If there is ever a game that aged as well as wine and milk at the same time, this game is the prime example. Honestly this game makes me feel so weird. The controls are simple enough that porting it to the IOS store works out really well, it’s decently priced, and is as nostalgic as it can get. That being said, this game also has the plague of most old games: It’s hard as hell and grindy as hell. Seriously, it’s refreshing to fight monsters that are as strong as you, but god help your soul-and your gold sack-If you decide that you can risk something. You will die. A lot. The smallest numbers add up and can easily screw you over even if you are 1 level lower than you should be. That being said this game is still as charming as the day it was born. It’s the timesless tale of “Rescue girl, Slay dragon, kill villain (in this case this and the last one at the same time!), win everything.” And Toriyama’s monsters getting a fresh coat of paint makes them feel right at home. Would recommend. I gaurentee you will spend more money on something and be far more dissapointed.
Three stars for a good try. But not the same as the original or at least dragon warrior the American version. The difficulty has been lowered. Monsters are easier to kill, they are not in the traditional locations therefore you can walk farther without danger. Your gear is more powerful so they are easier to kill. In addition, they all give you more gold and XP making the game move along a lot faster. Although I can appreciate that. They also give you a minimap with key loa toons listed. It almost feels like cheating. With auto save included they basically dumbed it down so there is no risk reward involved. You can play 100% mindless. Although this is the case in the original for the last 1/3 of the game when you have to grind for 2+ hours to level up. The beginning 2/3 requires you to fight with caution and conserve gold to get ahead. One misstep and 1/2 your gold gone and your back to the castle. May seem rough to the new guys. But back in the day it was normal for games to be rough if you missed stepped. Wasted 2.99 for a sub par experience of the original.
The game plays pretty easy, it is definitely a game from the 80’s. And it’s a great casual game to have on your phone to play in downtime. The level progression is strong, where you definitely feel that your character is getting stronger. The bosses where they exist are challenging but not impossible. Really I only have a few negative critiques (but a lot of these are just because of the games age): 1- the game is artificially made longer by the amount of world traveling that’s needed, the goal points that require you to travel between are on opposite sides of the world and the trek is done on foot exclusively. 2- not a single NPC is story compelling in the slightest. Mostly non existent actually. When I think about it the protagonists story is actually very weak as well.. 3- there is no direction to point you from point A To point B. Not that I like games holding my hands, but there is nothing in the game indicating any direction at all to complete the game. It’s quite literally just “to kill the dragon lord” and you’re expected just figure it out yourself. All that aside it still plays pretty nice, it’s a short game and I would say the price is right on the game. You pay for what you get here.
My first Dragon Quest game was VIII but when I saw the iOS adapt d version for $.99, I had to give it a try. For what it is and it's price, it's a great game to play for historical fun. Obviously, don't expect to much since this is a direct port of an old, NES/Famicom classic from the 80s but it's still fun regardless. I decided to write a nee review today because I'm also glad to see that SE is taking the time to keep their older iOS library up to date so that their software can work for iOS 10 and beyond. Of course, I launched my old save just to be sure everything is working properly. After a few minutes of game play, everything sounds and looks great! Thanks SE for releasing awesome games from your past. Now, what's it going to take to get a re-release of Rad Racer? ;)
Loved this game growing up cause I got it with my subscription to Nintendo Power. The only reason it's not getting five stars and my only complaint about the app, the game audio (even if it is all muted) wants to be in charge of the audio. So I can't listen to podcasts or music and play because the menus stop responding to taps unless I exit the game and re-enter ... which will mute my music or podcast. This makes me not want to play or buy subsequent games in the series. Fix this and I'll continue playing and buy the rest.
Faithfully reproduces the classic RPG: Dragon Quest (or Dragon Warrior for those of us here in America who discovered the game on NES). This version is similar to the GameBoy version. They did add a "quick save" function that is amazing, especially for mobile devices. All the monsters seem to be there along with all the items, including that cursed belt. The quick save function does make you less cautious because you can always just reload if you run into a scorpion before you learn Sizz (or Blaze), but the save function is definitely needed for mobile gaming. Amazing addition to any lover of classic RPGs!
This is an outstanding game. It's a short, basic game, yet fun and nice. Nothing too hard, nothing too easy. It was something I thoroughly enjoyed playing again and even a second time. It's s classic and a great one at that. My only problem is that you can listen to music as you play the game. The game just shuts out music entirely. Maybe make the game cheaper as well since it also doesn't have that much of a replayability to it, nor is it a long game. I beat it in a week. Maybe ¢99 or $1.99 is a good price. But other than that, the game itself is great.
After playing Dragon Quest Builders, which takes place with this game’s plot line, I felt like I should go back and play this game. The last time was nearly 30 years when it came to the US. I figured this version should be the one to play. At first the updated graphics were a bit jarring, but I got over that quickly. Some of the game play elements are a little easier than its first incarnation, but I still had a lot of fun with this and it brought back all those memories. On to the next one...
First game I tried in the series and really enjoyed it. I liked it much better then FF1 which I also played. Only thing I didn’t like is at the final boss battle the bosses 2nd form is glitched. He is suppose to use a series a different attacks and he only used his strongest one the entire time. That didn’t happen in my friends game who beat the game the same day I did and the only difference is he bought his in the play store. Other then that frustrating part I enjoyed the game
First time playing through these classic dragon quest games and thanks to the mobile ports they are easy to grab and go. play for 15mins and stop, go do what ever and come back and pick up right where you left off. The port is self is pretty good to me at least being able to customize the controls location and only once during my play through did i freeze, but because of auto save the game froze or crashed, I closed the game and start up right before that event happened truly a great port.
Played on iPad... 2021. No problems at all. Game is shorter than I recall but still a great classic. Around 7-10hrs to complete. You do have to grind exp at three points in the game. Need your heal more spell plus your level does effect your power unlike any other rpg I recall. Beat the game at lvl 26 with ease. At a $3 price point hard to pass this one up. Additional comments: developers made the game too easy by highlighting items on ground that needed to be found. Technically you didn’t “look” for anything, just picked it up.
I started playing this game back In the 80's. I never beat it. I tried again in the 90’s again did not complete it. Being able to play it on my ipad is an amazing journey. I love the smooth controls on the touch pad. The sound track is memorable. The "Quick Save" option is definitely an added bonus. The graphic looks insane on the IOS device. What else can I say. This game has been around for 30+yrs. Thank you Apple/iTunes because (I Finally Beat It)....
It’s (modern) OG. Perfect for flights and long rides.
This is The Classic, re-imagined for the modern world. Yes, they added a Quick Save system, and Yes, your hero is stronger than the original, but I imagine many players these days would be far less happy if they had maintained the original difficulty. I highly recommend following this up with DQ2, as it picks up very nicely where this one left off, and they both (beautifully) pave the way for DQ3!
All works well. Hero's Journey: gather three artifacts, rescue the maiden, Gwendolyn, and defeat the Dragon Lord. It took me about six hours to complete the game. I did have to look up where the sunshine stone was after searching everywhere that was accessible. Luckily it was extremely easy to obtain at that point! All of the other puzzles were mostly straightforward. My only complaint is that the game is extremely short. I'm okay with the story, straightforward as it is.
As a Dragon Quest fan it has been a pleasure to play this game on iOS. The quality of the app is very high and the controls work well. My only complaint is that I wish I could quickly close the app and have it create a save state rather than having to do that manually. Lastl, SquareEnix please release an English version of Dragon Quest X! I’ve played it in Japanese and it’s very good I just wish I could understand it. Trust me your leaving money on the table.
The bad: This is Dragon Quest not Dragon Warrior so it’s more anime and less barbarian. Same music but updated, I don’t like it, I wish it would’ve stayed like the old NES version. The name of some enemies, items and spells is different, don’t like that either. The good: It’s the same game feel, missions and objective. I really love this game. They did a great job making this for the iPhone, the 8-bit texture is spot on. They used the same bad guys from the original game so it brought back a lot of memories. Fantastic work!
I was excited to find this port for iOS. “Dragon Warrior” (as it was called on the NES) was one of my favorite games back in the day and I was excited to find this port! The gameplay is good to great on my iPhone 14, but why can I not get any sound on my iPad Pro (3rd Gen)? That is the only thing keeping me from giving this 4 or 5 stars. I don’t know how much Square Enix still supports this port, but it is disappointing compared to their FF1 and FF2 ports for iPad: those were spectacular.
These games are amazing on mobile, I can’t say the same for the other ones but the first one is a condolete remake built from the ground up, it is an AMAZING way to play it, but…there are other ways to play the game and playing a game that’s kinda long on your phone is…not that great…but it’s still a good game, I would recommend to anyone who wants to play dragon quest for the first time and only has an iphone
I love old school RPG games. This one is another great addition to my collection. I used a guide on line to help me out a little which made the game more enjoyable for me. I really like that the game makes you do a little grinding to level up. Am definitely going to be looking at the other ones. The game plays great on the phone and I had zero issues. The story wasn’t bad for the time period of the game either. Buy with confidence if you like these older games.
A faithful adaption of a wonderful game. In addition, this is one of the few ways to play the new “official” translation, which is great. Well suited controls for one-handed play for while on transit. Only one major complaint: the game will override any other audio from other apps, even with the game music turned off. Sometimes you just want to listen to podcasts while grinding!
I spent so much time grinding this game as a kid, it’s a real treat to play on my phone. I recommend anyone who loved this game back in the day to pay up and spend a lazy afternoon reliving their childhood. Newer gamers have the opportunity to see the classic 8-bit RPG that in many ways was the genesis of a whole genre. This game, as klunky as it feels today, was a real original at the time and inspired a generation of rpgs.
I’m level 15, and about at the town furthest south, and for some reason the music will cut out every now and again, and when that happens I know the next monster I engage with or town I enter or leave will result in my game freezing. It was a great game up to this point, but considering the fact that you have to save at the castle (which I do think is a nice old-school RPG touch), it just isn’t playable. I’m going to take a break from the game and see if the issue fixes itself.
Why am I forced to play it upright only i have a case that holds like a gaming controller holding upright hurts my hands I’m so disappointed that I just wasted 2.99$ plus tax to be forced to play a game in a physically painful format on either my palm or pinky finger depending on how I hold my phone I give it one star for the fact I can play it on mobile which is good and it isn’t unreasonably priced -4 stars because there was no thought in mind for the users preferred format I.e turning the phone to its side to have more comfortable hand positions
This has been the best app find of the year! More than worth the asking price to relive a bit of my youth and enjoy again a beloved game series from the days of a simpler life! Thank you so much for bringing this game to iPhone and sharing it with the world. Well, can’t hang around all day, I’ve got a world to save…… 😁
Love the updates and I still replay this game (both of the original trilogies actually) routinely on my phone. They’re actually darn near perfect for mobile gaming, but controller support would still be a nice touch even though it’s not explicitly needed (for 1-6 at least).
Dragon Quest 1 on the NES is known as one of the most grind heavy games ever made. As versions are released, it gets less and less like this. Luckily, this version I feel gets the exp and gold system just right. 4 Stars for Classic rpg gameplay and open exploration with a world that feels like an appropriate size. 1 Star missing for lacking music. (I know it’s the first entry, but I’m looking at this game retrospectively.)
Loved DQ1-3 on IOS. Just got 4 and 5, and will eventually get 6 and I haven’t yet played 8 but do own it. I only have one question. WHERE IS THE BEST GAME IN THE SERIES? WHERE IS SEVEN? It’s the one I played the most in my childhood. Making your own village, solving the gray stone rain, good times. Also, when are you gonna import Dragon Warrior Monsters 1-3 with Coby and Tara’s adventure titles as well.
The game is good, if dated. The worst part to modern gamers will be the required grinding before you can beat the final boss. The game can only be played in portrait, which some phone users might not mind, but as someone who plays exclusively on tablet I find it highly annoying. The Final Fantasy ports are much better for no other reason than they are landscape games, which better fits how the game was actually designed
This Game is absolutely amazing. It is just challenging enough to keep you from getting thoughtless, yet not so much that you feel frustrated. Very great retro play. Totally worth spending the money to play this game. I imagine I will buy each mobile port to this game series. I look forward to each new adventure.
This was my favorite game as a kid and was adapted beautifully for mobile. My kids love the series now and asked me to write this review with two suggestions (for the series in general). Please consider adding a visual customization for the hero and please consider bringing a version of dragon quest builder to mobile. Thanks for a great experience!
Yes it was modified for people to beat easier. People don’t have the time to play games like they used to. It still has grinding like it used to but you level faster. That being said, I love this game, still one of my favorites. Buy it.
Am I living in another universe or something? I played this when it was called dragon warrior monsters. And I distinctly remember being able to take on monsters as companions, and breed them for stronger and different monsters. Also, the entire storyline is different. And yet it is the exact same monsters called the exact same names, and thus close enough for copyright. I don’t understand. This is not the first game at all.
There should be an option to play music in another app while playing the game. Especially if you are looking to level grind. The home bar is visible the entire time. The game itself is well made, although like any remaster I would like an option to view it as the original version.
I love the Dragon Quest series, but because I don’t own the older consoles I’ve only been able to play DQ 8 and 11 on my own. Bought this on a whim and while it didn’t take me long to beat I’m really happy I finally got to play the original dragon quest game, even if it’s a remastered port. Hooray for Dragon Quest!
I'm not sure if the gameplay will cut the mustard for roof fans that have never played Dragon Warrior/quest. The gold and exp updates are very welcome and cut the uber grinding down to manageable levels. The graphical updates are very nice bumps it up to Snes levels. If you had fond memories of this game but couldn't deal with the grind this app is perfect.
Like controller support and cloud save so you can play on your iPad , pick up where you left off on your phone etc. at a minimum some way to back up your save so a move to a new device (Or formatting your device) doesn’t mean losing all the time you’ve put in.
I played the original Dragon Warrior on NES, and if you are looking to relive that experience then you’ll be a little disappointed like I was. 1. Graphics. This game is less pixelated and more cartoony than the original. I was looking forward to the classic graphics and was let down. 2. Difficulty. The challenge of the game has been reduced to the capability of children.
This is one of the greatest games ever made. I played it in 1989 and beat it, and have been hooked on JRPGs ever since. I have played through twice since on other platforms and loved it. However, the use of Old English in here was not only over the top, but just flat out unnecessary. I felt like I needed subtitles... The controls were pretty good, but I like an actual ACTION button to press. But the graphics were just beautiful - not too smooth, pixellated just right. I wish I could apply a language patch to this wonderful game so I could enjoy it again... a patch that translates Old English to modern English.
Classic, simple, enjoyable. I wish, though, that after this many years they would allow the option of playing as a female hero. I would buy it all over again if it meant I could rescue Gwaelin as a woman.
I played every Final Fantasy out there and I needed a series i could start from scratch. I have Dragon Warrior in the 80s but didn't beat and hardly remember it. This game is awesome. I'm writing this after just finishing DQ 3. Give the series a chance, it tells and awesome trilogy story!!
Thou shalt love this game, if thou art inclined to play
This incarnation captureth all that was the original Dragon Warrior, yet it lacketh a true understanding of Early Modern English. I shall grant thee that ye olde NES game suffered worse. But if it be thine desire to bear witness to a classic for all tyme, then thou shouldst look no further. It be a fantastic adventure for a paltry sum of silver coins. Thy quest awaits thee!
I freaking love this game!! The quick save and auto save features reduce difficulty but it also reduces a lot of frustration and wasted game play! Purists, get over it! Lol. I’m so glad they put these on iOS! I’m now beating the whole series!
I notified Square Enix of the issue in this game when I contacted them about the same one in Dragon Quest 3. The support ticket was escalated with a fix on the App Store a few days later. Kudos to the app developers on fixing this! What issue was: Broken back button and button for switching directional pad on iOS 11 + iPhone SE. App works ok on iOS 9 + iPhone 4S This game is a classic RPG and the Portrait oriented UI and touch controls work well too. Treat yourself and get this app.
No controller support. Kills any nostalgia. Not worth the $3
Bought this hoping to get that nostalgic feeling of the controller in hand, engrossed in a world on my iPad. Come to find out it ONLY works in portrait mode with touch screen wheel and buttons “designed to play one handed on a subway”. What a scam. Don’t waste your money. Can’t even play it enjoyably on an iPad or streamed to a TV with a controller. Unbelievably short sighted to not include controller support.
I love this game as it’s the first rpg I ever played as a young kid. I am annoyed with apple, always breaking apps and games with their OS releases. I am selling all my apple devices and never purchasing from the App Store again. Piece of crap company.
The game took me about seven hours to beat. And for the price, that is an incredible deal. I had tons of fun along the way, and I don’t regret my purchase at all.
The Dragon Warrior that came with my Nintendo Power magazine changed my childhood. My curiosity turned into creativity. I have never stoped trying to create simple JRPG games on paper or with simple software. I played this game with my young kiddos again here nearly 30 years later. It was so much fun to do it on the floor with them… taking turns with battles and navigation. I highly recommend sitting down with a kiddo in your life with this OG JPRG. Cheers
Can be finished in about two days (probably less if you look up a guide). No ads, no in-app purchases. A simple RPG (perhaps THE original simple RPG) that delivers a fun experience for all ages. Recommended.
Too easy. Fly through early levels without even taking a single hp of damage. Monsters drop way too much gold to leave even the slightest hint of a challenge. And the dungeon maps are not the same as the original. No challenge at all to this version, not even worth the time.
******************** The game that started the legend of DRAGON QUEST is here at last for mobile devices! Discover the RPG that won the hearts of two generations! Enter a fantasy world of sword, magic, and monsters in one standalone package! Download it once, and there’s nothing else to buy, and nothing else to download! ******************** ◆ Prologue The peace of fair Alefgard has been shattered by the appearance of the nefarious master of the night known as the Dragonlord, and the Sphere of Light which for so long kept the forces of darkness in check has been stolen! It’s time for you, a young warrior through whose veins flows the blood of the legendary hero Erdrick, to set out on a quest to vanquish the Dragonlord, and save the land from darkness! ◆ Game Features ・First in the Legendary Series Originally released as Dragon Warrior, you can now experience the classic retro RPG experience that swept up millions of Japanese players back in the Eighties...and never let go! Become the descendant of the legendary hero Erdrick, and embark on an epic journey through the historic realm of Alefgard, tackling fearsome foes and perplexing puzzles on your way to the dread Dragonlord’s lair! ・Simple, Intuitive Controls The game’s controls are designed to work perfectly with the vertical layout of any modern mobile device, and the position of the movement button can be changed to facilitate both one- and two-handed play. ・Experience the legendary RPG loved by millions in Japan and worldwide! Created by a legendary trio with the master creator Yuji Horii, the revolutionary synthesizer score and orchestration by Koichi Sugiyama, and art by master manga artist Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball). -------------------- ◆ Supported iOS Devices/Operating Systems ◆ ・iPhone 4 and Above/iPad/iPod touch (4th Generation and Above) ・iOS5.1.1 and Above
