Support this Podcast in 3 Clicks! In This Episode: Void is busy with life stuff, so Beej brings in Austin -- who you've probably heard about before. He is going to be blogging on the Geek to Geek site about playing through all of the Dragon Quest games this year, so we thought it would be a great time to bring him on the show to talk about the series. After discovering a love for DQ with the Dragon Quest Heroes games, DQXI grabbed both Austin and Beej and reeled them in hard. Without any previous mainline game experience, Austin decided to get the PS4 platinum trophy. By then he was hooked and was jonesing for as much DQ as he could get.  Dragon Quest XI - What's So Good About It We discuss at great length at why Dragon Quest XI stands out from so many other JRPGs, and why the game itself just works. Right now, it's a very traditional DQ game, but is honestly one of the most accessible RPGs out right now. There is true turn-based combat, a fantastic character named Sylvando you're going to love, and a lot of the jRPG classic gameplay but looks completely new and beautiful. Some folks complain about the music. But...it wasn't a problem for either of us. It was DQ music.  Other Dragon Quest Games Austin is currently playing Dragon Quest VII, which is different from the other games he's played. Right now, the game is very slow (16ish hours in), the characters are kinda obnoxious, but you can tell that it had a lot working against it back in the day when it was released on PS1. The 3DS version is definitely an improvement. DQ 1-3 on iOS are fantastic. And relatively quick to get through. They're known as the Erdrick Trilogy, and when you look at them versus Final Fantasy 1-3, you can actually tell how much more advanced the DQ games are than FF. It's around FFIV that the FF games really take off on their own and make their own way. Beej on Dragon Quest DQVIII was my first one. Saw @13th_story on Twitter post a picture, a single picture, from the 3DS version, and I went out and bought it. It just looked fun, and it was pretty, and I knew I had to play it. It took me a while to get into it, and I almost quit. I am very glad I didn't. Took me a while to get into it. Almost quit. Glad I didn’t. The game is super traditional but in the best way. DQ8 is absolutely a predecessor to DQXI, which is why XI is the better place to start now. It's the most improved of all the DQ games, has the most polish, and it doesn't ruin anything when you go back to the older ones.  Beej imported DQIX from Japan to practice the language. The DS version is the only version that exists. It didn't do so great in America. We both hope that XI's success will make them re-release a lot of these like IX with remasters.  What are your favorite Dragon Quest games? Let us know at @geektogeekcast. Get in touch with Austin at @austinkingbooks on Twitter and tell him what you think, too! Join Our Community! Discord: discord.geektogeekmedia.com Slack: slack.geektogeekmedia.com Reddit: reddit.com/r/geektogeekcast Subscribe iTunes | Overcast | Pocket Casts | Google Play Music | RSS Feed Geek to Geek Podcast Network Geek to Geek Geek Fitness Geektitude Tea Time with Katie and Chelsea TroytlePower CapsuleJay Austin's "Dragon Quest" Quest Music by CarboHydroM