Nintendo finally spilled a bucket full of fresh new information about the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake during their recent Direct, and I am telling you, it looks dreamy. An entire ocean exploration mechanic in Dragon Quest II is pretty much nuts for a game that came out in ’87, right? That’s really old. But here we are, in 2024, soaking our fingers in the ocean of Alefgard or whatever. The game will also appear on November 30 for Nintendo Switch and the brand-new Switch 2 – neat for those who might already want to grab that playground mobile.
Ah, but the responses to this tweet are something else altogether. As if Nintendo had already opened a hornet nest, they go back and prod it again. The players are so NOT happy, and it’s even beyond just the game. This whole thing kind of feels like frustration trying to be noticed.
To begin with, you’ve got these BEKILLINGYOU-types screaming in the reply tweets about how they’re playing “non-censored masterpieces” on Super Famicom using English translations rather than spending money on what they call Nintendo’s “overpriced censored dogshit.” Well… harsh. But that kind of sets the tone for many comments. There’s this vibe that some players entertain, feeling as though contemporary releases are somehow sub-par in comparison to the original, which is an opinion I have heard before but have never heard so vehemently.
Then there’s the whole Switch 2 situation. A handful of players are pointing out that buying the game for Switch 1 means you won’t get the upgrade for Switch 2, with flatwifetheory directly asking Nintendo if Square Enix can offer an upgrade pack in the same way that they are with Final Fantasy Tactics because it’s “abhorrent” that Switch owners Double Dipped. They’re not alone, though; el_obelisk straight out said, “Make the switch 1 version upgradeable to switch 2.” This is a genuine concern, especially with regard to the cost of games these days.
But things get even stickier. BetaDream_X mentioned that it’s not on a physical Switch 2 cart, and that’s pushing them towards purchasing the PS5. Meanwhile, Ryu_Krieger responded with “Another PlayStation purchase,” which feels like a shot across the bow of Nintendo. When your own fans are discussing leaving for the competition because of your policies, it’s not looking too bright.
Then there are these weird patent issues going on? Road_Warden is livid over Nintendo’s “patent lawfare for things you didn’t even create,” calling it “sick and dishonorable.” Meanwhile, skyarcVR was all up in arms over Nintendo patenting summoning mechanics and inconveniencing hundreds of other games. I don’t even have a clue what they are talking about, but you know, it’s evident that everyone is fired up.
Those sweet moments are few and far between in all the vitriol; prim_amalia was hyped about the DQ1 soundtrack, and somewhat rightfully so—that Dragon Quest music is killer. TCgamerboy2002 was happy that Nintendo fixed the picture issue from their prior tweet: “There we go. Much better.” Only minor triumphs.
But the general mood is clear: “gamers are ecstatic about the actual game but depressed about Nintendo’s business practices.” The whole “pay twice for the same game on different generations of Switch” thing is hitting a sore nerve, especially when other companies are offering an option.
It makes you realize how much has changed since the original Dragon Quest games were released. Back then, you paid for a cartridge, no fancy updates coming via DLC, and no worries about whether you were going to take the game along to your next console purchase anytime soon. Now the players expect their digital libraries to carry some longevity; when they don’t, they rightly lose their cool.
That ocean exploration sounds like a ton of fun in DQII, as well as being able to go really deep and find fresh encounters would be a very strange new facet to an already classic game. And speaking of HD-2D, the style that Square Enix has been using for these remakes (and also in the original Octopath Traveler) really transforms these ancient games into a Breath of Fresh Air. Just a shame that all of the other issues are drowning what should have been a joy to behold.
What was I saying again? Oh, yeah, it looks great but a great deal, some others should address the concerns of the players before it launches in October. Right now, all the oceanic exploration chatter is drowned out by some pretty gnarly PR waves.
And at the end of the day, Dragon Quest fans will probably end up buying this thing because, well, it’s Dragon Quest. But, perhaps, Nintendo should be listening to what the players are saying about the upgrade path and pricing. Definitely, the game hype is there; however, it carries a thick coat of frustration about everything holding it. And that’s just not the feeling you want from what should be a celebration of these classic RPGs.
