Episode 176

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (with Chris Coplien - Retro Hangover)

00:00:00
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02:41:17

July 30th, 2025

2 hrs 41 mins 17 secs

Season 1

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About this Episode

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I didn't hear about Dragon Quest for a very long time, probably an embarrassingly long time, and once I played one, I didn't....get it. It all seemed too plain, too simple, too lacking in complexity, and while a part of me was relieved to suddenly have less "homework" to do as I'm forever catching up on RPGs that I missed, part of me felt an ever-present need to "get it". Yada yada yada, I finally had another reason to try Dragon Quest, starting with Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride on DS, and folks....I get it now. Tune in to find out how I got there.

Guest info: Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover

TIMESTAMPS

  • 0:00 Title Card
  • 0:42 Intros
  • 6:10 Personal Histories with Dragon Quest V
  • 12:15 Opening Thoughts
  • 14:54 Story Setup/Generational Structure
  • 26:19 Overcoming Constraints/Presentation
  • 34:26 Story Themes/Cozy Charm
  • 45:16 Soundtrack/Influence
  • 56:10 Gameplay- Combat/Monster Collecting
  • 1:12:05 Final Thoughts/Recommendations
  • 1:14:45 Retro Hangover Podcast
  • 1:19:23 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's
  • 1:21:15 Spoiler Section- Act 1 and 2
  • 2:06:04 Spoiler Section- Act 3 and Closing Thoughts

Music used in the episode is credited to Koichi Sugiyama. Tracks used: Overture, Overworld, Town, Battle, Melody in an Ancient Town, The Ocean, Zenithia, Saint

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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures

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