Dragon Quest II: Leaps & Bounds | Retro Odyssey

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Retro Odyssey ep.021
An IN-DEPTH review, analysis, and retrospective of Dragon Quest II a.k.a. Dragon Warrior II for the Famicom and the Nintendo Entertainment System.
This video is part of a larger series of videos covering my experiences playing through retro video games chronologically as a first-timer.
This marks the beginning of Retro Odyssey Season 3~ I hope you enjoy!
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~ Dragon Quest II (ドラゴンクエストII 悪霊の神々) ~
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Developer: Chunsoft
Publisher: Enix
Director: Koichi Nakamura
Producer: Yukinobu Chida
Designer: Yuji Horii
Programmer: Koichi Nakamura
Artist: Akira Toriyama
Writer: Yuji Horii
Composer: Koichi Sugiyama
Series: Dragon Quest
Release Date(s):
JP: January 26, 1987
NA: October 30, 1990
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~ note: all gameplay footage for 𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒐 𝑶𝒅𝒚𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒚 is recorded using original hardware ~
*LINKS*
Music: outmind.bandcamp.com/
Memberships: kzread.infojoin
*Timestamps:*
0:00 - introduction
2:09 - overview
5:04 - leaps and bounds
13:00 - quick aside
15:20 - classic phase
17:01 - crests phase
21:41 - rhone phase
25:19 - my experience
43:45 - final thoughts
47:03 - special thanks
*Next up:* The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner (とびだせ大作戦)
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#DragonQuest2 #ドラゴンクエスト #Famicom

Пікірлер: 241

  • @HPRshredder
    @HPRshredder10 ай бұрын

    Channel memberships are now live! Thanks for watching & welcome to Season 3~

  • @Crushbandido

    @Crushbandido

    10 ай бұрын

    oh boy oh boiiiyy! good timing since I started re-watching Dai No Daiboken which is an anime spin off of Dragon Quest 🤭

  • @CerealCommander

    @CerealCommander

    10 ай бұрын

  • @rezterralico4369

    @rezterralico4369

    6 ай бұрын

    Very interesting exploites. Too bad we never got the WIi collection of the OG titles like they got back in like 2009 in Japan. Loved that they had the no item buying thing and shypox on the Dragon Quest 11 game at launch to simulate a harder dragon quest title will all the hard mode settings on. If I were to play DQ11 again I would use the added Super shypox (acts like the curse in DQ1 the shypox does missing turns).

  • @rezterralico4369

    @rezterralico4369

    6 ай бұрын

    In September 2023 I was looking through the PSN playstation store to see what some meager funds could net me. I happened about a two pack collection of Famicom games where at least 1 title used a fan translation for the script. Was like 5.50 CAD for two games on sale. The first game I'm playing is called like JaJaMaru the ninja scroll. The funny thing is that the game I think was an RPG that did the whole 3 separate quests then a final quest just like DQ4 but it was like in combat wise like a DQ1 clone (but two party members) that made it to the market 6 months before DQ4 came out. Thinking about the ambition of DQ4 I think it was not DQ4 coping this games structure but like they came to the same conclusion. The second game on the "Ninja JaJaMaru: The Lost RPGs" collection that I still have to play is like a Zelda 1 kinda clone with powers you gain like a mega man title. The regular save system like it was ment to be played is a broken turd in the first game and had to resort to using the 6 save states built in (used them just to save, did not do any save scumming BS). I read that the Zelda like clone has to resort to allowing cheatcode mode to even be able to use the 6 of the 8 power ups due to a glitch. I mean the game you can not get a platinum trophy due to the script being screwed up. The huge redeming quality is the game itself is alot of fun and a good little challenge. This one item dropped from an enemy when I choose the 3rd quest first to play (may have glitched up the regular save by doing this?) is a healing katana kinda like that FF1 item that you can constantly use in battle to gain 20 hp. Not sure if this item will transfer over yet to the 4th quest as I have the 1st and 2nd quest to complete first but dought it since the quests use the same characters kinda losing the point of having separate quests in the first point. The game has some really nice emulation features to add a cathode ray tube rounded corners but allows you to adjust sliders. The emulation features are some of the best features I've seen on a console title and looks really good. The game has some fun old school grinding and you really need to be a certain amount of health points to take on the bosses in the title. The nice part is once you meet certain bosses you can choose to escape before the battle begins and the Ninka Kite item acts like the Chimera wings in DQ1 but they also work inside of dungeons!! To get to the safety I think of the last town you saved. Has the whole you get to keep the experience points but lose half your gold thing as well. A decent challenge but fair. Had some difficulty spikes but maybe just a few hours of grinding to overcome. Having a bunch of fun so far. Worth it on a sale price if you like NES RPG titles. Oh the game is set in like fuedal Japan instead of like western middle ages like Japanese middle ages. Fighting like yokai and oni.

  • @rezterralico4369

    @rezterralico4369

    6 ай бұрын

    That JaJaMaru game I'm not sure the rarity of this healing katana item dropped by like an invisible man enemy at the tale end of the third quest but I had a shot at getting another of the item I wanted but could not switch out the item for a preexisting item in my limited inventory. I was kinda choked but that was how games back then operated... I think I was grinding up 4 levels near the end trying to get that second healing katana to appear again as an item drop but only got the lesser common item to drop from said enemy. The whole not so rare and rare item drops remind me of what DQ11 did. Hmmm. I wonder how soon in the Dragon Quest (DQ) franchise that they pulled off the lesser rare drop and then rare item drop from the same enemy. I want to look that up.

  • @blarky
    @blarky8 ай бұрын

    Thank you for touching on the "imagination" subject. It's a HUGE factor in many these older games that many don't talk about. These kind of games rely on your imagination to help build the world around you. It's a very special thing and as you say, is sort of a lost art the more detailed / 3D a game becomes (because everything is provided for you).

  • @darcythewolf3855

    @darcythewolf3855

    6 ай бұрын

    Imagination is what keeps me up at night lol. Seems Imagination is the darksouls bonfire to me. A ember of what it once was. It exist don't misunderstand me but when I played legend of dragoon and got to play breath of fire and some other older games I had to use my imagination, I cried for every ugly pixel when lavatis or something died in legend of dragoon. What I'm saying is right on man glad to see people still comprehend using yer imagination

  • @darcythewolf3855

    @darcythewolf3855

    6 ай бұрын

    Battles in old games were things I'd spend hours as a kid visualizing what the fight would look like beyond the pixels.

  • @Charlie97L

    @Charlie97L

    6 ай бұрын

    This so much!

  • @digitaljarjar

    @digitaljarjar

    2 ай бұрын

    Rogue and the many roguelike games that used ascii graphics were the pinnacle of immersive rpg gaming that actually invoked the player’s imagination to create the world. It’s nice to have modern games like Breath of the Wild where the developer’s beautiful pre-imagined world is given to the player. But it’s also nice to have classic games with minimal graphics where each player can imagine their own world.

  • @elishariedlinger559
    @elishariedlinger5592 ай бұрын

    I owned and beat all 4 Dragon Warrior NES games in the late 80s / early 90s. I still own those copies and play them every so often.

  • @ETBowser
    @ETBowser2 ай бұрын

    As someone who played Dragon (Warrior) II in real time, this is the best recap I've seen. It may feel dated and grindy now but back then, the open world was mind-blowing. And even though it was very hard (and we didn't have google to help us) it was so satisfying to uncover the mysteries. It took me early a year to find that stupid Watergate Key. And Malroth as the real final boss was a crazy reveal. Great job.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    2 ай бұрын

    Thanks for sharing your story and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @alecmcclymont
    @alecmcclymont10 ай бұрын

    Fantastic review! I can understand what those Japanese commenters feel. This was THE GAME for me the Christmas that it was released in North America. It was one of the few years as a kid that I was unable to sleep at all. I actually got up at 3am to sneak downstairs and find the game box sitting in front of our fireplace where 'Santa' had left it. I opened it on the spot, put it into the NES in our living room and played with extremely low volume for over 2 hours, then carefully packaged it back up and placed it back where it had been and went back to bed. I managed to fake my way through Christmas morning and only told my Mom the truth over 30 years later. I was totally blown away and couldn't put it down!

  • @mo_musashi_284

    @mo_musashi_284

    6 ай бұрын

    Happy Console Gamer has the funniest story about DW2 titled - Skipping school & gaming .

  • @JaceyMitchell

    @JaceyMitchell

    3 ай бұрын

    That's lovely. Makes me long back to the sense or wonder and excitement we feel as children. I was born in 2000 so grew up with a different generation of games, but for me that game was probably Ni No Kuni for the PS3. 😊 I've since learned to really appreciate these older RPGs though. 😁

  • @samssparks
    @samssparks10 ай бұрын

    Let's GOOOOOOO! Season 3 is here babyyyyyyyy!

  • @thewingedavenger1007
    @thewingedavenger10079 ай бұрын

    Wow, what a fantastic, epic overview! Mandy Moore, LOL. This is easily the definitive video review of DQ2. I had given up all hopes of anyone on this platform seeing the game for what it really is and giving it a real review. I suspect that for some games, one popular channel makes a flippant remark like "Dragon Warrior II is far too hard and grindy", and then a lot of other channels just repeat the catchphrase and use it as an excuse to brush off a game that they never cared about but feel obligated to mention for the sake of their channel. You actually played the NES version, which almost no one does, but which everyone should do. The remakes of the first three DQ games remove most of the challenge and therefore most of the tension. Playing and reviewing the GBC or SNES versions of the original DQ trilogy to the exclusion of the NES versions makes as much sense to me as watching and reviewing the soulless The Omen (2006) without watching the far superior original version, The Omen (1976). That's the first example that came to mind, but there are many cases in which the original work is better than its remake but not many people know it. I think the DS remakes of IV, V and VI are good, though, and IV even allows you to control all the party members, which the NES version didn't. I didn't mind that quirk in the NES release much, though, so I think both versions are great. The amount of freedom in this game makes it revolutionary, and I love that you compared it to modern RPGs, because people back in the day did kind of feel like fans of The Witcher III feel in this generation. DQ2 actually has more freedom of exploration than most 16-bit RPGs. By the way, it's awesome that you shouted out so many fans of your channel!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    I love this comment. I'm super glad you enjoyed the video and that makes me happy you view it as the best DQ2 video on the platform!

  • @sheep6937
    @sheep693710 ай бұрын

    love this game, the classics deserve to be remembered. great vid!!

  • @ameliajohnson1726
    @ameliajohnson172610 ай бұрын

    These are some of my favourite videos on youtube! Glad the new season is starting back up and cant wait for more :)

  • @TheNuts1225
    @TheNuts12258 ай бұрын

    My favorite part of the game is that last patch of overworld after the cave to Rhone, which is the longest and most difficult dungeon in the game, where you can run into those monkeys that cast sacrifice and instantly give you a game over right before the save point. Good times!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    8 ай бұрын

    That last stretch was easily the most stressful lol. I was booking it

  • @TheNuts1225

    @TheNuts1225

    8 ай бұрын

    ​@@HPRshredderone time, I got ambushed by enemies that all used AOE attacks and wiped me out. I grinded up so every charqcter had the best equipment, everyone had a heal shield, and all of the spells, and I couldn't do anything. I love this game. Unironically, I do. I think the difficulty is actually hilarious.

  • @timschlueter6728
    @timschlueter672810 ай бұрын

    You nailed the analysis. I've only ever played this on the gameboy but it seems the experience translated to handheld just as well.

  • @BoundaryBreak
    @BoundaryBreak3 ай бұрын

    Loved this one. its my second favorite dragon quest. Thank you so much for making such a good quality vid for it!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    3 ай бұрын

    You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment and the kind words - I appreciate it. It’s a really good game. Definitely under-appreciated in the states.

  • @gr33nmachine3000
    @gr33nmachine30004 ай бұрын

    I'm glad that you made this video. I'm more adept to the Game Boy Color version of Dragon Quest 2 and my favorite thing that was done with that remake was allowing the Prince of Cannock to equip it. What was a weapon that quickly became obsolete by the Prince of Midenhal / Lorisa became the best weapon for the Prince of Cannock until the Prince of Midenhal was ready to give away the Light Sword to make room for the Thunderbolt Blade. One could just grind for a 2nd Light Sword, but I saw it as a waste of money since the Erderick Sword was doing a good enough job. Imo, The GBC version did the Sword of Erderick a much better job of giving the respect that it deserved.

  • @liger45666
    @liger456669 ай бұрын

    Just saying, thank you for everything you do man. I can watch your videos several times. So calming

  • @God777JESUSfreak777
    @God777JESUSfreak77710 ай бұрын

    Another reason 2 isn't talked about much in the West is availability. Dragon Warrior was given out for free, and so many copies were made that it got a lot of eyes just through sheer numbers as opposed to 2.

  • @KCUFyoufordoxingme
    @KCUFyoufordoxingmeАй бұрын

    I grinded gold orcs and got the key spell after an extremely long time (had no idea the spell existed, mind you) because I did not figure out I could walk through the wall for the thief key. I searched EVERY square probably 30 times. 3 water flying cloths before I opened jail cells. This genuinely took over 4 years. I walked to and from a dungeon selling magic armor very slowly, because what else was I going to do. This game was kind of unique in that every party member had a different maximum level.

  • @gocaps8345
    @gocaps83455 ай бұрын

    Thanks for making this video, you brought me back to my childhood with this.

  • @chrisd6287
    @chrisd62876 ай бұрын

    That little white Sony Trinitron is amazing! My grandma had a black one very similar if not the same one in her kitchen back in the day. I would love to find one like it in the wild

  • @DebugOctopus
    @DebugOctopus6 ай бұрын

    Underrated channel. It's hitting the algorithm though. Good luck! :)))))

  • @Scootslorraine
    @Scootslorraine3 ай бұрын

    Started playing dragon quest pretty recently and I wish I'd been playing them my whole life. Your videos are lovely and I especially love that you meet these retro games on their level. I can't wait for the Dragon Quest III video!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    3 ай бұрын

    I’m stoked for 3 as well. And eventually, 4!

  • @SariSorta
    @SariSorta10 ай бұрын

    Finally!! Excited for this season!

  • @SlammerFr
    @SlammerFr9 ай бұрын

    was wondering where your channel went in my algorithm! i missed these😭 had to look it up to find this but was glad to see i did it at just the right time! looking forward to more!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    More on the way!

  • @Maverick.D.
    @Maverick.D.Ай бұрын

    I agree, playing through this now and it really is underrated.

  • @ragintombo
    @ragintombo10 ай бұрын

    Wonderful start to a new season! Good idea to do experience highlights for this one, and that last boss cutscene is still impressive. During the NES era, I had played DQ1, then all of a sudden there was DQ4 and then I was left wondering "What the heck happened to 2 & 3?!"

  • @caturiges
    @caturiges9 ай бұрын

    Great video, we need more people to speak in favor of DQ II! I am playing every DQ game on their original versions and was pleasantly surprised of how much I liked this one. The main problem that I had was that damaging spells were so bad and the turn order was always skewed in enemies favor (They get a cheap shot even when I'm overleved, and when I'm about the same or underleved they piled on the dog princess before I get the chance to even heal her - I am looking at you goopies). I also definitely reccomend watching the You Can Beat Videogames KZread videos for these games, they are super informative too.

  • @Y-two-K
    @Y-two-K5 ай бұрын

    Your videos are quite professional, and your production is quite nice. Was surprised to see you sitting under a few dozen thousand subscribers.

  • @DannyDeVoid
    @DannyDeVoid13 сағат бұрын

    At one point I had Dragon Warrior (quest) II and IV cib before they became so expensive. I remember those being very packed boxes with a beautiful manual, map, and a separate beastiary! But on the cute scale nothing beats those little colorful famicom carts.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    7 сағат бұрын

    With the bigger box size I have no doubt those manuals were lit - but the manual for this one was still pretty thick considering. Love the artwork.

  • @asimplenameichose151
    @asimplenameichose1519 ай бұрын

    Cool to see this covered - I love DQII (actually all four of the NES releases) and have probably completed it more times than any of the others. In the west a lot of folks seemed to love DQIII (for many good reasons), not least because in the localization they not only translated to English but they nerfed the difficulty / reduced grinding by a proportionate increase in gold / XP gains. DQII had a lot that was quite difficult to figure out without assistance but, of course, that was part of the fun. I heard in the video that you haven't played DQIII yet - you are in for a pleasant surprise. Also such a great game. :) FYI, if / when you play Dragon Warrior III, you can restore the original (Japanese) gold and XP ratios to it if desired with a localization rom hack.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the comment and tip on that ROM hack. I'll have to do a little digging to see which I'll want to start with, but I lean original difficulty with the hack.

  • @Brixmatt85
    @Brixmatt856 ай бұрын

    Binged a few of your videos after watching this one. I really love what you're going for here since I find a lot of value in witnessing chronological progression in game development. That, and I also happen to be playing through several old RPG franchises that I've never played, in more or less the same fashion currently. So vids like these are really nice to have as a good recap on what I enjoy with these games! Cheers!

  • @kirin347
    @kirin34710 ай бұрын

    If you loved 1 and 2, dw3 will NOT disappoint you. If you aren't spoiled on the story yet, I recommend you play it ASAP blind.

  • @romannikonenko7325
    @romannikonenko73253 ай бұрын

    Both Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest III are excellent games so you're in for a treat 😮

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    3 ай бұрын

    I'm stoked for both next season.

  • @homesweet
    @homesweet9 ай бұрын

    Superb video as always! So happy to to see Retro Odyssey back

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    I appreciate it, @homesweet! Thanks for the comment!

  • @mr.g4990
    @mr.g49909 ай бұрын

    Don't see why this game shouldn't just get the praise it deserves. On top of the larger world to keep you busy and all, the addition of new party members kills the tedium of roaming with a single character in DW1. Of course we were deprived of these early RPGs in Europe and most of us had to wait until emulators, and by that time most of the magic of playing had waned. My 2-year-old save still sits there. If only they knew we were already sold to Japanese culture and cartoons...

  • @rockmanfan5104
    @rockmanfan51043 ай бұрын

    Dragon quest 2 is the best one. Such an amazing world and experience ❤️ it truely gives ypu great acomplishment beating it

  • @DuskusCB
    @DuskusCB5 ай бұрын

    Never forget when the Princess of Moonbrooke played legally-distinct Monopoly with Mario

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    4 ай бұрын

    Okay, so I had to look into this because I had no idea what you were referencing... and now I want to play Fortune Street lol

  • @kumaradio5414
    @kumaradio54144 ай бұрын

    Man im gonna miss Toriyama's artwork. I love his designs especially wjen it comes to his monsters and characters

  • @midgetsparkle
    @midgetsparkle10 ай бұрын

    I love this. I like your voice, I like the fresh perspective and I love working through the back catalogue. Kinda surprised your sub count isn't much higher. We'll work on that together.

  • @jerzybartoszewicz3911
    @jerzybartoszewicz391110 ай бұрын

    Great episode! A review of the first Dragon Quest was the video that brought me to your channel. And I cannot agree more on DQ2! I've heard on YT that this game was disappointing for many, but having in mind how big an improvement it was in 1987 (my year of birth) I was very impressed. Also, I played the remastered/updated version on iOS, so my experience was smoother. But still, as for the late 80s game, this was a masterpiece.

  • @PringleTheOne
    @PringleTheOne8 ай бұрын

    Man this was a banger my dude, Im so glad you can appreciate dragon quest 2, I really enjoyed it when I played it, the last boss battle was no joke either too! Definitely keeping up with your stuff from no on!

  • @natetheoracle
    @natetheoracle9 ай бұрын

    Really great review, I may finally give this one a shot

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it! I can’t speak for the other versions myself, but I know that I like the aesthetics of the Gameboy version. Thanks for the comment!

  • @Littleandr0idman
    @Littleandr0idman3 ай бұрын

    Going into the classic dq games, I was told the second game was just “ok” and was outshined by 1 and 3. I’m maybe half way into 3 and 2 is easily my favorite of them so far. Criminally underrated

  • @chrisp1601
    @chrisp16014 ай бұрын

    RIP Akira Toriyama

  • @RSTeknology
    @RSTeknologyАй бұрын

    Hi! I was saving this video to watch last after getting a chance to beat this game for myself. I also went in totally blind, without save states, and with only the game manual. My main strategy was to keep a notebook near me while I was playing. I wrote down everything that seemed important, and it really helped me figure out what to do. I also struggled with finding Roge Fastfinger though. By this point in the game, I had talked to every person in every town and even used the search command on all 8 of the floor tiles of his jail cell. I also struggled with the fire shrine. I had extensively explored it and made a paper map of all entrances and exits to it. However, nothing in the game actually tells you about how that structure is the fire shrine; I had been there and I didn't even know it. Possibly the largest difficulty I faced while not using any sort of guide was using certain items during battle. At one point I had purchased a shield of strength, but upon equipping it the defense value was lower than my previous shield. I figured I had acquired the shields out of order and just sold the shield of strength. It never occurred to me to use the shield as an item during a battle. This same thing happened with both the Thunder and Wizard's wand. At some point I had also equipped the gremlins tail to the princess of Moonbrooke, not realizing that it was a cursed item. I beat the game this way, but it took me until the prince of Midenhall was level ~35. Despite these problems, I still had a ton of fun with DQ2. Part of the reason why this game might not be as frequently discussed is because if you are using any sort of guides or maps they break the intended pacing of the game. If you have to wander and struggle to find things in the overworld, it's likely that when faced with new enemies you will be at a more reasonable level to deal with them. As a side note, this is absolutely the best video and review about Dragon Quest II on the internet. Thank you for giving this game the time it deserves!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    Ай бұрын

    I really appreciate you sharing your experience with the game! While I didn't do it blind, I think it could have been a very fun way to play. Thanks for the comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the video!

  • @nyehentertainment
    @nyehentertainment4 ай бұрын

    You can walk back into the area you were talking into in Roge Fastfinger’s cell to chat him up - he’s in the process of tunneling out so there’s a short hallway extending from the cell, and you can of course see him once you walk back there. Was kinda surprised to see you can have the convo from the actual cell, without going back there. Great channel man! Love when people can intelligently weigh the context the 8/16-bit era games were developed in when critiquing.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    4 ай бұрын

    Okay, this is news to me! You can actually see him?? I did talk to him again at the end of the game just to get an idea of what his character sprite would have been if I could see him lol.

  • @nyehentertainment

    @nyehentertainment

    4 ай бұрын

    @@HPRshredder Yuuup, he’s back there making VERY little progress. Haha And yeah, that post-Hargon victory tour that you have total agency over is the coolest, most genuinely surprising thing that’s ever happened to me in an NES game. I was floored.

  • @jacksaladin
    @jacksaladin5 ай бұрын

    oh what a wonderful video i just stumbled today

  • @robertanderson9447
    @robertanderson944710 ай бұрын

    I decided to watch the Dragon Quest 1 video before this for proper context. Haven't played any of em, but it seems like DQ2's designers really understood what did and didn't work in the first game. Though both definitely have their charm. I am now also a fan of the Echoing Flute. It's such a cute and memorable way of giving the player feedback, makes the crest feel more special.

  • @Unquestionable
    @Unquestionable24 күн бұрын

    The more I play the first two DQ games (which to be fair was only a little as a kid and fully as an adult) the more I wish we had gotten these titles like a year or two earlier at the very least. By the time they hit America already had stuff like Final Fantasy and (my personal favorite console RPG of the generation) Phantasy Star along with it's sequel. Big props to the Gameboy Color port that we did get in the late 90s as it was right on the heels of Pokemon so JRPGs were picking up steam on the handhelds. What really makes older titles like this hit a lot harder is having at least a working understanding of how they were trying to emulate CRPGs from America and to see how they made that work (with their own adjustments) makes it even more impressive. Would strongly recommend the ongoing Ultima retrospective by Majuular, he covers them in depth to an amazing degree ranging from development history to basically a step by step walk through.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    23 күн бұрын

    I'll check out the Majuular video! And I also plan to play Phantasy Star and other Master System titles on here once I start branching out to systems outside of the famicom. As for this game, I'm deeply interested in the GB port. I may revisit them down the road if I can make it into making Gameboy videos.

  • @bennyballs22
    @bennyballs224 ай бұрын

    After playing the original Dragon Warrior when I was maybe 8-10 years old, I salivated over the map to the sequel as a kid. Not sure if I saw it in Nintendo Power or what, but I wanted this experience so bad. Never did get it or play it, but a year or two later my mom bought me Dragon Warrior 3 so I was pretty content. Still sad I never got my hands on this one tho. Looking forward to your review of the 3rd game in the series. Thanks again!

  • @TKnightcrawler
    @TKnightcrawler7 ай бұрын

    Glad you liked this. I didn't play this until I had it on emulator in the late 90s. The crest in the gate shrine seemed way too hidden for me, and the Thunder Sword was really hidden as well (maybe not too much, but it's close). I did like the game a lot, but not as much as III or IV. I'm glad you can appreciate games from before you were born, and can see that these simple games can in a way feel larger than even modern games. BTW I think Erdrick's Sword is still useful after you get the Sword of Thunder because I THINK it's the best sword the Prince of Cannock can use. I think he can also use the Falcon Sword, but his attack score is too low to make good use of that one.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    7 ай бұрын

    I don't think in this version I was able to equip anything better than the Iron Spear to the Prince of Cannock, but if in later ports they let him hold Erdrick's sword that'd be sick. And I agree that if you had no idea where to look, it would be too laborious to search every tile to find certain things. I do expect I'll like III and IV more based on what I've heard, but I liked II a whole lot more than I expected to. It really does a lot right, and only has a few major missteps which I find impressive given the release date and its proximity to the first game in terms of development cycle.

  • @thedrunkmonkshow
    @thedrunkmonkshow10 ай бұрын

    Just watched your entire video and I must say you have just put together arguably the most thorough and comrehensive explanation of the game I've seen. You're right in that many people heap praise on DQ3 the most with the early NES tetralogy while giving lukewarm or tepid reactions to DQ2. The first time I played it was the SNES Famicom remake with English translation patch and I played up until the point I got the ship but didn't know where to sail or how to find the runes. I liked the game a lot but found the battles much tougher than DQ1 or DQ3 with a considerable amount of grinding at first. I may try the game again but probably with the newer remake for Switch and modern systems. Although Phantasy Star blew this game out of the water graphically later on in the same year with Phantasy Star on the Master System this game helped set the template for console RPGs over the next decade. Definitely a trailblazer. 😎

  • @zacharychaplain
    @zacharychaplain10 ай бұрын

    Great episode, I can’t wait to see what this season brings! Keep doing your thing man!

  • @kreeon3739
    @kreeon37397 ай бұрын

    I remember as a kid searching high and low where to buy this game, it became an obsession, I finally found it at a Funcoland when I was 17. The sad thing is that all my games were stolen and that copy I had searched all over was taken. Broke my heart

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    7 ай бұрын

    That is super sad. Hope you manage to get another copy someday - it’d probably be a lot of fun to play it again. Thanks for sharing your story!

  • @quinkelly1441
    @quinkelly144110 ай бұрын

    Doing the 1 party member run that's so much time only did that once.

  • @alecmcclymont
    @alecmcclymont10 ай бұрын

    Yes! Clicking 'like' before I've even watched it! Can't wait :)

  • @_Brennus
    @_Brennus26 күн бұрын

    My annoyance at not being able to find Rogue Fastfinger hurt my experience a bit because I didn't want to use a guide. But this review increased my appreciation for the game.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    26 күн бұрын

    I can definitely understand that. He seems quite difficult to locate without a guide. But I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the comment!

  • @_Brennus

    @_Brennus

    26 күн бұрын

    @@HPRshredder You got me replaying it!

  • @Kazdok
    @Kazdok9 ай бұрын

    Digging your videos, keep up the good work!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Glad you're enjoying them~! I hope to!

  • @ChrisVsRPG
    @ChrisVsRPG29 күн бұрын

    Great review mate! Definitely is one of the forgotten entries into the series.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    29 күн бұрын

    Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @ronoakJP
    @ronoakJP10 ай бұрын

    Loved the video. It is one of my favorite title screens and game opens on the NES.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    The NES title screen is really incredible tbh.

  • @jedgrahek1426
    @jedgrahek142626 күн бұрын

    DQ VI is my favorite in the series. Don't sleep on it. Everyone only talks about 5 because it has a father-son story they have a soft-spot for... but it looks and plays like an NES game... whereas VI is a gorgeous fully SNES experience... it was the first in the series to animate enemies in battle. And it introduced the Job System to the series. And it has a very beautiful story about dream worlds and real worlds and can be interpreted in many ways by the player, and then it's a classic videogame story by the end. Seriously don't sleep on it, I honestly have no clue why it is so ignored... perhaps it's because it never got a "complete" translation patch back in the day, while 5 did.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    25 күн бұрын

    I still plan to go back and finish it on original hardware. I want to play all of them. I love the opening campfire scene in VI.

  • @Sakeenster
    @Sakeenster10 ай бұрын

    That Princess of Moonbrooke… she a dog 🐶👑 Great video and pace of editing, as always! I loved that and can’t wait for all of Season 3!!!

  • @Sakeenster

    @Sakeenster

    10 ай бұрын

    Also forgot to mention I loved the special thanks segment at the end 💗 cozy and relaxing editing

  • @goldenphonautogram6141
    @goldenphonautogram614110 ай бұрын

    This is gonna be a 🔥season

  • @itsasecrettoeverybody
    @itsasecrettoeverybody10 ай бұрын

    My body is ready!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    As is mine

  • @quinkelly1441
    @quinkelly144110 ай бұрын

    Sometimes that bat can take forever to drop the mirror or ra so you can add the princess of moonbrooke to your party.

  • @michaelhoule2134
    @michaelhoule21345 ай бұрын

    DQ 2 was fire. If you got this from the video store and liked grindy games you were in for a treat. It was also neat to go fo different video store and rent it to see what save files were on it. I loved this game but couldn't find it anywhere to buy sadly as a kid.

  • @Tchiko.
    @Tchiko.10 ай бұрын

    Experiencing I and II on the SFC, I prefer the arcade rhythm of the first one, by far. Thanks for the video.

  • @MrTableDesk
    @MrTableDesk4 ай бұрын

    I remember renting this as a kid, and yeah I was blown away by the intro as well. It's crazy how much of a step up this was from the first game. I'd played a ton of the first game before I eventually saw this; I think 3 was out by that time.

  • @Justsomeone99987
    @Justsomeone9998710 ай бұрын

    Loved it, thanks man.

  • @Judex1963
    @Judex19637 ай бұрын

    You actually had a jacket be custom made to say "retro odyssey GX" in japanese. Now this is impressive, both a statement of dedication and good taste. 古いゲームのリビューをしてがんばってね。

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    7 ай бұрын

    I did! It was a process. The company I ordered it from, Midori-Anzen, didn’t ship overseas since it was more of a work uniforms distributor in Japan. I used another company called Japan Rabbit to place the order for me, and then ship it to me. The first one I got was a bit too small, so I ordered two in a size up. ありがとうございまし!

  • @SNEEDerino
    @SNEEDerino6 ай бұрын

    I liked the videos I've watched so far. Good job.

  • @zacharychaos10
    @zacharychaos1010 ай бұрын

    These are always great!

  • @corymcnaughtan4383
    @corymcnaughtan43833 ай бұрын

    I had a magazine with a review/guide of this game waaaay back when. I drooled over this game and never got a hold of it until about ten years ago. Finally played it about two years ago on the switch.

  • @naph5456
    @naph545610 ай бұрын

    Comment for the algo, keep it up king

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    I'll do my best!

  • @liger45666
    @liger4566610 ай бұрын

    Finally!! I'm so excited!!!!

  • @valeska_kevinleahy
    @valeska_kevinleahy10 ай бұрын

    bless!!! a new hpr vid!!!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

  • @Taldorin
    @Taldorin10 ай бұрын

    Having played the first dragon quest then skipping all the way to dragon quest 11 when it got a pc port I never got to see how the franchise evolved. it's pretty interesting how many sequels to ground breaking games on the NES/famicom get left in the dust despite being fundamental in shaping the franchise direction! These guys were pioneers in the RPG genre to make a game like this in 1987 just a month after final fantasy 1 dropped Season 3 hype!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Dragon Quest II actually came out almost a full year *before* Final Fantasy dropped! I still haven't played Final Fantasy myself but I'm really looking forward to it.

  • @Taldorin

    @Taldorin

    9 ай бұрын

    @@HPRshredder Your right i got it wrong yeah they they really set the groundwork for an RPG! FF is amazing but you will probably need a resource to explain items, the game is VERY vague even when it offers information

  • @rezterralico4369

    @rezterralico4369

    6 ай бұрын

    If you get a chance to play FF1 I would suggest playing the NES version because not having the auto targeting ability after defeating enemies is harder and I think in the pixel remasters (have not bought that pack yet waiting on a sales price) they removed an exploite area shortly after the first or second boss of the game. Lead to ealry grinding up mad levels if you used magic spells. Getting a healing cane in like the one sub quest castle dungeon is very useful for the last dungeon streach with limited magic charges. Used in battle like the DQ2 lighting staff. I so want to play FF3 the pixel remakes but should maybe play a famicom hack so that I don't see that save spot within the last dungeon of FF3 that they added in the pixel remake collection. At least I heard they have the FF4 original Japanese difficulty. I wonder if there is also the dark night move sets restored as well. @@HPRshredder

  • @colonelquack
    @colonelquack10 ай бұрын

    I remember beating this when I was a kid. One of the most bizarre battles ever. I didn't think I was going to win the final battle. So I had the Prince cast... Sacrifice. I'd never cast it before! With the Prince dead, the Princess would heal each round, alternating between me and her, with me attacking every round. And... I won. Hey, casting Sacrifice isn't as bizarre as it sounds. I only recently learned you can cast Life on the final boss of FF: Mystic Quest for a lot of damage.

  • @denjr10
    @denjr105 ай бұрын

    I just tried 30 minutes of DW2 thanks to this review. I got through 5 levels and visited 3 or 4 areas. That pace is already improved compared to DW1. And so far the story seems good enough for low stress fun.

  • @theIJPmexican
    @theIJPmexican10 ай бұрын

    Still havent played the NES version (I played the GBC one), I love the music and I enjoyed the first half quick a bit, the second half I remember not liking at all (expect for the end boss and the lead up t him) Loved the snow of the final area, the music is GREAT, the improved combat, and probably some other stuff. But I think that 3 just does what this game was trying to do but better. Maybe it's unfair to frame things like that but it's what I immediately thought of once I got to explore in the boat. Good news is, since you liked this game, you probably are gonna love 3. Again the music in this game is GREAAAAT.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    I'm beyond stoked for 3.

  • @user-sf4nj9mk8w
    @user-sf4nj9mk8w2 ай бұрын

    Nice seeing someone speak positively of DQ2. It's the one I find myself revisiting the most to do repeat playthroughs just because it scratches the challenging itch more than the other games in the series do. Admittedly I do prefer playing the GBC version the most as I find it feels closer to the NES version in terms of aesthetic, while having the nice QoL features that were added in the SFC version like the Prince of Cannock having access to weapons beyond the Spear, as well as it feeling a bit more tactical because of the enemy status resistance rebalancing which makes the Princess feel like a much more competent character from the moment you get her, as she only takes 100 EXP for access to Sleep which becomes a phenomenal tool for disabling the nasty enemy formations. Of course you can't forget the added bonus challenge the game included either, where the Prince of Cannock becomes ill if you sleep in a specific inn, which you can either choose to heal him, or you're free to try and complete the game with only the Prince of Lorasia and Princess of Moonbrooke, which makes for a unique playthrough experience that the NES version doesn't offer.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    2 ай бұрын

    I plan to pick up the GBC versions when I inevitably get into Game Boy. I love the look of them from what I've seen. The art looks excellent.

  • @gsp1995
    @gsp19952 ай бұрын

    Just finished DQ2 Mobile Remake and apart from the extremely high encounter rate and that last cave dungeon, it was an amazing and entertaining experience!!

  • @scv-70whitebase
    @scv-70whitebase10 ай бұрын

    Finally it’s beginning, let’s goooooo

  • @josesandoval5996
    @josesandoval59964 ай бұрын

    5 months late because it only now came into my recommended lol. Funny enough almost a year ago I beat DQ2 myself with the recent bundle on switch and I love it. I think it was a great upgrade from the 1st and Malroth and Hargon was a memorable battle, and I had memorable encounters around the world like being crit OhKo'd by Killing machines. I think it's a great game to leap into. Next for me is DQ3

  • @garycoleman8906
    @garycoleman89062 ай бұрын

    talked to the successor to the Dragonlord up in his castle after finishing Malroth and he told me he wants to be friends with me LOL

  • @CaptainMangles
    @CaptainMangles10 ай бұрын

    Another great video!

  • @neverchris
    @neverchris10 ай бұрын

    Fantastic video!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks, man!

  • @philyoh1760
    @philyoh176010 ай бұрын

    great content mate

  • @ToneSherpa
    @ToneSherpa10 ай бұрын

    Damn.. that is a good ass ending song!

  • @tokugawa7
    @tokugawa710 ай бұрын

    Oh my. Hell yes. You're the best.

  • @RetroZoltan
    @RetroZoltan10 ай бұрын

    Wow this was brilliant! Worth the wait! You have inspired me to play this one (somehow I never touched this one).cheers!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Hope you have fun!

  • @TheCrawl
    @TheCrawl10 ай бұрын

    I’m so glad season 3 is here ❤

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Me too

  • @RodrigoScavassin
    @RodrigoScavassin10 ай бұрын

    I really like your aproach to these games

  • @Kryxx07
    @Kryxx079 ай бұрын

    Great video!

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    9 ай бұрын

    Thanks!

  • @jackstinson4001
    @jackstinson40017 ай бұрын

    Great video

  • @chrisd6287
    @chrisd62876 ай бұрын

    I had the biggest crush on Mandy Moore back in the day. Just thought you should know. You're welcome.

  • @MusicAl_82
    @MusicAl_827 ай бұрын

    Stoked to see ur ff vid

  • @SeveredLegs
    @SeveredLegs7 ай бұрын

    I just beat this game FINALLY for the first time last night. Tried many times, gave up a lot in Rhone. But alas, I finally legitimately beat it. Only died once before Rhone... which should impress the average DQ2 fan. This game is tough as nails.

  • @randallgoeswhere
    @randallgoeswhere2 ай бұрын

    This game is great. Most American kids just wanted fun arcade crap back then.

  • @yourfreakingrayofsunshine
    @yourfreakingrayofsunshine6 ай бұрын

    i subscribed to your channel because you clearly, think, you think, about things.. a thinker... thats; what you are. and I personally, like that.

  • @user-ow2yr4nu4z
    @user-ow2yr4nu4z3 ай бұрын

    I was pretty young when I beat DQ1 no older than 12 I think, the feeling of satisfaction I felt after beating it was insane. You get up off setting on the floor were you have had your eyes locked for hours and you get up and your legs are little wobbly,no because they feel asleep just shear impact of it leaves you in that sweaty palm slightly raised blood pressure and heart rate for a good long time kinda like a 'runners high' I loved all the DQ games. The library didn't open up for me till emulation came around, its also a work of the great mangaka Akira Toriyama RIP. I remeber seeing him on a video talking about how he was so poor a starving artist and how he had been working on DBZ and the Drahon Warrior games and then it happened Success! The man's should be a national treasure for Japan he needs his own freaking holiday. They made and sold millions Slimes, the amount of revenue he generated for Japan has to be obvious to politicians DQ is up there but by far IV was the best I think, I only ever got to play it on emulation in the late 90s almost 2k. It was such a large and refined world.

  • @bycromretrogamer7749
    @bycromretrogamer7749Ай бұрын

    Having just finished this game for my channel, I have some thoughts. I never cared for the game much when I was younger. I did okay until the crest phase, but then I felt overwhelmed with how much there was to explore. I preferred the simplicity of Dragon Warrior 1. Having now replayed it, I really enjoyed it. It was epic in a way the first game wasn’t. The world was huge and the exploration of it was really fun. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience. I still have two complaints, though, significant enough that if they were fixed, I would agree that this game was better than the original. First, the random encounter algorithm. So many times I was attacked after just one step. It’s exhausting and makes it difficult to keep track of your exploration. Starting with DW 3, there was a minimum number of steps you could take before being attacked. The other thing that I absolutely hated is that the Prince of Cannock doesn’t get a weapon upgrade past the Iron Spear you buy in Leftwyne. That’s ridiculous. (Some of the remakes allow him to equip the Sword of Erdrick and I think that’s a simple but elegant solution.) Other than that, this is a solid game.

  • @HPRshredder

    @HPRshredder

    Ай бұрын

    I definitely agree that it would have been ideal if the Prince of Cannock could hold a stronger weapon, since often I'd want to conserve his MP. I'm glad you enjoyed it more upon revisiting! Thanks for the comment~!