This is going to be a tough one to get through for me. Dragon Quest II and Robotrek are very different games, and I’ve had different reactions to them when I first played them. One of them instantly grabbed my attention, and the other ended up wearing me down as I played it.
Both are games that I first played on an emulator. In the mid 1990s, this was one of the only ways for me to play retro games. It was very easy to find ROMs and play the games until I got tired of them. When I eventually started collecting games, this was a good way to see if I would enjoy them before I bought them.
Since this is a comparison of an NES game and an SNES game, I won’t be going over graphics too much. I don’t think it is fair to use that as a reason to push one game over the other. I will be going over visual storytelling, but not how each game looks. Let’s get into it and see what these games have to offer.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
These games have quite a few differences once you get past the core mechanics that are in most RPGs. The basics of these two games aren’t all that different. Let’s go over their general descriptions.
Robotrek is a very comedic science fiction video game. You play as an inventor, and you use robots to fight your battles. There is also some puzzle solving in this game where you have to use specific items. The game also has a crafting system. The story gets increasingly bonkers as it goes on, which is part of this game’s appeal for me.
Dragon Quest II is a high fantasy game. You play as the three descendants of the hero from the first game, and you have to go on a quest to find them. It is a fairly standard story where you have to defeat a big bad guy who wants to take over the world. There are a lot of quests in the game, and you need to do quite a bit of grinding as the game goes on.
These are just brief overviews for both games. There is more to each of them. I wasn’t trying to give a plot synopsis or anything in depth here. Let’s get into the main differences between them as well as their core mechanics.
Main Differences
There are quite a few differences between these two games. They have differences in their combat, story, exploration, and gameplay. There are others, but I want to keep this as brief as I can. That’s why I’m trying to stick to the more significant differences.
Dragon Quest II uses a party of three characters and has turn based combat. Robotrek has you control one character, move on a grid, and uses an active time system. These are quite different in how they approach things. Dragon Quest II also uses a magic system, and Robotrek has the player program special attacks instead of having magic.
The stories are very different. Dragon Quest II has the player learn about the end goal right away, and there is very little development after that. With Robotrek, the player learns more about the game’s world, and things keep getting crazier as the threats increase. You also don’t know the true villain right away, which is always a little more fun in these games.
The player is free to explore the world of Dragon Quest II. You can wander about at will, which is something that I appreciate in the game. Robotrek has the player locked into set paths on the world map. You do get to explore locations, but that is about it.
Robotrek has more unique gameplay features when compared with Dragon Quest II. It has a crafting system, the combat is different, and it allows you to swap between party members during battle. Dragon Quest II is more of a traditional console RPG.
These are some of the more significant differences between the two games. There are more, but these are the ones that stood out to me. Let’s compare the core mechanics.
Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)
There are a few common things in these games’ mechanics. They’re both RPGs, so they have some of the same gameplay loops that many games in this genre have. Some of this will overlap with the previous section, so I’ll try to keep this brief. I’ll be going over the game’s combat systems, story, and its visual storytelling.
The combat systems in these games are very different. Dragon Quest II has a party system, turn based combat, and a defined magic system. Robotrek is a more tactical game that uses an active time system instead of turn based combat.
These games have wildly different stories. Dragon Quest II has a serious story, and it takes its themes of life and death. There is little to no humor in this game. Robotrek is a comedic story that revels in the absurd. While some of the characters take things seriously, most of them seem to be in on the game’s jokes. It gets more bonkers as everything goes on.
This part has more to do with how technology has changed between these two games. Robotrek is more cinematic than Dragon Quest II. Not only does it use cutscenes, but it has more instances where the story is told using in game graphics.
These are some of the core mechanics in these games. There are a few of the minor differences between these games. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Robotrek do Better?
Robotrek does quite a few things better than Dragon Quest II. It has a better story, the gameplay is more unique, and it has a more enjoyable setting. There is a lot to go over as these are a little broad. I’ll try to keep this brief.
I enjoy this story more. It is a little wild, and things get increasingly bonkers as the game goes on. Everything starts out fairly normal and grounded, then things get more out there as you travel back in time and eventually travel to outer space. Even though things get crazy, everything that happens feels like it should take place in this game.
I really like this game’s combat! It uses a tactical approach and an active time system. This is pretty different from the other console RPGs from this time. It is fun to move your robot around on the battlefield, and I like that you need to think quickly when choosing your actions. There is also a time limit at the beginning of a battle, and if you win within that time, then you’ll get a little bonus experience.
There is a cool crafting system in the game. It plays well with the theme of the player’s character being an inventor. This system is how you create your robots equipment, but you can also combine some of your items to make something new. This is also how you can create and repair your key items.
The game’s setting is a lot of fun. There are a lot of characters in this game, and they’re mostly quite funny or goofy. Everything is rather cute and nothing is taken all that seriously. The game’s world is really fun, and I like that it eventually takes you into space.
These are the things that stood out to me. There are a lot of things in this game that I enjoy much more than what is in Dragon Quest II. Robotrek is one of those game that I really enjoy playing because of how different it is. Let’s see what Dragon Quest II does better.
What Does Dragon Quest II do Better?
There are a few things that Dragon Quest II does better than Robotrek. The game has you go on a quest for your party members, the player is free to explore the game’s world, and there are more side quests. If I think of anything else, then I’ll add those in at the end.
I always enjoy it when a game sends the player on a quest to build their party. That is exactly what Dragon Quest II has you do. It is a fun way to introduce new characters, and it lets you learn a little about them. This also acts as a simple tutorial for how to use that new character in combat, since you have to level them up.
To go along with leveling up, Dragon Quest II lets the player explore the game’s world. You aren’t locked into set paths like you are in Robotrek. I enjoy this more because I normally find grinding for levels to be very relaxing. This also lets the player tackle some quests in any order. It makes the game less linear, which is something I enjoy.
Like many of the other, more traditional console RPGs, Dragon Quest II feels like it has more side quests than what is in Robotrek. Some of this has to do with how the developers set up the Dragon Quest games. They normally send the player off on a few quests to find several items that either advance the plot or help you defeat the big boss. Because the game allows you to explore and move about freely, it feels like you have more to do than what is in other games.
These are the things that stood out to me. I’m sure there are some things that others like more about this game, or that they think are better than what is in Robotrek. This is just an opinion piece after all. Let’s get into which game is better and which I would rather play.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
While Dragon Quest II has more of what I expect to see from a console RPG, I feel that Robotrek is the better game. It is simply more fun to play, and it is less of a chore to play. Robotrek has a better story, better gameplay, and I have more memories of playing it. I know this last one is very subjective, but it is something that makes me think this game is better.
This game has a bonkers story. I love that everything is centered around being an inventor and how you’re the only one who can do anything in the game. It is a lot of fun that this game doesn’t try to have a serious story, and things get progressively more bizarre.
Robotrek has better gameplay. While the battles aren’t as strategic as Dragon Quest II, they’re more fun because of how different everything is. With them taking place on a tactical grid and the turns being in active time adds a lot to what is happening. It is also fun that there is a crafting system, you can program special attacks for the robots, and you can get some extra experience if you win a battle fast enough.
This is a game that means a lot to me. It is one of the more unique RPGs on the SNES, and a game that felt like I was the only one who enjoyed it back in the day. None of my friends were interested, which made it feel special to me.
These are the reasons I think this game is better overall. Dragon Quest II feels way too tedious for me to really enjoy. Robotrek is definitely one of the more enjoyable games on the SNES. It is much better than some of the other games on the system. Let’s get into which I would rather play.
Which Would I Rather Play?
Robotrek is the game I would rather play. This wasn’t that hard of a choice for me. It has a better story, the combat is better, and I really enjoy the crafting system more.
This story has more going on, and it is much more fun! While it goes off in some odd directions, it all feels like it should be happening in this game’s world. The characters are also quite funny at times, and they’re better developed when compared to Dragon Quest II.
Because the combat system is so different from other games, it makes me enjoy this game more. I love the tactical approach to combat, being able to swap between your robots, and programming their special attacks. Having the battles use an active time system makes them faster paced and forces you to think quicker.
Few console games in the early 1990s attempted to implement a crafting system into their gameplay. This is where Robotrek really stands out, as it not only tried but succeeded in making a fun crafting system. It works well with the main character being an inventor, and I enjoy trying to find and remember where all the plans can be found in the game.
There are some of the reasons why I would rather revisit this game. I have way more fun with Robotrek than I’ve ever had with Dragon Quest II. This game is less tedious to play, and I love the story more.
Conclusion
Comparing a comedy game to something more serious has been fun, but also a little difficult. Challenging myself is one of the reasons I wanted to do this series, and in this case, it has been challenging. Especially when it came to these two games.
My opinions of Dragon Quest II have changed quite a bit over time. The more that I play the game, the more I feel like I don’t like it all that much. It always feels like I’m working a job that I hate when I’m going through it. For some reason, all the things I like about games in this genre feel tedious in this game.
Robotrek is a game that I haven’t changed my mind about. It does have a few things that I don’t like, but those are outweighed by all the things that I find wonderful. This is a funny game, and I really enjoy the bonkers world that the developers created. I also really like the word bonkers.
Comparing a science fiction game to high fantasy has been fun for me while going through this series. The two settings are fun, but having something a little different really stands out to me. I have a few more games to compare with Robotrek, which should be just as enjoyable as this one was.
If you liked this post, check out some of the others in this series. Such as Phantasy Star vs Phantasy Star IV or Robotrek vs Sweet Home.