Dragon Quest original trilogy for Nintendo Switch has a bright star in Dragon Quest 3.
The Dragon Quest original trilogy spans the first three games in the iconic series, highlighting the groundwork that was laid down to build up the franchise into a JRPG juggernaut and a serious contender for one of the most revitalized properties in recent years thanks to an exceptional performance from Dragon Quest XI. While that game’s Nintendo Switch port is likely to grab most of the headlines – and justifiably so, bringing a lengthy, finely-crafted RPG experience to a handheld console right before The Witcher 3 does the same – it isn’t the only one making the leap.
Square Enix has also brought the Dragon Quest original trilogy to the Nintendo Switch to celebrate the newest entry joining the platform, and the result is something of a mixed bag. While there’s no denying the fact that old-school JRPGs tend to make excellent portable experiences on mobile devices, they can often come up short on something like the Switch thanks to the device’s greater capacity to deliver more enthralling experiences. Expectations for mobile ports are typically lower, and while Dragon Quest original trilogy would meet the bar there, the Switch offering is something that should really only be picked up by hardcore fans of the series rather than those looking for a first run through the franchise’s backlog.
The Nintendo Switch ports of Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest 2, and Dragon Quest 3 are all based on the mobile ports that were released over the past few years, and because of that, they’re pretty much ready-made for the transition to a smaller handheld device. Many of the upgrades that were present in the mobile versions are here too, including the enhanced graphics that make the dated titles a lot easier on the eyes and re-written scripts that are more finely-tuned to the tone and content concerns that fans have come to expect out Dragon Quest. The best change remains the orchestrated soundtracks, which are catchy and beautiful, and offer a glimpse into one of the more underappreciated elements in the Dragon Quest series as a whole, which has the musical chops to go toe-to-toe with other giants like Final Fantasy on a good day.
The new graphics are generally improvements on what fans would’ve experienced decades ago, with one major exception – the game’s monster sprites have been re-done, and while they are still gorgeous examples of artist Akira Toriyama‘s deep well of captivating creature designs, they stick out in a jarring way. At times, the artwork is so disparate from the creature’s surroundings that it looks like someone photoshopped a recent image into a screenshot from the game the way a fan remake might. It’s by no means enough to seriously harm the overall enjoyment of the games, but as a visual upgrade, it’s unfortunately not as successful as one might hope.
Truthfully, Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest 2 are the type of games that could easily turn people off from the Dragon Quest franchise as a whole. They’re classics in their own right, and anyone who has played them before will enjoy diving back in to relive some of the challenging – and obtuse – elements of archetypal JRPGs from that era. For new fans, or even those who simply weren’t playing back when these Dragon Quest iterations released, however, they’re best avoided. Dragon Quest only has one party member and very little in the way of combat depth, making it a grind of endurance rather than strategy. Dragon Quest 2 adds up to three party members in battle, but new members always join at level one, making the grind significantly worse. Both games have little respect for player time and, while that’s more a relic of the era they were produced in rather than deliberate intent, it makes them exceedingly difficult to recommend.
Both of the first titles also suffer from heavy balancing issues. Battles will frequently become drastically more difficult without much warning, indicating that it’s once again time to grind through levels before players can actually beat the area and progress the story. Given the relative lack of depth in each game’s systems, the slow trudge toward the top isn’t even interspersed with new tactical options or flashy abilities. It’s definitely for the hardcore fans only.
Dragon Quest 3, however, is an entirely different story. First of all, this game is the series’ first real step into its own identity rather than a more broadly vague high fantasy title – there are some unique twists in the narrative and a bit more room for the expected Dragon Quest charm that really shine here. The world map is significantly larger than its previous iterations, and it looks better, too, with more variation and a more exciting world laid out in front of the player.
Obviously, the biggest changes here come to customization and combat, both of which receive a frankly shocking amount of depth added for a game that only came out a year after Dragon Quest 2. Dragon Quest 3 gives players the customary four-person parties, character naming options, base states, and classes and personalities, the latter two of which can be changed to help refine a party’s performance as the game progresses. Dragon Quest 3 is one of the most iconic entries into the series and is what helped put the franchise on the map, and thankfully – and quite unexpectedly – that hasn’t changed. Especially playing the title directly after Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest 2, it’s obvious why Dragon Quest 3 is truly something special.
With that said, though, that’s one game in a three game offering that really makes the trilogy worth exploring. It’s hard to recommend this offering as a whole, because the first two games have so many issues that aren’t really based on the port but rather on how much games have evolved in the interim since their original releases. Dragon Quest original trilogy for Nintendo Switch has a bright star in Dragon Quest 3, however, and given just how great that game is, those intrigued by the first two titles but only expecting one excellent performance will find little at fault in the Nintendo Switch bundle of games.
Dragon Quest, Dragon Quest 2, and Dragon Quest 3 are available now on Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant was provided with a digital Switch code for the purpose of this review.
