Dystiny of an Emperor and Dragon Quest are very different takes on the RPG genre. One is a fairly basic RPG that has several archaic gameplay mechanics. The other is an imaginative combination of RPG subgenres.
They have similar graphics, which made me initially wonder if Capcom had licensed Dragon Quest’s engine to make the game, or at least had the same artist from those games. There are other similarities besides the graphics. Most of them are the general gameplay mechanics and tropes of the genre.
The stories and battles are very different. Destiny of an Emperor also has a huge pool of playable characters as opposed to Dragon Quest’s solo protagonist. Let’s get into the two games and see what they have to offer.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
These two games are turn-based RPGs where you go on a quest to make things right. I know this is an extremely vague description of them, but that’s what most video games that have a story boil down to. They also have similar graphics.
In Dragon Quest, you play as the descendant of a legendary hero, and you have to go on a quest to save a princess, gather items, and eventually defeat the Dragonlord. I like the game’s story, but the gameplay is rather archaic.
Destiny of an Emperor’s plot is based on historical events. Think of it like an alternate history of the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history, where Lie Bei is the hero and unites the country under his rule. The game largely follows a linear path. I can only think of two or three side quests that don’t bring you too far from the main path.
These games have similar graphics and gameplay. Both use a menu system when you try to talk to other characters, but the combat is very different. Dragon Quest has only one party member, and you fight one monster at a time. Destiny of an Emperor has you form a party of seven (Five in the main party and two in reserve), and you fight up to five enemy armies at a time.
Let’s get into the major differences between the two games. All of this is going to have to do with the gameplay and combat. They’re very different games once you get past the graphics.
Main Differences
There are three big differences between these two games. The setting, story, and the combat system are all very different. Those are the major ones that I’m going to be covering here. There are several minor differences.
Dragon Quest is a high fantasy game, while Destiny of an Emperor is a historical fiction setting. One game has you fighting monsters in a fantasy land, and the other takes place in ancient China. Magic and fantasy monsters are in Dragon Quest, while Destiny of an Emperor uses more realistic military tactics and is based on historical events.
The stories are very different. Dragon Quest is a generic high fantasy plot where you play as a legendary hero who has to save a kingdom. In Destiny of an Emperor, the story is more grounded in a historical setting. There aren’t as many fantasy elements, and the quests are closer to locations of battles.
The combat systems are totally different. Dragon Quest uses a first person perspective, has magic, and you only fight one enemy at a time. This is a text heavy game, and while there are some graphics for hitting, being hit, and being close to death, most of what happens is in a text box.
Destiny of an Emperor shows your party on the right and the enemy party on the left. The battle screen is rather boring, as it’s just a black screen. It resembles the battle screens from Final Fantasy, to some extent.
These are the major differences between the games. There are a bunch of minor differences, which are style choices. While the games look similar, they take very different paths when it comes to gameplay.
Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)
I’ve gone over much of this when I was explaining the major differences. The only thing I haven’t touched on is the graphics in any real detail. I’ll go over the graphics here, and skip over the Story and Combat as I don’t want to repeat myself too much.
On the world map and in towns, the graphics in these games are very similar. It looks like Capcom was inspired by the Dragon Quest series. The layout of the world map isn’t too far off either, as both games guide you on a path to where you need to go.
The towns and characters also look similar. In the towns, the buildings look the same. This works well for an NES game where you still needed to use your imagination at times when the graphics aren’t as good as they could’ve been.
The battle screens look very different. I like the way Dragon Quest looks because it is more colorful, and the enemies look much better. Both games still have issues with the graphics for attacks, spells/and tactics.
The combat systems and story are very different. In some ways, I like the combat in Destiny of an Emperor more than Dragon Quest, mostly because it is a unique take on the mechanic.
I’ll mention the magic systems in both games very quickly. Dragon Quest has your standard spells for attacks, healing, and status effects that you’ll see in other fantasy games. Destiny of an Emperor replaces this with military tactics that occasionally annoy me, especially when the enemy’s tactics seem to always hit you, and your attempts fail more often than not.
There are quite a few differences between these two games. They have different approaches to the RPG genre. Let’s move on to what each game does better than the other.
What Does Dragon Quest do Better?
There isn’t too much that Dragon Quest does better than Destiny of an Emperor. While I like this game, it serves as a historical marker to illustrate how far the genre has come since its early years. This doesn’t mean it is entirely bad, but it does have a dated game design.
The one thing I can point to as being clearly better is the graphics on the battle scene. Dragon Quest’s enemies look very good, and it has bright and colorful graphics on this screen. I love these early graphics as you get a well detailed sprite of the enemy you’re fighting.
The other parts of the game are either as good or worse than Destiny of an Emperor. There is a charm to this game that makes it fun to play. Dragon Quest makes me appreciate how far the genre has come on the home console.
What Does Destiny of an Emperor do Better?
Destiny of an Emperor is able to stand out because of its setting and rejection of the fantasy elements of other RPGs. It also has some unique gameplay mechanics that you won’t find in other games on the NES. Capcom did a wonderful job of making something that was able to stand out from a crowded field.
Right off the bat, Destiny of an Emperor reduced the number of actions in your menu. It is closer to what Phantasy Star did with its menu system. It also has a decent inventory system.
The combat mechanics and party system are also much better than Dragon Quest. I love having a party of five characters, going on a long quest to find your party, and recruiting enemy generals to your side. This is a mechanic that I enjoy more than any other RPG on the NES.
The story also stands out to me. It is more of a grand quest to unify China, rather than the standard “you have to defeat the evil guy who is doing something evil.” This is something different from the other plots on RPGs.
I could keep going, but those are the major things that Destiny of an Emperor does better. I simply enjoy this game more than any other RPG on the NES, and I have a lot of memories of playing it.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
Destiny of an Emperor is a more complete game. It is a unique take on the RPG genre, and I have way more fun with it. I also enjoy the approach the developer took when it comes to recruiting enemy generals to your side.
While its graphics on the battle screen aren’t as good, I like RPGs that have a party system in them. It is also more fun to go on quests to find your party members, as well as trying to recruit generals that you’ve defeated in battle.
The story is more interesting to me. Destiny of an Emperor takes place during a period of history that I find very interesting. It is a fictional account, but I love the story overall. Now that I know more about the source material for this game, I want to check out the manga it is based on.
There is also a very cool auto battle feature in Destiny of an Emperor that lets you speed through some of the random battles, especially when you are way stronger than an enemy. Having a party of five and trying to find the generals that gain levels is more fun than the solo battles in Dragon Quest. I find the combat to be more enjoyable and imaginative.
At the end of the day, the first Dragon Quest has an archaic style, and Destiny of an Emperor is a different take when compared with the other RPGs on the NES. I like everything about the gameplay in this game, and the graphics are nice to look at.
When I go back to play a retro RPG, I look for something different. I’m a fan of weird games that don’t play like other games. That is one of the biggest reasons I like Destiny of an Emperor more than other RPGs on the NES.
Which Would I Rather Play?
I would rather play Destiny of an Emperor. This is a game that I absolutely love because of how different it is from the other RPGs on the system. I also love the setting and the story.
I found the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history to be incredibly interesting. For a long time, I didn’t know that this game was based on a manga. It wasn’t until recently that I learned about it, and that this game has sequels that weren’t released outside of Japan.
Destiny of an Emperor is one of the many hidden gems or forgotten classics on the NES. It is more well known now thanks to the internet, but it isn’t always mentioned when people talk about retro games that deserve a remake. I’m sure this is probably complicated because of the licensing agreement between Capcom and the creator of the manga.
I’m not going to pretend that I understand all of that, but it would be nice to have the game and its sequels brought to a modern console. The sequels not being brought to North America and Europe might have had something to do with sales. It probably didn’t sell as well as Capcom wanted, or it might have had to do with RPGs not being as popular on the NES in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
I have a lot of memories of playing this game. That is the biggest reason I prefer it over any other RPG on the NES. It is still fun to go back and play. I love the concept of traveling around and recruiting generals to your side, and how the game combines history with fantasy.
This is one of the games I found while searching for NES ROMs in middle school. I was at home sick, and I stumbled across this game. I played it all day and had a wonderful time. When I started collecting retro games, this was one I really wanted to find!
Conclusion
I have a lot of love for Destiny of an Emperor. It has a setting that I adore, a great story, and I really enjoy the gameplay mechanics. This is one of my favorite retro RPGs of all time.
Dragon Quest is one of those games that I enjoy, but it has a lot of problems. It is a fairly basic RPG that has a lot of archaic gameplay mechanics that didn’t stand the test of time. I enjoy it more for the pixel art than anything else in the game.
While I think Destiny of an Emperor is the better game, and the one I would rather play, this doesn’t mean Dragon Quest is bad. Both games are fun to play, but one has better gameplay and is more friendly to new players.
If you liked this post, please check out my other versus posts, such as Dragon Quest vs Final Fantasy and Phantasy Star vs Final Fantasy.