Dragon Quest V (1992) is a game of firsts. The first in the series to grace the exemplary Super Famicom, it's also the first mainline title to not receive an official English localization. There are, thankfully, two complete fan translations available, the eldest of which is now old enough to vote. The game exudes a vibe similar to Final Fantasy IV. Its storyline is vastly more complex than that of its 8-bit predecessors, though the iconic imagery and mechanics remain (mostly) intact.
The game begins by naming the (male) hero. An opening cutscene reveals that he is... a baby. Born the son of the great warrior Papas, and doting mother Martha, the player first gains control of the hero aged six. He toddles around in the most adorable fashion, unable to read road signs or converse with barkeeps. As a natural JRPG protagonist, the hero has a thirst for adventure, as he and his childhood friend Bianca soon sneak out of town to explore some ruins, unbeknownst to the slumbering Papas. And, as these games typically go, a chain of events soon unfolds that pits the hero against a great intangible villain, in a dual quest to both save the world and win the everlasting approval of loving parents.
Of course, the hero doesn't stay a kindergartener for the duration of the game. Dragon Quest V possesses a "generational" theme, featuring a protagonist who grows both in age and experience throughout the journey (a similar attempt was made by the oddly-maligned Phantasy Star III two years prior). In the game's "second chapter" the hero becomes a strapping young man. Amid the typical monster-slaying and adventuring he's also tasked with picking a wife. Yes, two women are apparently willing and ready to say yes at a moment's notice. What a charmer. One lady is the aforementioned Bianca. The other: Flora, daughter of a rich man found in one of the game's many towns. The writing heavily implies that Bianca is the canonical wife, and I'd have a hard time rejecting her without feeling some vague pangs of guilt. Flora, seemingly pleasant enough, has little character development and is haphazardly dropped into the mix as possible wife #2. In any event, choice of wife effects some plot elements going forward, namely what children will be birthed. Yes, the kids! One boy, one girl. The game's concluding chapter is dedicated to them, their development, and their relationship to the main hero. One has a special destiny, apparently, revealed at the story's conclusion.
As far as core gameplay goes, anyone who's played a Dragon Warrior title on NES should know exactly what to expect. ChunSoft made no attempts to reinvent the wheel, and gameplay remains pleasingly slow, steady, turn-and-menu-based. The L and R buttons can be used as a catch-all "talk/search" button to bypass said menus, which is a brilliant touch. Nevertheless some elements of the game feel dated. Shopping, for instance, is a chore, as one must buy or sell one item at a time, and inventory space is incredibly limited. But the game is fun. Very fun. There's a huge overworld, and a plethora of towns and dungeons to explore, recruitable characters, and surprisingly erudite NPCs. The developers took pains to distinguish each town from the next, which is extraordinarily useful as backtracking is often required. Dungeon design slowly evolves over the course of the experience, though most still fit that typical JRPG mold, linear with some branching paths for useful items. There are certain environments that are especially memorable, like the water shrine that requires a ship for navigation, the illusory fairy forest, and the switch-laden mine cart cave. Dragon Quest V also features a day/night cycle. It isn't used to drastically alter main plot events (unlike, say, Breath of Fire) but it can be fun to visit those raucous town bars in the later hours. Once you're old enough to drink that is.
The final hours of the game are a bitter pill to swallow, I'm sorry to say. While the plot never really moves along at a breakneck pace (this is a Dragon Quest game after all), there is a sense of drive and urgency most of the time. However, once the kids mature the game becomes "nonlinear" in a way that isn't entirely pleasing. The player is left to trawl the overworld, searching for random unexplored caves and MacGuffin items. Travel also becomes an annoyance at this juncture. Good old walking will only take the party so far, and there's an overabundance of additional travel methods: a warp spell, a ship, flying shoes, a magic carpet, a bell that summons a dragon, a flying castle. All of these are just slight variations of each other (the magic carpet, for instance, cannot clear mountains but the dragon can) and amount to a bunch of inventory clutter. Just give me an airship, Enix!
A huge segment of the game is spent in combat. The ultra-simplistic baseline JRPG battle system is retained: purely turn-based with options to attack, defend, cast magical spells, use items, and run. There are some additional positive twists to the system. Allies (anyone besides the character that leads the party) can be controlled by AI, with options to attack all-out, play defensively, or anything in between. This cuts down on the dreaded A-button mashing, as does the abundance of boomerang and target-all weaponry. The main party can only support three characters at a time, though the game is structured with this in mind.
While there are a handful of human characters ready to scrub in as combatants, it's much more fun to hunt for monsters allies. The system of obtaining monster sidekicks is incredibly simple, even compared to 8-bit titles like the original Megami Tensei. Once defeated, specific monsters are able to join the hero's posse, while others are not. Of those eligible, some have greater odds of extending an offering than others, of which the player is free to accept or reject. As the main playable party is but a trio, those spillover monsters end up in the horse-drawn "caravan." Once the caravan fills, some can be sent away to a monster master that inhabits each town. The utility of monsters varies widely. Some, like the Brownie, lack spells and can't equip much, and outlive their usefulness very early on. Others, like the Slime Knight, rival even the hero in terms of combat prowess, and are worth keeping around throughout the game's duration. It's important to note that even those monsters that chill out in the caravan can still level up and use healing magic outside of battle. This arguably breaks the game in favor of the player, especially if you travel everywhere with a few dedicated healers in tow. There is a flaw to this monster-raising business: all monsters start as level 1 weaklings, so by late game it isn't worth recruiting anybody, even those monsters that theoretically have the potential to be the strongest. Leveling them up from scratch simply isn't worth the time investment.
Aesthetically, the game keeps it simple. Graphics are a touch above the 8-bit Dragon Quest IV. It's a colorful game, and an occasionally pretty one, and also very spartan and ordinary looking. There are no character portraits to be found, so those who want a glimpse of Akira Toriyama's gorgeous character art will have to glance at the instruction booklet. Monster graphics are fantastic, however, all done in that distinct kinda-goofy style. There are very few palette swaps to be found, and plenty of creative original fiends. The pop-up battle backgrounds are heavily reminiscent of that first Dragon Quest, and a nice return to form following the stark black battlefields of installments II, III, and IV. The soundtrack is well-composed, in a mostly subtle way. It's a pleasant listen, with no attempts at being showy or epic. The classic series theme is present, and sounds fantastic in its 16-bit debut.
Players who aren't satiated with the main quest will find some other things to goof off with. There's a casino, for those who enjoy losing money. The venue boasts slot machines, an arena where monsters battle and bets are placed, and a hilarious belly-flopping slime race. Casino winnings can be cashed in for prizes (equipment), though I can't fathom how to win consistently. Special gear can also be obtained by collecting small medals and trading them with the "Medal King." This type of collectathon isn't particularly compelling; I managed to get but a sword out of the whole ordeal. Lastly, Dragon Quest V is an early JRPG to feature "post-game" content after the main quest has wrapped up. Again, not something I find especially intriguing, though completionists may get a kick out of the additional challenge.
This is a fine game, and an excellent way to transition the series to the fourth console generation. Some may argue that the DS remake would be a better avenue for English speakers. It's an argument I can't really refute (and what a fine remake it is), but the magic of an old SNES RPG remains undeniable. Hail the King Slime.