Robotrek and Dragon Quest is an interesting match up. Science fiction and high fantasy games usually make for some interesting comparisons. This one is a little tricky because Dragon Quest is a fairly basic RPG.
Both games were published by Enix, but made by different development teams. They were also made at different times, which makes for some glaring differences. It is always fun for me when this happens because it makes me think harder about what to put in some sections.
I won’t be focusing on graphics that much. Dragon Quest is an Early NES game, and I don’t think it is fair to compare its graphics to an SNES. While I like the graphics in both games, I’m not going to use it as a deciding factor.
These games have some great things in them. One of them is more important from a historical standpoint when it comes to console RPGs. The other is a game that probably doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. I have more memories of playing one of them. Let’s get into it and see which one is better.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
There are a few things that these games have in common. Most of them are going to be features that you find in most console RPGs. This is also a match up of science fiction and high fantasy settings.
Robotrek is a science fiction game where you play as an inventor. Over the course of the game, you’ll build robots, weapons for them, and key items. There is a degree of puzzle-solving in this game that requires you to use specific items in some situations. Combat is turn-based, and takes place on a tactical grid. The story is a little bizarre, but it fits with the game’s world, where everything is a little odd.
Dragon Quest is a high fantasy game. It has a lot of stereotypical plot points that are found in the genre. You play as the chosen hero, you save a princess, and then gather key items that you’ll need to fight the big bad guy. There really isn’t much to the game’s plot, but it worked for the time that this game was released.
Those are just brief descriptions of these two games. While there is a little more to Robotrek, there isn’t much to Dragon Quest. Both of them are good games, and there are a number of differences between them.
Main Differences
There are a lot of major differences between these games. I’ll cover the major ones here and try to keep this to four or five. The big things that stood out to me are the tone of the game, gameplay, characters, and the game’s worlds.
These games have very different tones when it comes to their stories. Dragon Quest takes its story seriously. There is little to no comedy in the game, as everything is focused on driving the player to the end. Robotrek is an overly goofy game. Even when the stakes get very high, the developers sneak in a few laughs to break things up.
The overall gameplay is pretty different. While they both have you controlling one character during combat, everything else is different. Robotrek has no magic in it as it only focuses on technology, and it has tactical battles instead of what you would normally see in a turn-based console RPG. Dragon Quest has the main character play every role in combat, such as a healer, mage, and knight. You also only fight one enemy at a time.
There are more characters in Robotrek, and the game’s world feels more lived in. Because the story is bigger, the characters have more to say. The game just has more personality. Dragon Quest only has a handful of characters that really matter. Both games have silent protagonists, but Robotrek gets more out of its secondary characters.
These are the big things that stood out to me. There are a lot more. In an effort to keep this brief, I’m going to skip a few things. Let’s take a look at the core mechanics in these games. These will be some of the more minor differences.
Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)
There are several minor differences when it comes to the combat, story, and gameplay. I’m going to skip visuals because these games have similar approaches to telling their stories. Also, I don’t think it is a fair comparison in this case. If I think of anything else, I’ll add it in.
The combat in these games is totally different. You fight more enemies in Robotrek, and things play out more like a tactical RPG. Dragon Quest has you fight one enemy at a time, and things are more like other console RPGs.
Robotrek has a very science fiction story. You travel through time and eventually go to space. It is like the developers threw everything at the player that they could. Dragon Quest has a very basic plot and doesn’t really deviate from it. You know that you have to fight the Dragonlord, and that is what you eventually do.
The biggest part of the gameplay that is different between these two games has to be the puzzles. Dragon Quest doesn’t really have them. Most of what it has you do is a series of fetch quests. Robotrek has some puzzles that require you to use your key items. This isn’t too different from how an action RPG does things.
Dragon Quest lets the player explore the game’s world. You can explore it at your own pace, which is nice. Robotrek locks the player into a set path on the world map. You can explore locations, but you can skip them after you’ve cleared them. It operates similarly to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.
These are the minor things that I felt were different between these games. I’m sure that I missed something, but I wanted to keep this brief, and there are a lot of differences. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Dragon Quest do Better?
I was struggling to think of things that were clearly better in this game. Dragon Quest does have a few things that came to my mind, but they were small things. This game lets you explore its world, and it is a simple game with a clearly defined goal for the player.
Dragon Quest lets you explore the game’s world. While it isn’t all that big, there is enough in it to keep you busy. Having random encounters helps out a bit.
There is a simplicity in this game that I appreciate. I like that there aren’t too many things for the player to worry about. This is a well made RPGs, it just doesn’t have much to it.
There are some good things in the first Dragon Quest. It also has a lot of archaic gameplay mechanics that keep it from being as good as the other RPGs on the NES. This game tends to have an uphill battle when I compare it to other RPGs, especially when it gets compared to games on the SNES and Genesis.
What Does Robotrek do Better?
There are a lot of things in this game that I prefer over Dragon Quest. Robotrek has better gameplay overall. It is a unique game that has great combat, a crafting system, and a more elaborate story.
I really love the combat in this game! You can swap between your three robots, the magic system has been replaced with a program system, and you can get extra experience points if you win fast enough. The tactical grid is also a lot of fun, and a welcome addition to a game like this.
While there are shops in the game, there is also a crafting system. This is where you build and upgrade your robots and their equipment. It is also where you repair your key items, and can combine items to make new ones. To get new plans and upgrades, you have to read books that are spread out in the game.
There is a lot more going on in this game’s story. While it has problems, the developers have put a lot into the game. It takes some turns that might surprise new players and has some fun twists.
Robotrek has a degree of humor that I really like. It is a nice change of pace from the games that take things seriously. The game also has some puzzle solving that isn’t found in Dragon Quest. Your key items have more uses outside of combat, which is always nice to see.
Those are the big things that stood out to me. There are a lot more, but I wanted to keep this brief. Let’s get into which is better and which one I would rather play.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
Robotrek is the better game. I don’t think this is a big surprise. While I enjoy the first Dragon Quest, it is an archaic game, and isn’t as much fun as many of the console RPGs made after it. Robotrek has the better story, combat, and it has an interesting crafting system.
The story is more complex than the one in Dragon Quest. There is more going on, more twists, and it is simply better overall. It does get rather crazy as you get closer to the end, but the zaniness matches the overall tone of the game.
I have way more fun with the combat in Robotrek. The games have different approaches to combat, which is nice for a comparison like this. Robotrek’s tactical battles are more fun and strategic. I also like that you can swap Robots out for one that has more of an advantage in any given fight.
Robotrek is one of the few retro console games that has a crafting system in it. This is always something that I enjoy, especially if it is done well. This system is how you build all the equipment for your robots, and where you can program their special attacks. It helps this game to stand out a bit from a very crowded field of RPGs on the SNES.
I also have a lot of memories of playing this game. It is one of those games that looks fun to play. I love the cartoonish graphics, weird story, and the overall premise. It is also one of the games that I spent a lot of time playing on an emulator before I started collecting retro games.
Those are the big reasons why I think Robotrek is the better game. This wasn’t that hard of a choice. On top of being more fun to play, I have more memories of playing Robotrek than I do of Dragon Quest.
Which Would I Rather Play?
Again, this was an easy decision. Robotrek is the game that I would rather play. It has a better story, gameplay, and I had more fun with it. Dragon Quest is simply too archaic for me. It can be fun every once in a while, but it isn’t going to stand much of a chance against Robotrek.
I love how the goofiness of the graphics matches the overall tone of the story. Everything in this game feels like it could be a capsule toy. The story is very bizarre as it just goes off the rails at times. Everything works well together, though.
The gameplay is much better. The combat is something that I enjoyed much more in Robotrek. I love the tactical battles and how you have a time limit, which awards you a bonus. You can also see when you can get items from battles.
Having a crafting system in this game is great! You find more items you can make as you go through the game. This is great as it forces you to remember where things are, so you can read the necessary books. You also have the option to avoid enemies if you want.
I also had more fun with the game. This is one of those arbitrary metrics that you can’t really define. Much of it has to do with the game’s story and graphics, but there are also the memories I have of playing this game that simply aren’t there with Dragon Quest.
Those are the things that make me want to revisit this game. It is one of those RPGs that I’ve played several times over the last few decades, and I have many memories of playing it. It is also one of the games that I went out of my way to find when I started collecting retro games.
Conclusion
The first Dragon Quest is one of those games that I feel like I’m bashing when I do this. It isn’t a bad game; it’s just an older one and has a lot of game mechanics that are archaic. Many of the things in this game aren’t all that great when I compare them to what other games did around the same time.
Robotrek is a game that feels like I’m the only one who likes it. It isn’t perfect, but I have a lot of fun with it. The story is pretty good, and I enjoy how cartoonish everything is. The graphics match the tone of the story as everything looks a little goofy. It helps that I’ve been playing this game for a while, and I have a lot of memories with it.
This is another case where I like a science fiction game more than a high fantasy game. That is more of a personal preference, as I enjoy one setting more. This is an opinion piece after all, so much of what I have in here is based on what I think.
There are probably going to be other odd match ups as I move deeper into the SNES and Genesis libraries. At some point, I’ll have to expand this to other genres of video games. I’ll also have to think about dropping Dragon Quest from the rotation at some point.
If you like this post, check out some of the others in this series. Such as Robotrek vs Phantasy Star or New Horizons vs Robotrek.