As Y2K fashion trends dominate Tik Tok, Stranger Things and the 2010s rush to capitalize on the ‘80s feels like a distant memory – with noughties nostalgia now Hollywood’s hot new ticket. A return trip to Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake makes it seem as though someone forgot to send Square Enix the memo. While nu metal bands once again fill arenas and indie devs swap sprite-based sidescrollers for PS1-style polygons, Square Enix is turning the clock back to where the Japanese RPG began – 1989’s Dragon Warrior.
Yes, Dragon Warrior. Released back on Nintendo's very first console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), in the United States the humble Dragon Quest went by a different name. Europe, on the other hand, didn't get a single taste of the Dragon Quest fruit until 2004's Dragon Quest 8 on PS2. Overworlds, turn-based battles, stats – in Japan, these early NES titles that make up Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake popularized the RPG conventions that are vital to the genre now, laying the groundwork for the all-conquering Final Fantasy.
