Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite

Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite is based on the Super Famicom remake of the classic 8-bit RPG by Enix. The remake included both Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior) I and II on one cartridge. This CD features music only from the first game, with the first eight tracks being symphonic arrangements and the remaining being Super Famicom synthesis.

The symphonic arrangements are quite nice. The composer of the Dragon Quest series, Koichi Sugiyama, conducts the London Philharmonic in their performance. These are the kinds of arrangements that most Final Fantasy fans dream about: true to the original compositions, but with perfectly appropriate embellishments and a great orchestral performance.

The questionable aspect is the source material. As the compositions were written during the early days of the 8-bit Nintendo, there isn't much complexity to them. Also, as virtually every game music fan who has heard this music is keen on saying, the compositions are pretty strictly in "Western-Classical" style. No big deal for me, as I thrive off such music. Nevertheless, it's difficult for symphonic pieces to carry a lot of punch when they are only in the three minute range, and with a couple repetitions at that.

What really counts with Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite is whether the buyer is a Dragon Quest fan. Although I had only limited experience with the first game many years ago, the melodies surprisingly managed to stay in my head. Having familiar pieces like "People" and "Unknown World" brought back in full orchestral form was a grand experience. But once the initial novelty wears off, the twenty-five minutes of orchestral music isn't quite enough to sustain intense interest. So while die-hard Dragon Quest fans might find this CD worth the purchase, others should probably save their money for the lengthier and more complex symphonic soundtracks. Dragon Quest Best, perhaps?

Dragon Quest is one of the most popular series of RPGs in the world, and this CD is of the music from the first two games. The first eight tracks are performed by a full orchestra and have a very nice sound to them. However, tracks two and three are horribly derivative, and could be from almost any generic composer. The rest of the CD, tracks nine through eighteen, is played on synths that make one shout, "Helloooo, Nintendo!" There isn't anything worth listening to after track eight, and that leaves a CD of about twenty-four minutes. Really, it isn't worth it, as you've probably heard it all, or something *really* similar to it, before.