Difference between revisions of "Dragon Warrior"
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− | [[Image:Dragon Warrior - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American box art.]] | + | [[Image:Dragon Warrior - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American NES box art.]] |
− | '''''Dragon Warrior''''' | + | '''''Dragon Warrior''''' is a role-playing game for the [[NES]] developed by [[Chunsoft]] and published by [[Enix]] in 1986. It is the first game in the [[Dragon Warrior (Universe)|Dragon Warrior series]]. |
− | + | Around 1990, my mother bought us Dragon Warrior and [[River City Ransom]] at a garage sale, and I found both games to be a lot of fun. Although, by today's standards, Dragon Warrior is a pretty dull game. I spent a lot of time playing this at home and at my cousin's house, and I remember my aunt, who is very religious, being very concerned about the game having a "warlock" in it. | |
==Status== | ==Status== | ||
− | I | + | I own this game for the NES and have beaten it with maxed-out stats. |
==Review== | ==Review== | ||
Line 13: | Line 13: | ||
===Good=== | ===Good=== | ||
− | * The monster graphics are fantastic. | + | * The monster graphics are fantastic for the time. |
* Even with the game's rather poor audio driver, the music is quite good. Enix was wise to hire a professional composer. | * Even with the game's rather poor audio driver, the music is quite good. Enix was wise to hire a professional composer. | ||
− | * | + | * The player sprite graphic changes when he's holding a sword, shield, and the princess. A nice touch. |
* Showing the evil Charlock Castle surrounded by swamp in the distance is a nice way of letting the player imagine how awful it's going to be. Although, it create a plot hole: why doesn't Alefgard have boats? | * Showing the evil Charlock Castle surrounded by swamp in the distance is a nice way of letting the player imagine how awful it's going to be. Although, it create a plot hole: why doesn't Alefgard have boats? | ||
− | * The | + | * I like the reveal in the final battle. |
+ | * The game has three different endings, based on whether you accept the Dragon Lord's offer, and whether you have rescued Princess Gwaelin. And a good cut scene for 1986. | ||
===Bad=== | ===Bad=== | ||
* There isn't much to do in the game. If grinding wasn't necessary, you could talk to every NPC, collect every items, traverse every map, and beat the game in about an hour. | * There isn't much to do in the game. If grinding wasn't necessary, you could talk to every NPC, collect every items, traverse every map, and beat the game in about an hour. | ||
− | * The combat is very basic. You | + | * The combat is very basic. You only ever control one hero, you only ever fight one monster, and your actions are limited to fight, spell, item, and run. However, if given the choice between combat that it too complex or too easy, I prefer too easy. |
− | * The save-the-princess trope | + | * The save-the-princess trope was pretty played out, even in 1986, and it's embarrassing now. Especially since you have to literally carry Gwaelin all the way back to the castle (are her legs broken?), and when you succeed, she professes her love to you. |
− | * Even with only a handful of items, | + | * Even with only a handful of items in the game, the designer's still managed to make a few of them effectively useless including the Fighter's Ring, Cursed Belt, and Necklace of Death. |
− | * The | + | * The game only has a single role-playing element at the very end, and it's entirely predictable. |
===Ugly=== | ===Ugly=== | ||
− | * The game is painfully grind heavy. The designers would need to make enemies give about 10 times | + | * The game is painfully grind heavy. The designers would need to make enemies give about 10 times more experience than they do to make the game bearable by today's standards. |
− | ==Box Art== | + | ==Media== |
+ | ===Box Art=== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
− | Dragon Warrior - NES - Japan.jpg|The original Japanese box art really fits the game | + | Dragon Warrior - NES - Japan.jpg|The original Japanese box art really fits the game with its cartoonish style. The MSX port uses the same art. |
Dragon Warrior - NES - USA.jpg|The North American box art is much more heroic and grown up, and while Erdrick's descendant is spot on, the dragon's head looks more like an insect. Over all, I prefer the American box art. | Dragon Warrior - NES - USA.jpg|The North American box art is much more heroic and grown up, and while Erdrick's descendant is spot on, the dragon's head looks more like an insect. Over all, I prefer the American box art. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
− | ==Documentation== | + | ===Documentation=== |
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Manual.pdf|Manual. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Manual.pdf|Manual. | ||
Line 41: | Line 43: | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Manual - Japan - Translated.pdf|Japanese manual (translated). | Dragon Warrior - NES - Manual - Japan - Translated.pdf|Japanese manual (translated). | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Adventure Guide.pdf|Adventure Guide. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Adventure Guide.pdf|Adventure Guide. | ||
− | Dragon Warrior - NES - Explorer's Handbook. | + | Dragon Warrior - NES - Explorer's Handbook.pdf|Explorer's Handbook. |
− | Dragon Warrior - NES - | + | Dragon Warrior - NES - Strategy Guide.pdf|Strategy Guide. |
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Alefgard - Poster.jpg|Map poster. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Alefgard - Poster.jpg|Map poster. | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Monsters - Poster.jpg|Monster guide poster. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Monsters - Poster.jpg|Monster guide poster. | ||
+ | Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 157-158.jpg|[[The Official Nintendo Player's Guide]], blurb. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
− | ==Maps== | + | ===Maps=== |
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
− | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Alefgard.png|Alefgard. | + | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Alefgard.png|Alefgard, clean map. |
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Alefgard - With Labels.png|Alefgard, with labels. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Alefgard - With Labels.png|Alefgard, with labels. | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Monsters.jpg|Monsters. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Monsters.jpg|Monsters. | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Tantegel Castle.png|Tantegel Castle. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Tantegel Castle.png|Tantegel Castle. | ||
− | |||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Brecconary.png|Brecconary. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Brecconary.png|Brecconary. | ||
Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Erdrick's Cave.png|Erdrick's Cave. | Dragon Warrior - NES - Map - Erdrick's Cave.png|Erdrick's Cave. | ||
Line 70: | Line 72: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
− | == | + | ===Graphic Sheets=== |
+ | <gallery> | ||
+ | Dragon Warrior - NES - Graphics - Characters.png|Characters. | ||
+ | Dragon Warrior - NES - Graphics - Map Tiles.png|Map Tiles. | ||
+ | Dragon Warrior - NES - Graphics - Monsters.png|Monsters. | ||
+ | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Fan Art=== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
Zac Gorman - Dragon Warrior.gif|Fan art by Zac Gorman. | Zac Gorman - Dragon Warrior.gif|Fan art by Zac Gorman. | ||
Zac Gorman - Dragon Warrior - Drakee.gif|Comic by Zac Gorman. | Zac Gorman - Dragon Warrior - Drakee.gif|Comic by Zac Gorman. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Videos=== | ||
+ | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmzHrNVelL0 youtube.com/watch?v=jmzHrNVelL0] - Longplay. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Titles== | ||
+ | {| class="wikitable" | ||
+ | ! Language !! Native !! Transliteration !! Translation | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | English || Dragon Warrior || || | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Japanese || ドラゴンクエスト || Doragon Kuesuto || Dragon Quest | ||
+ | |} | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
Line 81: | Line 102: | ||
* [http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior_(NES) vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior_(NES)] - Music. | * [http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior_(NES) vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior_(NES)] - Music. | ||
* [http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior] - NES Hacker Database. | * [http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior] - NES Hacker Database. | ||
+ | * [http://www.thealmightyguru.com/Reviews/DragonWarrior/Index.html thealmightyguru.com/Reviews/DragonWarrior/Index.html] - My old Dragon Warrior site. | ||
[[Category: Games]] | [[Category: Games]] | ||
[[Category: Video Games]] | [[Category: Video Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: MSX Games]] | ||
+ | [[Category: NES Games]] | ||
[[Category: Role-Playing Game]] | [[Category: Role-Playing Game]] | ||
+ | [[Category: Fantasy]] | ||
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]] | [[Category: Games I've Beaten]] |
Revision as of 22:31, 10 September 2018
Dragon Warrior is a role-playing game for the NES developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix in 1986. It is the first game in the Dragon Warrior series.
Around 1990, my mother bought us Dragon Warrior and River City Ransom at a garage sale, and I found both games to be a lot of fun. Although, by today's standards, Dragon Warrior is a pretty dull game. I spent a lot of time playing this at home and at my cousin's house, and I remember my aunt, who is very religious, being very concerned about the game having a "warlock" in it.
Contents
Status
I own this game for the NES and have beaten it with maxed-out stats.
Review
- Overall: 4/10
- Best Version: NES
Good
- The monster graphics are fantastic for the time.
- Even with the game's rather poor audio driver, the music is quite good. Enix was wise to hire a professional composer.
- The player sprite graphic changes when he's holding a sword, shield, and the princess. A nice touch.
- Showing the evil Charlock Castle surrounded by swamp in the distance is a nice way of letting the player imagine how awful it's going to be. Although, it create a plot hole: why doesn't Alefgard have boats?
- I like the reveal in the final battle.
- The game has three different endings, based on whether you accept the Dragon Lord's offer, and whether you have rescued Princess Gwaelin. And a good cut scene for 1986.
Bad
- There isn't much to do in the game. If grinding wasn't necessary, you could talk to every NPC, collect every items, traverse every map, and beat the game in about an hour.
- The combat is very basic. You only ever control one hero, you only ever fight one monster, and your actions are limited to fight, spell, item, and run. However, if given the choice between combat that it too complex or too easy, I prefer too easy.
- The save-the-princess trope was pretty played out, even in 1986, and it's embarrassing now. Especially since you have to literally carry Gwaelin all the way back to the castle (are her legs broken?), and when you succeed, she professes her love to you.
- Even with only a handful of items in the game, the designer's still managed to make a few of them effectively useless including the Fighter's Ring, Cursed Belt, and Necklace of Death.
- The game only has a single role-playing element at the very end, and it's entirely predictable.
Ugly
- The game is painfully grind heavy. The designers would need to make enemies give about 10 times more experience than they do to make the game bearable by today's standards.
Media
Box Art
Documentation
- Dragon Warrior - NES - Manual.pdf
Manual.
Maps
Graphic Sheets
Fan Art
Videos
- youtube.com/watch?v=jmzHrNVelL0 - Longplay.
Titles
Language | Native | Transliteration | Translation |
---|---|---|---|
English | Dragon Warrior | ||
Japanese | ドラゴンクエスト | Doragon Kuesuto | Dragon Quest |
Links
- mobygames.com/game/dragon-warrior - MobyGames.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Quest_(video_game) - Wikipedia.
- vgmpf.com/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior_(NES) - Music.
- thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php/Dragon_Warrior - NES Hacker Database.
- thealmightyguru.com/Reviews/DragonWarrior/Index.html - My old Dragon Warrior site.