Dragon Quest 1 HD-2D, Part 3 - The Green Dragon

 

Previously on Dragon Quest: I got rofl-stomped by the Green Dragon, despite much preparation. This is presenting a much tougher challenge than your usual past versions of DQ1. Well, nobody said killing a dragon was supposed to be a given.

Today I'll need to go back and get it done whether I like it or not. Also, we've got Nintendo Power scans from 1989. Welcome back to the internet's most AI-proof site, because AI will never be this out of its mind.

Scrounging around for goods and advantages, I find this ring that prevents Sleep. This is hugely beneficial, and it's found in the very first Inn. It'll be a big help when I go up against the Axe Knight, whose Sleep spell is a death sentence in this version.

Another huge upgrade is the Wild Side spell, which I get from turning in Mini Medals. This spell, which debuted in DQIII HD2D, gives you two moves per turn for a few turns. It can't be two different moves, though, only double whatever you're doing. And it DOES use MP for both. However, being able to launch your best attack 2x per turn, or drop 2x heals, is a huge boon for the few rounds that it lasts.

Our hero also walks in on some woman while she's changing petticoats. Scoundrel!

Well, that's enough beating around the bush, time for the big rematch.

Wait, side note - Today at the Asian food supermarket, I saw the darndest thing:

After grinding a lot more than feels like it should be necessary, I take on the Green Dragon again...

...and win. No shots of the fight, which was bigger and more awesome than the final battle of Return of the King.

Princess Gwaelin is rescued! Unfortunately the Green Dragon was a mafia hire, so he break-a both her kneecaps and she cannae walk.

Man, she's adorable.

But wait! A federal judge in Rhone just overturned my defeat of the Green Dragon, so now the Princess has to go back into the custody of the Dragonlord.

Well, you know what Erdrick IV says at a time like this? "What the hell."

I do what I always do in the NES version and try to get a three-way going by bringing the Tantegel Lass to the inn with Gwaelin. She totally shuts down my plan!

So basically, no three-ways in this version, can only take one woman to bed at a time.

Another thing that they took away some player freedom on. Damn it, Square-Enix!

She does gaze longingly at our heroes as they disappear into the inn. Well, she mostly gazes longingly at Gwaelin. This is a Yuji Horii game, after all. You had your chance, lady!

So basically, at this point you're supposed to bring the Princess back to Tantegel Castle, where she'll stay for the rest of the game. However, we aim to misbehave, and you never actually have to bring her back in any version of this game. Nope, you can just carry her around for the entire rest of the game if you want to.

Well, I'm very happy to report that this remake doesn't "fix" this at all. Not only can you still carry her around as long as you want, now she reacts, has dialogue, adds to scenes, and even participates (a very minor amount) in battles eventually. So the game is actually designed with this in mind. You can return her too and get the normal "return the Princess" scene where the hero just sets right off again. Naw, we're not doing that.

As the back pains set in, our hero decides that he's never going to drop Gwaelin. It helps that she's pretty light.

Well, whatever you do, don't end up putting her down and regretting it later.

Normally in DQ1 all I'd really have left at this point is the Axe Knight, Golem and Cantlin, and collecting the Rainbow Drop odds and ends like picking up the emblem in the swamp. Well, in this version there's quite a bit left. The emblem isn't just laying around, for one thing, and Cantlin is an entire extended story (a very good one).

There's also a new "dungeon" that has to be crossed to go east in the southern lands. The new dungeon is a big, thick bush. We've lost good men in there.

This dungeon is a PITA, and has you going around in loops until you follow the right set of pathways like 3x in a row. Probably some of the worse new content they added for this. The new content has been very hit or miss. The whole Cantlin scenario (still to come) they did a great job with, while some other things, like this dungeon and the Gank Squad fight earlier, have been big misses.

While you roam around aimlessly in this bush, you also get attacked frequently by violent broccoli.

"I am not a broccoli, I am an Ent!"

A magical moment in our hero's life, as he reaches level 30. On the NES, this would be max level cap, and well over what's needed to finish the game. On here? I'd get completely shredded if I so much as set foot in Charlock. Level 50 is good if you want to have an alright time in that place.

Going the specific correct path several times over will trigger a boss fight with...

...this new boss, a bunch of apparitions that previously weren't an enemy sprite until the next game. They aren't that much of a threat. I would have probably taken some clippers and trimmed this entire area from the game, though.

Gwaelin's commentary on everything makes not bringing her along seem like a total short-changing of your playthrough. That's what the game steers you towards, too. Just say no to going back to Tantegel Castle (and make sure to get the Sun Stone before rescuing her).

Galen's Grave is a place that can't be explored until lategame (Ultimate Key) but you can go to the first floor before that. This is significant for getting...

...the Whistle ability, which summons enemies on demand. Much nicer than having to run back and forth to grind. So this is worth an early trip.

This guy sees our hero standing around existing and decides to accuse him of being a thief!

Well, if they're going to keep acting like I'm some sort of asshole, then I'll be an asshole!

I turn on Invincibility Mode and go face down the Axe Knight in Damdara! This guy is the strongest foe in the game outside of the final dungeon, but he could always be save scummed in older versions of the game by just reloading until he whiffed a Sleep spell every round. You could do this at like, level 1 if you could get there.

Because of all that, and the fact that I haven't gotten a legitimate win over this guy since like my first playthrough on the NES, I don't feel too bad about cheating here. I could have potentially won on the up-and-up as well, by...

...using Cop Out every round to repel his physical attacks. Do this 15 or so times successfully and the fight is won. However the odds of doing it 15 times successfully is low, and two fails means a loss. He wastes a lot of time using Sleep (which fails due to the Ronda Rousing Ring) but with the Cop Out strategy those wasted cast turns don't help the way they normally would.

I get my tainted win and move on.

Really don't like that Invincibility is even a toggle-able option in these 3 games. It's difficult to resist flipping it on every time I have any adversity whatsoever, which deprives me of the fun of getting a little stronger or changing my tactics a little bit to get a win. Most of all, it's so...unnecessary, especially in a game like this.

I'm playing Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter at the same time and every time I run into a problem there, I have to revise my strategy or re-arrange my micromanaging of gear or Orbments, and that's some of the most interesting gameplay I've had there, finding something that works. You can lower enemy stats upon a loss, which is fine and gives you a little edge if you just need a little more to win, and that's an acceptable amount of cheat code quite frankly. It's sort of like a Konami Code. This Invincibility toggle is just madness though, and needs to not become a normal thing in games.

There's a possibility I'll just flip it on to cheat my way through large portions of DQII in the interest of getting it done quicker - especially if that game requires as much extra grinding as this one does - and I hope not because I'll end up robbing myself of memorable gameplay moments like narrow victories over strong foes.

Once you use this for a couple fights, it's pretty easy to just start flipping it on every time anything causes you any mild grief. Like popping a drug every time your mood dips. Why not, it's there, right? Then it f****s you up long term when you inevitably overuse it. Who needs strategy at that point? Just flip this on every time you run into a boss! Who needs there to even be a game at that point? Might as well be reading a book at that point. F**** Invincibility mode.

Anyway, beating the Axe Knight got me this new shield that has a very high defense rating. I assumed it was cursed and sold it immediately. Turns out it wasn't cursed, and is actually the second-strongest shield in the game behind Erdrick. Oops. Well, I'll get another nice shield momentarily, the Tempest Shield (#4, with old winner Silver Shield being #3).

This is the best armor in the game and nullifies any damaging floors, in addition to offering the ultimate in protection, both in the bedroom and out. It also slowly regenerates your HP from walking, like previous versions. This gives you a substantial advantage while grinding mobs (unless you're standing still Whistling, of course).

Going back to the Medal King's palace with a new key will get you some really solid equipment. There are six chests in here, two for each of the key types. This mask for example is a significant upgrade at this point that I should have gotten earlier. Keeping a list of locked doors/chests from the beginning is a good idea, especially for Ultimate Key chests.

Another overdue upgrade, this thing is great. I also nabbed the new Orochi Sword from Kol a little while ago, that's also worth mention.

Next: More new content, as they completely knock the Cantlin section out of the park for this version.

But first, some supplemental material. Namely, Nintendo Power coverage from the Sept/Oct 1989 issue of the magazine. I wasn't playing games or reading these until years later, but it's a sweeping dose of nostalgia for feelings numerous other people experienced.

The artwork throughout this coverage looks very familiar. Wonder if this is the same artist who illustrated the amazing "Days of Mana" coverage of Secret of Mana about five years later.

I'm working on getting the Nintendo Power Strategy Guide and the pack-in Explorer's Handbook for this game lined up to do a supplemental post of those, as well, probably after the game itself is done.