Dragon Warrior IV
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| Dragon Warrior IV | |
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| Developer(s) | Chunsoft Heartbeat (remake) |
| Publisher(s) | Enix |
| Series | Dragon Quest series |
| Release date(s) | February 11, 1990 (Famicom-JP) December, 1992 (NES-NA) November 22, 2001 (PS1-JP) |
| Genre(s) | Console Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom, PlayStation |
| Media | 4-megabit NES cartridge CD (PS1) |
Dragon Warrior IV (ドラゴンクエストIV 導かれし者たち Doragon Kuesuto Fō Michibikareshi Monotachi?, lit. "Dragon Quest IV: The People Who are Shown the Way"), also known as Dragon Quest IV, is a console role-playing game and the fourth installment of the Dragon Quest video game series developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix. The game was originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and was remade by Heartbeat for the PlayStation. It begins the Tenkuu no Shiro (Castle in the Sky) trilogy. It was originally released for the Famicom on February 11, 1990 in Japan. The North American version, titled Dragon Warrior IV, was released for the NES in December 1992. This game is also the final Dragon Quest/Warrior series title for the NES.
Dragon Quest IV had a unique way of advancing the story. It was split into five chapters. The first four chapters were told from the perspective of the hero's future companions. The fifth chapter was the hero's quest. During that quest, you would meet with and join with the companions whose stories were told in earlier chapters. Then, with a full cast of companions the group would begin their journey to save the world.
Contents
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[edit] Gameplay
Dragon Quest IV introduced several new features over the first three titles. The new chapter-based story telling system was one of them. In addition, there were party member artificial intelligence options, which allows the player to give strategies to his party while still directly controlling the hero character. Finally, the wagon which allowed extra characters to wait and be exchanged during battle if needed.
[edit] Plot, Setting and Characters
[edit] Plot
The first four chapters were dedicated towards introducing motives and back-stories to the hero's companions, as well as some information on the game's antagonist, Necrosaro. Each story gives meaning and attachment to those characters. In chapter one, the royal guard Ragnar must save the missing children and in doing so uncovers a plot to kill the still young hero. In chapter two, the princess Alena of Santeem rebels against her father and sets out to prove her strength and embarks on a journey with her tutor, Brey and Santeem's Chancellor, Cristo. In chapter three, the merchant Taloon (Torneko in the Japanese version, and recently and universally referred as such) seeks wealth and treasure, and an ultimate weapon to destroy Necrosaro. In chapter four, the dancer Mara and the fortune teller Nara attempt to exact revenge on their father's murder. All four of these stories lead up to the hero's fifth and final chapter.
[edit] The Five Chapters
"The Dragon Warrior IV adventure will carry you through five chapters. The heroes of Chapters 1-4 will join forces in Chapter 5.... (You) cannot start this game from the middle or at the end. You will begin with Chapter 1, and work through Chapters 2, 3, and 4 in order. At least, you will reach the greatest challenge of all, Chapter 5"[1]
[edit] Chapter 1: The Royal Soldiers
"As Captain of the Royal Soldiers, Ragnar risks his life daily in the service of the King of Burland. Recently, children from all over the land have been disappearing. Anxious to know what tragedy has struck his kingdom, the King sends forth Ragner. The mighty warrior knows no fear as he sets off."[2]
[edit] Itinerary for Chapter 1
"Ragnar should be sure to visit everywhere in the town of Izmit to collect clues. Also, he should look for his first (uncontrolled character), Healie, at the well.
Steps:
Burland (Level 1)
Cave to Izmit (Level 3)
Izmit (Level 4)
Bottom of an Old Well (Level 5, Items: Flying Shoes, Healie)
Loch Tower (Level 7: Items: Missing Children)
Burland (Level 9)"[3]
[edit] Chapter 2: Princess Alena's Adventure
"The young Princess Alena possesses a strong and clever spirit. She wishes only to leave the sheltered castle of her father, the King of Santeem, so that she can taste the adventure of a free life. The King has refused to let her go, but his will cannot bind Alana. Dreaming of danger and excitement, she plans to escape."[4]
[edit] Itinerary for Chapter 2
"Now you'll be commanding three team members. To plot good strategy, learn what each character's special talent is and use it in battle.
Steps:
Santeem (Level 1)
Surene (Level 1)
Temple (Level 4)
Frenor (Level 7)
Cave South of Frenor (Level 8, Item: Golden Bracelet)
Bazaar (Level 10)
Birdsong Tower (Level 11, Item: Birdsong Nectar)
Endor (Leven 13)
Santeem (Level 14)"[5]
[edit] Chapter 3: Taloon the Arms Merchant
"An ambitious man, whose greatest dream is to be independent, lives with his wife and child in the town of Lakanaba. Taloon works at the shop of a weapons merchant, and he has learned everything about the weapons trade. Unfortunately, Taloon does not have enough money to buy his own shop. So he sets off to find or earn a great fortune."[6]
[edit] Itinerary for Chapter 3
"Taloon's purpose is going on a quest is to find or earn lots of Gold. He should use his head when faced with traps or puzzles.
Steps:
Lakanaba (Level 1)
Cave North of Lakanaba (Level 3, Item: Iron Safe)
Bonmalmo (Level 7, Item: Prince's Letter)
Foxville (Level 7, Item: A Dog)
Endor (Level 10, Item: Royal Scroll)
Cave of Silver Statuette (Level 12, Item: Silver Statuette)
Tunnel Between Endor and Branca (Level 13)"[7]
[edit] Chapter 4: The Sisters of Monbaraba
"When Loro, the world-renowned blacksmith, died of mysterious causes, he left behind two daughters. Nara has studied the magic of fortune-telling and acquired great power. Mara began training as a dancer, in the ancient style, at a very young age. Her skill is unequalled. They are determined to find the cause of their father's tragic fate, no matter the peril."[8]
[edit] Itinerary for Chapter 4
"Nara and Mara have dedicated their lives to their special talents - which do not include fighting skills. They will need the help of strong UCs.
Steps:
Monbaraba (Level 1)
Kievs (Level 3)
Cave West of Kievs (Level 4)
Haville (Level 11)
Keeleon (Level 11)
Aktemto Mine (Level 13, Item: Gunpowder Jar)
Keeleon (Level 14, Item: Boarding Pass)"[9]
[edit] Chapter 5: The Chosen Ones
"In Chapter 5, the Hero, arrives to lead the characters from the earlier chapters. As a team of experienced and highly trained adventurers, the Hero challenges the enemy. He is a fierce demon who has secretly tracked the characters through Chapter 1-4. Now he will make a dramatic appearance."[10]
[edit] The World of Chapter 5
"Born in a small mountain village, the child grew strong on the wild crags and played in the echoing valleys. Now, trained in the arts of a magician and gifted with the skills of a warrior, this child is ready to become a Hero. The time has come for our untried Hero to begin an incredible journal of peril and glory.
The world of Dragon Warrior IV has four continents. These vast lands are composed of mountains, valleys, rushing streams, oceans, and countless dangers. The young Hero is inexperienced, but many allies will join the Hero's cause and lend their knowledge and assistance. Eventually, our Hero will bring a new order to this chaotic world."[11]
[edit] Uncontrolled Characters
- This section is directly quoted from the game's handbook, sans any Side Notes.[12]
See also: List of Dragon Warrior IV characters
Uncontrolled Characters (UCs) are those which you cannot move or otherwise influence. They follow their own rules and participate as they choose. They are the ungoverned nomads of these lands.
Single-Minded
The UCs prefer to hunt for and collect their own kinds of items. They don't appreciate being told what to carry, and will not accept anything you try to give them. Nor can you take anything from them to give another member of your team. They are extremely stubborn, and nothing you do will change their minds.
Independent
Though it may appear that Artificial intelligence controls the UCs, it does not. They behave entirely as they please, refusing to accept any strategy commands. They hang around because they like you, or because you have something that attracts them, or because they're just bored.
Healie: He can't protect members, but he does know the Heal spell. Side note: Appears in Chapter 1.
Laurent: Uses a Venomous Dagger and casts Sleep and Fireball spells. Side note: Appears in Chapter 3.
Strom: He has no magic skills, but is a mighty fighter with good weapons. Side note: Appears in Chapter 3.
Orin: This strong man can use his huge muscles to break open some locked doors. Side note: Appears in Chapter 4.
Hector: He is building up power to use in a later battle. Side note: Appears in Chapter 5.
Panon: She is a brilliant star and is good to have with you in dark places. Side note: Appears in Chapter 5.
Lucia: A beautiful celestial woman with wonderous magic skills and power. Side note: Appears in Chapter 5.
Doran: This monster is deceptively powerful when it comes to attacking. Side note: Appears in Chapter 5.
[edit] Character Status
- This section is directly quoted from the game's handbook.[13]
Level: As the number of Experience Points increases, so will the character's Level. Experience Points are gained by defeating enemies. The maximum possible HP and MP increase according to Level. A character's Level and class will determine what magic spells he/she can learn.
HP (Hit Points): The number of Hit Points decreases whenever a character is injured in battle. HP also decrease if a character tries to walk while poisoned, or is moving through harmful terrian. When HP reach zero, a character is defeated.
MP (Magic Points): Magic Power will decrease each time a character casts a spell.
G (Gold): This shows how many Gold pieces you have. As a team, you all pool your Gold.
Strength: This is a measure of the character's Attack Power in battle.
Agility: The more agile the character, the faster he/she is. Agility influences battle selection.
Vitality: High Vitality means a character can rapidly increase his/her HP.
Intelligence: It takes brains rather than brawn to work magic and learn new spells.
Luck: In this troubled land, everyone needs at least a little Luck to survive. A good dose of Luck can help a character successfully flee an enemy or escape the effects of a magic spell.
Max HP (Maximum Hit Points): This indicates how many Hit Points a character can have at his/her current Level. Visiting an Inn will restore everyone's HP to maximum.
Max MP (Maximum Magic Power): Each character's maximum Magic Power will also be restored at an Inn.
Attack Power: This indicates the amount of damage a character can inflict upon enemies with each attack. The Attack Power is sum of a character's Strength plus the Attack Power of all equipped weapons.
Defense Power: Take half the amount of a character's Agility and add that to the total Attack Power of all equipped defensive weaponry to figure the Defensive Power. This indicates how well a character can withstand injury.
Exp (Experience Points): A character will earn Experience Points every time he/she defeats enemies. The number of points gained depends on the enemies' strength and whether the character defeated those enemies alone or with help. If the character received help, he/she will earn fewer points than if he/she had conquered the foe alone. Once a character wins a certain number of Exp, he/she will be promoted to the next Level.
[edit] Re-releases
Dragon Quest IV was remade for the PlayStation on November 22, 2001 in Japan. It was developed by Heartbeat and published by Enix. The remake was developed using the Dragon Quest VII's 3D graphics engine, but was still Dragon Quest IV's story and world. With this remake came new features. Among these features were a new chapter, a new character, an inter-party talk command similar to Dragon Quest VII, and the ability to turn off the artificial intelligence for party members. Enix America originally planned to bring the remake to North America in 2002, but it was later canceled due to Heartbeat closing its video game development operations.
[edit] Spin-offs
Dragon Warrior IV is the first game in the series to spawn spin-offs. The merchant Torneko (also known as Taloon in the NES version) was very popular to star his own series, in which he finds himself in quests in order to expand his store. These games are the Torneko no Daibouken sub-series (Translated as Torneko's Great Adventure), roguelike and random dungeon games produced by Enix (and Square Enix) and developed by Chunsoft. The success of the games later inspired the creation of the Mysterious Dungeon series.
[edit] Soundtrack
As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. The song heard during gameplay depends on a number of factors. A specific track is always played for towns, another for caves or dungeons, another while the party is mounted on the hot air balloon, for instance. Lastly, while out in the world, each of the first four acts has its own theme song, as does the hero--in act five, the theme song played depends on who is the first character in the formation.
The tracklisting of the Symphonic Suite is:
- Overture (1:55)
- Minuet (3:07)
- Comrades (10:28)
- In a Town (8:16)
- Homeland ~ Wagon Wheels' March (5:58)
- Frightening Dungeons ~ Cursed Towers (5:19)
- Elegy ~ Mysterious Shrine (5:03)
- Balloon's Flight (4:32)
- Sea Breeze (4:31)
- The Unknown Castle (4:37)
- Battle for the Glory (7:51)
- The End (5:12)
[edit] Reception
Dragon Quest IV, in North America is often regarded as the best Dragon Quest game for the NES and is highly sought after. A loose copy of the game often sells on ebay and specialty stores for as much as $50.
It was awarded "Best Challenge" and 2nd place "Best Overall Game" in 1993 by Nintendo Power, runner-up "Best Role Playing Game of 1992" by GamePro magazine, "Best Role Playing Game of 1992" by Game Informer and "Best NES Adventure/RPG of 1992" by Game Players.
[edit] Trivia
- In 1991, Enix released a set of videos featuring Koichi Sugiyama conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra performing the soundtrack in Warwick Castle, along with clips of acting.
[edit] References
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 2-3.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 2.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 23.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 2.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 24.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 2.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 25.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 3.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 26.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 3.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 31.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 22.
- ^ 1992 Dragon Warrior IV Explorer's Handbook, ENIX Corporation, page 12.
[edit] External links
- Dragon Warrior IV (Dragon Quest IV) (NES) at GameFAQs
- Dragon Quest IV (PlayStation) at GameFAQs
- A Dragon Warrior IV shrine at RPGClassics
- Dragon Warrior IV at MobyGames
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