Dragon Warrior
Developer(s)	Chunsoft
Publisher(s)	JPN Enix NA Nintendo of America
Release date(s)	JPN May 27, 1986 NA August, 1989
Genre(s)	Role-playing
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: E (Everyone) (GBC)
Platform(s)	NES/Famicom, MSX, Super Famicom, Game Boy/Game Boy Color (hybrid cartridge)
Media	640-kilobit NES cartridge (NA) 512-kilobit Famicom cartridge (JP) GBC/SFC/MSX cartridges

Dragon Warrior, the first game in the Dragon Quest series, hence also known as Dragon Quest, was developed by Enix (now Square Enix) and released in 1986 in Japan for the MSX and the Nintendo Family Computer ("Famicom"). The game was localized for North American release in 1989, but the title was changed to Dragon Warrior to avoid infringing on the trademark of the pen and paper game DragonQuest. The North American version of the game featured improved graphics and a battery-backed ROM savegame, whereas the Japanese version used passwords. Nintendo was impressed with the Japanese sales of the title and massively overproduced the cartridge^{[citation needed]}; the end result was that Nintendo gave away copies of Dragon Warrior as an incentive for subscribing to Nintendo Power. It was re-released along with Dragon Warrior II in a compilation known as Dragon Warrior I & II for the Super Famicom and the Game Boy Color. Dragon Quest has recently been released on cellular phones. Image File history File links Dragon_Warrior. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates computer or video games. ... Chunsoft is a Japanese video game developer specializing in console RPGs. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Anthem: Kimi Ga Yo  (君が代) Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Most populous conurbation Tokyo1 Japanese Government Constitutional monarchy  - Emperor HIM Emperor Akihito  - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (LDP) Formation    - National Foundation Day Feb 11, 660 BCE2   - Meiji Constitution November 29, 1890   - Current constitution May 3, 1947   - Treaty of San Francisco April 28, 1952... Enix, or more formally Enix Co. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... Anthem: Kimi Ga Yo  (君が代) Imperial Reign Capital Tokyo Most populous conurbation Tokyo1 Japanese Government Constitutional monarchy  - Emperor HIM Emperor Akihito  - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (LDP) Formation    - National Foundation Day Feb 11, 660 BCE2   - Meiji Constitution November 29, 1890   - Current constitution May 3, 1947   - Treaty of San Francisco April 28, 1952... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... 1986 1986 in games 1985 in video gaming 1987 in video gaming Notable events of 1986 in computer and video games. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... 1989 1989 in games 1988 in video gaming 1990 in video gaming Notable events of 1989 in video gaming. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). ... The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ... NES redirects here. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... For the entire Game Boy series of handheld consoles, see Game Boy line. ... The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ... A kilobit is a unit of information storage, abbreviated kbit or sometimes kb. ... In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ... Dragon Quest ), published as Dragon Warrior in North America until the 2005 release of Dragon Quest VIII, is a series of role-playing games produced by Enix (now Square Enix). ... Enix, or more formally Enix Co. ... SQUARE ENIX (Japanese: スクウェア・エニックス) is a Japanese producer of popular video games and manga. ... 1986 1986 in games 1985 in video gaming 1987 in video gaming Notable events of 1986 in computer and video games. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... The Nintendo Entertainment System (North America, Europe, and Australia) NES redirects here. ... Software localization is a process of translating software user interfaces from one language to another and adapting it to suit a foreign culture. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... 1989 1989 in games 1988 in video gaming 1990 in video gaming Notable events of 1989 in video gaming. ... Dragonquest is a novel written by Anne McCaffrey and is part of her Dragonriders of Pern series. ... A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a computer or video game. ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly American news and strategy magazine from Nintendo. ... Dragon Warrior II , lit. ... Dragon Quest I & II for the Game Boy Color was originally published in Japan on September 23, 1999. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ... Cellular redirects here. ...

Plot and setting

Plot

A villain by the name of Dragonlord has kidnapped the princess of Tantegel and an artifact called the Orb of Light (also known as Ball of Light). Eventually the hero who is a descendant of the legendary Erdrick has emerged and has vowed to rescue the princess and defeat the Dragonlord. The hero of Dragon Warrior III of whom legends speak dropped from the heavens. ...

Setting

Dragon Warrior takes place in a country called Alefgard.

Characters

The Warrior: The silent protagonist, referred to as "you" in the instruction manual and throughout the game since the player dictates the name of the hero. Little is known about the hero besides his ancestry, being of the bloodline of Erdrick. The only hints of personality for the character are a somewhat forced relationship with Princess Gwaelin and the yes or no answers the player can select to certain questions proposed by certain characters throughout the game.

The Dragonlord: A powerful and evil sorcerer who has caused a rising tide of evil throughout Alefgard. He rules from Charlock castle to the east, where surrounding swamps and a destroyed bridge to the mainland have rendered his castle inaccessible. Inside Charlock a complex maze of turns and monsters further protects his throne. The Dragonlord's origin is unclear but his motives are to enslave the world with his army of monsters.

Reception

Dragon Quest was wildly popular in Japan, and became the first in a series that now includes eight games, with several spin-offs, including Dragon Quest Monsters. The release of Dragon Quest is regarded as a foundational milestone in the history of the console RPG, a popular genre that also includes the Final Fantasy series. Seemingly primitive by today's standards, Dragon Quest features one-on-one combat, a limited array of items and spells, and only five towns and five dungeons. Nevertheless, it was successful financially and well received by many fans. Dragon Quest Monsters or Dragon Warrior Monsters ) is a monster breeding video game series based on the fictional Dragon Quest universe made by Enix Corporation now known as Square Enix. ... For the first installment in the series, see Final Fantasy (video game). ...

Development

Differences between versions

In Japan many characters, locations, and spells had different names. In Japan Erdrick was originally called Roto (or Loto), King Lorik was called King Lars, Princess Gwaelin was known as Laura, and the Dragonlord was known as King Dragon. Tantegel castle was called Chateau Ladutorm, Brecconary was called Ladutorm town, Garinham was called Galai, Kol was called Maira, and Cantlin was called Mercado. Charlock Castle was not named in the Japanese version. Spells generally had nonsense names, but the term for the heal spell, Hoimi, became the official term for heal in Japan. The Game Boy Color release of Dragon Warrior in North America had a more accurate translation of many character and town names. The hero of Dragon Warrior III of whom legends speak dropped from the heavens. ... The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ...

In the Game Boy Color remake Dragonlord's name was changed to DracoLord, and Erdrick is now known as Loto. Several conveniences were added, such as a vault for storing gold and items, and a streamlined menu system. Monsters yield more experience and gold after being defeated to reduce the amount of time needed to raise levels and save up for purchases. The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ...

The Super Famicom remake was marketed exclusively in Japan due to the absence of Enix America Corporation, but it was unofficially translated into English and Spanish through emulation by online fan translation group RPG-One in 2002. The Game Boy Color version is based on the Super Famicom version. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... Enix, or more formally Enix Co. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Loto's Sword is used during an optional boss fight in Final Fantasy XII and is also the prize for winning said battle. This also marks the first time the mix of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest has happened in the light of both Square and Enix merging to be noticed in the western world. (Technically speaking, the crossover has happened a few time previous in a set of board game video games which were only available in Japan.) In the United States, however, Erdrick was referenced as early as the original NES Final Fantasy, where one of the tombstones in Elfland reads, "Here lies Erdrick." (The Japanese version reads, "Here lies Link", a reference to the Legend of Zelda series.) Final Fantasy XII ) is a console role-playing game produced by Square Enix for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console. ... The Legend of Zelda series (ゼルダの伝説 シリーズ; often shortened to just Zelda series) is a series of action-adventure video games created by Nintendo and industry legend Shigeru Miyamoto beginning in 1986. ...

Trivia

A free game pack was given away to new subscribers of Nintendo Power during a short promotion cycle. Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly American news and strategy magazine from Nintendo. ...

The characters were designed by Akira Toriyama Akira Toriyama Akira Toriyama (鳥山 明 Toriyama Akira, born on April 5, 1955 in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture) is a Japanese manga artist. ...

Story written by Yuji Horii Yuji Horii (堀井雄二 Horii Yūji, born January 6, 1954) is a Japanese video game designer. ...

Soundtrack

As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. The Dragon Quest I symphonic suite was bundled with the Dragon Quest II symphonic suite and a disc of original compositions called Dragon Quest in Concert. List of Dragon Quest I tracks: Koichi Sugiyama (すぎやまこういち Sugiyama Kōichi; born April 11, 1931) is a Japanese music composer. ...

1. Overture March (3:59)
2. Château Ladutorm (3:25)
3. People (3:36)
4. Unknown World (2:07)
5. Fight (2:12)
6. Dungeons (3:40)
7. King Dragon (3:08)
8. Finale (2:40)

References

External links

• A Dragon Warrior I shrine at RPGClassics