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Squeenix Dragon Quest

DragoFireheart

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I'm thinking about playing the Dragon Quest franchise but I'm unsure what to start with.

I've played Dragon Warrior for the NES and enjoyed it. Short game but fun. Grinding doesn't bother me too much if it's not annoying. Also, the battles don't take forever like FF7 Super Nova.

I've also played Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, but it felt like a bad Pokemon clone.

I've done a little bit of research and consensus seems to suggest that DQ8 and DQ5 (for the DS) are the best ones to start with. I also want to play DQ 2 (NES) at some point because I have this weird urge to get destroyed by Gold Batboons.
 
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ghostdog

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Start with DQ5 and then DQ6. DQ has gotten a nice remake (either DS or PS2 are fine) and DQ6 has very beautiful Snes graphics and a nice translation. Both are good games.

If you liked DQ1, then you should also check DQIII (snes remake --maybe there have been more recent remakes). It's in the same style, only better and much much bigger. DQIV was somewhat innovative for its time, but eventually as a whole game it wasn't that good IMO.

After that I can't provide much advice, since I have only briefly played DQVII. IIRC I didn't like it much because of the 2Dsprites+3Dcamera setup, but supposedly it has a it has a lot of meat and it probably deserves another chance. DQ8 is in my play-list.
 

DragoFireheart

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ghostdog thanks!

Based on the ones you have played, how different are they? The battle system looks identical for DQ 1-8 while 9 looks like a FF 3rd-person perspective.
 

ghostdog

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The basic battle system is pretty much the same, classic blobber, in 1-7 and I believe the same applies to 8. The changes come usually in party/character mechanics mostly. In DQ5 you can recruit monsters and add them to your party. DQ6 has a job system where you can advance in different classes and gain access to hidden ones.
 

DragoFireheart

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Oh neat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Boy_Player

Now I can play DQ1-3 on my Gamecube via this and buying the Gameboy Color versions.

DQ4-6 + 9 can be played on my DS, and finally DQ 8 on a PS2 I got recently.

EDIT: I hope eventually SquareEnix releases DQ 1-3 in a non-cartridge version to the Kwan states. I don't feel like changing old batteries on NES/GBC cartridges.
 
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TigerKnee

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3,5,8 or 9 seems to be the most well-liked.

Though my personal favourite is the Dragon Quest Monsters 1-2 spinoff for Gameboy.
 

Hirato

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I played Dragon Quest 8 last year.
I found the game downright offense in its plot and mechanics.

The reasons for the plot should be obvious, your cast is absolutely darwinistic in their lack of common sense.
A magical staff that holds a great evil? why sure, let's just pick it up like nothing's wrong in spite of the fact that it possessed the last schmuck that wielded it!
Get locked in a jail cell? Let's conveniently forget that we POSSESS the ULTIMATE KEY that can UNLOCK ANYTHING and EVERYTHING and spend over a month of ingame time there.
Put 2 and 2 together and figure out the big bad's next target? Too bad, you can't intervene appropriately because you're escorting the cunt's son and you're forced to drop him off elsewhere, where in he will predictably get killed because you weren't there to protect them both; and even if you were there, cutscene paralysis would've guaranteed their deaths anyway.
The only upside is the humour, but that quickly devolves into guessing if and when Yangus will yelp "Cor Blimey!"

As for the mechanics...
I have never seen a more insane encounter rate in any JRPG ever. To put it into perspective, if I was to play a random final fantasy game and run around with a lure bracer or an equivalent item to double the encounter rate, you'd have more than 4 times as many encounters in DQ8, and they'll all take more than twice as long to resolve.
To rub further salt in the wound, one of the first abilities you learn is 'whistle' which initiates a random encounter anywhere for free.
The game also actively punishes you for exploring; the aforementioned grind, locked chests you can't open (until much later in the game), and if you actually do any supposed exploring, you end up so hilariously overleveled for anything in the game, all fun and challenge is drained out of the game and you're left with mind numbing tedium. Combined with that bombastic battle theme you'll probably hear over 2000 throughout the game, it's enough to drive one insane.
To further discourage exploring, the game and plot is completely linear, so you'd end up visiting every area regardless, excepting a few hidden out of the way spots where you farm metal slimes and are unable to use the tiger to make travel times somewhat reasonable.
 

newtmonkey

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Dragon Quest/Warrior II is actually a fantastic game (I would go with DWII on the NES as DQII uses passwords instead of battery backup). I would seriously recommend avoiding the SFC remake, as the original game was balanced almost perfectly, and the remake makes it way too easy. If you play without a walkthrough, learn which battles are not worth fighting, and make good use of spells/items, you shouldn't have to do any grinding until the very last area.

The main quest (finding the crests) is a lot of fun in that you really do have to explore the entire world to hunt for the crests, and it's largely nonlinear.

DQVIII can be fun and looked amazing when it was released, but like Hirato said, there is really nothing good about it. It's easy to play, and it fools you into thinking it will be some giant open world, but the game is balanced to be completely linear.
 

DragoFireheart

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Dragon Quest/Warrior II is actually a fantastic game (I would go with DWII on the NES as DQII uses passwords instead of battery backup). I would seriously recommend avoiding the SFC remake, as the original game was balanced almost perfectly, and the remake makes it way too easy. If you play without a walkthrough, learn which battles are not worth fighting, and make good use of spells/items, you shouldn't have to do any grinding until the very last area.

I might emulate it then to not have to deal with the old save systems and batteries dying on me.

Ordered DQ 5 for my DS. Will be getting it later this week.
 
Repressed Homosexual
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Play the translated SNES remake of III, by far the best game in the series. Then VIII, ignore Hirato's comments, it is one gorgeous, wondrous game.

Ignore all the others.

IV is generic and obnoxious
V doesn't have more to offer beyond its waifu gimmick
VI is forgettable as well
VII has insane backtracking and is very annoying
IX is generic and forgettable
 

Renegen

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My first was DQ7, it wasn't the game I wanted for Christmas, I played for 2 hours until I even had my first battle, frequently got stuck and it hooked me into the series and made me a huge DQ fanboy. The only word I can use to describe that game is "Epic", including a final boss that probably made HHR put this game on his "do not play" list.

You kinda have to dive right into the DQ series, it's a sort of love it or hate it type of franchise. DQ7 for example has tons of faults, slow pacing, 100 hours and not all of them are super exciting, but the franchise has this magical quality to turn weaknesses into strengths. For example each town you enter usually has some king/mayor/intellectual/presidente that needs you to rescue the princess/magic ring/golden sheep but you kinda warm up to it, the stories have this fairy tale feel to it. Eventually after playing a lot of DQ, you know that evil will always be vanquished, lovers will be reunited, illnesses cured and everything will be made whole again, the games have this general positive tone to them. You definitively feel the manga/episodic influence that's been there since the very beginning from Horii and Toriyama. You play the games for the gameplay as much as the emotions they evoke. Tradition is a very strong part of DQ, to go against it is to go against what makes the series so special. Every game you will be looking forward to bash in smiling slimes, to cast the ridiculously named spells, to find rare and hidden items, to memorize chest locations that you won't open until 20 hours later and to play the many diversions available.

Now about what DQ is the best, I think objectively most have said 5. I've played 4,6,7,8 and 9. The 8th one is unique because it's on the PS2 and probably the only one that actually looked good when it first came out, if you're a graphics whore play it but it's missing a little bit. Just a tiny little less content than I would've liked and it also messed with the mechanics and introduced a great but new skill system, so it's not really "traditional Dragon Quest feel" to get you hooked. I think that the best game to get into the series might actually be DQ 9, it just has everything minus except an easier difficulty curve, DQ 4 is also great for being on the DS and having a great story etc I don't recommend the 7th just because a 3DS remake is in the making, but it's probably the best one to get to know the series.
 

DragoFireheart

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The translated ROM is very easily available though.

True, but then I break the law to do so.

Such is the life of an old-school gamer. First Secret of Mana 2, now Dragon Quest 3 for the SNES.

So 3, 5, and 8 seem to be the "best" ones. I suppose I'll sail some dark waters to find 3...
 

Hirato

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Then VIII, ignore Hirato's comments, it is one gorgeous, wondrous game.

I won't deny that it's a beautiful game, the artwork's absolutely gorgeous and it has aged really well; it's a massive highlight, especially if you're a fan of Toriyama's other works like Dragon Ball.
But the game itself is thoroughly awful. It could've been so much better if the plot didn't go full retard, and they didn't completely overdo it with filler combat.
 

Machocruz

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Play DQ3 first, it's just right. I kind of like the look of the NES version too. SNES is objectively better looking, but dat nostalgia tho.
 

Alex

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This one is made specifically for beginners:

pic44868.jpg


But you should move up to this one eventually:

pic1807440.jpg
 

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