Enix and Chunsoft’s Dragon Quest 4 is the fourth entry in the Dragon Quest series and the first in a new connected trilogy of games now known as the Zenithia Trilogy. The title was originally released on the Famicom on February 11, 1990, with the Western localization arriving as Dragon Warrior 4 on the NES in 1992. Later, the title would also receive a Japan-only port to the PlayStation in 2001 utilizing the engine from Dragon Quest 7. The Nintendo DS version of the game is based on the 2001 PlayStation remake, with the porting and localization handled by ArtePiazza. Square Enix would bring the game to the West on April 18, 2008.
Similar to both its predecessors and sequels, Dragon Quest 4 was a massive hit in its native Japan. The original famously sold out in an hour, moving 1.3 million units and grossing over 14 billion Yen. Interestingly, the PlayStation remake would enjoy similar success, eventually becoming the fourth-best-selling game ever on the console. While not as successful as other versions of Dragon Quest 4, the DS version has still sold more than 1.5 million units worldwide. It’s considered to be a solid entry in the Dragon Quest series, even if it doesn’t quite reach the highs of Dragon Quest 3 or Dragon Quest 5.
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Premise
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As the first game in a new connected trilogy of Dragon Quest titles, DQ4 introduces players to the realm of Zenithia. The title is split into 5 distinct Chapters, each of which tells an important piece of the full story that comes together in the fifth and final Chapter. The game’s plot follows each of the Hero’s companions as they tell the tale of how they came to be involved with the Legendary Hero and his quest to stop the Ruler of Evil. Unlike previous Dragon Quest games, the main villain in DQ4 is actually a sympathetic figure and not just a traditional boilerplate antagonist, seeking to become the Ruler of Evil to take revenge against mankind for the wrongful death of his love.
In terms of its gameplay, Dragon Quest 4 introduces several new elements to the franchise while also carrying over much of the new elements that players experienced in Dragon Quest 3. Players are now free to have a party that excludes the Hero once they have all 8 companions, though the Hero is still the most powerful playable character in the game. Players will engage in world map exploration, visit towns, enter and clear dungeons, and fight random battles from a first-person perspective to earn gold and experience. As in previous series entries, leveling up characters results in randomized stat growth and character progression.
New to Dragon Quest 4, though, is the Tactics system. The fourth entry in the series marks the first time that players can leverage the game’s artificial intelligence to assign actions to teammates during battle. The DS remake of the game is the first version to allow players to individually assign Tactics to each party member versus a whole party assignment.
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Main Characters
©Dragon Quest 4 promotional artwork – Original
Dragon Quest 4 is the first and only game in the series to tell its story from an episodic structure, dividing the game’s events into 5 distinct chapters (and an additional 6th chapter exclusive to the remakes). Each of these Chapters recounts important events related to the game’s protagonist, the Legendary Hero, as told by each of his companions. When players finally reach the 5th Chapter, the Hero, and all his companions are together and embark on a quest to defeat the presumptive Ruler of Evil, Psaro. The main characters in Dragon Quest 4 include:
Heroes
- The Legendary Hero: The main hero and protagonist of Dragon Quest 4. The Legendary Hero is the one force capable of stopping the Ruler of Evil in Zenithia.
- Ragnar: A noble soldier, Ragnar is one of the hero’s companions. He foils an attempt on the hero’s life when he is still just a child.
- Alena: A rough and tumble princess, Alena is another of the hero’s companions. Together with her tutor Borya and the kingdom’s Chancellor Kiryl, she sets out to uncover the meaning behind her father’s strange premonitions of the end of the world.
- Torneko: A humble and loveable merchant whose dream is to own his own shop, Torneko is another of the hero’s companions. He becomes involved with the Hero’s quest against Psaro thanks to it involving acquiring a series of legendary weapons.
- Maya: Maya and her sister, Meena, are two of the Hero’s companions who seek him out after a failed attempt to get revenge for their murdered father.
Villains
- Estark: The Ruler of Evil, Estark is the secondary antagonist of Dragon Quest 4 and poses a terrible danger to Zenithia.
- Psaro: Psaro is the main villain and primary antagonist of Dragon Quest 4, repeatedly showing up in each Chapter as a mysterious manipulator of events. He eventually reveals his plan to take Estark’s place as the Ruler of Evil after the party defeats Estark in Chapter 5.
Games in the Dragon Quest Series
The original Dragon Quest would establish the conventions of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) and inspire a host of contemporaries and imitators, including the equally as influential Final Fantasy. Since 1986, the series has stood as a standard-bearer for JRPGs, offering up an “old-school” traditional approach to JRPG gameplay in each new Dragon Quest that subtly evolves the series while also paying homage to its rich legacy. There are 11 mainline Dragon Quest games to date, with the 12th game currently in development. But the main numbered entries are far from all the series has to offer, with the Dragon Quest franchise expanding into several different genres through spin-offs and side games that each has its own dedicated fanbase. Games in the Dragon Quest series include:
- Dragon Quest (1986)
- Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line (1987)
- Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation (1988)
- Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (1990)
- Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (1992)
- Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation (1995)
- Dragon Quest Monsters (1998)
- Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (2000)
- Dragon Quest Monsters 2 (2001)
- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (2004)
- Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (2005)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (2006)
- Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies (2009)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (2010)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Wanted! (2010)
- Dragon Quest X: Awakening of the Five Walkers Online (2012)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light (2014)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 (2016)
- Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (2017)
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (2023)
- Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (2024)
- Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (2025)
- Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate (TBD)
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Cheats & Secrets
While there are no official cheats for Dragon Quest 4, there are plenty of secrets for players to utilize. Additionally, the DS version of Dragon Quest 4 has several Pro Action Replay cheats available.
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Unlockables
Alternate World Map Music
Once players have all 8 party members in Chapter 5, it’s possible to change the world map music by switching around the order of the party.
| Music on World Map | Party Order |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 World Map Music | Have Ragnar in the front of the party |
| Chapter 2 World Map Music | Have Alena, Kiryl, or Borya in the front of the party |
| Chapter 3 World Map Music | Have Torneko in the front of the party |
| Chapter 4 Battle Music | Have both Meena and Maya in the front of the party |
| Chapter 4 World Map Music | Have Meena or Maya in the front of the party |
| Chapter 5 World Map Music (after beating Marquis de Léon) | Have the Hero in the front of the party with at least one other member present |
| Chapter 5 World Map Music (before beating Marquis de Léon) | Have only the Hero in the party |
| Psaro’s Theme | Have Psaro in the front of the party (Chapter 6 only) |
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Secrets
Easy EXP Boost
During Chapter 2, players will encounter two enemies that can be repeatedly defeated for quick EXP. On their own, neither enemy provides substantial EXP or gold rewards to players. However, each enemy’s tendency to call for backup means players can defeat multiple foes in a single battle for quick level gains.
The first of these enemies is a Lickspittle. The Lickspittle will sometimes attack during their turn, but if there is an empty slot in their ranks, expect at least one to call for help and recruit another Lickspittle to fight with them. If you have Alena in your party, attack and have your two other characters defend each turn during a fight with Lickspittles. This way, you will kill one per turn or every other turn, allowing them to call for help repeatedly. As long as you have the resources to refill your health, let them recruit friends over and over again. The more you kill in a single round, the more experience and gold you will earn.
The other enemy you will regularly encounter is a Firespirit. The Firespirit has high evasion and is difficult to hit with physical attacks. When you miss an attack on a Firespirit, they will sometimes split into two. The main stat affecting this chance is Luck, but if you continue using melee attacks and miss them, you will have a greater chance of multiple Firespirits appearing. Just as with the Lickspittle, the more you fight in a single battle, the more experience and gold you will earn.
Secret Items
Using the Sands of Time item, players can steal the ultra-rare Liquid Metal Helm and Happy Hat from Liquid Slimes in Chapter 5. For this trick to work, players must first acquire the Sands of Time in Cascade Cave. With the Sands of Time in the player’s inventory, make your way through Chapter 5 until you reach the Stairway to Zenithia. On Floor 3, players will regularly encounter Metal King Slimes. Like other Metal Slimes, though, the Metal King Slimes have a tendency to flee from battle. When they do this, use the Sands of Time to reset the encounter.
With Torneko in the party, he will typically steal from an enemy with a 100% success rate after using the Sands of Time. Players can use this trick to acquire as many Liquid Metal Helms as they like. Sometimes the Metal King Slimes will also carry Happy Hats, which players can also steal multiple copies of using this same trick.
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Pro Action Replay Cheats
Like many other Nintendo DS games, Dragon Quest 4 has several Pro Action Replay cheats players can use. When playing the game natively on Nintendo DS hardware, players will need a compatible Pro Action Replay device. Alternatively, players using an emulator can enter any of the following cheats into the emulator’s “Cheat” menu.
General Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max Gold (Press Select) | 94000130 FFFB0000 020C7DD0 3B9AC9FF D2000000 00000000 |
| Max Casino Tokens (Press Select) | 94000130 FFFB0000 020C7DD8 3B9AC9FF C2000000 00000000 |
| Max EXP (Press L during battle) | 94000130 FDFF0000 120C7DE8 0000270F D0000000 00000000 |
| EXP x100 After Battle | 52124580 FD02F6ED 02000000 21646CC0 02000004 47704348 02124580 FD3EF6DB D0000000 00000000 |
| Gold x100 After Battle | 52124590 FD08F6ED 02000024 88003050 02000028 434821FF 0200002C 46C04770 02124590 FD48F6DB D0000000 00000000 |
| Always Drop Treasure Chests | 5211FE48 7FC98A0C 1211FE4A 00002100 D0000000 00000000 |
| Max Stats at Level Up | 12010CFA 000046C0 12010CFC 00002031 02010D48 E0002001 02010D5C E0002001 |
| Luck Up using Seeds | 1201546A 0000E001 |
| Always Critical Hit | 12019068 0000E012 120190C8 0000E02B |
| Equip Anything | 12012E50 000046C0 |
| Max Casino Tokens (Alternate) | 020C55F8 000F423F |
| 99 Mini Medals | 020C55FC 00000063 |
Hero Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120c88d0 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120c88ce 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120c88d4 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120c88d2 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220c88c8 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220c88cc 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220c88ca 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220c88cd 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220c88d6 000000ff |
Ragnar Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120c92e8 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120c92ea 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120c92ec 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120c92ea 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220c92e0 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220c92e4 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220c92e2 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220c92e5 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220c92ee 000000ff |
Healie Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Quick Level Up | 120cc038 0000ffff |
| Max HP | 120cc054 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120cc052 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120cc056 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120cc058 000003e7 |
Alena Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120c97f4 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120c97f2 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120c97f8 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120c97f6 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220c97ec 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220c97f0 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220c97ee 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220c97f1 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220c97fa 000000ff |
Kiryl Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120c9d00 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120c9cfe 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120c9d04 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120c9d02 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220c9cf8 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220c9cfc 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220c9cfa 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220c9cfd 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220c9d06 000000ff |
Borya Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120ca20c 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120ca20a 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120ca210 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120ca20e 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220ca204 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220ca208 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220ca206 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220ca209 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220ca212 000000ff |
Torneko Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120ca718 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120ca716 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120ca71c 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120ca71a 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220ca710 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220ca714 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220ca712 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220ca715 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220ca71e 000000ff |
Hardie Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120cd484 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120cd482 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120cd488 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120cd486 000003e7 |
Laurel Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120cd990 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120cd98e 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120cd994 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120cd992 000003e7 |
Meena Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120cac24 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120cac22 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120cac28 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120cac26 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220cac1c 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220cac20 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220cac1e 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220cac21 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220cac2a 000000ff |
Maya Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120cb130 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120cb12e 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120cb134 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120cb132 000003e7 |
| Max Strength | 220cb128 000000ff |
| Max Agility | 220cb12c 000000ff |
| Max Resilience | 220cb12a 000000ff |
| Max Wisdom | 220cb12d 000000ff |
| Max Luck | 220cb136 000000ff |
Oojam Attribute Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max HP | 120ce3a8 000003e7 |
| Full HP | 120ce3a6 000003e7 |
| Max MP | 120ce3ac 000003e7 |
| Full MP | 120ce3aa 000003e7 |
Dragon Quest 4: Chapters Of The Chosen Cheat FAQs
Does Dragon Quest 4 have Pro Action Replay codes?
Yes, there are dozens of Pro Action Replay codes available for Dragon Quest 4 on Nintendo DS. However, using these codes requires having a Nintendo DS and a Pro Action Replay device. Alternatively, players can use a compatible emulator with cheat functionality. Most of the available cheats alter stat values for party members. There are also cheats that provide significant boosts to gold and experience players earn after battle.
Is Dragon Quest 4 hard?
The difficulty of a game is subjective and dependent on a player’s skill and experience with similar games. That said, the Dragon Quest games are notably more “old school” than many other popular JRPG series. As such, players will regularly come up against skill checks in the form of challenging bosses. But with a little bit of grinding and persistence, players should be able to strengthen their party to overcome these challenges. Often, one of the more difficult aspects of a Dragon Quest game is just figuring out where to go and what to do when you get there. The best way to ensure you never get lost or stuck is to talk with every NPC, and often.
Do I have to play the first three Dragon Quest games before Dragon Quest 4?
While some general knowledge of the series and its gameplay would be helpful, players do not need to play the initial Dragon Quest trilogy before hopping into Dragon Quest 4. This is because Dragon Quest 4 is a separate game from the connected story of the initial trilogy of Dragon Quest titles. That said, playing Dragon Quest 3 would give players the experience necessary to know what to expect from Dragon Quest 4.
How long to beat Dragon Quest 4?
Surprisingly, Dragon Quest 4 is actually one of the shortest entries in the series since the original. At roughly 25-30 hours to complete the main quest, DQ4 is slightly shorter than its predecessor. Notably, though, it is longer than Dragon Quest or Dragon Quest 2. The same applies to a completionist attempt as well. Players hoping to 100% Dragon Quest 4 can expect to spend 35-40 hours completing the game.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.