TheDragon Questseries is having a bit of a resurgence thanks to the wonderfulDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. It’s a full-blown remake of the wonderfulDQ3that promises fans classic JRPG gameplay with a modern twist. The many improvements made to that game have ensured that both fans and newcomers can enjoy it, which is honestly fantastic to see. I’m very grateful that more people get to experience its excellent narrative and fun gameplay, as it is one of the best games in the series.
However, whileDragon Quest 3 HD-2D remakeabsolutely deserves itsincredibly positive reviews,I can’t help but feel like another game in the series deserved to be remade more. The first threeDragon Questgames got relatively decent ports to both mobile and then consoles, which allowed a whole new group of fans to experience them. However, oneDragon Questgame remains trapped on a single system despite easily being the very best game in the entire series.
The Best Dragon Quest Game Is Sentinels Of The Starry Skies
It’s A Perfect RPG
TheDragon Questseries is one of the few in video game history that doesn’t have a truly terrible entry. Despite its plethora of attempts to diversify its gameplay, somehowDragon Questalways manages to at least put out something half-decent. However, while they’re all pretty good in their own right, in my opinion,the very bestDragon Questgame is the ninth entry,Sentinels of the Starry Skies. I even think it beats the rather fantastic anduniversally belovedDragon Quest XIfor the bestDragon Questgame of all time.
Sure, that probably has something to do with the fact that I played it when I was younger, but it is still a game that, after multiple replays, holds up, despite it all. From its incredible soundtrack to its memorable cast of characters, locations, and narrative,Dragon Quest 9has it all.What makes it stand out above the rest is its inclusion of multiplayer, which frankly helped me get through the game my first time around, as well as the completely customizable party members. I had so much fun making my dream team of Martial Artists, Gladiators, and Priests.
It’s no stretch to say thatDragon Quest 9is one of thebest DS gamesof all time, in large part thanks to its enormous scale and ambition. It manages to cram an impressive overworld, ship sailing, a plethora of towns, multiplayer, dungeons, turn-based combat, plenty of classes, and an epic 90-hour story onto Nintendo’s iconic handheld.I frequently find myself heading back to it to play, at the very least, those early handful of hours in Angel Falls and Bloomingdale, but, on many occasions, the entire adventure.
10 Best Video Games For Studio Ghibli Fans
From life sims to JRPGs, there are a surprising number of games that are deeply inspired by the magical wonders of Studio Ghibli films.
It’s a truly enthralling JRPG, one of thebest JRPGs of all time, in fact, with witty writing, some genuinely moving moments, and plenty of twists and turns. While JRPGs have come a long way in terms of storytelling,Dragon Quest 9never feels antiquated or overly simple. It has flying trains, angels and demons, a private school called Swinedimples Academy with missing students, and so much more. It manages to balance humor, horror, and heartfelt moments perfectly in a way that the very best JRPGs often don’t manage to pull off.
Dragon Quest 9 Deserves A Remake
It Would Benefit From Online Functionality
I’ve often thought about how a Dragon Quest 9 remake would work, but it never felt possible. Part of the game’s charm is its overhead perspective, blend of 2D sprites and 3D models, and colorful visuals, something that I wouldn’t want to see sacrificed in a remake. However, the Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake showcased how it’s possible to keep the original art style intact while enhancing it for a modern age.Dragon Quest 9wouldn’t need to drastically change in terms of its art style, but it would benefit from several modern enhancements.
Dragon Quest 9was by no means a hidden gem, but the fact that it remains stuck on the Nintendo DS means that a lot of people still haven’t had the chance to try it out.
Firstly, unlike theDragon Quest 3 2D-HD Remake,Dragon Quest 9wouldn’tneed new story content. Its story is pretty perfect, and I can’t imagine how it could be improved upon. It’s fairly tropey in places, but that’s always beenDragon Quest’sthing. It’s a tropey JRPG series, butDQ9manages to subvert that in many ways, such as with its more whacky sequences in the aforementioned Swinedimples Academy, or the fact that Celestrians drive around in a golden train called the Starflight Express.
However,one area in whichDragon Quest 9would benefit from a remake is its multiplayer.Dragon Quest 9was revolutionary for being the first game in the series to include multiplayer. It was possible to have up to four player parties and complete the entire story together. I remember roleplaying as pirates with my sibling as we sailed the high seas before pretending to be students at Swinedimples. There were so many available outfits that all of that and more was possible. The multiplayer was great, but without an online mode, it was difficult to get a full party.
10 Must-Play JRPGs To Try If You Love Open-World Games
For the open-world enthusiast hoping to dip their toes in the deep JRPG well, there are a handful of amazing worlds waiting to be explored.
A remake could rectify that and allow players from across the world to adventure together. While fans wait for the much-anticipatedDragon Quest Xport,a remake ofDragon Quest 9would fill that multiplayer void. There are plenty of other quality-of-life improvements that the game could benefit from, but largely a remake would see it brought to a much wider audience.Dragon Quest 9was by no means a hidden gem, but the fact that it remains stuck on the Nintendo DS means that a lot of people still haven’t had the chance to try it out.
It Would Be Great To See DQ9 On Modern Hardware
It Needs To Be Saved From The DS
While the majority of otherDragon Questgames have either been ported to modern consoles or mobile devices,Dragon Quest 9remainstrapped on the Nintendo DS. The only way to play it now is to pick up a second-hand DS and find a copy of the game through eBay. I still have a DS and my original copy ofDQ9, but I can imagine that a lot of people have either sold their DS or never owned one. While they’re fairly cheap nowadays,it seems a shame that the very bestDQgame is locked to aging hardware.
Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skyis a masterclass in JRPG design, and should absolutely be treated to theDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remaketreatment.
BringingDragon Quest 9to modern consoles feels like a must, especially when video game preservation is becoming increasingly important.I also just feel strongly that more people should get the opportunity to play this game, and, outside of op-eds like this or YouTube video essays, there’s little way of finding out about it if you don’t already know it exists. However, if it was, at the very least, ported to modern hardware, then Square Enix would be forced to market it and more people would get to play it.
Of course, porting a DS game to modern consoles can be tricky, especially since they often made good use of both screens. However,Dragon Quest 9only used its top screen as a local map or to display the enemy while players picked which attack they’d use on the bottom screen. It isn’t improbable to imagine these being easily repositioned onto a single screen, such as having the map be a mini-map or accessible via a menu.
Every Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake Vocation, Ranked
Choosing a Vocation determines a character’s skills and stats in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Here’s how all ten classes compare to each other.
There are plenty ofJRPGs that deserve a remasteror remake, but I firmly believe thatDragon Quest 9should be at the top of the waiting list. It’s trapped on old hardware and in dire need of online functionality to make its multiplayer more accessible. It’s a truly phenomenal title, one that, with a little facelift, could continue to be the best game in the entireDragon Questseries.Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skyis a masterclass in JRPG design, and should absolutely be treated to theDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remaketreatment.
