Whow, I'm shooked with all the difference between the Dragon Quest (jap) and the Dragon Warrior (us) series !
Dragon Quest (J) -> CNROM 32kb PRG, 32kb CHR
Dragon Warrior (U) -> MMC1 - SAROM, 64kb PRG, 16kb CHR, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Quest 2 (J) -> UNROM 128kb PRG
Dragon Warrior (U) -> MMC1 - SNROM, 256kb PRG, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Quest 3 (J) -> MMC1 - SNROM, 256kb PRG, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Warrior 3 (U) -> MMC1 - SUROM, 512kb PRG, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Quest 4 (J) -> MMC1 - SUROM, 512kb PRG; 8kb SRAM
Dragon Warrior 4 (U) -> Same hadware than the japaneese one
They added SRAM for saving on the first one, and they also changed all the sprites, witch faces only one direction on the japaneese one !! Actually only 12kb of the 32kb CHR space is used for graphics, and the remaining 20kb is just data, wich shall be read via $2007. I think this data is just read during VBlank, then the "normal" chr bank is swapped while rendering. Surprinsing !
For the segond one, they also add saving support, but the sprites are the same as in the japaneese one. Eventually, all the huge intro (that was the first time in the video game history) lack in the japaneese version, and many other things does surely also lack, the US one is 2 times larger than the japaneese one, but actually not all this space is used (only 75% of it), but it is even much larger than the japaneese one.
And the passwords are really large !! With multyplayer party, each one has it's own EXP, and you have to save the amount of monay, it shall be the most evoluted password system in the world ! Okay, it may be crap to enter it before playing, but you can get back at any moment of the game at any time ! Imagine how cool yould be to play a more advanced RPG, like FF7, where you can get back to show something in the game at any momment at any time just by noting your passwords !!
About the third one, it was the first one with saving in japan (I guess the first one was released in the US after this one was released in japan), and the game is also 2 times larger than the origninal one. Not all the space is used, but it's close to it !! And all the title screen and the impressive intro where you see a dragon fighting Erdrick isn't even there in japan !! Also, there is the "name select" music in US, and ther is just a kinda amazing glich on the triangle channel in japan (strange). By the way, the famous "title screen" theme lacks in both version.
The fourth one seems to be the one with the less diferences between the two versions. The japaneese one has a better intro, I think. Also, there is a funny panel at the begining of a chapter instead of just a text. It seems to be the only one where the japaneese verison is "better".
I'm really shocked by all thoose differences.
Dragon Quest (J) -> CNROM 32kb PRG, 32kb CHR
Dragon Warrior (U) -> MMC1 - SAROM, 64kb PRG, 16kb CHR, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Quest 2 (J) -> UNROM 128kb PRG
Dragon Warrior (U) -> MMC1 - SNROM, 256kb PRG, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Quest 3 (J) -> MMC1 - SNROM, 256kb PRG, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Warrior 3 (U) -> MMC1 - SUROM, 512kb PRG, 8kb SRAM
Dragon Quest 4 (J) -> MMC1 - SUROM, 512kb PRG; 8kb SRAM
Dragon Warrior 4 (U) -> Same hadware than the japaneese one
They added SRAM for saving on the first one, and they also changed all the sprites, witch faces only one direction on the japaneese one !! Actually only 12kb of the 32kb CHR space is used for graphics, and the remaining 20kb is just data, wich shall be read via $2007. I think this data is just read during VBlank, then the "normal" chr bank is swapped while rendering. Surprinsing !
For the segond one, they also add saving support, but the sprites are the same as in the japaneese one. Eventually, all the huge intro (that was the first time in the video game history) lack in the japaneese version, and many other things does surely also lack, the US one is 2 times larger than the japaneese one, but actually not all this space is used (only 75% of it), but it is even much larger than the japaneese one.
And the passwords are really large !! With multyplayer party, each one has it's own EXP, and you have to save the amount of monay, it shall be the most evoluted password system in the world ! Okay, it may be crap to enter it before playing, but you can get back at any moment of the game at any time ! Imagine how cool yould be to play a more advanced RPG, like FF7, where you can get back to show something in the game at any momment at any time just by noting your passwords !!
About the third one, it was the first one with saving in japan (I guess the first one was released in the US after this one was released in japan), and the game is also 2 times larger than the origninal one. Not all the space is used, but it's close to it !! And all the title screen and the impressive intro where you see a dragon fighting Erdrick isn't even there in japan !! Also, there is the "name select" music in US, and ther is just a kinda amazing glich on the triangle channel in japan (strange). By the way, the famous "title screen" theme lacks in both version.
The fourth one seems to be the one with the less diferences between the two versions. The japaneese one has a better intro, I think. Also, there is a funny panel at the begining of a chapter instead of just a text. It seems to be the only one where the japaneese verison is "better".
I'm really shocked by all thoose differences.