Summary
Dragon Questis one of the most beloved JRPG franchises the world has ever known. It has appeared on all manner of platforms and catered to numerous budgets. However, despite being so popular the world over, a lot of titles have never left the shores of Japan. There have been titles from theDragon Questfranchise that date all the way to the Nintendo Entertainment System, but as new systems were released, so did more impressiveDragon Quest titles.
Handheld devices are no exception, and whatever a player’s preferred portable gaming device, there is likely aDragon Questgame for it. This list will only focus on games that were released on handhelds, and not games that were ported to them later in their lifecycle.
Dragon Quest Warsis a game of tactics and battles that play out on a grid map. Each match will have the player putting together a team of monsters with varying abilities, some will synergize particularly well. Players will move and select actions for their monsters, such as dealing damage or healing. While battles could be played online, it is no surprise that such a service has since been shut down due to the game being very dated.
However, the game features local multiplayer, allowing players within close proximity to still link up devices. One of the biggest letdowns about this title is that there is no story-driven campaign for players to enjoy this fun tactical battle system.
6Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
Stack & Store Items To Overcome Obstacles
Slimes are a very iconic staple of theDragon Questfranchise andits many amazing spin-off games— and this entry features plenty of the little goo balls. The mechanics of Rocket Slime are something completely their own. Players can stretch their bodies and release to have a rocket shoot out like a projectile to ram into objects and enemies. Doing so can launch these into the air, only to be caught and stacked on top of each other.
Players can gather all of these stacked items by throwing them onto a special cart. Players will also have large-scale mobile castle battles where they need to stack and load the castle’s weapons. One of the best charms of the game is how it has so many Easter eggs to other properties, includingFinal FantasyandChrono Trigger.
5Dragon Quest Heroes 2
Dragon Quest Meets Dynasty Warriors
A lot of handheld titles are merely ports of AAA games from previous generation systems. However, there are plenty ofDragon Questgames that feel like a AAA console game, with a lot of them released on both platforms.Dragon Quest Heroes 2is the sequel toan amazing predecessor, and is a game made by Omega Force, known for theDynasty Warriorsfranchise, and mimics this franchise’s formula.
Players will control various different characters with different abilities and face off against a massive number of monsters at the same time. While players will mow down plenty of smaller enemies in a few hits, there are also larger bosses that can be quite daunting at lower levels.
4Dragon Quest Builders
A Full Fledged ARPG Minecraft
A lot of people would imagine this game is justMinecraftwith aDragon Questskin. However, that is not the case.Dragon Quest Buildersis a full-ARPG experience. Players will collect weapons, complete quests, find secrets, level up to become stronger and follow a deep and detailed story. As players progress, they will travel to new areas with different rules on how to survive, how to grow their base of operations, and how to improve everything.
The game lets players break apart the terrain like many voxel sandbox games to rearrange as they fit, but players can spend hours playing the game and stay on track with the story the whole time. There is a sandbox mode forMinecraftfans looking to express their creative side — which gets evenbigger and more elaborate with its sequel.
3Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Professional
Capture, Ride, & Fuse Over 700 Monsters
Dragon Quest 5was one of the first games to feature creature-capturing elements in 1992, predating even Pokemon Red from 1996. However, it was not until Dragon Quest Monsters that it would be the primary focus of a Dragon Quest game. While there have been severalDragon Quest Monstergames in Western territories,Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3is not one of them. Luckily, there are dedicated fans who have patched this game to be playable in English.
Players will collect and grow their collection of monsters. However, they will also need to fuse monsters together to create even more powerful ones. The game released an expanded version calledDragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Professional, which saw the protagonists of the first 2 games return. This version also added over 200 new monsters and new regions to traverse. Switch owners who want to get into this spin-off series shouldlook to try outDragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.
2Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies
The First Handheld Mainline Dragon Quest Game
Dragon Questreleased many mainline games on home entertainment consoles, but it was not untilDQ9that a mainline game would be released on a handheld device. The player is able to play this like any of the previous games, but they can also use assistive technology, such as automating the actions of their party members in order to speed up fights.
The game’s lack of dedicated story companions makes it miss out on a fundamental element that other mainline games revel in. However, the multiplayer option of allowing up to 3 friends to jump into another player’s game and fight alongside them is a phenomenal feeling that more entries should incorporate. There are those who believe this game reallydeserves a remake on the Switch.
1Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age
One Of The Greatest Dragon Quest Games Of All Time
There are many things Western fansdon’t know aboutDragon Quest 11, which was originally released on both the 3DS and the PS4 before making its way to the West. The 3DS version, however, never left Japan. While the games are fundamentally the same story, there are various differences. The overworld is far more linear in the 3DS counterpart, there are minor changes to how cutscenes play out, and the visuals have completely different graphics — while both still use the sameart style of Akira Toriyama.
The most substantial differences come in level designs, with some areas using very different layouts that better suit the system they are being played on. Both games are outstanding, and players who enjoyed one version really should re-experience the game on the other.
