When I saw Dragon Quest for a mere $1.99 ($3.49 regular) in the app store, I couldn't really resist the idea of having this outstanding title in my pocket at all times, and when I finished up my last Minor Distraction game, I decided to switch things up and for the first time in ATSG history, review a mobile game.
Of course Dragon Quest wasn't developed for mobile, the game was originally released in 1986 for the NES. In North America, it was retitled Dragon Warrior. It is among the first RPGs I ever played, so my reintroduction to the world of Alefgard is quite the nostalgic one. DQ broke a lot of ground in its day for having a great open world to explore, littered with towns and dungeon with a smattering of most interesting enemies. I fell in love with this game decades ago, and was particularly curious to see how it survived the mobile treatment.
At first look, the game certainly felt familiar, but seems to have received a bit of a facelift. The overworld and dungeons all appear to be crisper, brighter and more colorful than I remember the NES title to be. The text bubbles also got an update. That said, it looks fantastic! The sprite graphics approach is still present and they suit the small screen of mobile devices perfectly.