Neal: Dragon Quest is a storied Japanese RPG series in the world of video games, closing in on its 40th anniversary in 2026. The gaps between main entries, especially in the last 30 years have been farther and farther apart (it has been more than eight years since Dragon Quest XI). In those gaps, Square Enix has gotten into a habit of making remakes of older games. And now it’s time to go back to the beginning. Hot on the heels of last year’s excellent HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III comes Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. All three of these games make up the Erdrick Trilogy and have a connected story and world between them. That makes the pairing of Dragon Quest I and II in a single game make sense. They stand alone, but they’re connected. Instead of standing alone in this review, Jordan Rudek and I (Neal Ronaghan) are going to join forces to fight the Dragonlord in a dual review. So Jordan let’s start with the first game here: what’s your history with Dragon Quest I and how do you feel about the new remake?

Jordan: I’d be ashamed to admit that I never finished Dragon Warrior/Quest on the NES, despite being an avid fan and enjoyer of the OG Final Fantasy, if it weren’t for how approachable and polished the HD Remake of Dragon Quest 1 is. I’ve also dabbled in the Game Boy Color version and the mobile port that came to Switch in 2019. It was the DS and 3DS games that really pushed into Dragon Quest fanhood, and my love for the series has only grown. You can count me among those who are thrilled to have modern iterations of the Erdrick Trilogy, and after thoroughly enjoying the Dragon Quest 3 remake last year, my body was ready for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. After finally finishing the first game, a long standing quest of my own, I’m smack dab in the cozy middle of RPG country. It feels both faithful but also fleshed out and polished to an HD-2D shine. If I recall correctly, we also partnered up in reviewing the mobile trilogy that I touched on earlier, but how did you find the Dragon Quest 1 remake?

Neal: I was one of those young kids who just knew it as Dragon Warrior, since the NES cartridge for the original Western release made it into my collection in the early ‘90s. I eventually finished it while I got older, but it was really a game where I learned a lot of early Japanese RPG mechanics, even if the genre didn’t fully click with me initially. It’s been a long time since I touched Dragon Quest I before the new remake and I legitimately had to double-check that the game didn’t just wholesale change the entire game because of how fleshed out and full the game felt. A ton of story and lore is peppered in throughout what was originally a more cut-and-dry experience.

Dragon Quest I’s HD-2D remake is still the original game through and through, but it makes it incredibly approachable and modern. They didn’t go for a shot-for-shot remake here, but this doesn’t change the vibes and fundamentals. The classic story, traditional turn-based combat, and memorable score are all there, emboldened by new technology and development. It’s not without its warts. The combat with a single party member can wear thin and frustrating over time. But overall, the original Dragon Quest is a hugely important video game and this is an incredible way to experience that history. Also I love the varied difficulty settings. You can rock a normal difficulty or make it easier or harder. It’s nice to have options. Anything else to add on the Dragon Quest I remake?

Jordan: I’ll just throw in that I loved feeling like an absolute powerhouse of a unit by the end of the game; my thoroughness in searching for scrolls and treasure chests throughout the adventure turned into a worthwhile reward. The way that the characters you encounter truly revere, admire, and love you really got to me by the time I had rolled credits.

But now we get to turn our attention to the Dragon Quest 2 remake, and I can safely say I have even less experience with this game. This meant that going through the remake was effectively a maiden voyage for me. Maybe you can fill in some of the background here for us?

Neal: My only experience with Dragon Quest II was in the Switch port back in 2019. I appreciated the opportunity to play the game back then, but I think I summed it best when I ended the review with “Dragon Quest II isn’t a bad game; it’s just 32 years old and might be the weakest entry in one of the most legendary RPG franchises of all time.”

Do you still find that to be the case with the new HD-2D Remake?

Jordan: Yes and no. I find my enjoyment of the game coming in waves; at points the pacing is pretty awful, but there are some genuinely touching moments, and the new character–the Princess of Cannock–is delightful. Other new features include Mini-Medals, ability-granting scrolls, and the Tombola mini-game, all of which are welcome changes. An undersea area accessed later in the game brings welcome depth, pun intended, to the world and story. The way this remake has been treated appears to acknowledge the rough edges of the original and situate that imperfect shape within a fuller, more attractive shell–not just lipstick on a pig, but more like a total makeover of a pig. While it’s easier to see the failings of the game when you compare it against the first and third games in the series, there’s no denying that the remake treatment makes it a more than competent RPG. I’m looking ahead a bit, but certain moments, like the post-game, had me cheering and booing in equal measure.

I think I just sounded like I have split personalities here. Did the additions and changes of the remake help redeem Dragon Quest 2 in your eyes?

Neal: It’s still the lowpoint of the Erdrick Trilogy for me very soundly, but the gap between this game and the first and third game is much narrower now. The remake erases the biggest complaints I had with the original game. Thanks to the bells and whistles (and options) of the remake, the back half of the game doesn’t fall apart. The difficulty is not as steep and you aren’t required to take notes or slavishly follow a guide. Even if Dragon Quest II didn’t rocket to the top of my franchise best list, the type of remake Square Enix put together for it is exactly what I would have wanted. It is extremely representative of what this game was when it originally came out, but the rough aspects are polished up to make it far more enjoyable.

What were the parts that had you cheering and booing in Dragon Quest II?

Jordan: Certain segments of the game have a maddeningly high encounter rate, where you’re running into enemies every few steps. It’s something I don’t have a lot of patience for these days, and one of the reasons I haven’t gone back to the first two Breath of Fire games, for instance. The flip side of that is that the amount of experience you gain from these battles sets you up nicely for some really tough end game fights. What always brought a smile to my face, though, was when townsfolk would refer to events from the first game. There’s a satisfying sense of continuity between the three entries in the trilogy, and it may be that playing Dragon Quest II right after I–where you might have the most appreciation for moving from a team of one to a team of four–is the ideal experience.

Is there something specific about the two remakes here that surprised or disappointed you?

Neal: The biggest surprise is how much these games feel brand new. They are still the original games from the 1980s at their core, but all the story expansions, visual flourishes, and gameplay refinement make them feel fresh. These are the types of remakes and revisits I want to see. It’s not changing what these games were, but it’s updating them and making them more palpable to a wider modern audience.

That being said, you are 100% right at some of the encounter rates, specifically in Dragon Quest II. Maybe I’m just spoiled by other remasters and remakes making encounter rate flexible or toggleable, but it was a very vintage old RPG “go to battle seemingly every two steps.” That stands out amidst the sea of other changes, even if I guess you can kick it to Dracky Quest (the easiest difficulty that makes it so you never die) to remedy some of that.

These remakes are still incredible for what they are: a loving update to two hugely important RPGs. Some of the warts are just what these games were when they were made nearly 40 years ago.

Any parting thoughts on Dragon Quest I and II HD-2D?

Jordan: Even if Dragon Quest III is the narrative starting point for the trilogy, it was Dragon Quest I that came out first–almost 40 years ago–and the remake is an incredible entry point for the series and for RPGs in general. Like you said, the changes and refinements are thoughtful and meaningful, making it so longtime fans too can see the reverence that the developers have for the original games. With another remake coming early next year for Dragon Quest VII, we’re experiencing an embarrassment of riches during the long wait for Dragon Quest XII, but it’s easy to be patient with Square Enix hitting it out of the park with these HD-2D versions.

It’s an easy recommendation for me for the reasons we’ve discussed.

Neal: If this were the video version, we'd have a flashy reveal of the score, but you, dear reader, already know the score. Anyway, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is a great package. Collectively I still think last year's remake of Dragon Quest III is stronger, but this is a fantastic companion and well worth diving into whether you've played the games before or just want to know the history and legacy.