![Dragon Quest (Famicom) Playthrough [English] @NintendoComplete](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vlnI0Ha88sQ/sddefault.jpg)
Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A playthrough of Enix's 1986 role-playing game for the Nintendo Famicom, Dragon Quest.
This is the Japanese version of the game, so I used a fan-made translation patch for this recording. You can find the patch at romhacking.net/translations/5416
As if I needed a reason to tackle yet another version of Dragon Quest, the upcoming release of Dragon Quest I+II HD Remake seemed like the perfect excuse to trot out the first version of the first game in the series.
The Famicom version was the first version of the first DQ game. It differs from the NES game, which Nintendo upgraded, localized, and published in North America three years later, in a few ways.
On the Famicom:
-The game has no battery-backed save system. Instead, your progress is tracked through passwords given to you by the king.
-The character graphics are simpler and always face the screen, and the coastlines on the overworld have flat edges.
-Since your character can't face items, doors, or NPCs, to interact with something, you have to choose the direction you want to target with a menu command.
Besides that, it's essentially the same game, but to change things up for this playthrough, I decided to let the princess rot in the cave. I defeated the dragon, but I didn't feel like being railroaded into marrying her ("But thou must!"), so I just ignored her and carried on. It was nice to end the game without her looming over the finale like a doom cloud. Nobody even comments on her absence at the end, so I was pleased with the resolution.
Who else is excited to see what they've done with the remake?
(But seriously, it would be nice if Square-Enix pulled its head out of its ass with these Switch releases. The Switch version is a full physical release, but the Switch 2 version is just a key card, and if you buy the Switch 1 version, they won't let you pay to upgrade it. I bought the Switch version because I wanted a legit physical copy, but it really chaps my sack that I'm stuck playing a worse version because they're too cheap to produce a proper Switch 2 cartridge.)
Links to playthroughs of other versions of DQ1:
NES: youtu.be/J392i9NKvvo
Game Boy: youtu.be/4AsOkrDBcgk
SNES: youtu.be/qUWFKwDJb4Y
And here are the videos I've done of its sequel:
NES: youtu.be/onNy0JlNgi4
Game Boy: youtu.be/xo-qQyzJxsg
SNES: youtu.be/yh1zZ6qV-54
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
A playthrough of Enix's 1986 role-playing game for the Nintendo Famicom, Dragon Quest.
This is the Japanese version of the game, so I used a fan-made translation patch for this recording. You can find the patch at romhacking.net/translations/5416
As if I needed a reason to tackle yet another version of Dragon Quest, the upcoming release of Dragon Quest I+II HD Remake seemed like the perfect excuse to trot out the first version of the first game in the series.
The Famicom version was the first version of the first DQ game. It differs from the NES game, which Nintendo upgraded, localized, and published in North America three years later, in a few ways.
On the Famicom:
-The game has no battery-backed save system. Instead, your progress is tracked through passwords given to you by the king.
-The character graphics are simpler and always face the screen, and the coastlines on the overworld have flat edges.
-Since your character can't face items, doors, or NPCs, to interact with something, you have to choose the direction you want to target with a menu command.
Besides that, it's essentially the same game, but to change things up for this playthrough, I decided to let the princess rot in the cave. I defeated the dragon, but I didn't feel like being railroaded into marrying her ("But thou must!"), so I just ignored her and carried on. It was nice to end the game without her looming over the finale like a doom cloud. Nobody even comments on her absence at the end, so I was pleased with the resolution.
Who else is excited to see what they've done with the remake?
(But seriously, it would be nice if Square-Enix pulled its head out of its ass with these Switch releases. The Switch version is a full physical release, but the Switch 2 version is just a key card, and if you buy the Switch 1 version, they won't let you pay to upgrade it. I bought the Switch version because I wanted a legit physical copy, but it really chaps my sack that I'm stuck playing a worse version because they're too cheap to produce a proper Switch 2 cartridge.)
Links to playthroughs of other versions of DQ1:
NES: youtu.be/J392i9NKvvo
Game Boy: youtu.be/4AsOkrDBcgk
SNES: youtu.be/qUWFKwDJb4Y
And here are the videos I've done of its sequel:
NES: youtu.be/onNy0JlNgi4
Game Boy: youtu.be/xo-qQyzJxsg
SNES: youtu.be/yh1zZ6qV-54
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!
![Dragon Quest (Famicom) Playthrough [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vlnI0Ha88sQ/mqdefault.jpg "Dragon Quest (Famicom) Playthrough [English]
A playthrough of Enixs 1986 role-playing game for the Nintendo Famicom, Dragon Quest.
This is the Japanese version of the game, so I used a fan-made translation patch for this recording. You can find the patch at https://www.romhacking.net/translations/5416/
As if I needed a reason to tackle yet another version of Dragon Quest, the upcoming release of Dragon Quest I+II HD Remake seemed like the perfect excuse to trot out the first version of the first game in the series.
The Famicom version was the first version of the first DQ game. It differs from the NES game, which Nintendo upgraded, localized, and published in North America three years later, in a few ways.
On the Famicom:
-The game has no battery-backed save system. Instead, your progress is tracked through passwords given to you by the king.
-The character graphics are simpler and always face the screen, and the coastlines on the overworld have flat edges.
-Since your character cant face items, doors, or NPCs, to interact with something, you have to choose the direction you want to target with a menu command.
Besides that, its essentially the same game, but to change things up for this playthrough, I decided to let the princess rot in the cave. I defeated the dragon, but I didnt feel like being railroaded into marrying her (But thou must!), so I just ignored her and carried on. It was nice to end the game without her looming over the finale like a doom cloud. Nobody even comments on her absence at the end, so I was pleased with the resolution.
Who else is excited to see what theyve done with the remake?
(But seriously, it would be nice if Square-Enix pulled its head out of its ass with these Switch releases. The Switch version is a full physical release, but the Switch 2 version is just a key card, and if you buy the Switch 1 version, they wont let you pay to upgrade it. I bought the Switch version because I wanted a legit physical copy, but it really chaps my sack that Im stuck playing a worse version because theyre too cheap to produce a proper Switch 2 cartridge.)
Links to playthroughs of other versions of DQ1:
NES: https://youtu.be/J392i9NKvvo
Game Boy: https://youtu.be/4AsOkrDBcgk
SNES: https://youtu.be/qUWFKwDJb4Y
And here are the videos Ive done of its sequel:
NES: https://youtu.be/onNy0JlNgi4
Game Boy: https://youtu.be/xo-qQyzJxsg
SNES: https://youtu.be/yh1zZ6qV-54
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
![Bases Loaded (NES) Playthrough [4 of 4]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wIBKlkYC22U/mqdefault.jpg "Bases Loaded (NES) Playthrough [4 of 4]
A playthrough of Jalecos 1988 baseball game for the NES, Bases Loaded.
This is the final part of a four-part playthrough, showing games 68-80 of the penant mode, playing as Jersey.
The ending begins at 7:01:17.
Part 1 (1-24): https://youtu.be/eK0BY2_C9cc
Part 2 (25-45): https://youtu.be/z5czzzR5eK8
Part 3 (46-67): https://youtu.be/anuJt4T0oko
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
![Final Fantasy III (SNES) Playthrough [1 of 3]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wpKEFXrkGzc/mqdefault.jpg "Final Fantasy III (SNES) Playthrough [1 of 3]
A playthrough of Squares 1994 role-playing game for the Super Nintendo, Final Fantasy III.
This video is part one of a three-part playthrough, covering the beginning of the game through reconnecting with Terra in Zozo and gaining control of the airship.
Part 2: https://youtu.be/tJQtMmT9VfE
Part 3: https://youtu.be/jxS32BHD6Xc
Please note that this is the original English-language localization of Final Fantasy VI.
Final Fantasy III was a huge deal when it was released. Square advertised it heavily in magazines, and it was immediately met with universal acclaim. The game represented a huge evolutionary step forward from 1991s https://youtu.be/zsPm6Tui7Ts. Dont get me wrong - I loved FF2, and I still consider it my favorite RPG ever - but FF3 was a clear upgrade in most respects, and was extremely popular despite the niche status of the genre on consoles at the time.
It featured a massive cast of characters and a plot that was far more mature in its nature and its writing than any of the previous games in the series. Regularly dealing with heavy-handed moral issues, it showed that Squares writing and design chops were growing with the genre in how they were becoming increasingly comfortable addressing things like identity, sexuality, and politics. I still remember how taken aback I was the first time I witnessed a video game character attempt to commit suicide in (one possible outcome) of one of FF3s pivotal plot moments.
The graphics and the music were absolutely gorgeous for a 16-bit RPG, the battle system had been sharpened to a razor edge, and with everything working to support one of the most intricate plots attempted in a console RPG, the game came together to present an unforgettable experience to anyone who has ever had the pleasure of playing it. And those set pieces! Who could ever forget the infamous opera scene (9:44:30), the minecart ride through the Magitek lab facilities (11:15:34), or the apocalypse?
The villain deserves a special mention, too. Kefka has to be one of the best villains ever in a game. He reminds me of Iago in Shakespeares Othello. His character works so well because he has no real justification for his cruelty. Hes power hungry, sure, but more than that, he enjoys inflicting pain on people. Hes unequivocally evil and makes no apologies for it. How much more frightening can a despot be than when he cares for nothing but utter destruction?
Final Fantasy III is rightfully remembered as one of the best RPGs, and one of the best games, on the SNES. Can you really call yourself a true JRPG fan if youve never experienced it?
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
![Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand (SNES) Playthrough [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xXT8GfaE1tQ/mqdefault.jpg "Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand (SNES) Playthrough [English]
Ys V: Kefin, Lost Kingdom of Sand (SNES) Playthrough [English]")
![Castlevania II: The Seal of the Curse (Famicom) Playthrough [English]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xlcOtFgMDC0/mqdefault.jpg "Castlevania II: The Seal of the Curse (Famicom) Playthrough [English]
A playthrough of Konamis 1987 action-adventure game for the Nintendo Famicom, Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin (ドラキュラⅡ呪いの封印, lit. Dracula II: The Seal of the Curse).
Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin, released in the fall of 1987 for the Famicom Disk System, is the original Japanese version of Castlevania II: Simons Quest (https://youtu.be/HJ-wR_D48uE), which was localized and released for the NES in North America in 1988 and in PAL territories in 1990.
Simons Quest is my favorite game in the Castlevania series, and I wanted to do something special with it for this Halloween season. I havent tried any of the fan-made translation patches that are out there so I cant speak to their quality, but to give the game the royal treatment, I rolled up my sleeves and translated the entire thing myself. (Please note that this is not a game patch. All of the text was superimposed over the footage in a video editor.)
The official English version of the game regularly gets blasted for the quality of its translation, and while it does have its share of glaring errors and omissions, its more faithful to the original script than people give it credit for. I think what hampers it is how terse and literal it is, and how that tends to obscure important information. With this translation, I did my best to address those issues while staying true to the Japanese text. I hope you find it as interesting to watch as I did to work on.
The soundtrack in this version is also pretty neat. The music is the same, but the FDSs wavetable channel gives it a very different character to what we heard on the NES. I prefer the NES versions of the tunes - the sampled drums give them a lot of oomph - but the FDS music is very good in its own right.
(The loading screens are a bit of a pain, though!)
In this playthrough, I finished the game in seven days for the best ending, but I also included the normal and bad endings at end of the video, starting from 1:45:06. The endings were already in English, so Ive left them untouched.
I hope you guys enjoy the translation, and Id love to hear your thoughts on how this version compares to the NES game!
(And if you like Castlevania music, perhaps youd like to check out some of my arrangements done on original SNES hardware! You can find one of my SNES remixes of the town music at https://youtu.be/Yd4p2EX5WyM, and a compilation of several of my Castlevania SNES mixes at https://youtu.be/KQLqelPbwZc)
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!")
