also known as Dragon Quest IV - Michibikareshi Monotachi
NES / Famicom
🇬🇧
Reviewed in 1992
88
✪ Reviewed on October 20, 2023
82
Four independent chapters culminating in an epic conclusion. Choral storytelling revolutionary for the era. Each chapter is a remarkable mini-adventure. The pinnacle of DQ on NES.
Your verdict
Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
Fourth Dragon Quest featuring five protagonists with intertwined stories joining the final hero. Published by Enix, released in the USA in 1992. Five chapters with distinct characters before joining, Alena, Kiryl, Torneko, sisters Maya and Mara, epic scenario and titanic bosses. Absolute masterpiece of the NES and Japanese RPGs.
Dragon Warrior IV review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
3/5
Story
★★★★★
"Solid"
The fourth instalment markedly enriches the rendering: larger towns with differentiated architecture, furnished interiors, battle animations that make the monsters flinch at every blow received. The division into chapters requires drawing several complete groups of heroes, each with its own map and battle sprites.
A choral tale, the entry deploys a Koichi Sugiyama score of remarkable variety and nobility, each chapter having its own colour. From intimate themes to heroic fanfares, the music elevates the intertwined fate of the five protagonists. This symphonic breadth magnificently crowns the saga's NES era.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Discovering the story in chapters, each centered on a different hero, constantly renews the interest before the grand final reunion. Advancing, equipping and watching the troupe grow sustains a richly paced progression. The auto-pilot of allies and a few farming stretches divide opinion, but this serialized structure keeps a remarkable pulling power.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Living through five distinct chapters before all heroes gather around the final protagonist unfolds a narrative fresco of rare breadth: each character has their own story, dungeons and arc before they converge. The rich cast, the titanic bosses and the length of the epic tale multiply the hours. Often called the peak of NES RPGs, this fourth entry keeps a legendary stature.
The final US NES localisation, released in 1992 at the very end of the commercial cycle with a very short print. One of the most expensive NES CIBs on the US market, on par with Earthbound and other late RPGs. Physical scarcity combined with content quality makes it a recognised speculative target, and the cote has exploded over the past five years under WATA grading and institutional demand.
Is Dragon Warrior IV still worth playing in 2026?
Dragon Quest IV - Michibikareshi Monotachi, released in the West as Dragon Warrior IV, offers four independent chapters culminating in an epic conclusion. The choral narrative was revolutionary in 1990, and each chapter is a remarkable mini-adventure with its own protagonist, tone and stakes. The combat system is refined, the content generous, the writing mature. The peak of NES-era Dragon Quest. An absolute peak to discover today.
