Took me a while to get back to this one, but it's time.
The SFC version of this game is completely different looking enough to justify it getting its own series. Time to do the back half of this one as a lead-in to ::groan:: Dragon Quest VII.
Need to issue a BIG correction: I said in the past that class mastery bonuses (+10 to a stat, etc) carried over. Since then I've been informed that they don't.
R.I.P. Carl Weathers 1948-2024
It's been a bit since I covered any of this game, so you may want to review the first 3 posts HERE, HERE, and HERE. I recommend re-reading part 3 at the very least, as it explains where I am and what I'm doing.
I tried covering this version at the same time that I covered the remake version of the game, which seemed like a cool idea on paper, and it didn't work out super well because the SFC version totally fell off. Well, time to do the rest.
Got something cool for us today. Managed to dig up the Nintendo Power coverage of this game from Epic Center. I actually remember reading this!
It makes the game look pretty awesome. Now in 1995 when I read this, I don't think I'd ever played any game in the series before. This looks a lot like Chrono Trigger, and that piqued my interest. However, it never made it over, like so many of the other awesome new RPGs in Japan in mid-90's Epic Center that got hyped up and then...nope.
We left off on Spiegelspire, where I have to defeat a magician to uncurse this woman trapped in a mirror. The King is really infatuated with her... because she is hot. Apparently she was trapped in there because she refused to marry this guy who wanted her, so he got her cursed by the nefarious sorcerer Spiegel.
Now the King wants to rescue her...so he can marry her. So basically the same thing is gonna happen to her all over again. But it's okay, this guy means well! No curses here! .....alrighty then.
But first, time for massive class grinding, just like I did in the remake. Mirror lady can sit her butt down and WAIT.
Muriel is now the final boss of SaGa Frontier!
There may not be any net benefit to maxing out classes from a stat perspective, and the ability bloat may be unreal, but I have to do this to unlock the final secret boss. Or at least max out every class once.
IT'S THE! EYE OF THE TIGER!
Hand of God is a good name for a really good class. Battlemaster is only Tier 2 and probably the most efficient class in that tier. At a high level they get a very good AOE with no MP cost, and grinding gets a lot quicker once everyone has that.
Explodet...USED TO BE the end-all of DQ attacks. Now it's kind of useless. Yeah it does big damage but it also costs a lot of MP, and there are a whole plethora of new zero-MP AOEs that do almost as much damage.
IT'S THE THRILL OF THE FIGHT!
Like this one! It misses a lot though. Wonder if it's stronger against undead, given that it's the ultimate move for Paladin.
At some point in the grinding, a wyvern joins the party. I forgot this was even a thing in this game. It played a much bigger role in DQV. Since you have seven human characters in this game you really only have room for 1 monster. One joining you seems to be an ultra rare occurrence, so I'll take it. We'll see if something better comes along later (Cureslime would be great). Or I might try to recruit that Lizzie character if she/he is in this version. I don't remember, it's been 22 years.
Hiko temporarily goes into a life of crime to get the Thief skill mastered. He had to break-a some knees.
GONNA RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF OUR RIIIIIVALS!
Weird ability here. What does Scream have to do with being a shopkeeper? Did she just notice Hiko is a Crime Boss?
Hiko's life of crime has paid off and he's now a MILLIONAIRE! HE'S A MILLIONAIRE, BAY BEE!
Ranger is the class that takes the longest to get pre-reqs done for (besides Hero of course). It has 3 mastered class pre-reqs while all the other Tier 2 classes only have 2 pre-reqs. So you'd think Ranger would be super awesome and better than the others, but it's...really nothing to write home about. Maybe even the most mediocre Tier 2 class when it comes down to it. Also you'd think the class would be some sort of forest archer type deal, but it's actually a Power Rangers reference.
Hiko learns how to flash his peen at foes to throw them off balance. That or they'll start sending him OnlyHeroes money to see more peen.
IT'S THE! EYE OF THE TIGER IT'S THE THRILL OF THE FIGHT!
Hassan learns the Moonsault of pro-wrestling fame. 22 years ago when I first played this, the Moonsault was my favorite wrestling move.
Finally, I had all Tier 2 classes maxed on everyone and turned them all into Heroes. That'll do for the rest. Between the class' natural regen, and all of the extra levels, the game will be no problem up until the endgame. The Hero class levels should come naturally from playing the rest, whenever I'm in an area with no level cap. Grind over!
OF THE TIIIII-gerrrrr!
Dun dun DAOOO, dun dun daooo, dun dun dao
After all this time, I finally go to the top of Spiegelspire to fight the boss. He just let our heroes train up in his own dungeon for the past however many hours, now he doesn't have a chance. Also the mirror woman is probably elderly now.
Miralgo (Spiegel in the remake) is no match whatsoever for this crew. Normally your levels would be like 25 at this point, and I've got an extra 20.
I'll still need to level grind again outside the last castle, namely to get the Liquid Metal Slime class maxed for Hassan to tank the optional superboss, and get the levels to actually fight said superboss. The remake version's superboss is the hardest thing in the first six DQs. If this is as bad...I'll need level 60 or more.
The reward for winning the fight. Not to get too excited, because it doesn't do what it does in the other games. It's just an MP restore with a few uses. Hustle Dance is basically the new Sage's Stone, as a zero-MP HealUs equivalent.
The King speaks in bizarre incantations now that Miralgo's curse is lifted. Good thing it wasn't a Danhausen curse, we would be screwed.
Erika: "What? Where am I?"
Erika: "Who??"
I mean seriously, that's what's going on here. I guess they kinda know each other from her gesturing wildly at him to get her out of the mirror.
The King drags her off to get betrothed. Erika never got to experience the wonders of being left alone for a minute.
The King gives up the latest key. Unfortunately this isn't a big deal like the Jailer's Key and whatnot of previous games. All it does is open one waterway.
Who, The King or the other guy? Oh, the other guy. Well good thing you actually want to marry this guy. ...right?
Well, who knows. Time to move on from this whole episode.
Welcome to the 2020's.
That's probably how Erika feels right about now. POW!
This guy needs somebody to smuggle his mermaid friend Denae back to her mermaid town. She's stranded on the other side of the world and is too lazy to swim. Well look no longer! I'm your guy!
I traffick the mermaid back to mermaidville... which I'd be wandering around looking for for hours if I didn't have a walkthrough. This world is huge.
Denae is reunited with the other mermaids, namely Dina. I think they might be lovers.
Alright, I'll just leave you two alone
Doing that gets you the ability to travel underwater. Not only does this really impress mermaids, it also lets you get to a whole bunch of new places.
This random side-dungeon has a few decent pieces of loot in it...if you can get past some minibosses.
They're just regular enemies from much later in the game, and actually put up a fight even at level 45. If I'd come here at level 30ish like the game probably intended, these would be some of the toughest fights in the game.
Alright, I'll take my loot now!
.........what
Next goal: Find the Final Key, I guess.
But first! It's Rubiss, of DQ3 fame. She's still around, lurking under the ocean. Why doesn't she ever actually help stop any of these world-threatening villains?
A higher power than the Maous? Who could this higher power be?
Rubiss: "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm very busy doing nothing."
One last thing for today. Found this house with two elderly people napping. And I don't know what it is...
...but I think there's something kind of poignant about this scene. Rest of the world is plagued with problems and busy people, yet this place contains... just an old couple, having a nap.
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