DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake playing on Citron Switch Emulator + Review

If you are a fan of the series or recently finished the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, this collection is a must-play for the history, but be prepared for a very “old-school” friction. These are faithful remakes of 1980s games; while they look gorgeous, the game design is still simple (DQ1) and occasionally punishing (DQ2).

On the original Nintendo Switch, the performance is acceptable but imperfect, with noticeable load times and a 30fps cap that feels sluggish compared to other platforms.

1. Performance on Nintendo Switch

This is the most critical part for Switch owners.

• Frame Rate: The game targets 30fps on the original Switch. It is generally stable, but you will notice stuttering in dense towns or during complex visual effects. It does not feel as fluid as the PS5 or PC versions (which target 60fps).
• Visual Quality: The HD-2D art style is beautiful, but on the Switch handheld screen, it can look slightly “soft” or blurry due to lower resolution. In docked mode, it looks decent but lacks the crispness of the other console versions.
• Load Times: This is the biggest complaint. Transitioning from the overworld to a town or entering a battle can take 3–6 seconds. It doesn’t sound like much, but over a 40-hour RPG with random encounters, it adds up and can make the pacing feel slow.
• Switch 2 Warning: If you have upgraded to a “Switch 2,” be aware that the Switch 1 cartridge is treated as a separate game. It does not automatically upgrade to the native Switch 2 version (which runs at 60fps/Performance Mode). You are essentially playing the backward-compatible version unless you buy the specific Switch 2 release.

2. The Games: What’s New?

Dragon Quest I (The Origin)

• The Experience: This is a short, solitary adventure (approx. 10–12 hours). You play as a single hero saving the princess and defeating the Dragonlord.
• Changes:
  • Group Battles: In the original NES game, you only fought one monster at a time. In this remake, you fight groups of monsters, making battles more dynamic.
  • New Skills: The Hero now learns abilities like Dragon Slash and attacks that hit multiple enemies, so you aren’t just spamming “Attack” every turn.
  • Verdict: It is a charming, cozy history lesson, but mechanically very shallow by modern standards.

Dragon Quest II (The Sequel)

• The Experience: This is the “meat” of the package (approx. 35+ hours). You control a party of three characters, and the world is much larger.
• Changes:
  • Rebalanced Difficulty: The original DQ2 is infamous for being brutally unfair near the end. The remake smoothes this out significantly, though the final area is still a steep challenge.
  • “Item Tactics”: You can now set specific AI tactics for your party members to use items automatically, which is a huge quality-of-life fix.
  • Verdict: A much better game than DQ1. It feels like a proper RPG adventure, though it still relies heavily on “go here, talk to this NPC, go there” fetch quests without much direction.

3. Quality of Life Features

Square Enix has added features to respect your time, which helps mitigate the “old game” feel:

• Battle Speed: You can toggle battle speed to “Ultra Fast,” which is essential for grinding.
• Auto-Battle: You can let the AI handle simple fights for you.
• Quick Save: You can save almost anywhere, which is great for handheld play.

Is it Worth It?

Buy it if:

• You played Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake and want to see how the “Erdrick Trilogy” ends (chronologically, these games take place after DQ3).
• You love the HD-2D art style (Octopath Traveler, Star Ocean 2 R).
• You want a cozy, low-stress “podcast game” where you can grind levels while watching TV.

Skip it if:

• You hate random encounters. The encounter rate is high, and even with “Holy Protection,” it can be annoying.
• You need a deep, complex story. The plot is very basic: “There is a bad guy, go kill him.”
• You are sensitive to long load times on the Switch.

Next Step: If you decide to buy it, I recommend playing Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake first if you haven’t already. The story payoff in DQ1 & 2 hits much harder if you have the context of DQ3 fresh in your mind.