"Two RPG classics, improved and on the go!"

Way back in 1986, a Japanese company named Enix created a little NES game known as Dragon Quest. This game was the father of classic JRPGs, and sold insanely well in Japan. Three years later, it came out here as “Dragon Warrior”. The game managed to be successful enough to warrant a flock of sequels and spinoff games rivaling the Final Fantasy series. Finally, in 2001, Enix remade the first two games in the series for the Game Boy Color. With two classic RPGs for the price of one, in the palm of your hand, how could you go wrong?

Like most games released in the NES era, the plots of each game are simplistic when compared to the sprawling narratives of later games, but they still worked for the time. In Dragon Warrior I, you play a hero charged with the quest of restoring light to the kingdom of Alefgard. An evil sorcerer known as the DracoLord is spreading evil, and only the descendant of the legendary hero Loto (that would be you) can stop him. Succeeding in this quest, the hero marries a princess you rescue during your adventure. Dragon Warrior II picks up 100 years later, in a much bigger world. Another evil wizard named Hargon is wreaking havoc, and three descendants of Loto must band together to beat him; the skilled swordsman, the useful paladin, and the powerful mage. The plots of both games are solid enough, considering when they were originally released.

The gameplay is classic JRPG style, considering these were some of the first ever made. You control your hero (or heroes, if you're playing Dragon Warrior II) across an overworld map, occasionally entering a town or castle to buy items and gather clues to your next objective, or a cave to search for treasure. You'll enter random battles on the overworld map or in a cave, switching to the battle mode. It's from a first-person perspective, looking out at the monsters. Dragon Warrior I has only one-on-one combat, with little backgrounds around each creature. Dragon Warrior II has no battle backgrounds, but makes up for it with multiple enemy battles. Defeating monsters gives you experience and gold; experience accumulates until you level up and become stronger, and gold is used to buy things. Bear in mind that you'll need to train your characters up often in order to afford the newest powerful sword or survive the next deadly area. The amount of time you need to do this has been toned down from the NES games, but it's still present.

The sound and music are alright. The themes sound somewhat primitive, but feel a lot like an orchestral score shrunken down for the Game Boy. Both games have memorable tunes, however, and you may find them stuck in your head. The music from the Dragon Warrior games has been played live at concerts in Japan, proving that the music can be very enjoyable.

Both games are extremely addictive for RPG fans, and provide a bit of challenge to conquer. Two classic RPGs on one Game Boy cartridge is an excellent deal, only sweetened by the fact that both games are fine entries in the prestigious Dragon Warrior series. I'd recommend you look around and pick this one up; it's fun to have a handheld RPG you can take anywhere with you. Times two.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/24/07

Game Release: Dragon Warrior I&II (US, 09/27/00)