Technologies

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Brought Me Back to When RPGs First Felt Magical

Take a trip back to the ’90s to learn where JRPGs started.

A professor once told me that one of the defining moments of becoming your own person is when you find music that isn’t what your parents listened to and make it your own. I’ve always felt the same applies to video games, once you find the one that defines your favorite genre. For me, that was the roleplaying game Dragon Warrior on the NES, now known as Dragon Quest I, and I’ve found myself back in that world with the new Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake.

This marks the second remake of the older Dragon Quest games from Square Enix, following last year’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Like the previous game, players experience a modern retelling of the first two titles in the iconic Dragon Quest franchise that helped create the Japanese RPG subgenre. While I didn’t play enough of both games to give a full review, diving back in brought back a flood of memories of my first time experiencing an RPG, and falling in love with the genre.

Like many kids back in the NES era, I played Dragon Warrior thanks to a free copy sent to Nintendo Power subscribers, though I didn’t have a subscription. A friend of mine, one of the few kids I knew with an NES, got it and showed it to me one Saturday. It blew our minds because it wasn’t simple action gameplay like Super Mario Bros., where you run and jump, or The Legend of Zelda, where Link slashes enemies. Instead, we read what was happening as the game’s story unfolded. I was hooked.

This time around, there’s still plenty of reading, but the remake updates the experience in countless ways. Both games have the same HD-2D visual style seen in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. The characters and enemies retain designs by legendary artist Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z), but now include richer detail in their 2D sprites, set against lushly animated 3D environments.

There’s also voice acting for many of the characters and enemies, and as you’d expect from an RPG set in a medieval world, everyone speaks with a British accent. Seeing the updated visuals and hearing the voices brought me back to how amazed I was as a kid, when enemy sprites on the NES looked incredibly detailed, and reading the dialogue aloud practically required talking like the king in Disney’s Robin Hood.

Square Enix didn’t add full cinematics but instead uses character sprites to create dynamic scenes. In Dragon Quest I, the descendant of the legendary hero Erdrick (whom I remembered calling «Edrick») is tasked by King Lorik to rescue his daughter and defeat the villainous Dragonlord, who has stolen the Ball of Light that had kept the forces of evil at bay. These story beats were told through text on the NES, but the remake visualizes them in a way that was once only imaginable.

Dragon Quest II does the same, showing the attack on the tranquil castle of Moonbrooke with far more action and drama than the short action sequence of the original.

One thing I appreciate about this remake is the added story context. In Dragon Quest II, the descendants of the hero from the first game must unite to face a new evil. The player begins as the Prince of Midenhall, setting off to find his cousins, starting with the Prince of Cannock. In the original, players simply learned that the prince had left for Wellspring and found him resting in a town along the way. The remake includes a short sequence where his sister joins you on the journey — a small but meaningful touch that gives a bit more depth to the simple story.

Another pleasant surprise is the addition of abilities. In the original games, characters could only use regular attacks or magic. The new abilities add offensive options, such as striking all enemies at once or reflecting damage at the cost of magic points — skills familiar to players of the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. These abilities really shine in Dragon Quest II, where the Prince of Midenhall can’t use magic but can rely on these techniques, adding strategic variety to battles.

As expected from an HD remake, there are numerous «quality of life» improvements. Players can speed up battles, warp between cities and dungeons, and benefit from autosaves. The ability to run, though simple, is a huge improvement. Today’s gamers have no idea how tedious it was to move one step at a time on the NES.

Of all the improvements, the visuals struck me most, especially the world design. The Dragon Quest world remains in 2D, but terrain like forests and mountains now feels layered and immersive. On the NES, these were blocky squares; in the remake, your character weaves through trees and climbs hills. It feels like seeing what my 11-year-old imagination once filled in. I still remember every inch of that map, burned into memory after endless hours of play.

One brilliant design choice from the original remains: The final boss’s castle sits just a short distance from where you start, though you don’t realize its significance until much later. In the remake, the Dragonlord’s lair now looms behind walls, giving it an even more ominous presence. I wanted to explore every corner again, but the rising enemy difficulty quickly stopped that plan.

There’s no question that this is the best way to play the original Dragon Quest 1 & 2 games, but even with their beautifully reimagined graphics, they’re still older games. This is still a turn-based RPG that has no flashy actions or award-winning story. It’s clear that Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is for players like me who grew up with these adventures. Those curious about the roots of the JRPG genre can also find enjoyment here, much like cinephiles who buy Blu-rays of silent films. For everyone else, there’s little reason to jump in immediately, but this faithful remake might be worth a look when it inevitably goes on sale.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake will be released on Oct. 30 for $60 on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X and S consoles.

Technologies

Chevy’s New Bolt EV Is a Truly Affordable Electric Car, at Less Than $30,000

It’s cheaper than other so-called «affordable» EVs and fixes the weaknesses of its predecessor.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Oct. 30

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 30.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I admit, 1-Across stumped me until I filled the other answers in. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Words on either side of «___ what ___»
Answer: ITIS

5A clue: Breathes like a dog
Answer: PANTS

7A clue: Podcast’s medium
Answer: AUDIO

8A clue: Test with one’s nose
Answer: SNIFF

9A clue: President after Teddy Roosevelt
Answer: TAFT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Hoppy beers, for short
Answer: IPAS

2D clue: Talk trash to
Answer: TAUNT

3D clue: The «I» of 1-Down
Answer: INDIA

4D clue: How you might feel after a long car ride
Answer: STIFF

6D clue: Pillowy
Answer: SOFT

Technologies

Should You Upgrade to the iPhone 17? Specs, Price and Features vs. Older Models

Apple’s base iPhone 17 appears to be a sleeper hit, but does it offer enough to upgrade from an earlier model? See how it fares against recent iPhones.

While the bright orange iPhone 17 Pro gets all the attention, Apple’s iPhone 17 has quietly turned out to be this year’s early roaring success, with preorders beating out the iPhone 16. If your current serviceable but aging iPhone is starting to feel rusty, maybe this is the year to replace it with a new iPhone 17.

But is the iPhone 17 worth it, or is it better to look for an older iPhone? The new model starts at $829, but here’s the kicker: Apple finally did away with the measly 128GB base storage. The new entry-level model now starts at a much more reasonable 256GB, which is a long-overdue bump that might just make the upgrade a no-brainer.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Several noteworthy updates to the iPhone 17 make it feel like a tempting choice, even over the pricier iPhone 17 Pro models. At long last, Apple has extended a 1-120Hz display across its entire lineup, so you can have smoother scrolling and an always-on display without spending upwards of $1,100 on a Pro model. An anti-reflective coating and higher 3,000-nit peak brightness make the screen slightly easier to see outdoors. And camera upgrades help to level up photos and selfies.

Here’s how the iPhone 17 compares to older iPhones, ranging from last year’s iPhone 16 to 2020’s iPhone 12.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16

Appearance-wise, the iPhone 17 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16. But beneath the surface, there are some key differences.

The display goes from a meager 60Hz on the iPhone 16 to 120Hz on the iPhone 17 (at long last). That means the iPhone 17 finally supports an always-on display, so you can glance at the time and your notifications without waking the screen and enjoy smoother scrolling. A new anti-reflective coating helps reduce glare, especially in the bright outdoor conditions.

The iPhone 17 has a larger 6.3-inch display, versus the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen, thanks to slimmer bezels. That can make viewing content slightly more immersive, though it won’t be a hugely noticeable difference. And a new Ceramic Shield 2 cover on the iPhone 17 offers three times better scratch resistance, according to Apple, so you can worry a little less about etching into your phone’s screen (but maybe still get a screen protector to be safe).

The iPhone 16 and 17 have a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, but the iPhone 17 bumps the ultrawide camera from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels. The front-facing camera also gets upgraded from 12 megapixels (on the iPhone 16) to 18 megapixels on the iPhone 17. Both phones have a Camera Control button for quickly launching the camera and snapping photos.

A new Center Stage feature can automatically adjust selfie photos from portrait orientation to landscape to ensure everyone is in the shot, so you don’t have to manually rotate your phone to its side anymore. Dual Capture lets you simultaneously record on your front and back cameras. These upgrades are specifically catered to the latest iPhone lineup, so that they won’t be coming to older models like the iPhone 16, even with an iOS 26 update.

Battery life is a little longer on the iPhone 17. Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 8 hours more of video playback than the iPhone 16. This change aligns with improvements CNET noticed in our battery tests. In a 3-hour streaming test, for example, the iPhone 17’s battery dropped from 100% to 89%, while the iPhone 16 hit 86%. It’s an incremental update, but even a little more battery life is a welcome change. The iPhone 17 also supports up to 40-watt charging, which is a boost over the 25 watts you get with the iPhone 16, helping you top off your battery a little faster.

The bottom line: While the updates to the iPhone 17 help it stand out as an all-around solid device, the changes over last year’s iPhone 16 are incremental enough that there’s not much reason to upgrade — unless you’re really excited about that smoother display and faster charging. But for most people, subtle differences mean you should probably just hold onto your iPhone 16.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 15

The iPhone 15 has a lot in common with the iPhone 16, including a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 6.1-inch display. The 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 17 has slimmer bezels to expand that real estate a bit, and the 48-megapixel ultrawide camera can lead to slightly sharper shots.

The baseline iPhone 15 doesn’t have an Action button that you can customize to launch various apps and functions, and instead has the more traditional ring/silent switch. The iPhone 17 has an Action button and a Camera Control button.

Both phones have a Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the display for showing alerts and Live Activities, such as the time your DoorDash order is arriving, flight updates and what song is currently playing.

With each generation, Apple touts longer battery life, so you can expect to get a couple more hours of video playback with the iPhone 17 than you would with the 15.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the iPhone 15 and 17 is that the iPhone 15 doesn’t have Apple Intelligence; those AI features only arrived on that year’s Pro models. If you upgrade to the iPhone 17, you’ll have access to writing and image editing tools, as well as newer features like Live Translation for calls and messages.

The bottom line: Like the iPhone 16, there aren’t many drastic differences between the iPhone 15 and 17, though upgrading will notably grant you access to Apple Intelligence. But the other hardware and software-related updates are relatively minimal, so you’re probably good keeping your iPhone 15 for at least another year.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 was the last Apple phone with a Lightning port and that’s one of most significant differences between it and the iPhone 17, which has a USB-C port. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 means you won’t have to rely on an outdated and limited-use charging cable anymore, and can instead use one that works with most of your other devices.

The baseline iPhone 14 also doesn’t have a Dynamic Island cutout in the display, as that feature launched with just the Pro models that year. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will let you quickly tap into activities like your rideshare trip or flight information.

The iPhone 14 has a 12-megapixel wide and ultrawide-angle camera on the back, while the iPhone 17 bumps that to 48 megapixels across the board. The iPhone 17 also increases the front-facing camera’s resolution from 12 megapixels to 18 megapixels, while adding a new Center Stage selfie feature to automatically adjust between portrait and landscape images without you having to rotate your phone.

But the two phones also some key similarities, like having eSIM and satellite connectivity on board.

The bottom line: The iPhone 14 has the most noticeable differences with the iPhone 17. Upgrading could offer some fresh features like an Action button and, at last, a USB-C port, as well as Dynamic Island and an upgraded camera. But if you want to save some money and keep your current phone, you won’t be missing out on anything too drastic.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 has a similar A15 Bionic chip as the iPhone 14, and shares the same dual 12-megapixel camera system. But unlike the iPhone 14, the iPhone 13 doesn’t have crash detection or satellite connectivity, or camera features like Action mode for more stable videos.

At this point, your iPhone 13 may be showing its age. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will give you access to newer features like Apple Intelligence, Dynamic Island, USB-C charging and the Camera Control and Action buttons. You might also notice faster speeds by switching to the iPhone 17, now that it’s been a few years since the iPhone 13 came out.

The bottom line: It may be time to upgrade to the iPhone 17 if you have an iPhone 13. It’s possible your phone is starting to show its age, and switching to Apple’s latest baseline will get you a longer-lasting battery, an upgraded camera, AI features and a handful of new hardware and software capabilities.

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 12

Like the next couple of iPhones after it, the iPhone 12 has a dual 12-megapixel camera system, as well as a 6.1-inch display. Upgrading to the iPhone 17 will get you a slightly more immersive 6.3-inch display with thinner bezels, along with a 48-megapixel dual camera system.

The iPhone 12 lacks features like crash detection, satellite connectivity, Dynamic Island and USB-C charging. It also doesn’t support the Apple Intelligence suite of AI features for writing, photo editing, language translation and more.

It’s possible your iPhone 12 has become sluggish and your battery isn’t holding up like it used to. Taking age out of the equation, at launch, the iPhone 12 boasted up to 17 hours of video playback, while Apple says the iPhone 17 supports up to 30 hours. So there’s likely to be a noticeable difference between how long each phone can hold up.

The bottom line: Swapping your iPhone 12 for the iPhone 17 could be a smart move. There have been noticeable changes over the last several years, from the addition of the Action and Camera Control buttons to the introduction of Apple Intelligence. The swap to USB-C and expanded battery capacity can also make the newest iPhone more tempting; you won’t have to cling to your now-outdated Lightning cable. And you’ll likely notice faster speeds and higher performance across the board when switching from a 5-year-old device to the latest generation.

Apple iPhone 17 vs. Older iPhones

	Apple iPhone 17	Apple iPhone 16	Apple iPhone 15	Apple iPhone 14	Apple iPhone 13	Apple iPhone 12
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622 x 1,206 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556 x 1,179 pixel resolution; 60Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED; 2,556×1,179 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels	6.1-inch OLED; 2,532×1,170 pixels
Pixel density	460ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 in	5.81 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches	2.82 x 5.81 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.3 in	5.78 x 2.82 x 0.29 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.6 x 71.5 x 7.95 mm	147.6 x 71.6 x 7.8mm	71.6 x 147.6 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.8 mm	147 x 72 x 7.65 mm	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	177 g (6.24 oz)	170 g (6 oz.)	171g (6.02 oz)	172 g (6.07 oz)	6.14 oz; 174g	5.78oz; 164g
Mobile software	iOS 26	iOS 18	iOS 17	iOS 16	iOS 15	iOS 14
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide)	12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K at 60 fps	HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Apple A18	A16 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple A15 Bionic	Apple Bionic 14
RAM + storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	RAM NA; 128GB, 256GB, 512GB	128GB, 256GB, 512GB	64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Expandable storage	None	None (Face ID)	None	None	Undisclosed	Undisclosed
Battery	Up to 30 hours video playback; up to 27 hours video playback (streamed)	Up to 22 hours video playback; up to 18 hours video playback (streamed). 20W wired charging. MagSafe wireless charging up to 25W with 30W adapter or higher; Qi2 up to 15W	Undisclosed; Apple claims up to 20 hours of video playback (16 hours streamed)	Undisclosed; Apple claims 20 hours of video playback	No	No
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	None (Face ID)	Undisclosed; Apple lists 19 hours of video playback	Undisclosed; Apple lists 15 hours of video playback
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C (USB 2.0)	Lightning	No (Face ID)	No (FaceID)
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None	Lightning	Lightning
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Apple Intelligence, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, 1 to 2,000 nits display brightness range, IP68 resistance. Colors: black, white, pink, teal, ultramarine.	Dynamic Island; 5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	5G (mmw/Sub6); MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; eSIM; satellite connectivity	No	No
US price starts at	$829 (256GB)	$799 (128GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	$799 (128GB), $899 (256GB), $1,099 (512GB)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)	5G enabled; MagSafe; water resistant (IP68); wireless charging; dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM)