Dragonflies that all attacked before we could and they ALL breathed fire and wiped the party out. What a game! No game will challenge you like this one does. Screw the leveling up system being too tough. Forget about the fact that the Princess of Moonbrooke or the Prince of Cannock will die constantly, sometimes both in the same battle. Actually, that will happen a lot. The lighthouse, the sea cave, and of course, the cave to Rhone will make a man out of you. You gotta think: you got an NES game for your birthday, you got a responsibility! You don't just wander around Midenhall, Leftwyne, Cannock, the Spring of Bravery, and the Lake Cave for an hour and then call it quits. You get your ass out there and you find that fucking dog!!!
My first introduction to Dragon Warrior (Quest) was Dragon Warrior Monsters. Still one of my most favorite games to this day.
Fucking love this channel.
I know it takes a while for each video because of how long RPGs are but it's so worth it.
Thanks Chase! I'm glad to hear it. :)
I played this game when it came out. Loved the first one and really loved this one. Beat it without bitching.
With a guide, I was able to power through the game without doing much grinding until after the cave of Rhone, that snowy area, where you can't walk do battle with an enemy that has the ability to kill you with some swift INSTA-DEATH via the Blizzards defeat spell, and the Golden Batboons sacrifice spell when it gets low on heath that kills every one of your party in one hit. Not to mention the Giants when they get a critical hit. I think I made it to that area with the prince around level 18, now I am forced to just grind for hours, because I can't make it five steps without a party member getting killed. At least the EXP gained from these monsters is fairly high, I usually get about 1300 to 1700 exp per battle from a group of three. Still haven't beaten it thou, wish me luck!
Wooo!!! Who has two thumbs and is the new King of Midenhall? I had to grind to level 30 tho, it took forever.
I've played this game before on the NES version and it wasn't that difficult until the Rhone area, and even then I managed to beat the game with my characters at Lv 25 to 28 in just 2 days. and I thought I enjoyed it more than the first game.
This game is great. It expanded so much on the first game. I would totally recommend this
I completely agree and I honestly liked it more than the first game!
Agree bout 2 being better than 1, but only if not on NES version. 2 starts out tough, and never gets easier. Road to Rhone was a nightmare.
Dragon Warrior ii (and iv) is my favorite of the franchise thus far. Very challenging. Was the first DW/DQ to have more than one party member as well as multiple enemies
excuse me while I go into fanboy mode. you have to understand, in 1987 this game changed my life...
firstly bear in mind Dragon Quest 2 came out in 1987, a whole year before the first (!) Final Fantasy game was released. at the time it was a groundbreaking experience, and it certainly blew my 9 year old mind. sure its achievements have been eclipsed in the decades since, but this game was beloved when it came out, and Japanese fans voted it best game of that year.
granted, it is probably the hardest Dragon Quest game, but the sprite work, the toriyama designs, the incredible music and addictive and innovative gameplay all contributed to the game becoming a cultural phenomenon, with the original selling over 2 million copies in Japan alone. obviously it is easy to look at the game now in 2018 and call it crap but that is to ignore everything the genre we love so much, and as a result, we, owe to this title.
Im amazed by the effort you put into these reviews. I can really appreciate your love for these games
I actually enjoyed the adventure elements in this game since the treasure hunt and non-linear exploration later on were very much similar to games like The Legend of Zelda. And maybe some of the hints were lost in translation, but at least in the Japanese version you were often given some more or less useful hints here and there and you had to combine them and make sense of them. Sure, it could have been more streamlined overall, but it's not a complete dealbreaker, imho. What was a dealbreaker however was the grinding in the cave to Rhone and the final dungeon. That was indeed horrible and killed the fun of this game.
On a sidennote: the person at 1:21 is not Koichi Sugiyama but Koichi Ishii, the creator and game designer behind the Secret of Mana/Seiken Densetsu series. He's also the inventor of chocobos and Moogles.
That being said, I like your review and it was fun revisiting it after finally playing through the original games myself.
I'm fairly obsessed with Dragon Quest 2 but I'll concede that you either need a strategy guide or a depressing amount of free time to really play it. When I was a sad fat kid I had the time but these days I play the game in one window with a map and a walkthrough open on the others.
YO! I mentioned before I was fixing to play this "soon" ... well, life happens. I just got around to it. I have 3 crests so far and have yet to complete the most challenging areas of the game, but I have *really* been enjoying my time with it so far. Compared to the first Dragon Warrior which I played in 2021, I view this as an improvement in almost every respect. I am enjoying my time playing it more for the first portion of the game. Multiple enemies in battles, multiple party members, sailing, humor, strategy, music variety, and the concept of collecting the crests -- I really like these aspects. I miss the backgrounds in the overworld from Dragon Warrior, but aside from that I am really impressed by this game.
Now, part of that may be the way I am playing these games (being mostly chronological and in a vacuum), but I haven't hit a grinding bump yet where I felt I was having to do hours of grinding on end. That may be coming, but even still. Now, I haven't played III yet or any Final Fantasy, so I'm sure those may affect how I view this game in the future. But for the time it came out? I feel I would have been a VERY happy camper playing this in '87 in Japan. In America? Since it came out so late, I can see the potential for disappointment.
Yeah, it was smooth sailing on the NES up to a certain point. If you're playing on NES, you'll know it when you find it. But every other release since has smoothed that bump out significantly. Good luck sir!
I just finished DW2 for NES and wow, I should've listened to your advice about skipping it. It was fun for maybe the first three quarters, but the last part was just super frustrating and I only finished it because I'm stubborn and wanted to follow through. It definitely was NOT fun trying to figure out that cave, then grind forever just so I could have a fighting chance at the final boss. I'm an adult and I had to cheat my way through using online guides and save states, I can't even imagine how insanely frustrating it must've been for kids back then.
Not really, I was well aware of this game's difficulty long before I got to play it, and I even played it on both my Android phone as well as the NES version online, and the game wasn't really that difficult aside from the final 2 dungeons, and even then the final area has a shrine where I could heal up and save, and the monsters give a good amount of EX.
And I even managed to beat the game with my characters in between levels 24 to 28 and even beat the game in just 2 days.
and a lot of my time with the game was through exploration and the level grinding wasn't as big in the previous game.
so I am glad that I chose not to skip it since when you really look at DQ 1 through 2 and 3 you really see just how much they improve.
Though it was explained in an interview that the people working on DQ2 haven't had the time to playtested it yet, so that could explain the sudden spike of powerful enemies.
I did not skip school like Johnny M, but I got up at 3 AM before school just to play this game
As a kid, watching one of my RPG veteran friend grind levels in this game was the finest in entertainment. I would often rent the game on my own, only to get stuck in the exact same place everytime; when you get the boat and must search for the crests without any clue where to find them. Fast forward 20 years with a trusty GBC version cart and the help of a walkthrough, the game was finally beaten.
+Milky Lamb the prospect of finding those crests on my own would have been a nightmare. Luckily some viewers were happy to nudge me in the right directions. I'm glad they fixed this in the port. :)
Yes, the fire crest is the worst offender IMO haha. Most excellent channel by the way!
Thanks man! :D
Damn son! 8 hour stream just grinding and still needing to do more! You are a beast Derek!
The 3DS/Switch/mobile port of this game felt quite balanced. I had to grind at the end like any old rpg, but only for an hour or two, and even then could have gone in with a few less levels.
It’s actually a very enjoyable, simple rpg with a finite amount of things to have to think about. You probably need a guide for the late game is all.
It was a hard game but I went through it. I went through the first 4 and I didn't play V till years later. I want these games back because I don't have anymore. We need a total reboot if all. I don't think DQ II was that bad. Your not supposed to play 8 hours straight anyway. I so want to play this again.
Thanks for the post man.Loved The Dragon Warrior Series on The Nes 😀😊
DQ2 is known as one of the hardest ever rpgs to play
Good to see another video! Hope your personal stuff was all resolved positively! Been there myself.
Maybe you can figure it out. There was a game from either the 8 bit or SNES where the character ventures up a bunch of stairs like on a building. The people seem normal during the day . Then you go up and it does a Jekyll and Hyde and the people turn into monsters.
I didn't find any real need to grind in this game until after I finished the cave to Rhone, so if you spent 10 hours grinding *before* that dungeon, I think that probably gives you a somewhat unnecessarily unfortunate approach to the game.
After that dungeon, most battles give you between 1000-2000 EXP on average, making the next bit of grinding (which IS necessary) much faster intially. The final dungeon is still absurdly rough, but I don't think it's nearly as bad as this video makes it sound.
Recently beat the SNES version and this was pretty spot on, except that one is a bit more balanced in terms of the battles, looks and sounds better and improves the interface a bit. It is, sadly, even worse when it comes to the clues in that the stairs in the shrine before the cave path to the final area don't lead outside, so instead you have to find the secret exit south of the teleporter through the wall by chance. Now I'm playing DQ3 on SNES and so far (at the pyramid) it's a huge leap forward.
Derek, I love your channel. Production quality is great, collection is well curated. Just all around awesome, one of my fav channels for sure.
Hey thanks +NJRetro, I really appreciate it. :D
Hey SuperDerek! Nice to have you back 👍🏼 great video.
+Jordan1000 it's good to be back, thanks! :)
One of my favorite games and NES series of games. Never had any trouble with it as a kid just playing it, but then this and other Nintendo games of the time are what we ate, slept, and breathed.
The Dragon Warrior/Quest franchise is STILL My favorite role playing game. Just recently picked up these classics on my 3DS
I recently came back to these videos after playing them and I was surprised I was really loving 2 despite remembering what your review said. I am assuming that the modern port that is on Switch fixes the balancing, because I found the late game enemies to be giving closer to 1000 exp rather than 40 and grinding to get ready for the final dungeon only took about a couple hours. There still is very unfair difficulty curve from the final area enemies but it didn't sour my experience much. So I think the modern ports do enough to make Dragon Quest 2 a pretty fun expierence
Oh yes, they rebalanced Dragon Quest II in all subsequent re-releases. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your time with it!
I think that the Gameboy Colo re-release is superior in many ways but I'll always have a soft spot for the NES version. It was the first RPG I owned and the first JRPG I ever beat.
Love this game I sucked at it as a kid. Running from monsters doesn't help once I reach anything stronger than the rabble. Now I'm going good I grind for five minutes or so every town area bunch herbs buncha antidote things. I only disagree in that I will play for the story. Before any go back and listen comments, this rambling comment is why I didn't listen to the whole way.
Thanks for a relaxing review I wanted a modernish review I saw from the year 2025
I just recently beat DQII for the first time using the Switch actually. It’s a solid game but I only had DQI growing up as FF and Zelda had my attention mostly
If EXP is an issue, I'd recommend Dragon Warrior 1 and 2 for the Gameboy Color. They fixed up a few things, and the problem with EXP was one of them. For me, I'm a little more forgiving, maybe more than I should be. It was only the second of its kind, so they still needed to work out what worked and what didn't.
+KlonoaDream yeah, it was still worth experiencing to get a feel for the game designs progression, but I don't think the average player would get much more than frustration out of the NES release.
Agreed.
1988: Dragon Warrior III versus Phantasy Star. Clash of the titans! Weird to think we wouldn't get Final Fantasy until 2 years later, a game that's quite inferior to DW3, DW4, and Phantasy Star (imo.)
+accaris yep! The timeline is insane. I played through phantasy star for the first time not too long ago and was really blown away. :)
The first Final Fantasy was released in December 1987, and the second Final Fantasy in December 1988, so Final Fantasy was not released “two years later.”
The game was hard, especially as a kid. It continued to beat you up over and over and over again. I'd say the main tradeoff from this game being such a slog, a brutal experience in level building and a maddening factory of punishment when you die 3/4 of the way through a long cave or other locale and have to restart at a distant save point because there were none closer, is a great level of satisfaction. Getting through the tough situations you are put in with this title is such a good feeling when you finally get to the next save point. Dragon Warrior 2 is one of the best examples of a hard JRPG going toe to toe with the player and the player hitting that knockout blow. There is nothing like beating a hard ass game. It isn't balanced but DAMN what a brutal ride.
Hey I was in the video on your twitch chat!
Sweet +Mike Sweet! And Thanks for coming by the stream. :)
I look forward to every review SuperDerek! Love every video!
Thank you +Dylan Johnston! :)
I actually really liked this game and Lufia 1. I did have a guide the whole time though so I don't know how hard it was without one.
I would agree with this review. My buddy had DW 2. I later had DW 3. Honestly, DW 2 always felt pretty weak to me, even after earning my RPG chops on the first game. DW 3, on the other hand, is one of my favorites in the series. The main thing that DW 2 brings is a multi-character party. That was pretty substantial for the series.
I hear that the GBC version of DW 1 / 2 is far better, but I've yet to play them. I do own the game though.
+Zach B yeah that's what I've been told. DWII also introduced multi enemy battles, and even a mini game I forgot to touch on. Lots of improvements, but some pretty big problems too.
I have no nostalgia for the pre-Dragon Quest VIII games in the series, and I agree completely with your review. Dragon Quest I is more primitive in many ways, but due to its smaller size and slightly less grindy nature, it is also more playable in 2020 than its immediate sequel. I enjoyed the first game in spite of its flaws, and appreciated it as a sort of historic tour through one one the birthplaces of the genre. I didn't get that same experience from DQII, which just felt like a slog more often than not. Even the SNES and GBC ports, which reduce grinding and feature some modest quality of life improvements, can't escape this. It's probably my least favorite game in the entire series.
Yes, please do skip it! This game takes courage, wit and BALLS to get through. And the watered down GBC port doesn't count, sorry. I know this game has flaws, but I love it. I loved it when I first played it back when it was released and I still love it today decades later. I especially like that even if you reach maximum level, you can still be destroyed during random battles. This is one for the big boys and girls. Wussies need not apply. :)
I'm curious though, what are the 7 deadly sins of RPG besides grinding??
Dragon Quest II is one of my favorites in the series I love it but maybe it's because I played the GBC version which is really good.
Password saves? Random encounters every 2 steps? That could be two of them!
I'm in the planning stage for a video that covers them, but in the past I've talked about them in my review of Persona 3 and Final Fantasy Adventure. :)
I saw Slickenstein mention you in the comments section of a live video. Had to check you out. Awesome channel. Will be watching all your stuff! Subbed!
Awesome, thanks for watching. :)
Your RPG collection seems to have grown much larger! I'd love an updated overview of your entire collection.
Yep! Plus, I got a second shelf that gave me room to spread 'em out a bit more to help them look good. Maybe I'll do another collection video sometime soon. :)
I collect RPGs too, so I'm very interested to see any gems you have that I may have missed out on.
+SuperDerek RPG's Whats your top favorite rpg games of all time? My favorite is Dark Cloud 2 and Kingdom Hearts
These videos are always awesome, dude! Also do you use VHS cases to hold your NES games? Thanks!
Thanks +Bruwneah Doge! The cases I use are universal have cases from mediashelving.com
Iconic chimes and songs! :D
I'm glad I am not the only one who felt just a bit lost sometimes in this game.
I'm playing it right now, and I'm also focusing on grinding
Thanks for the great review. What RPG do you recommend for the NES?
Currenly, Dragon Warrior IV is my favorite on the NES, but Crystalis if you like action RPGs, and Sweet Home if you're looking for a survival-horror RPG hybrid :)
Now your about to step into III which is where the series really starts to pick up show it's greatness! Then you got IV and V right around the corner (if you decide to play so many in and row) which most fans agree are the best or some of the best entries in the series!
I'm currently planning on going up through IV, then taking a break from the series :)
lunar 2 iz awesome
Maybe i should try to remake this once i get RPG Maker Fes.
I only played 1-6 recently, but I did actually skip the second. It was too similar to the first, which by today's standards, isn't great. 3 was where it started picking up for me, so I look forward to seeing what you have to say about that.
+Casp O'saurus I can't blame you, but there really were done huge improvements. It's just the balance that killed the otherwise awesome increment forward. :)
I've had the Malroth theme song occasionally stuck in my head for the past 25 years.
But you can’t deny Derek, the opening for dragon quest 1-3 is absolutely great.
Great Review!
I personally never really got into the 1st one, but played quite a bit of the second one.. sadly I think it just my nostalgia glasses kicking in.
I also found myself confused in both games and had to get and guide for both of them.. so... yeah.
Overall I have to agree though, near the end.. GRINDING oh god the grinding.....
Ahh....1990...(or was it 91?), the summer I got the first one in the mail as a giveaway...my copy included a walkthrough for #1, and a huge poster promoting the second game with enemies/spells on the back of the poster. I remember dreaming of owning the second, only to never be able to find it at any store in my area. I didn't actually play it until I downloaded the rom in about 2001. Still worth it for the kid in me. 😊
Just started playing DQ 1 + 2 on the Super Famicom with an English patch, but after jumping to DQ 3, I dunno if I'll be going backwards.
Hey Derek! Greetings from Germany. In my opinion you are the most likeable Reviewer on youtube. I love your videos and it is like you are my american clone xD How you speak about your lovely Games or how you want to fascinate others. Its amazing!
I hope you will review Parasite Eve and Jade Cocoon in the future. Because these series totally forgotten today. I mean Parasite Eve 1 had a refreshing RPG-Survival Horror mix.
Ah and I have a another question. Would you upload your Intro Theme? I really love it and want it as my ringtone!!
Thanks man! I don't have copies of Parasite Eve or Jade Cocoon yet, but they have been on my want-list for some time now. I'm sure I'll review them eventually. :)
Not having a map really made this game difficult. Love the series though so I had to beat it.
Hey, Derek! I am Founder and CEO of New World Games INC., Jarrett Webb. I just gotta tell you. I love your voice. Not it that sense, but I am wondering if you would spare me the trouble of voice-acting an entire game by myself. It is an RPG, much like Persona. What do you say?
I'm watching this now. And Our man D was young as hell! ❤🙈
I guess it's not for everyone, but I strongly prefer emulating most JRPGs so I can use fastfoward and codes for more experience/gold per enemy or for controlling the random encounters.
+Alianger yeah, that would probably be a better experience, but i can't fairly review a game that I changed so heavily, ya know?
Sure, I was just thinking out loud for a bit there.
+Alianger oh ok, I gotcha. :)
I do highly enjoy your reviews, and question if I could do any better myself. You need to remember we're talking about the year 1990. DWII was the cream of the crop with extremely low standards. I'm doubting if you were even conceived yet?
I knew about wasted hours to level up to defeat Malroth before I ever heard of the term "grinding". Back in my day I had to walk 20 miles uphill in the snow from Moonbrooke to Midenhall and back just to find a worthy random battle.
(btw Dragon Quest II on Snes/Super Famicom is a much better version)
Nice review! I am curious though - what are the other "seven deadly sins of rpgs"? If you mentioned it in another video I will watch that :)
Not mention the Gold Batboons who can cast sacrifice which kills themselves and your entire party.
Out of curiosity, are you planning on doing videos of all the main-line Dragon Quest games?
+Tanner Animations I am planning on it, but I'll probably take a short break from the series after IV
Ah, okay. Thanks for the response.
Awesome video man, will probably try the series out in one of its newer releases!
And I have to diasagree with your cons on it... yes the grinding isn’t fun sometimes but I still completed the game with in a week and majorly enjoyed as much as the first. Which led me to number 3. But maybe i jus love dragon quest... final fantasy I find is a grind as well that’s sometimes worse... if not most times..
Great review. I played this game on the Gameboy Color with the Dragon Warrior 1 & 2 cartridge. I beat the first one and remember getting bored and never beating the 2nd game.
+Jonathan Hughes it definitely became a chore after a while...
Stoked to see dragon quest finally on ur channel , can't wait for the rest lol cool review
Thanks +Who Loc, I'm glad to finally get to these!
+SuperDerek RPGs hopefully u keep going with the series all the way up to the newer games, dragon quest 8 is amazing and I'd like to see what u have to say on some of the more modern titles. That's a lot to ask tho lol maybe one day on ur channel hahaha
I just played the Switch version of this, and though it's not a great port thankfully it's not as grindy/challenging as this version sounds. I only had a couple of small grind sessions, I got killed at the end of the Cave of Rhone and going to the final boss cause I was slightly too weak, but going through those sections again got me enough XP to make it through. There's a quick save feature there as well, so I was able to save in front of the final boss and refine my tactics, I think I beat him on the 3rd try.
I used a guide to get through the Cave of Rhone though lol. And I think I had to look a couple of other things up. But thankfully with a map and fast travel it was fairly easy to skip around and talk to NPC's to try to figure out what you're supposed to do next.
I actually really liked the game, I think it's pretty interesting structurally, the world is fun to explore, and I think the combat is very well balanced on the switch version (I really like the way the party members work together). I think overall I liked the DQ1 better though, that game was just so cleverly and tightly designed (love being able to see the goal of the dragon lord's castle from the very beginning, saving the princess being optional, the "bad" ending, being a basically perfectly paced short 10 hours, etc). DQ2 got a little unwieldly in the 2nd half (you have to get this item to get to this place, but you need this item and this item to get the item to get into that place etc lol). I am also really enjoying how the games tie into each other, it's very simple but cool that you're ancestors of the DQ1 protagonist
I know it's specifically a review of the NES version, but I'm surprised no mention of the GB or SFC versions which fix the exp issue. It's still a grindy game, but much more reasonable.
+LudwigKoopa yeah I normally talk about ports and re releases, must have slipped my mind this time. Sorry about that, maybe I'll talk about them in a wrap up at the end of another review. :)
No worries, since we never got SNES versions it's easy to forget :D
Great video man. I've only completed the first one from the main series but I've completed a few off-shoots (Dragon Warrior Monsters 1 & 2, Dragon Quest Heroes).
+Classic Contagious Gaming DQ VIII is well worth the time and effort, I highly recommend it.
Yet another superb video !!
Thanks +Nathan!
I just absolutely love the music I love it so much !
Nicely done Derek. Keep up the good work.
Thanks +F Kafka!
Try the mobile version. They increased earned exp. per battle. I was able to beat it in a few days.
Man I played Dragon Warrior 1&2 ages ago on the GBC. I think it was DW2 where there was this chest in a dungeon that I could not open at all. It was so weird I thought there was some super weapon in there. I still think about it once in a while lmao.
Dragon warrior 2 was amazing there was an upgrade from 2 not mentioned the fact you didn't have to click when using stairs . Only dislike was if you had three characters attacking same enemy an it dies after the second attack the third character would attack the spot enemy was an would miss .
I love your videos, just followed your Twitch stream.
Good video as always man. Also I didn't know you stream. I'll make sure to follow you on twitch right away.
+VIVGCiconia awesome! I'll probably be streaming in just an hour or two, maybe I'll see you there! :)
Still a solid looking 8bit title even today
best hair on youtube and great reviews!!!
Awe shucks, +MrAbe1984! Thanks for the kind words. :)
No worries
So how does the Gameboy Color version of I and II compare to the original NES releases?
+Retro Power Up people have been saying that they were improved, but I haven't tried em out yet
DW2 is a worthy successor. If you had to grind like THAT, you were doing something wrong
You're probably right. I was just playing the game wrong. That's why they re-balanced the game in all future releases. Mmm-hmm. :-P
@@SuperDerek Maybe it's just me, but I found DW2 relaxing to grind, once I knew WHERE to.
great vid and educational!! only played part one when i was younger and recently just got into part two 30 years later, it does seem like a big step from the 1st part, im curious about the other sequels now
Nice review but I'm curious to what all the seven deadly sins of RPGs are. Is there a list somewhere I can check out?
There's no list just yet, but I'm in the planning stage for a video that covers them. So far though, I've featured them in my review of Final Fantasy Adventure and Persona 3 FES: The Journey.
I bought DQ 1, and DQ2 on my phone. I have no idea what I'm doing. Controls are frustrating
I'm sitting with my characters level 21/20/16 at the Cave of Rhone. Am I really in for a half dozen or more hours of grinding to be able to beat the game? Where does everyone grind at for that time?
Honestly kind of just want to watch an LP of whatever is left of the game then move on to III
i love old games like these. how great does it feel when you do stuff like risk getting Erdrick's armor (in the first game) and get a excellent move when fighting that axe knight to get that armor early? i jumped up and down in joyous fantasy. i wish i knew of some more games where you can do this kind of thing without having the game lead you through this absolutely linear path.