10th February 2003, 11:27 PM
Dragon Warrior
Reviewed by Ryan Usher (Weltall)
<blockquote>Quite possibly the first console RPG ever (I'm not completely sure), Enix's Dragon Warrior was certainly my first, and the first installment in this long-running series. It set me on the path to becoming the full-fledged RPG whore that I am today. :) You are the Son of Erdrick, the one who defeated the Dragonlord many years ago. The Princess Guenevive has been kidnapped by the Dragonlord's minions, and his monster armies pillage and plunder the kingdom of Alefgard. It's up to you alone to find your father's sword and armor and strike the final blow to the Dragonlord and end his evil reign forever! </blockquote>
Graphics: 5/10
<blockquote>The graphics for Dragon Warrior are about as bland and generic as can be expected for a game of it's age. Map graphics are fairly varied but small and lacking detail. However, the shortcomings of appearance are mostly overcome by some rather creative map designs. There's nothing flashy about them but they do the job. The battle screen is in a first-person perspective, with you looking at the monster you're battling. Monster graphics are okay, but there is a wicked amount of pallette-swapping going on here. I'd say there's perhaps three color variations of about a dozen enemies. Again, they're hardly anything special, and certainly outdone tremendously in the NES's later years, but one might call this function over form. Unfortunately, there is almost no animation in battles whatsoever, the action is told to you via the text screen, which is a big minus.</blockquote>
Sound: 6/10
The music in this game is simple, but kind of memorable. There's a grand total of ten different tracks in the game, but most of them aren't that bad. The dungeon music will probably get on your nerves after awhile though. What really drags down this score is the horrible sound effects. Text is spelled out accompanied by noise, which is a no-no. Most of the sound effects are heard in battle, and this is where it goes south. The effects used in battle are just plain wierd, and sound very little like battle ought to sound.
4.5
Gameplay
This game is the hallmark of RPG simplicity. Battles are always mano-a-thingo, one-on-one. It's a very easy game to learn, especially for seasoned RPG veterans. It's not that the gameplay hasn't aged well, but rather that RPGs have evolved so exponentially beyond this, that for RPG fans of today, it may be hard to get into this game. If you love a good retro RPG and are willing to look past its age, it's a solid pick. It's better than Final Fantasy was, as the battles are usually quick affairs.
6.5
Modern Appeal
If you want to see the game that gave birth to the console RPG genre, and can overlook the flaws (of age mostly) that affect Dragon Warrior, then grab a copy.
Purchase Price
I don't honestly know. I've seen it at FuncoLand for about $25-30, which isn't really too bad as long as the battery still works.
Total (not an average) : 7.0
Reviewed by Ryan Usher (Weltall)
<blockquote>Quite possibly the first console RPG ever (I'm not completely sure), Enix's Dragon Warrior was certainly my first, and the first installment in this long-running series. It set me on the path to becoming the full-fledged RPG whore that I am today. :) You are the Son of Erdrick, the one who defeated the Dragonlord many years ago. The Princess Guenevive has been kidnapped by the Dragonlord's minions, and his monster armies pillage and plunder the kingdom of Alefgard. It's up to you alone to find your father's sword and armor and strike the final blow to the Dragonlord and end his evil reign forever! </blockquote>
Graphics: 5/10
<blockquote>The graphics for Dragon Warrior are about as bland and generic as can be expected for a game of it's age. Map graphics are fairly varied but small and lacking detail. However, the shortcomings of appearance are mostly overcome by some rather creative map designs. There's nothing flashy about them but they do the job. The battle screen is in a first-person perspective, with you looking at the monster you're battling. Monster graphics are okay, but there is a wicked amount of pallette-swapping going on here. I'd say there's perhaps three color variations of about a dozen enemies. Again, they're hardly anything special, and certainly outdone tremendously in the NES's later years, but one might call this function over form. Unfortunately, there is almost no animation in battles whatsoever, the action is told to you via the text screen, which is a big minus.</blockquote>
Sound: 6/10
The music in this game is simple, but kind of memorable. There's a grand total of ten different tracks in the game, but most of them aren't that bad. The dungeon music will probably get on your nerves after awhile though. What really drags down this score is the horrible sound effects. Text is spelled out accompanied by noise, which is a no-no. Most of the sound effects are heard in battle, and this is where it goes south. The effects used in battle are just plain wierd, and sound very little like battle ought to sound.
4.5
Gameplay
This game is the hallmark of RPG simplicity. Battles are always mano-a-thingo, one-on-one. It's a very easy game to learn, especially for seasoned RPG veterans. It's not that the gameplay hasn't aged well, but rather that RPGs have evolved so exponentially beyond this, that for RPG fans of today, it may be hard to get into this game. If you love a good retro RPG and are willing to look past its age, it's a solid pick. It's better than Final Fantasy was, as the battles are usually quick affairs.
6.5
Modern Appeal
If you want to see the game that gave birth to the console RPG genre, and can overlook the flaws (of age mostly) that affect Dragon Warrior, then grab a copy.
Purchase Price
I don't honestly know. I've seen it at FuncoLand for about $25-30, which isn't really too bad as long as the battery still works.
Total (not an average) : 7.0