Yes, after Fefnir and I tackled one of the spin offs, we’re ready to take on a mainline entry in the second biggest JRPG franchise, at least from an American’s perspective.
DQIV started life on the NES, but was later remade for the Playstation. That version didn’t make it out of Japan, but it was used as the basis for subsequent DS and Mobile ports, which did. The version we will be playing through is the DS port, modded to include the Party Chat feature which was dropped from the initial American release.
The main gimmick of IV is the structure of the story. Rather than start with the hero and slowly gain our companions, we spend a little time with each companion before finally starting our journey as the hero. Other JRPGs have adopted this structure, including one of my all time favorites, LIVE-A-LIVE.
Episode List
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We start our journey with RAGNAR MCRYAN, the most badass warrior in any Dragon Quest game. Oh, and first we get a brief scene of some green haired chick. No idea what’s up with her.
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Now that we’ve been sufficiently eased into DQ gameplay, it’s time for a proper party! Alena, along with her retainers Borya and Kiryl, kick off chapter two with a simple goal, but quickly uncover a much darker situation!
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Alena’s story continues as we stumble across a fake Tsarevna! I’m sure we can rescue her without any long term consequences.
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Our attempt at independence has been cut short by news that Alena’s father has suddenly fallen ill. Will Alena prioritize the tournament or her father?
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Alena has reached the tournament, but she still needs to go through a training montage! What’s that? JRPGs don’t really do that? Then I guess we’re grinding instead.
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We finally journeyed to the tourney! It’s time for Alena to end her story completely, leaving no loose ends!
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Everybody shut up, the best character is here! We’re starting Torneko Taloon’s chapter as he starts his journey from lowly shop clerk to . . . international arms dealer?? That’s probably not good . . .
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The adventures of Torneko Taloon continue as he encounters a village of trickster spirits and a nation on the brink of war!
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As hinted at last time, a conflict looms over Endor. Can Torneko Taloon deal with the horrors of war?
Well, never mind that. We’ve got a cave to explore!
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Alas, it’s time to say goodbye to Torneko Taloon. But not before we fulfill his first shipment as an arms dealer and make one final contribution to public infrastructure!
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It’s time to meet the Mahabala sisters, Meena and Maya! They’re on a quest to avenge their father, but can they find the unfortunately named Balzack?
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On today’s episode of Dragon Quest IV, we reach another massive shift in tone. If you thought the quest for vengeance wasn’t bleak enough, now we deal with an entire town being crushed under the weight of economic pressure and the disastrous effects of the mining industry.
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This week, we’re wrapping up Chapter 4. I’m sure everything will go well and the Mahabala sisters will accomplish their goals with no issues whatsoever!
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It’s finally time to reunite with our heroine as we start Chapter Five!
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Now that we have a party, our next objective is to acquire a horse! If only there was a man with a distinct name and accent who could assist us with such a thing.
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Everybody shut up, Torneko is back.
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It’s time to reunite with the Zamkovska crew! Kiryl is suffering from a terrible fever, and we’re the only ones who can retrieve the cure.
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We’re back on the continent that the Mahabala sisters are from. We want to go deal with Marquis de Leon and Balzack right away, but the door is locked. If only we knew where to find a key . . .
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We have access to the Marquis de Leon, but we’re not quite ready to face him yet. So today, Torneko is going to help us get into shape!
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