Dragon Quest Wiki - User contributions [en]

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

2010-03-11T06:39:35Z

71.177.205.128: /* Characters */

{{Infobox VG
| type = Main series games
| title = Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
| image = [[Image:Dq8boxart.jpg|220px]]
| developer = [[Level-5]]
| publisher = [[Square Enix]]
| designer = [[Yūji Horii]]
| artist = [[Akira Toriyama]]
| composer = [[Kōichi Sugiyama]]
| engine =
| released = {{vgrelease|JP=November 27, 2004|NA=November 15, 2005|AUS=April 12, 2006}}{{vgrelease|EU=April 13, 2006}}
| genre = [[Wikipedia:Console role-playing game|Console role-playing game]]
| modes = [[Wikipedia:Single-player|Single-player]]
| ratings = {{vgratings|ESRB=T (Teen)|CERO=All ages|PEGI=12+|OFLCA=PG|USK=6}}
| platforms = [[PlayStation 2]]
| media = [[Wikipedia:DVD|DVD]]
| requirements =
|series = ''[[Dragon Quest]]''
|input=[[Wikipedia:DualShock|DualShock 2]]
|resolution=[[Wikipedia:480i|480i]] (SDTV)
|aspect ratio=[[Wikipedia:16:9|16:9]] / [[Wikipedia:4:3|4:3]]
}}
'''''Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King''''' (''ドラゴンクエストVIII 空と海と大地と呪われし姫君'' ?) is the eighth installment in the ''[[Dragon Quest (series)|Dragon Quest]]'' series, developed by Level-5 and published by [[Square Enix]] for the PlayStation 2 video game console.

==Gameplay==
===New Features===
* The game uses a over-the-shoulder 3-D display on all maps, replacing the traditional bird's-eye view. It can optionally be switched to a first-person view. Only the lead character is displayed in the map view, however. The lead character may be swapped though.
* There is an automap feature in dungeons, and complete maps of all towns. The locations and contents of chests are marked on the map. Also, it is possible to browse the inventory of the shops while looking at the town map.
* Characters are shown holding their equipped weapons, in an appropriate posture. In a few cases, the character's displayed clothing will change to reflect their other equipment, although it usually stays the same.
* The buildings in a town are visible even from the overworld view.
* Random encounters are suppressed as long as the party is on a road.
* Chests and special encounters with [[monster taming|tameable monsters]] can be found in the overworld.
* The [[day-night cycle]] of games ''III'', ''IV'', and ''V'' is restored. Time now passes even in towns, and the party can use an [[inn]] to switch from day to night, as well as vice-versa. Thus, there is no longer a [[Darkness Lamp]], or related spells.
* [[Party conversation]]s return from the previous installment, but it is now possible to either select which party member to talk to, or cycle through them in order.
* The battle screens are shown as a 3-D view, with shifting camera angles to display the current combatant. The party appears in the battle screen, unlike previous installments. At the end of the battle, an animation of the surviving party members putting away their weapons is played.

===Tension system===
There is a new ''Dragon Ball''-inspired [[tension]] system, allowing combatants to spend a turn building up "tension," which will increase the power level of their next attack or spell. Tension can be built up repeatedly, increasing attack power still further. There is a new [[party AI]] option to focus on using high-tension attacks, replacing the old "Leave it to me" option. Tension can be used to overcome a monster's resistance to physical or elemental attacks.

Attempting to reach the fourth, "super-high tension" state has a chance of failure, depending on the character's level. Also, some monsters are able to instantly reach the third stage of tension, and will then repeatedly attempt to reach the super-high level.

===Skill system===
Each character has five [[skill]] values that can increase during the course of the game; three are associated with the character's three favored weapon types, one with unarmed combat, and one with the character's special ability. Skill points awarded on level-up, or when using a skill [[seed]], can be distributed among the five skills by the player. Increasing a skill beyond certain fixed levels grants additional powers and bonuses to statistics when the player is using an appropriate type of weapon.

===Alchemy===
At a certain point in the game, the party receives an [[Alchemy Pot]]. This device can be used to combine two items into a third (usually more powerful) item following various [[Alchemy recipe|recipes]]. The combination takes a certain amount of time, depending on the power of the combined item and the level of the pot. This "time" only advances as the wagon moves, on the overworld. Later in the game, the pot is upgraded to hold three items, allowing additional, even more powerful recipes.

An invalid recipe will be rejected immediately without consuming the items, allowing the player to experiment to find new recipes. In the Bonus Dungeon, the player gains a pot that can mix items instantly.

New recipes (or clues to new recipes) are revealed in various books and scraps of paper found throughout the game. All recipes the player has discovered are listed in a "recipe book" accessed through the alchemy menu; recipes which are only partially known (from a clue) will have some item names replaced with "????."

=== Vehicles ===
[[Vehicle]]s are shown at their actual size, and the world map is scaled down appropriately when they are in use.

The [[ship]] has a bridge which it uses to dock with the land, and its altitude can be changed to match the shorter cliffs, if necessary.

The other available vehicles are a Sabrecat steed (summoned with a magic bell), which moves much faster than the hero, allowing the party to move further between random encounters (although they still occur at the same rate), and a feather, which allows the party to turn into birds.

Although the party has a [[wagon]] throughout the game, it has no effect on gameplay, since the party is essentially fixed throughout the game. Also, it is not normally shown on the display.

==Characters==
===Playable Characters===
*[[Hero (Dragon Quest VIII)|Hero]] - The hero is a royal guard of Trodain, who journeys with King Trode to hunt down Dhoulmagus and make him pay for his crimes. His pet mouse, Munchie, always rides in his right coat pocket.

*[[Yangus]] - Yangus is a former bandit who journeys with the Hero and King Trode. Like the hero, he is a party member from the start of the game.

*[[Jessica]] - A voluptuous, short-tempered, and tomboyish sorceress born to a wealthy family in the town of Alexandria, and the third party member. She seeks to avenge her brother Alistair, who is slain by Dhoulmagus.

*[[Angelo]] - Angelo is one of Maella Abbey's Templar Knights and the fourth party member. Though unable to live with the strict moral code of the Templars, with his lust for gambling and women, he is faithfully devoted to Abbot Francisco.
*Jacob Stephenson- Jacob is an unlockable character that you get from losing over 5,000 battles. His weapons are two giant dildos that have a 50% cance of damaging the whole party. The Hero can start a Homo erotic relationship with Jacob Midway through the story. If the Hero manages to get Jacob to fall in love with him Jacob gains his Ultimate Weapon The Shadow Cock. Jacob also can learn the moves "Choke" "Swallow" "Gag" and "Rim Job"

===Other Characters===
*[[King Trode]] - King Trode is the King of Trodain, and the titular character of ''Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King''. He was transformed into a toad-like creature by the evil wizard Dhoulmagus, and is trying to find a way to lift the curse upon him. During parts of the game, if you press the Select button, King Trode will give you helpful advice.

*[[Princess Medea]] - Medea is the daughter of King Trode. She was turned into a horse when her father was cursed by Dhoulmagus. She travels with the heroes by pulling the cart with their supplies. She and the Hero are close childhood friends.

*[[Marcello]] - Marcello is the captain of the Templar Knights who guard the Abbot with their lives. However, Marcello wants more power than was offered, and after he takes over following the Abbot's death, he becomes a partner to High Priest [[Rolo]]. With this opening, the resulting events that Marcello causes will set the stage for the fate of the world to be decided.

*[[Sir Leopold]] - He is the spoiled dog of the great magician [[Dominico]]. Leopold is let out of his cage by the mistake of a servant, and after the previous wielder of the Sceptre drops it, Leopold picks it up and is taken over by Rhapthorne.

*[[Dhoulmagus]] - Dhoulmagus is a jester who, in order to get revenge on those who insulted him, stole a magical sceptre from Trodain Castle. However, when he attempted to unleash its power, it overwhelmed him, and allowed Rhapthorne to take over his body.

*[[Lord Rhapthorne]] - Lord Rhapthorne is the main antagonist who is heard, but isn't seen until the end of the game. His spirit was trapped in the Trodain sceptre that Dhoulmagus possessed in the beginning of the game. Lord Rhapthorne took control of whoever possessed the sceptre which was first Dhoulmagus, then Jessica, then a fearsome pet dog named Sir Leopold until he killed each heir of the seven sages to release his energy and give himself his own body

==Plot==
{{Spoilers}}
===Hunting for Dhoulmagus===
''Dragon Quest VIII'' begins when the evil jester Dhoulmagus steals a magical sceptre from Trodain Castle. With this powerful sceptre, he transforms the inhabitants of Trodain into plant-like statues, as well as changing the king into a toad-like monster and the princess into a horse, while covering the majority of the castle in large, green magical thorns. The Hero, a young Trodain guardsman, is the only resident to remain uncursed. Accompanying the cursed king and princess, he hunts Dhoulmagus, in hopes of restoring Trodain to its former glory. The Hero is eventually joined on his quest by three companions: a scarred, inarticulate bandit named Yangus, a wand-waving bimbo named Jessica, and Angelo, a rapier-wielding Templar Knight and self-proclaimed ladies' man. During their travels, the party runs into Dhoulmagus several times. A couple of these encounters involve Dhoulmagus killing someone beloved by members of the Hero's party. Individuals slain by Dhoulmagus include Alistair (Jessica's brother) and Abbot Francisco, who is head of the abbey where Angelo lives. The party finally tracks down Dhoulmagus to the Dark Ruins, where they find him recuperating, and finally face off against him. After his defeat, he tries to curse the party with his sceptre, but the hero is again unaffected by the curse, blocking the blast and sparing the other party members. Dhoulmagus then uses his menacing power to change into a hideous creature. However, even with his new powers, he is no match for the might of the heroes. Much to their surprise, however, they find that even with his defeat, the curse still has not been lifted. Concluding that something else must be maintaining the curse, they leave the ruins, with Jessica picking up Dhoulmagus' sceptre as they exit.

===The Next Owners of the Staff===
The next morning, the Hero and the others find to their surprise that Jessica is missing. While searching for her, the party enters a town called Arcadia, arriving just in time to save a magician named Dominico from an apparently-possessed Jessica wielding the Sceptre. After chastising David, his young servant, Dominico sends the heroes to find the Kran Spinels to aid in warding off Jessica. Once the heroes return with the jewels, Dominico uses them to create a more effective barrier against Jessica. While he prepares the incantation to erect the barrier, the party engages Jessica outside in an attempt to stall her, discovering in the process that her true objective is David, an heir of one of the seven great sages. After the battle, Dominico's barrier is able to release Jessica from her possession.

After recovery, Jessica reveals what her possessor had planned, as well as giving it a name -- Rhapthorne, The Lord of Darkness. His soul had previously been imprisoned inside the Sceptre by the seven sages, and he plots to remove the seals by killing their heirs as soon as possible. At that point, the party realizes the Sceptre is missing. They rush over to Dominico's estate, only to see that Rhapthorne has succeeded in mortally wounding David after taking control of Dominico's dog Sir Leopold as his next host. After Rhapthorne flees, David utteres his final words, as a repentant and grieving Dominico laments over him. With only two heirs left to kill, the possessed Sir Leopold absconds to the snowy mountain valley of the north. An old woman named Marta, who happens to be the one of the two remaining heirs, lives in the wintry countryside.

After running an errand for Marta and finding her son Marek, the party comes back to Marta's house only to see it set ablaze by Sir Leopold. Holding her son Marek hostage, Sir Leopold forces Marta to come out and face him. He manages to kill her, and flies away to find the last living heir. Enlisting the aid of the legendary godbird Empyrea, the party tracks Sir Leopold down to the Lord High Priest's mansion and engage him. After putting down the possessed Sir Leopold, he loses his grip on the Sceptre, and dies. The Lord High Priest goes into shock, and faints. Meanwhile, Marcello (the new abbot, and Angelo's half-brother) enters, and frames the party for attempting to assassinate the Lord High Priest, and has them exiled to Purgatory Island. Marcello picks up the Sceptre, but manages to resist Lord Rhapthorne's evil influence. He assumes his position of the Lord High Priest thereafter.

===Imprisoned===
The party manages to escape from Purgatory Island, returning to face Marcello on the holy isle of Neos, and defeats him. In his weakened state, Marcello gives in to Rhapthorne's influence. With all seven sages killed, Rhapthorne is resurrected in flesh and blood. He transforms Neos into the Black Citadel, and raises it into the sky to stage his attack upon the world. The heroes battle their way through the Citadel and defeat Rhapthorne in his first body. However, by doing so, Rhapthorne is able to unleash his full power and incorporate the Black Citadel into himself, transforming himself into a massive devil looming over the land. Empyrea calls upon the heroes to destroy Rhapthorne once and for all. The Sceptre of Trodain, imbued with Empyrea's essence, is now an essential weapon for the party, able to unlock the power of the seven orbs containing the spirits of the seven sages, to penetrate into Rhapthorne's mighty barrier and engage him in mortal combat. After finally ending the reign of Rhapthorne, the party restored peace to the world. King Trode and Princess Medea are changed back to their human forms, and the curse of Trodain, along with its thorns, is lifted and removed.

===The Princess's Wedding===
A seven months later, the Hero is assigned to escort Princess Medea to her arranged wedding with Prince Charmles of Argonia. After reuniting with his three friends, the hero sets sail for Savella Cathedral with the king and princess. Prince Charmles meets with the entourage personally, and forbids the party from attending the ceremony within the cathedral. On the day of the wedding, the Hero manages to slip into the cathedral with Yangus' help. However, the Princess is nowhere to be found. The Hero escapes, and finds the Princess at the cathedral courtyard waiting for him. They return to Trodain in a carriage steered by King Trode, and live happily ever after.

===Alternate Ending===
An "alternate ending" can be achieved once the first ending has been viewed, which unlocks the Dragovian Realm. A well-experienced party of heroes can challenge the Lord of the Dragovians at the Heavenly Dais. If successful, the hero's true origins are revealed, and the alternate ending will replace the first ending, where the player defeats Rhapthorne again. In the alternate ending, the Hero is revealed as the son of the lost prince of Argonia. His mother was a Dragovian maiden who escaped to the human world and met Clavius' older brother, but her father did not agree to the relationship and took her home. Following after, the Prince died just short of the Dragovian homeland. The hero was born shortly afterward, but sentenced to exile in the human world, as his birth took the life of his mother. Ashamed for his actions, the maiden's father went with his only surviving kin, as the mouse Munchie. Upon defeating the Dragovian lord, who had become mad after trying to abandon his human form, gives the Hero his father's ring. Clavius, King of Argonia and Prince Charmles' father, acknowledges the hero's right to marry the Princess after seeing the ring, which allows him to finally feel at peace with his lost brother. The two are wed at Savella Cathedral, much to the scorn of Charmles, who is finally confronted by his father over his initiation test earlier in the story. The newlywed couple come out of the cathedral together and embrace each other, much to the surprise of the other party members. They return to Trodain in the same fashion as the first ending, and live happily ever after.
{{Endspoiler}}

==Development==
Like the other games in the series, ''Dragon Quest VIII'''s designers include Yuji Horii as scenario director, Akira Toriyama as the art designer, and Koichi Sugiyama as the music composer.

Unlike the original Japanese version, the North American and European localizations of the game mark a departure from previous ''Dragon Quest'' titles, due to the inclusion of voice acting in certain parts of the adventure pertaining to the advancement of the storyline. The game nevertheless retains the series' tradition of allowing the player to name the lead character, reconciling the two by having the voice acting script skip all incidences of the hero's name (''e.g.'', the line, "Okay, [Hero], my boy..." appears onscreen, while the voice acting says, "Okay, my boy..."), and occasionally replacing the name with Yangus' nickname for the hero, "'guv" (as in "governor," pronounced with a Cockney accent) In addition, small changes, such as the removal of the traditional 8-bit sound effects that accompany attacks, and magic abilities, were made. Despite other games in the series being edited during localization for North America, ''Dragon Quest VIII'' has no editing in it. The English translation is credited to Plus Alpha Translations and AltJapan.

Several characters from previous ''Dragon Quest'' games make a cameo appearance, among which are the Fighter and Warrior from ''Dragon Quest III''; Ragnar, Healie, and Torneko (here called Torneko Taloon, a combination of the names by which he's known in Japan and America) from ''Dragon Quest IV''; and the legendary bird Ramia from ''Dragon Quest III''. There is even an allusion to the Dracolord (Dragonlord) from ''Dragon Quest I ''present during the course of the game.

===Localization===
''Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King'' was released in North America on November 15, 2005, and shipped with a playable ''Final Fantasy XII'' demo disc. Additions and changes to the North American version of ''Dragon Quest VIII'' include: voice acting, new animations, enhanced music and sound effects, additional spells and attacks, and a new menu interface. It was also the first game in the ''Dragon Quest'' series to bear the original, Japanese "''Dragon Quest''" name (rather than "''Dragon Warrior''") in North America. ''Dragon Quest'''s North American name was changed, due to a trademark conflict with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game role-playing game] ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DragonQuest DragonQuest]'', which was published by wargame publisher [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulations_Publications Simulations Publications] in the 1980s until the company's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy bankruptcy] in 1982 and purchase by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSR,_Inc. TSR, Inc.], which then published it as an alternate pen-and-paper RPG line to ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons Dungeons & Dragons]'' until 1987.

In 2003, Square Enix registered the ''Dragon Quest'' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark trademark] in the US, making the "''Dragon Warrior''" name obsolete. Thus, this installment of the series was the first after 2003 to be released outside of Japan and to receive the word "''Quest''" in its title.

A demo disc for ''Dragon Quest VIII'' was released in America during the fall of 2005 through certain venues, including ''Shonen Jump'' magazine. ''Dragon Quest VIII'' is also the first flagship ''Dragon Quest'' game to be released in Europe. It was released in Europe on April 13, 2006, under the title ''Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King'', dropping the sequel number. Unlike the North American version, the European version does not contain a ''Final Fantasy XII'' demo.

==References==
{{Wikipedia|Dragon Warrior VIII}}
{{Wikipedia-ja|ドラゴンクエストVIII_空と海と大地と呪われし姫君}}

{{DQVIII}}
{{Dragon Quest series}}
[[Category:Main series games]]
[[Category:Dragon Quest VIII]]
[[Category:Articles on Wikipedia]]

Dragon Quest

2010-03-11T06:29:47Z

71.177.205.128: /* Characters */

:<small>''This article is about the original game in the Dragon Quest series. For series information, see ''[[Dragon Quest (series)]]</small>
{{Infobox VG
|type=Main series games
|title=Dragon Quest
|image=[[File:DQ1logo.jpg|230px]]
|caption=North American boxart
|developer=[[Chunsoft]]
|publisher={{vgrelease|JP=[[Enix]]}}{{vgrelease|NA=[[Nintendo]]}}
|designer=[[Yūji Horii]]<br />[[Koichi Nakamura]]<br />Yukinobu Chida
|artist=[[Akira Toriyama]]
|composer=[[Koichi Sugiyama]]
|released={{vgrelease|JP=May 27, 1986}}{{vgrelease|NA=August 1989}}
|genre=[[Wikipedia:Console role-playing game|Console role-playing game]]
|modes=[[Wikipedia:Single player|Single player]]
|ratings=[[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]: E (Everyone) ([[Game Boy Color|GBC]])
|platforms=[[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES/Famicom]], [[MSX]], [[Wikipedia:NEC PC-9801|NEC PC-9801]], [[Wikipedia:Sharp X68000|Sharp X68000]] [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]], [[Game Boy Color]] (hybrid cartridge), [[Mobile phone]]
|media={{vgrelease|NA=640-[[Wikipedia:kilobit|kilobit]] NES [[Wikipedia:cartridge (electronics)|cartridge]]}}{{vgrelease|JP=512-kilobit Famicom cartridge}}GBC/SFC/MSX cartridges
|requirements=
|input=
|series=''[[Dragon Quest]]''
}}
'''Dragon Quest''', ('''Dragon Warrior''') is the first game in the [[Dragon Quest (series)|Dragon Quest series]]. It was originally developed by [[Enix]] (now [[Square Enix]]) and released in 1986 in Japan for the [[MSX]] and the [[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 was greatly improved graphically over the Japanese original, and added a battery backed-up save feature, whereas the Japanese version used a password system. [[Nintendo]] was impressed with the Japanese sales of the title and massively overproduced the cartridge; the end result was that Nintendo gave away copies of ''Dragon Warrior'' as an incentive for subscribing to ''Nintendo Power'', the company's in-house promotions magazine. Dragon Quest has been re-released for a number of different platforms.

''Dragon Quest'' takes place in a country called [[Alefgard]]. 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.

''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]]''.

==Gameplay==

Dragon Quest is regarded as the first console RPG or role playing game, 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.

==Characters==

*[[Hero (Dragon Quest I)|Hero]]: A descendant of the Legendary Hero Roto. He arrives from an unknown location to help the land of Alefgard.
*Roto: He rescued Alefguard in ancient times, by defeating a [[Zoma|great demon]]. He has left a message for his descendant, in the cave which bears his name.
* [[Lorik]] or Lars: The king of Tantegel Castle, and ruler of Alefgard.
*[[Lady Lora]] : Daughter of King [[Lorik]]. Imprisoned in the Swamp Cave south of [[Kol]], by the servants of the Dragonlord.
* The [[Dragonlord]]: The final boss of the story, he has stolen the ball of light in order to lock Alefguard in perpetual darkness. He has two forms, a humanoid wizard (resembling a Taoist demon), and an enormous dragon which is his true form. Also Jacob Matthew Stephenson suck the fat dick!

==Plot==

{{Spoilers}}
Long before the game begins, a man named Roto returned peace from the hands of evil. The peace came in the form of the sacred [[Ball of Light]]. Roto returned to the [[King Lorik|King]] with the Ball of Light and there were great festivals and celebrations. Eventually, Roto took his leave and was never seen again. Years passed and the people prospered, but one person was not happy with the way things were. He lived in the western mountain cave, far from Tantegel's walls. While exploring deep within the cave, he came across a sleeping [[dragon]]. Suddenly, the dragon awoke and the man was very frightened. As he closed his eyes to stop himself from seeing his demise, nothing happened. The man grew tired of waiting and threw a stick to distract it. To his surprise, the dragon picked it up in his mouth and brought it back to the man, like a dog. After that he discovered he could make the dragon do whatever he wanted. He then named himself the Dragonlord. Suddenly, a disaster occurred: Charlock Castle rose from its dirt grave, and everyone knew this was a bad omen. A few minutes later a swarm of [[Slime]]s, [[Ghost]]s, Dragons and other monsters attacked Tantegel and the villages across [[Alefgard]]. Though they fought bravely, the years of peace had made the people weak. The Ball of Light and were stolen by the Dragonlord himself.

After this terrible attack the people were terrified to walk outside again. Many men were killed traveling between places and people locked their doors at night. At night, they could hear the Slimes scratching and mumbling along the walls of Tantegel. The King fell into a deep depression over his kidnapped daughter, even though the legends told of a descendant of Roto coming to restore peace. The King believed it to be a myth until one day a scrawny-looking young man appeared at the King's feet and asked permission to retrieve the Ball of Light and [[Lady Lora]]. Since many other hapless warriors had volunteered and failed, the King had already given up hope. But he sees a light in this young man's eyes and knew he was the descendant of Roto. Giving him a few items and some gold, the King sends the warrior out.

After traveling the length and breadth of Alefgard and becoming more and more powerful, the [[Hero (Dragon Quest I)|Hero]] eventually discovers Lady Lora in the clutches of a [[Green Dragon]], who is hiding her in a cave. After killing the dragon, the Hero lifts her onto his back and carries her all the way back to Tantegel, to the delirious joy of everyone there.

Finally, after strengthening himself through all the battles he has fought and the mystical items he has uncovered, including the immensely powerful Roto's sword, the Hero enters Charlock Castle, the Dragonlord's domain, and kills him, temporarily freeing Alefgard from the terror of evil.

Lora proposes to him and King [[Lorik]] offers him the throne; he accepts the former offer but declines the latter, opting instead to venture to lands unknown and found his own kingdom.
{{Endspoiler}}

==Legacy==

===Remakes===
In the Game Boy Color remake Dragonlord's name was changed to Draco Lord, 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 [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]] remake was marketed exclusively in Japan due to the absence of [[Enix|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 and mobile phone versions are based on the Super Famicom version.

===Sequels===
Dragon Quest was followed by [[Dragon Quest II]] which met with similar success. Dragon Quest II featured the same timeline and setting as the original, a concept which was further extended into [[Dragon Quest III]]. Together, the first 3 games comprise what is known as the [[Roto Trilogy]].

===Spinoffs===
As the first game in the series, Dragon Quest has served as a significant influence in almost every spinoff game. In particular, many of the enemies developed for Dragon Quest ([[Slime]],[[Dracky]],[[Wyvern]],etc.) are featured in almost every other game in the main series and otherwise.

==Trivia==
* The bonuses awarded for leveling up depend on the name chosen for the hero.
* There is no party, only a single player character. Although his sprite changes when the princess is rescued, to show him carrying her, the princess does not participate in any battles.
* Enemies attack the hero 1-on-1, never in groups.
* There are no [[vehicle]]s; one can only traverse the overworld map on foot, or by using a [[Chimera wing]] or [[Zoom]] spell to travel to [[Tantegel Castle]].
* Tantegel is the only save location in the game. Likewise, the Zoom spell can only return to Tantegel.
* Acquired [[weapon]]s, [[armor]] and [[shield]]s will automatically replace the previous item, which is then discarded or sold to the store. This is changed in the remakes.
* There is no [[helmet]] slot.
* [[Key]]s are consumed when used; new ones can be purchased at one of the "key houses" in Tantegel, Rimuldar, or Mercado. The first key in any quest must be purchased in Rimuldar, since the others are behind doors that require a key to open.
* There are separate shops for buying [[holy water]], unlike later games where it is sold in item shops.
* Caves are dark, and must be lit up with a [[torch]] or [[Radiant|Radiant spell]]. These have limited range, which diminishes as the spell or torch wears out. The range is effectively reduced in the remakes, since the scale of the caves is larger, but the range is not increased to compensate.
* In the original versions, there are special menu commands to climb stairs and open chests (done automatically in later games), and in the Japanese version to select directions for certain commands, since characters do not have facings in these versions.
* The original Japanese Famicom versions of this game (and [[Dragon Quest II]]) have a "Spell of Revival" (password system), in place of the "Rolls of Honor" (battery save system). The password does not save current HP and MP, or the contents of the chests. So all of these will be reset on a reload.
* In fact, the contents of chests aren't saved in the North American NES version either.
* 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 Ladutorm Castle, 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 the USA had a more accurate translation of many character and town names.
* Loto's Sword is used during an optional boss fight in [[finalfantasy:Gilgamesh|Final Fantasy XII]] and is also the prize for winning that 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 (though the crossover had happened a few time previously in ''[[Itadaki Street]]'', a set of board game video games only available in Japan.)

==Soundtrack==
As with every Dragon Quest, [[Koichi Sugiyama]] composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. Dragon Quest I's symphonic suite was bundled with Dragon Quest II's symphonic suite and a disc of original compositions as ''Dragon Quest in Concert''. Here is the track listing for the Dragon Quest I portion of that release:

# [[Overture]] March (3:59)
# Château Ladutorm (3:25)
# People (3:36)
# Unknown World (2:07)
# Fight (2:12)
# Dungeons (3:40)
# King Dragon (3:08)
# Finale (2:40)

==See also==
*[[List of Enemies in Dragon Quest]]
*[[List of Locations in Dragon Quest]]

==References==
{{Wikipedia|Dragon Quest (game)}}
{{Wikipedia-ja|ドラゴンクエスト}}

{{DQI}}
{{Dragon Quest series}}
[[Category:Main series games]]
[[Category:Dragon Quest I]]
[[Category:Articles on Wikipedia]]