Parents' Guide to

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

By Erin Bell, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Popular 1992 Japanese RPG gets remake for DS.

Game Nintendo DS 2009
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

age 10+

dragon warrior one of the best series

i have this and will play it but i know i'm in for adventure did this series always have drunk people? i know i was too young to play it when i did if it had that in it!(dragon warrior 1)

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Like most Japanese role-playing games of that era, Dragon Quest V is driven by a compelling character-centric story and a vast world map to explore filled with towns and dungeons. This is the first game in the series where monsters can be recruited into the party to fight alongside the human characters and that adds a whole new level of interest. Players can equip weapons and armor and engage in turn-based combat, gaining additional spells and abilities as they advance in level. Additionally, players can use the L and R buttons to rotate the screen 360-degrees to reveal hidden passageways and other secrets.

While Dragon Quest V is a great romp, its gameplay betrays one or two old-school RPG trappings that some players might find frustrating, such as the constant random enemy encounters and lack of frequent save points. Even so, the game has definitely aged better than some of its contemporaries. In fact, given how enjoyable Dragon Quest V is overall, it's mind-boggling to think that the series hasn't made its way to Western shores until now. Still, better late than never.

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Square Enix
  • Release date: February 17, 2009
  • Genre: Role-Playing
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Alcohol Reference, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate