Dragon Quest 1 (SFC) - Metal Harp Hunting Speedrun Guide

Introduction

I am putting this guide as I go by referring mainly to the current World Record as base.

Since this is a guide specific for the Super Famicom version, both Japanese and English items/abilities etc. will be used in the guide to help the player.

Sometimes Kanji will be displayed immediately after the hiragana version of the word in parentheses.

I also suggest to check out the DQRTA Compendium from the community.

Some of the sources linked in this guides are documents from the compendium.

Split files

Flitter split file: DQ1 SFC Metal Harp Hunt Flitter Splits.json
Livesplit split file: DQ1 SFC Metal Harp Hunt LiveSplit Splits.zip

Strategy

Introductory notes

"A to..." means "Press the A button to."

"4x A to..." means "Press the A button for times to..."

Monster strategies always assume you heal whenever you need to, whether it is with herbs (やくそう） or Heal magic （ホイミ）　.

Starting Menu

Start timer immediately after console/emulator reset.
Select Dragon Quest 1
Immediately A to skip Title
Immediately A to ぼうけんのしょをつける(Open Adventure books)
Immediately A to select ぼうけんのしょ1 (Adventure book 1)
Name: わきげ (Affects lyre technique)
Select "8" to set text speed to 8.

Road to Flute

Get 3 chests in throne room then exit to the bottom stairs
There's a row of 3 pots down right. Open the first one on the left only which contain 1x medicinal herb (やくそう) (薬草)
Exit castle
Go to Radatome village. on the right.
Shopping time!
Weapon shop: 1x Bamboo pole (たけざお）(1st option)
Item shop bottom right of the village:
1x Dragon Scale (りゅうのうろこ）, 6x torches (たいまつ）, 4x Medical herbs (やくそう）
Equip Dragon scale and Bamboo pole
Exit village. Path from Radatome to Koi.
Time to head to Koi to get the flute.
Path from Radatome to Koi. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/alefgard-2.png
Fight strategy until the village:
- Slime/Orange Slime: Just attack them
- Drake: Throw torch at them
- Ghost: Throw torch at them
- In the mountains before Koi you could find a gold scorpion: Throw torches at them, it should give enough exp to get you to level 3.
- Use med herb if you need to
From Radotome village, Up and then left and then up again to get to plains (lower encounter rate)
Walk all the way to Koi
In Koi, go immediately to pick up Fairy Flute (ようせいのふえ）.
Go get Seed of power (ちからのたね）in the middle chest of the bathouse, and leather armor (ぬののふく). Eat the seed and equip the armor. Need to check if doing this later avoids being blocked by the NPC hanging around the shop.
Go to the bottom right shop to the city to reach the item shop and refill medical herbs.
Exit the village, quickest bottom left corner if you went to shop.

Magic keys

Go to cave down south and exit the other way:
Fight strategy until Rimuldar:
- Mage: Run!
- Meda: Run!
- Magidrake: Torch + attack
- Skeleton: Run!
- Scorpion: Torch + attack
- Metal scorpion: Run
  Path to exit Marshy Cave. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/marshy-cave.png
Arrive to Rimuldar
Up immediately to go to key shop!
Get from pots:
- 121 Gold
- Seed of protection (まもりのたね）.
Discard leather armor (ぬののふく）and eat seed.
Buy 6 keys
Exit shop -> Exit city but enter back again to reach city center faster.
Go to the bottom right by opening the 2 doors in the inn -> Get chest -> いのちのきのきのみ (Berry of life) -> Use it
Go to upper right merchant:
- Buy 1 wing of chimera (キメラのつばさ）
- Buy herbs until you have 5
Go to left to open drawer in girl's room: Get wing of chimera
Use wing of chimera to go back to castle

Sun stones

Right-Down to enter castle
Room in the top left with the magic key
Open all chests:
- Mysterious berry （ふしぎなきのみ）
- Magic key （まほうのかぎ）
- 338-350 gold (I need to confirm why the gold amount is not fixed).
- Seed of speed すばやさのたね）
Then top right to open door that leads Castle chambers
In castle chambers, go to wiseman's bedroom before picking up the sun stones:
- Berry of life (いのちのきのみ）
- Medical herb (やくそう）（薬草）
Use all of berry and seeds.
Then pick up sun stones by speaking to wiseman.

Silver Harp

Go to Garai. Walk across plains to get less monster.
You could be able to get to level 4 if you kill some monsters.
Once to Garai, rest at inn.
Then weapon shop to the left:
- Buy chain mail (くさりかたびら）for 300 gold equip it and unequip bamboo pole (たけざお）
Use key to enter Garai grave on the top right.
Open the two chest at the top left:
- Copper sword (どうのつるぎ）（同の剣）
- Torch（たいまつ）
Equip Copper Sword (どうのつるぎ） and Chain Mail (くさりかたびら）
Enter Garai grave on the top left corner, third wall from the left.
Fight strategy in Garai:
- Always run and heal with BUT:
- If you have enough mana you can cast Gira (ギラ) to kill it with 2 casts.
Pick 3 chests on the way:
- Seed of life (いのちのきのみ）
- 531 Gold
- Magic key（まほうのかぎ）
  Garai's Tomb path with chest pickup. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/garais-tomb.png
Get metal harp.
Summon monster immediately and lose the battle so you are teleported back to castle.

Metal slime grinding

As soon as you spawn in the Throne room save the game.
Reset the game as soon as the game has been saved.
Ax2 to skip title.
Dragon Quest 1 ->　change settings (せっていをかえる) (2nd option from the top)
A to select game slot.
Set speed to 1.
Play adventure （ぼうけんをする) (1st option from the top).
A to load.
Use wing of chimera (キメラのつばさ）to exit castle.
Go to Metal Slime Hunting area.
Path from Radatome Castle to Metal Slime Hunting area. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/alefgard-2.png
Reset encounter RNG by entering Damdara and exit.
Metal Slime hunt!
Aim for 13 slimes.
You should be level 15 after the hunt.
Strategy for fights while heading to Melkido:
- Star Chimera: Sleep (ラリホー） + attack.
- Dragon: Run!
Defeat the golem by using the Fairy Flute (ようせいのふえ）
- Just use attack for that.
Enter Melkido.

Roto Armor

Go to inn
Get Seed of protection (まもりのたね）from the drawer and use it.
Rest at inn.
If you have 800 gold already, you can skip this, else go grind them outside by:
- Star Chimera: Sleep (ラリホー）+ attack.
- Dragon: Attack.
Back to Melkido, weapon shop to the right.
Buy Iron Shield (てつのたて）for 800 gold (Last option from the top).
Go get Mysterious Berry（ふしぎなきのみ）contained in bottom right bedroom's drawer and use it.
Cast return （ルーラ）
Cast repel （トへロス）
Go to Damdara
Strategy against monsters:
- Yellow wolf: Sleep (ラリホー）+ attack
- Dragon: Attack
Time to fight black knight:
- Attack
- 4 hits should be fine (needs to be verified)
Pick up Roto's Armor (ロトのよろい）（ロトの鎧）and equip it.
Exit down right.

Rain staff + Rainbow drops

Go get Roto token.
- Strategy for monsters:
  - Chimera: Attack
  - Blue axe: Attack
  - Star Chimera: Sleep (ラリホー）+ attack
  - Yellow Wolf: Attack
    Path from Damdara to Roto's Token. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/alefgard-2.png
Cast Return.
Cast repel and use it all the way to wise man with rain staff.
Path from Radatome to Shrine of Rain to get Staff of Rain. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/alefgard-2.png
Go back to the mushy cave to the south
Strategy for monsters:
- Escape everything as it is quicker than fighting.
Go kill dragon in front of princess room. Do not rescue princess and cast Outside（リレミト）instead.
Enter cave again and exit south.
You should be level 16 now.
Go get Rainbow Drops.
Path from Murshy Cave to Holy Shrine to get Rainbow Drops. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/alefgard-2.png
Go back up to Rimuldar.
Throw Copper Sword （どうのつるぎ）.
Whatever you buy from now on, make sure you have 24 gold to rest at the inn.
Weapon shop:
- Buy Steel Sword （はがねのつるぎ）for 1500.
Go to merchant right at the top:
- Buy 6 medical herbs (やくそう）
- Buy 1 torch (たいまつ)
Rest before the final day.
Path from Rimuldar to Dragonlord Castle. Source: https://www.realmofdarkness.net/dq/wp-content/img/snes/dq/maps/alefgard-2.png

Dragon lord

Head to Dragon lord castle.
Use Rainbow Drops (にじのしずく）
Strategy for monsters:
- Black Axe: Run away
- Red Axe: Run away
- Stone Man: Run away
- Fight everything else
Don't forget to pick up Roto's Sword (ロトのつろぎ） (K location on map and then follow stairs).
Assuming you are Level 17 when you reach Dragonlord.
For data on Dragonlord fight, check Appendix III
Fight with Dragonlord (Phase 1):
- Attack
- Heal when HP <= 40-45
- Important to deal final blow when HP >= 70 to not get killed immediately in Phase 2.
Fight with Dragonlord (Phase2):
- Attack
- Heal when HP <= 60

Appendix I: Metal Slime Hunt

SumDeaner has done an amazing job putting together a guide on how to hunt metal slimes in this Google doc.

It is currently the best complete guide you can get in English language.

Note that the current world record which is followed by this guide uses walking as main method to perform frame corrections.

Basically, metal slimes are hunted while walking towards Melkido.

Appendix II: Half-step technique

This technique helps reducing encounters while moving around the map.

It is documented in the DQ1RTA Race Chart guide from Kiki Da Yo

Appendix III: Dragonlord fight

You can find Dragonlord attack patterns and HP in the DQ1RTA Race Chart guide from Kiki Da Yo