Episode 176
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (with Chris Coplien - Retro Hangover)
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
- Listen to Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover
- Check out the first of Dragon Quest V's episodes in the King of Games 1992 tournament https://retrohangover.captivate.fm/episode/king-of-games-92-round-1-match-4-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-vs-dragon-quest-v
- Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/retrohangover.bsky.social
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
Social Media:
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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