Dragon Quest I HD-2D Play Diary #01: A Fresh Start in the Fully Remade Classic! Beautiful Graphics and a Tragic Puff-Puff Replaced by an Egg!? – Riri Ititama / Vtuber
This time, I’m sharing my first play diary for Part I of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.
With my adventure in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake finished, it’s finally time for the story of the future!
The original was released on the Famicom and has been remade many times since, but this version has completely renewed systems and even added scenarios — it’s an entirely new Dragon Quest.
It’s built so that even people who have played the earlier versions can enjoy it with a fresh feeling, and I was really looking forward to it before I even started!
📘Game Info
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Title: Dragon Quest I (HD-2D Version)
Maker: Square Enix
Genre: RPG
Platforms: Nintendo Switch and more
Release date: October 30, 2025
🌟 Story
Long ago, the land of Alefgard was saved from a demon lord by the legendary hero Erdrick, and peace came to the world.
But that peace did not last long. The Dragonlord, master of darkness, appeared and stole the Sphere of Light, the very symbol of peace.
He even kidnapped the princess of Tantegel, and the world was once again exposed to the threat of monsters.
In the midst of this despair, a young man appeared at Tantegel Castle. He was none other than a descendant of the legendary hero Erdrick —.
🌳It All Starts in an Unfamiliar Forest!?
When I started the game, instead of a castle… it began in the middle of an unfamiliar forest!
I created my adventure log and decided on the hero’s name: “Riri"! And so, the hero Riri was born.
And above all, the HD-2D graphics are just so beautiful and cute…! I couldn’t stop saying so on stream.
What’s more, the game starts with you rescuing the soldiers of Tantegel Castle.
The storytelling has real depth right from the beginning, and it pulled me straight into the world.
👑 The King of Tantegel Has Become Generous
I arrived safely at Tantegel Castle and greeted the king.
All sorts of lines have been added for him!
And what surprised me most: the starting money is a whole “120 G"!
Not only that, you’re properly equipped with a “Copper Sword" and the leather armor set right from the start!
Knowing the harsh days of the Famicom version — starting with nothing but 100 G, keys that broke after a single use, torches that vanished once lit — this felt like an incredibly warm welcome.
Erdrick’s Cave, Evolved into a Real Dungeon
Next, I headed to Erdrick’s Cave.
In the Famicom version and the earlier remakes, you carried a torch to light your surroundings as you went, but in the HD-2D version that system has been removed.
In the old days this place also served as a sort of “what is a cave?" tutorial, but this time it’s a proper, full-fledged cave — and enemies actually appear in it!
Inside the cave, I also met a party of novice adventurers: a Warrior, a Martial Artist, a Mage, and a Priest.
It’s a really well-balanced party, yet for some reason they were all scattered around the cave separately, which was kind of funny, lol.
Enemies of this level shouldn’t be much of a threat, so it should be fine, right?
Then again, cheating your way through is a no-no, lol.
Sarai, Descendant of Garin
In a town that had been destroyed, I encountered “Sarai," a descendant of Garin.
He seems to be well aware that he is a famous person himself.
He’s working hard to surpass Garin, so I have a feeling we’ll meet again somewhere down the road!
The Village of Kol and the Tragic “Puff-Puff"
I’ve arrived at the village of Kol, which I’ve been looking forward to!
And of course, the reason I came here is that I want a “Puff-Puff"!!
I headed over to the hot spring, all fired up, expecting to receive a Puff-Puff there, but…
In the original and the earlier remakes it was a normal “Puff-Puff," but here it has been replaced with… a “hot-spring egg"!!
So it’s not the one where you bury your face between… that, huh!
Damn you, compliance…!!
Ah — still, while I was drowning in sorrow, I made sure to pick up the “Faerie Flute" while I was there.
Forcing My Way Through! To the Town of Rimuldar
Through the swamp cave, and on to the town of Rimuldar.
It’s a pretty tough road for my current level, but I forced my way through anyway, because “I want to reach Rimuldar early for its good equipment!" and “I want to earn lots of money and experience!"
As a result, I got thoroughly beaten up along the way.
How many times was I saved by the autosaves at the halfway points…!
But then, an unexpected “knight event" triggered here!
It was probably an event that was meant to be seen a little later on.
For now, I’ll use this town as my base and work hard on leveling up!
💬Riri’s Impressions
I already know the story of the original Dragon Quest I, but so much has changed that I’m enjoying it with a completely fresh feeling!
Abilities have been added to the battle system, and multiple enemies can appear at once now, but everything is adjusted so that a solo hero can still hold his own — it doesn’t seem like I’ll be struggling in any truly unfair way.
Also, being able to save at churches in other towns is a small change that helps an enormous amount!
…And it was right around then that I realized I’d forgotten something huge.
I never got the key!!
In the old games you could just buy keys, so I’d completely forgotten about it.
📝 Plans for Next Time
I ended up skipping right past the Thief’s Key event, so next time I’m going to get the Thief’s Key.
Come to think of it, I hear a certain character who doesn’t appear in the old games is going to show up, or something…?
I can’t wait♪
●For readers in Japan, Dragon Quest I & II for Nintendo Switch 2 (online code) is here♪ *This is the Switch 2 version only.
A Request from Riri
Thank you for reading all the way to the end✨
On my YouTube channel, I stream game playthroughs and all sorts of other things!
This time I’ve uploaded the video of, so please come and watch me in motion, too💖
👇Watch the video here👇
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Thank you for your support♪