Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Dragon Quest are fairly similar RPGs. They’re both simple games that don’t venture too far from the basic formula. Both games can be considered started RPGs.
Neither of these games is going to end up on a best games list, but they can be fun every once in a while. I have a newfound appreciation for Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, and Dragon Quest is one of the games that I enjoy because of how simple it is. These aren’t bad games; they’re just simple RPGs.
Since I’m comparing an early NES game with an SNES game, I won’t be talking too much about graphics. This will mostly focus on the story and the gameplay. I’ll try to do this when I compare NES or Master System games with games on the SNES and Genesis. No idea what I’m going to do with the PS1 games at this moment. Anyway, let’s get into these two games.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
Neither game has an elaborate story, and the settings aren’t too different. Both of these games are high fantasy stories and are fairly simple. When I played these games, one felt way more challenging than the other.
Dragon Quest is a high fantasy RPG where you take control of a solo protagonist. He happens to be the “Legendary Hero” and has to defeat the Dragonlord. To do this, the player has to collect some key items, armor, and weapons. It ends with the player fighting and defeating the Dragonlord.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a high fantasy RPG where you take control of a hero who is part of a prophecy. He is joined by a rotating cast of characters as he tries to restore light to four crystals. After that, he has to defeat an evil wizard who orchestrated this whole scenario. It’s a little odd that this moron caused the events of the game, but I guess that is what you should expect from a game like this.
These are simple explanations for both games. They have simple stories, but for different reasons. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is a starter RPG, and Dragon Quest was trying something different on the home console. Let’s go over the main differences between these two games.
Main Differences
These games are both pretty simple RPGs. They have some differences in terms of gameplay, story, and tone. There are some minor differences as well, which I might mention later on.
The party systems differ a little. Dragon Quest has a solo protagonist, and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has a party of two characters. There is a rotating cast of secondary characters that occasionally join you for a short time.
With Dragon Quest, you have way more freedom to wander around and explore the game’s world. You have to do this to go on the side quests. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest doesn’t have this, as you have to follow a linear path. There are also no real side quests that would have the player go exploring.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is far more light-hearted than Dragon Quest. Both are bright and colorful, but Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has more humor in it and is less serious. There are quite a few moments where the main character is either confused or points out how ridiculous everything is.
There are also the usual differences between the early Final Fantasy games and Dragon Quest games. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is all about the four elemental crystals and defeating a big bad guy. Dragon Quest sends you on a quest to gather items and weapons, which will help you defeat a big bad guy.
These are the major differences between these fairly simple RPGs. I’m sure that I’m missing something, but I can’t think of anything at the moment.
What Does Final Fantasy Mystic Quest do Better?
There are quite a few things that Final Fantasy Mystic Quest does better than Dragon Quest. Much of it has to do with quality of life improvements, which you should expect from a game on the SNES when compared to an NES game. There are also several improvements in making the game more fun by adding some variety to the gameplay.
I really like how Mystic Quest has its enemies change when they take enough damage. This is something I wish more RPGs had done because it gives the player some indication of how well they’re doing. It is much better than doing math and hoping that you’re getting close.
The puzzle platformer sections of this game are more interesting than what is offered in Dragon Quest. The gameplay is more varied, you have more party members, and I like that it is a little more strategic. Giving your weapons a secondary function outside of combat is pretty cool, and it adds something to the game.
Having more than one party member and fighting more than one enemy makes this game a little more challenging. It is still an easy game, but the combat is more varied than Dragon Quest. I also like that you can restart a battle if you die. It is one of those little things that I didn’t know I wanted in an RPG until I saw it here.
That is what I think Final Fantasy Mystic Quest does better than the first Dragon Quest. These are the major things that I think are better. I did ignore the graphics as best as I could because I don’t think that is fair. Let’s get into what Dragon Quest does better.
What Does Dragon Quest do Better?
Dragon Quest has a few things going for it. It has nice graphics and decent gameplay. This is more of a traditional RPG where the game doesn’t hold your hand as much as Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Here are a few of the things that I think this game does better than the other.
Dragon Quest lets you explore the game’s world. Because it doesn’t lock you into set paths, you’re free to explore and grind for levels. I like this approach more than being locked into a path.
I like that I can grind for levels in this game. This is something that I find relaxing, and it is what I expect from a retro RPG. While Mystic Quest has some areas where you can fight a number of battles, it isn’t as fun as what is in Dragon Quest.
This is really it. While there are some good things in Dragon Quest, I don’t think there are very many things that are better than Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. This is more of what I would want from an RPG, but it has many game mechanics that are more annoying than anything else.
While I like the game, there aren’t too many things that I can point to as being better. I find the game to be enjoyable, but it has some very archaic mechanics that I struggle to ignore. For what it is, Dragon Quest is a solid RPG that didn’t age as well as the other games in the series.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
It is really hard to pick a winner between these games. I’m going to give this one to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. While I don’t think there is a clear winner between these two, I like the more comedic tone of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and how it is more accessible than Dragon Quest.
I enjoyed the more comedic tone of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. The characters felt more like real people, which is a result of it being on a newer console. Dragon Quest only has a few instances of character development. In Mystic Quest, the characters have more to say about what is going on.
By adding more party members and some action platformer sections, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest makes its gameplay more fun. The battles are more challenging, and the dungeons are more complex. It isn’t that different from Dragon Quest, but simply adding two more enemies and one party member makes things better.
Dragon Quest has a lot of archaic gameplay mechanics that I find very annoying. These were fine when the game was initially released, but as I go back to play it, I find them annoying. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest simplifies things and makes it easier to play. The overall user interface is much better in Mystic Quest.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is an easy game that holds the player’s hand as they play. It has a few improvements over the RPGs on the NES, and in this case, I think it is the better game. It is close, but I’m giving it the edge over Dragon Quest.
Which Would I Rather Play?
At this point, I would rather play Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. For me, this is the better game, it is newer to me, and I think it is a fun RPG. It helps that it is easier to get into than the first Dragon Quest.
The story is more enjoyable to me, and I like the characters more. There are some elements of the gameplay that I like about the game. It has enough variety to make it stand out from these earlier console RPGs.
It is a fairly close call with this as well. As I’m writing this, I think that I would rather play Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. I’ve only beaten the game once, so I’m going with the game that is newer to me. It feels a little fresher than Dragon Quest.
Conclusion
This one was very close. Both of these games are simple RPGs that don’t have long or elaborate stories. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was able to stand out more because of the gameplay and the story.
Dragon Quest on the NES is fine, but it was quickly surpassed by the other RPGs on that console. It has some similarities with Mystic Quest, but it isn’t as good. Neither game is going to be held up as an amazing game, but they’re better than average games.
My opinion of Mystic Quest has changed over the years. I’m glad that I’ve gone back to play these games because it has given me a different perspective on them. When I first played them, I was in high school and didn’t give them the time they deserved.
It will be interesting to see how other games stack up to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. This game isn’t some forgotten classic or anything like that. It is a solid starter RPG that has a decent story, good graphics, and fun gameplay.
If you liked this post, check out the others in my vs series. Such as Dragon Quest II vs Dragon Quest III or Sweet Home vs Phantasy Star III.