Author Topic: What's so special about Dragon Quest? (Read 8330 times)

Viewtiful mario · « **on:** December 23, 2006, 03:13:47 PM »

I understand that it's very popular in Japan, but why? Why is it so popular? What exactly is it about dragon quest that makes it stand out umong other RPG's?

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 23, 2006, 03:34:08 PM »

Well, it was one of the first Japanese RPG series. It was so popular that Hironobu Sakaguchi was very inspired and created Final Fantasy (according to legend). I've only played one DQ game (that being VIII), but I'm guessing some other reasons include appealing old school gameplay, classic fantasy stories and cool art style (done by Akira Toriyama).

Again, I can't exactly tell you why. The best bet would be to search around and play some games.

Infernal Monkey · « **Reply #2 on:** December 23, 2006, 05:42:29 PM »

Dragon Quest was the first ever non-game. Japan + non-game = $_$

Kairon · « **Reply #3 on:** December 23, 2006, 06:21:49 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Infernal Monkey
Dragon Quest was the first ever non-game. Japan + non-game = $_$

QFT.

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Viewtiful mario · « **Reply #4 on:** December 24, 2006, 04:44:34 AM »

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Originally posted by: Infernal Monkey
Dragon Quest was the first ever non-game. Japan + non-game = $_$

That doesn't make any sence, it's not like Brainage or nintendogs where there isn't an end goal, this is a story driven RPG.

Quote
but I'm guessing some other reasons include appealing old school gameplay, classic fantasy stories and cool art style

Well Okiami had a fanticy stroy and a cool aryt style and it sold badly. An also, DQ IV is going to have a different battle system than the others so I don't think it's because it's "old-school"

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 24, 2006, 05:03:47 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Viewtiful mario
Quote
Originally posted by: Infernal Monkey
Dragon Quest was the first ever non-game. Japan + non-game = $_$

That doesn't make any sence, it's not like Brainage or nintendogs where there isn't an end goal, this is a story driven RPG.

Quote
but I'm guessing some other reasons include appealing old school gameplay, classic fantasy stories and cool art style

Well Okiami had a fanticy stroy and a cool aryt style and it sold badly. An also, DQ IV is going to have a different battle system than the others so I don't think it's because it's "old-school"

Spell check is your best friend

.

Dragon quest had already been established as a series while Okami came and went and received very little support from Capcom, so its silly to even bring it up in this discussion.

And just because it will have a different battle engine it doesn't mean that it won't have an old school charm. Like I said, part of the charm comes from the classic fantasy story, the characters and the fantasy medieval atmosphere.

As I mentioned, I can't exactly tell anyone why this series is so popular. The only way to find out is to bite the bullet and play them.

Kairon · « **Reply #6 on:** December 24, 2006, 07:23:16 AM »

The very first Dragon Warrior/Quest on the NES was... it was pure.

VC release plz!

~Carmine "Cai" M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

Viewtiful mario · « **Reply #7 on:** December 24, 2006, 08:27:33 AM »

well, this is no help at all.

NWR_pap64 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 24, 2006, 08:32:07 AM »

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Originally posted by: Viewtiful mario
well, this is no help at all.

Well, how can you find the answer to a subjective questions?

When asking why something its popular expect to have lots of different answers. I'm sure there are fans that think this series is God's gift to mankind while there are others that can't stand it.

Again, the only way you can understand a little why people love the series is to try the games out. Try hunting down Dragon quest 1 for the NES, rent DQ VIII on the PS2 or try out any of the spin off games like Rocket slime on the DS and DQ Swords (when it comes out).

ShyGuy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 24, 2006, 08:33:00 AM »

Dragon Quest started way back in the NES (famicom) days before there were a lot of Japanese RPGs to go around. It got its hooks in early.

Smash_Brother · « **Reply #10 on:** December 26, 2006, 09:14:41 AM »

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Originally posted by: ShyGuy It got its hooks in early.

Honestly, this has more to do with it than anything.

The Japanese seem to adopt something and love it to death forever, no matter how crappy and clichéd it may become as time wears on.

Artimus · « **Reply #11 on:** December 26, 2006, 09:18:26 AM »

DQ is the Halo of the RPG world. Unimaginative straight-forward genre play that does little special but does everything fairly good. And it sells millions.

SixthAngel · « **Reply #12 on:** December 26, 2006, 10:52:51 AM »

I always thought it was because Dragon Quest is basically the original. It is because it is a long running series that continues to come out with good follow ups. Many rpg series like final fantasy continue to come out with popular follow ups so why not DQ.

Unless someone speaks Japanese and played the games you probably won't get a very good answer because so many didn't make it to the US. I only played the first and eighth.

nitsu niflheim · « **Reply #13 on:** December 26, 2006, 11:33:14 AM »

Dragon Quest shows that to be successful, fun and a good game, you don't need to have to pander to the current trend to be successful. It's stayed popular despite that fact that almost everything around it has changed almost completely against what it orginally was. Well, Dragon Quest IX seems to be making the biggest change ever in the series.

jasonditz · « **Reply #14 on:** December 26, 2006, 03:59:44 PM »

They're deep, colorful, well balanced story driven RPGs. Those sell well in Japan pretty much as a given.

The franchise is instantly recognizable, and is held to very high standards. Buying a mainline DQ game is like buying a Super Mario Brothers platformer or a Zelda game.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #15 on:** January 02, 2007, 04:15:45 AM »

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Quote
Originally posted by: ShyGuy It got its hooks in early.

Honestly, this has more to do with it than anything.

The Japanese seem to adopt something and love it to death forever, no matter how crappy and clichéd it may become as time wears on.

I also agree, it was the first, so people keep coming back. The same could be said for a lot of games: Mario Kart, Super Mario, Zelda, Grand Theft Auto, and Tetris have not been outdone in popularity in their respective genres. Final Fantasy was the first to really get its hooks in in North America and no other Japanese RPG can touch it here now.

First-person shooters have a more mixed history, but even there, I'd argue that the name "Doom" has just as much power as Halo, Half-Life or Unreal.

Even Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat: sure they dropped the ball a lot of times and people look down on them sometimes, but can you name a more popular "gore" fighter than MK, or a more popular female lead than Lara Croft? It's all about being first.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #16 on:** January 02, 2007, 04:43:32 AM »

I don't think this is really the right group of people to ask about Dragon Quest. In North America it just isn't a big deal. If it wasn't the first RPG I don't think it really be talked about much. It's huge in Japan so really the DQ fans in Japan would be the ideal people to ask. No one else really gets it.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #17 on:** January 02, 2007, 05:57:12 AM »

Well then here's a question we should be qualified to answer: what's so special about Mario?

NinGurl69 *huggles · « **Reply #18 on:** January 02, 2007, 06:16:09 AM »

A good game of jumping. Especially in weird, fun places.

DQ? Well, Japan is more franchise-centric than any other market.

And DQ isn't whored out as much as Mario, and DQ is never really a launch game, so their market is hungry for a DQ game each time, since there's usually an ample installed user base prior to a formal DQ release.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #19 on:** January 02, 2007, 06:48:13 AM »

"what's so special about Mario?"

Mario's a lot easier to defend. Like DQ it's the innovator but, unlike DQ, Mario has usually been on the cutting edge of design for its genre. The main Mario series has been known for being on top of the platforming genre. To explain what's so special about it is to explain what's so special about platformers in general. The Mario series make up some of the best platforming games of all time. THAT is what is so special about Mario. I find that applies to a LOT of Nintendo franchises. They're special because they're the best of their kind.

Dragon Quest doesn't have that. I don't think I've heard any "best RPG ever" discussions suggest any DQ games.

Louieturkey · « **Reply #20 on:** January 02, 2007, 07:18:23 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Dragon Quest doesn't have that. I don't think I've heard any "best RPG ever" discussions suggest any DQ games.

In the US at least. I'm guessing it gets a lot more fanfare for best RPG series in Japan. In the US, Final Fantasy will probably always win even if it doesn't always deserve it.

couchmonkey · « **Reply #21 on:** January 02, 2007, 07:22:58 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"what's so special about Mario?"

Mario's a lot easier to defend. Like DQ it's the innovator but, unlike DQ, Mario has usually been on the cutting edge of design for its genre. The main Mario series has been known for being on top of the platforming genre. To explain what's so special about it is to explain what's so special about platformers in general. The Mario series make up some of the best platforming games of all time. THAT is what is so special about Mario. I find that applies to a LOT of Nintendo franchises. They're special because they're the best of their kind.

Dragon Quest doesn't have that. I don't think I've heard any "best RPG ever" discussions suggest any DQ games.

Well, I don't know if it stands up today, but this was also true of Dragon Quest in the NES era. DQIV even seemed pretty good by early SNES RPG standards when I played it.

DQ has potentially lost this in recent years (I've heard bad stuff anyway) but at least in the beginning it was a big deal.

segagamer12 · « **Reply #22 on:** January 02, 2007, 10:10:32 AM »

I have the original Dragon Warrior for NES but I dont currently have an NES to play it on. I wishi could get one that works so I can test this game out and make a better judgment. BESt RPG seres ever, for me it is Phatasy Star hands down, I have loved every single one. FF is good but I onlyliked 6 and 7 so far.

Galford · « **Reply #23 on:** January 03, 2007, 01:34:10 AM »

I guess DQ is so popular because it was one of the original RPGs for the NES.
It is the template for many RPGs to come.

In the US the series never took off for a number of reasons, one being it was very hard to find.
The US never got any of the SNES games or their re-releases. There was something like a 10 year gap
between Dragon Warrior 4 and Dragon Warrior 7 in the US. When Dragon Warrior 4 came out
it was very hard to find.

Each FF game is different. When an FF game comes out it pushes the limit of sound and
graphics with fresh gameplay. Based on history alone I know FF13 is going to be different then FF12.
DQ9 is literally the first DQ game with a different battle system. The battle systems of DQ1-8 are just slight variations of each other.

DQ games tend to be too long. While I've never played DW7, I've been told by every person
who has that it's 40 hours of content with 40 hours of leveling grinding. Thus it's an 80 hour game
for all the wrong reasons.

PS- Edited for grammar.
PPS-InfernalMonkey, what is Midna doing in your avatar?

jakeOSX · « **Reply #24 on:** January 03, 2007, 01:58:50 AM »

so i tried dq because i had beaten ff1 so many times i wanted to try another one.

all i remember of dq1 was that i had to go to a menu to open a door.

that being said, i am still looking forward to dq9. (even if it is gauntlet)

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Author Topic: What's so special about Dragon Quest? (Read 8330 times)