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[Segata Sanshiro]

So can you tell us about the story, people who have played this? I felt that ever since DQ4, DQ games has gained more and more intricate storytelling. DQ4, 5, and 8 are my highlights. Though I haven't played 6 because I've been waiting for the ds version. DQ8's story presentation was fantastic: voice acting for the first time in a DQ, and it had such wonderful characters too (the best cast in a DQ imo).

What worries me, and this has worried me since it has been unveiled that the tavern from III is back: is that they've reverted back to DQIII storytelling. In DQIII you create your characters, and since the main character is already mute, no one really talks. So there's zero pc interaction. And I'm worried that this will be present in DQ9, after DQ 7 and especially 8 went through great lengths to make the characters have more personality and charm.

I'm cool if it's DQIII style, so long as the storytelling is still up to DQ4, 5, and 8's standards.

It's kind of DQVI meets Quantum Leap or something. The main plot doesn't really do much other than throw carrots in front of you to move from mini-story to mini-story. At a certain point it picks up rather rapidly, finishes almost as rapidly, and then you're back to the mini-stories. It's certainly no DQV in terms of main plot and it doesn't really make the effort with the main plot that DQ8 does. But the mini-stories are wonderful and certainly hang tough with the best of the series.

As for characters, there are characters, though they may not be in your party. They're memorable and well-done. I don't want to say more for fear of spoiling, but if you play the game fully, you won't be disappointed by the character aspect of the game.

 

[Grampasso]

The Italian translations of DQIV and V aren't bad, at least compared to the English ones; most names are changed and the dialogue is heavily localized in both. The only difference is that the English vesion may bother you less because you don't know much about its dialects and inflections.

I still remember the horrible Italian translations from the early PSX days, those are the worst things I've ever read.

I'm a former dialogue scripter, so I'm quite picky when it comes to italian language and original fidelity in general. I remember being awe struck when I came to know that the "Cure" spell in the FF Series was originally the "Kea" spell (Care...) badly transliterated. And since in SE they don't want to change things from an iteration to the other even if you prove them it's wrong, it did last up to nowadays. It's such a difficult thing to do wrong that I can't even imagine how many other things have been missed or badly translated.
So at least not reading italian gives me the illusion there are less localization errors.
And wtf is their problem with character names? There's absolutely no reason to change them (like for example Nintendo which performs AWFULLY in this regard... Zelda being the worst localized series IMHO).

 

[ITA84]

Yeah, for instance I can't really find any reason why Sandy has been changed to Stella in this game. Are they going to make some puns on the name?

EDIT: forget I asked that...

 

[Aeana]

I'm a former dialogue scripter, so I'm quite picky when it comes to italian language and original fidelity in general. I remember being awe struck when I came to know that the "Cure" spell in the FF Series was originally the "Kea" spell (Care...) badly transliterated. And since in SE they don't want to change things from an iteration to the other even if you prove them it's wrong, it did last up to nowadays. It's such a difficult thing to do wrong that I can't even imagine how many other things have been missed or badly translated.
So at least not reading italian gives me the illusion there are less localization errors.
And wtf is their problem with character names? There's absolutely no reason to change them (like for example Nintendo which performs AWFULLY in this regard... Zelda being the worst localized series IMHO).

It's "kearu" not "kea." It's a Japanese person's weird idea of the pronunciation of the word "cure." There is no localization error.

I'd also say to stay far away from recent English DQ localizations if things like that bother you.

 

[RevenantKioku]

I'm a former dialogue scripter, so I'm quite picky when it comes to italian language and original fidelity in general. I remember being awe struck when I came to know that the "Cure" spell in the FF Series was originally the "Kea" spell (Care...) badly transliterated. And since in SE they don't want to change things from an iteration to the other even if you prove them it's wrong, it did last up to nowadays. It's such a difficult thing to do wrong that I can't even imagine how many other things have been missed or badly translated.
So at least not reading italian gives me the illusion there are less localization errors.
And wtf is their problem with character names? There's absolutely no reason to change them (like for example Nintendo which performs AWFULLY in this regard... Zelda being the worst localized series IMHO).

I know a few people I'd like to introduce you to. You all could have a great time eating crepes, what the queen wants to eat.

 

[Grampasso]

It's "kearu" not "kea." It's a Japanese person's weird idea of the pronunciation of the word "cure." There is no localization error.

I'd also say to stay far away from recent English DQ localizations if things like that bother you.

So it was actually Cure? :lol Well I shouldn't be surprised since I've been told a lot of japanese people pretend they don't know english just because they're ashamed of their pronounce.
Btw it's not what really upsets me. It's reading things like Quina speaking with an italian dialect that really makes me lose my temper and totally dampen my will to go on with the game. There are other ways to make a character talk different and using a reginoal dialect - even if it was that way in the original version - makes the game lose the fiction.
The fourth wall should never be disrupted when it comes to video games except for some rare exceptions where it's functional to the game itself (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Contact, Nintendogs).

I know a few people I'd like to introduce you to. You all could have a great time eating crepes, what the queen wants to eat.

Uh... I suppose that's a joke I don't get

 

[Philthy]

Didn't see anyone answering this or I'm blind, but how is the exploration in this compared to 8? I really loved the fact that you could spend hours exploring areas, going in and out of buildings, finding little side quests or rare monsters and what not. Granted, the game still locked you out of certain areas until you progressed the storyline more, but the areas that it locked you in were really large. Is this game the same way? I am just concerned that the fact it's on a portable that they trimmed it all down and I'll buy it and be disappointed. I love exploring around outside of the main quests.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Didn't see anyone answering this or I'm blind, but how is the exploration in this compared to 8? I really loved the fact that you could spend hours exploring areas, going in and out of buildings, finding little side quests or rare monsters and what not. Granted, the game still locked you out of certain areas until you progressed the storyline more, but the areas that it locked you in were really large. Is this game the same way? I am just concerned that the fact it's on a portable that they trimmed it all down and I'll buy it and be disappointed. I love exploring around outside of the main quests.

The overworld isn't as large as DQ8's. There are some little secrets and stuff to find, and lots of buildings and stuff, but it's not as big in that way as 8. If that's all you're looking for, skip it. That said, this game probably has more non-essential quest content than most RPGs, but it's not like how 8 did it.

 

[john tv]

Some people take games way too seriously.

EDIT: That was kind of an incomplete thought. Here's the rest:

Stop taking games so damn seriously.

 

[Grampasso]

Some people take games way too seriously.

EDIT: That was kind of an incomplete thought. Here's the rest:

Stop taking games so damn seriously.

I don't know about you but I pay games with real money, and some of them way too much for what they are

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I don't know about you but I pay games with real money, and some of them way too much for what they are

I don't know about you but STOP TAKING VIDEO GAMES SO SERIOUSLY.

 

[Kodiak]

just ordered on Amazon. Am I part of the solution?

 

[antispin]

Ordered this + Strange Journey today. Now, the wait.

 

[bluemax]

Quantity over quality, eh?

DQ7 is definitely very, very long but I'm not really sure I agree with any assertions that it has bad pacing or meanders. It just has so much (maybe too much) content, and I actually think it's kind of amazing that it somehow manages that without having any filler.

I dunno, it felt like it took far too long for anything to start happening in that game. I don't even remember if the nature of my overall quest had been revealed yet. A lot of the earlier vignettes don't seem to pay off until much later down the road.

Certainly DQ7 is a wonderful game, it is a long slow burn even by RPG standards.

 

[Princess Skittles]

Some people take games way too seriously.

EDIT: That was kind of an incomplete thought. Here's the rest:

Stop taking games so damn seriously.

<3

 

[Dineren]

I dunno, it felt like it took far too long for anything to start happening in that game. I don't even remember if the nature of my overall quest had been revealed yet. A lot of the earlier vignettes don't seem to pay off until much later down the road.

Certainly DQ7 is a wonderful game, it is a long slow burn even by RPG standards.

The last half of the game makes DQ7 one of my favorite RPGs, I know at times it can kind of drag, but the stories at the end are wonderful. Even after an extended break it's worth playing through and the fortune teller makes it easy to pick up where you left off if you're still collecting fragments. Give it a shot!

 

[levious]

Btw it's not what really upsets me. It's reading things like Quina speaking with an italian dialect that really makes me lose my temper and totally dampen my will to go on with the game. There are other ways to make a character talk different and using a reginoal dialect - even if it was that way in the original version - makes the game lose the fiction.
The fourth wall should never be disrupted when it comes to video games except for some rare exceptions where it's functional to the game itself (Panzer Dragoon Saga, Contact, Nintendogs).

that's not breaking the fourth wall is it? Did you not like the english accents in VIII?

 

[Grampasso]

that's not breaking the fourth wall is it? Did you not like the english accents in VIII?

Technically speaking it's not breaking the fourth wall. But if you think about it you can see how it actually is it since obviously you put in the game references to a culture which is not part of the gaming universe itself. On the other hand, it's clearly a reference to something existing in the real world which is strictly related to a particular culture/region. That's where the break takes place and in a subtle you use something external to the game itself to land your message. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm saying I don't like it.
If it's english, since english is not my mother language I can withstand it because I don't "get" it to the core (absurdly enough, I'm capable of distinguishing when a japanese speaks in Kansai-ben :lol ). But for example I like a lot the archaic speak (also in italian), since it fits in a fantasy world much more than an actual dialect (Frog <3).

And to those talking about taking a game seriously, sorry but I don't get it.
I tried to do my work properly when I was in the dubbing industry because the target audience demanded a product of a certain quality. They paid for it and it was the right thing to do. When I buy a localized game I don't pay only for the game itself, I pay also for the localization. So it's just my right to ask for a proper work on it. If you don't feel like it that's fine, or if you're good with the work is also ok. But I don't get the "don't take games so seriouly" mood.
They're made to enjoy people, but they also feed thousands of people, which IMHO is an enough serious thing to bother me.

 

[bluemax]

The last half of the game makes DQ7 one of my favorite RPGs, I know at times it can kind of drag, but the stories at the end are wonderful. Even after an extended break it's worth playing through and the fortune teller makes it easy to pick up where you left off if you're still collecting fragments. Give it a shot!

Maybe after DQ9. My low level of Japanese is what caused me to stop playing 9 and switch to 7 as I hadn't played it before. I quit after wiping at one of the points in the game where you're stuck and not able to return to Dharma and switch jobs.

 

[Kodiak]

for what it's worth, DQIX is #4 on the top 10 amazon DS products and #46 in overall video game products. Not ... terrible?

 

[Oxx]

I listened to both the DQIV and DQV soundtracks at work today.

It's going to be a long three weeks...

 

[Community Forum]

Need to re-buy a DS for this. Hoping for some sort of retailer bundle or gift card or something in next week's Sunday ads.

I just caved and bought a white DSi + Bowser's Inside Story + $20 gift card for $169.99 at Walmart. Now I need to return to Walmart next Sunday to use the gift card towards DQIX, I'm so excited! Especially since I couldn't find a white regular DS anywhere, I must be out of the loop and they don't make them anymore.

 

[ampere]

I really want to get this, only thing I need to do is convince some friends to buy it as well. I'd love to level a priest and be a healer for group quests

 

[jooey]

And to those talking about taking a game seriously, sorry but I don't get it.
I tried to do my work properly when I was in the dubbing industry because the target audience demanded a product of a certain quality. They paid for it and it was the right thing to do. When I buy a localized game I don't pay only for the game itself, I pay also for the localization. So it's just my right to ask for a proper work on it. If you don't feel like it that's fine, or if you're good with the work is also ok. But I don't get the "don't take games so seriouly" mood.
They're made to enjoy people, but they also feed thousands of people, which IMHO is an enough serious thing to bother me.

I wonder why you left the "dubbing industry."

 

[Freyjadour]

Any of the importees play this on a XL by chance? I've been contemplating getting one for collection and novelty sake as the 3DS screen isn't nearly so big for DS titles.

 

[Hex]

A couple of questions,
How many save slots do you get?
Also is it a good first jrpg for my gf or can anyone suggest a better one? (turn based is best because she gets frustrated and overwhelmed if things get hectic)

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

A couple of questions,
How many save slots do you get?
Also is it a good first jrpg for my gf or can anyone suggest a better one? (turn based is best because she gets frustrated and overwhelmed if things get hectic)

You get one save slot. One of the biggest negative points about the game.

I'd say this is a good choice for a first JRPG, though. Any of the DS Dragon Quest games would be good, but I think this one is best because there's a lot of fun stuff you can do outside the main adventure. Heck, even putting together the outfits of your characters is pretty fun.

 

[Ruzai]

Heck, even putting together the outfits of your characters is pretty fun.

How is this handled, by the way? Does the equipment still affect defense and resistances to the point that you'll be choosing utility over appearance, or do the different jobs fill in for that role to some extent?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

How is this handled, by the way? Does the equipment still affect defense and resistances to the point that you'll be choosing utility over appearance, or do the different jobs fill in for that role to some extent?

Hahah, well, the equipment is important, of course, but there is enough choice that you can probably put together a pretty fashionable set of gear for any situation. Set bonuses help with that. Though yes, I did have a patch-work Paladin for a couple of battles in the game.

 

[Aeana]

I should probably put the save slot thing in the OP. I totally forgot about that. It's very crappy. :\

 

[Kodiak]

I just caved and bought a white DSi + Bowser's Inside Story + $20 gift card for $169.99 at Walmart. Now I need to return to Walmart next Sunday to use the gift card towards DQIX, I'm so excited! Especially since I couldn't find a white regular DS anywhere, I must be out of the loop and they don't make them anymore.

Did you have a DSL before that? I'm kinda tempted to do the same thing but it seems like a hair-brained decision with the 3DS right around the corner when I already have a perfectly decent DSL.

 

[Llyranor]

A few Q's:

1) Since encounters are visible now, can you avoid most of them and still play through the game in a fairly normal/balanced (though perhaps more challenging) way?

2) I mean have asked this before but don't remember the answer: is there party talk? EDIT: Oh, guess not. Too bad :/

3) Job system aside, how similar or dissimilar is the combat system to others in the series (for example, DQ4)?

I've come to accept that the multiplayer mode isn't going to work out for the way I want to play (I wanted full 2p co-op, with each player controlling two characters), so I'm looking at this as a singleplayer game now. My previous forays in the DQ series have been somewhat hit or miss. Loved Rocket Slime, very charming and fun game. Enjoyed the exploration of DQ4, was somewhat charming, but the complete lack of party talk/personality made it feel too lifeless, and I found the combat fairly repetitive. I eventually gave in and ordered DQ5 to give the series another chance, but one seller bailed out on me, and another ran off with my money and got exposed as a fraud (Ebay never even refunded me - don't buy DS games from Ebay!), and the game is impossible to find at a decent price otherwise. I usually love job systems (though this one is flawed...?), and full party creation is one of this game's appeal. I'm still ambivalent about whether I should bite. Maybe I should finish Strange Journey first...

Or should I still try to track down DQ5?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

A few Q's:

1) Since encounters are visible now, can you avoid most of them and still play through the game in a fairly normal/balanced (though perhaps more challenging) way?

2) I mean have asked this before but don't remember the answer: is there party talk? EDIT: Oh, guess not. Too bad :/

3) Job system aside, how similar or dissimilar is the combat system to others in the series (for example, DQ4)?

I've come to accept that the multiplayer mode isn't going to work out for the way I want to play (I wanted full 2p co-op, with each player controlling two characters), so I'm looking at this as a singleplayer game now. My previous forays in the DQ series have been somewhat hit or miss. Loved Rocket Slime, very charming and fun game. Enjoyed the exploration of DQ4, was somewhat charming, but the complete lack of party talk/personality made it feel too lifeless, and I found the combat fairly repetitive. I eventually gave in and ordered DQ5 to give the series another chance, but one seller bailed out on me, and another ran off with my money and got exposed as a fraud (Ebay never even refunded me - don't buy DS games from Ebay!), and the game is impossible to find at a decent price otherwise. I usually love job systems (though this one is flawed...?), and full party creation is one of this game's appeal. I'm still ambivalent about whether I should bite. Maybe I should finish Strange Journey first...

Or should I still try to track down DQ5?

1) If you're under level and the enemies spot you, it's almost impossible to avoid a fight with them. The nice thing is if you're at a certain level, they won't aggro at all and might even run, so unless you happen to be walking where one spawns, you can avoid enemies in earlier areas fairly easily. Playing underleveled is proooobably not going to hurt you until the post-game.

2) Not so much of the party talk, yeah. Just Sandy. Sandy talks a lot though. So there's that.

3) The combat system isn't terribly different from older DQs. It has DQ8's tension system and it also has a mechanic where if your melee attackers follow each other in the fight, it does more and more damage, but if you found the combat in DQIV DS to be dull and lifeless, I doubt those changes are going to be enough to drag it up to "awesome" for you. As for the job system, while it's less flexible compared to earlier DQ job systems, it's still as flexible or more than most other JRPGs.

 

[Freyjadour]

Did you have a DSL before that? I'm kinda tempted to do the same thing but it seems like a hair-brained decision with the 3DS right around the corner when I already have a perfectly decent DSL.

I decided on an XL upgrade from a Lite today. I'll probably still get a 3DS, but I'd still rather play my DS games on that massive screen. A bit of a hair-brained decision, but I think I'd rather retire my DS days on an XL all things considered.

 

[Aeana]

I hope I haven't given the wrong impression about the class system. It isn't bad at all, I just found it disappointing compared to what's been in the series in the past. You really just have to change the way you approach it, and it still works out okay.

 

[Teknoman]

Hopefully the boss theme will surpass DQ IV and VIII. I haven't played VI or VII yet, so I cant comment on those, but DQV's boss battle theme was disappointing compared to IV, and VIII's made you really feel the danger of the fight.

I like what i've heard of IX's standard battle theme though. Also hoping the bosses have that classic DQ sinister face expression (the smirk, or toothy grin).

 

[Mockingbird]

The best thing about Nintendo pubishing this is we get Club Nintendo points!

 

[Hex]

Ok I am getting caught up in the hype.
I know VIII was released on the PS2 and can be found at a good price usually, IV and V are on DS (though V for some reason seems to be climbing in price) what is the best way to go back and start the series?
Is Dragon Warrior even on the VC yet?

 

[Teknoman]

Ok I am getting caught up in the hype.
I know VIII was released on the PS2 and can be found at a good price usually, IV and V are on DS (though V for some reason seems to be climbing in price) what is the best way to go back and start the series?
Is Dragon Warrior even on the VC yet?

I wish we'd get a translated version of SNES DQ 1-3 on the VC...but yeah Dragon Quest IV can be found for a decent price on the DS. V got a really limited print for some reason, and is hard to find.

 

[Vamphuntr]

The best thing about Nintendo pubishing this is we get Club Nintendo points!

Saving 10$ is a pretty big plus to me too.

 

[ToastyFrog]

According to Jeremy Parish tag mode is region free. He doesn't mention the multiplayer, but I would imagine that would be the same.

Tag mode is region-free, but multiplayer doesn't work between JP and US/EU versions. US and EU are supposed to be compatible, though.

 

[Aeana]

Tag mode is region-free, but multiplayer doesn't work between JP and US/EU versions. US and EU are supposed to be compatible, though.

Blah, that stinks.

 

[Emotions]

I'll be getting this as soon as it gets down here(I mean Chile) :lol ...
I hope S-E doesn't back off in releasing DQVI cause it's taken long but i guess it'll be out early next year around the same time DQV was released... Hopefully they will also work on bringing DQMJ 2

 

[Peronthious]

Oh my god I forgot this was out so soon.

Baah I'll have to bring my DS with me back to university :lol

 

[rush777]

Gotta say beating DQ VII still ranks as one of my biggest gaming accomplishments:lol
It was tough and long but in the end I really enjoyed it.

Anyways the general impression I' m getting about the job system in 9 is that you have somewhat of a linear path you can advance with if you intend to keep the spells or skills you have learned is that correct?

 

[Lindsay]

Saving 10$ is a pretty big plus to me too.

Isn't it only $5 off being that its $35? That plus that I had a $10 off amazon code is the only reason I'm giving this one a go! I hope it don't disappoint me to much!

 

[Lee N]

[*]Visible enemies. That's right, no more random battles

Half-true. There are still random battles out at sea...

 

[Aeana]

Half-true. There are still random battles out at sea...

Spoiler

And the visible enemies still appear randomly on land.

But sshhh - half-truths are beneficial in this crazy anti-random encounter world.

 

[Crash Station]

Is there a flying machine/creature?

 

[Lee N]

But sshhh - half-truths are beneficial in this crazy anti-random encounter world.

Haha, fair enough.

Is there a flying machine/creature?

Spoiler

yes