Dragon Quest - Revision history

Lino49: The section of "remakes" is redundant with the section of "version differences". The section of "recurring monsters" isn't really interesting (why specifically a section for monsters? and not other elements?), might rather have something for "elements carried over next games" or "elements that defined the series" or something like that more globally

2026-08-27T19:03:28Z

The section of "remakes" is redundant with the section of "version differences". The section of "recurring monsters" isn't really interesting (why specifically a section for monsters? and not other elements?), might rather have something for "elements carried over next games" or "elements that defined the series" or something like that more globally

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:03, 27 August 2026
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	\| series={{Main Series}}		\| series={{Main Series}}
	}}		}}
	{{Translation\|'''''Dragon Quest'''''\|ドラゴンクエスト\|Doragon Kuesuto}} is the first''Dragon Quest'' game which created the entire {{DQSeries}}. It was developed by [[Chunsoft]] and published by [[Enix]] for the [[Famicom]] on 1986, followed shortly by releases on MSX systems.		{{Translation\|'''''Dragon Quest'''''\|ドラゴンクエスト\|Doragon Kuesuto}} is the first ''Dragon Quest'' game which created the entire {{DQSeries}}. It was developed by [[Chunsoft]] and published by [[Enix]] for the [[Famicom]] on 1986, followed shortly by releases on MSX systems.

	The game was then localized for North American release in 1989 published by [[Nintendo]], but the title was changed to ''Dragon Warrior'' to avoid infringing on the trademark of the pen and paper game ''[[wikipedia:DragonQuest\|DragonQuest]]''. The North American version of the game had a few changes as well.		The game was then localized for North American release in 1989 published by [[Nintendo]], but the title was changed to ''Dragon Warrior'' to avoid infringing on the trademark of the pen and paper game ''[[wikipedia:DragonQuest\|DragonQuest]]''. The North American version of the game had a few changes as well.
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	A humble title from a small publishing company changed everything for games.		A humble title from a small publishing company changed everything for games.

	~~===Remakes===~~
	~~{{Main\|Dragon Quest I & II}}~~

	Being the original game in the series, ''Dragon Quest'' has been remade and re-released on a variety of different platforms; most notably for the Super Famicom. Most of the remakes feature localizations which differ from the original, as well as additional features such as an item/gold vault and streamlined menu system. Other changes include tweaks to the leveling system to make it easier to gain levels without excessive [[grinding]]. Most fans consider almost all remakes to be easier than the original release for this reason. See [[List of version differences in Dragon Quest I]] for a listing of version differences.

	~~Note that only some of the remakes have been released outside of Japan. For a full list of releases and dates, visit [[List of games]].~~

	===Broadcast Satellaview version===		===Broadcast Satellaview version===
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	===Sequels===		===Sequels===
	''Dragon Quest'' was closely followed by {{DQ2}} which met with similar success. ''Dragon Quest II'' featured the same timeline and setting as the original, a concept which was further extended into {{DQ3}}. Together, the first three games comprise what is known as the [[Erdrick trilogy]]. All three games were designed for the Famicom/NES and share similar artistic styles.		''Dragon Quest'' was closely followed by {{DQ2}} which met with similar success. ''Dragon Quest II'' featured the same timeline and setting as the original, a concept which was further extended into {{DQ3}}. Together, the first three games comprise what is known as the [[Erdrick trilogy]]. All three games were designed for the Famicom/NES and share similar artistic styles.

	~~===Recurring monsters===~~
	As the first game in the series, ''Dragon Quest'' introduced several monsters that proved instant favorites among fans. In particular, the [[Slime]], [[Dracky]], and [[Chimaera]] are featured in almost every other game in the main series and spinoffs.

	==Credits==		==Credits==

Lino49 at 18:59, 27 August 2026

2026-08-27T18:59:48Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:59, 27 August 2026
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	{{Translation\|'''''Dragon Quest'''''\|ドラゴンクエスト\|Doragon Kuesuto}} is the ~~original~~ ''Dragon Quest'' game which ~~preceded~~ the entire {{DQSeries}}. It was developed by [[Enix]] ~~and released in 1986 in Japan~~ for the [[~~MSX~~]] ~~and {{Famicom}} consoles~~. 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 ''[[wikipedia:DragonQuest\|DragonQuest]]''. The North American version of the game ~~was greatly improved graphically over the Japanese original, and added a battery backed-up save feature and 5 password systems, 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.		{{Translation\|'''''Dragon Quest'''''\|ドラゴンクエスト\|Doragon Kuesuto}} is the first''Dragon Quest'' game which created the entire {{DQSeries}}. It was developed by [[Chunsoft]] and published by [[Enix]] for the [[Famicom]] on 1986, followed shortly by releases on MSX systems.

			The game was then localized for North American release in 1989 published by [[Nintendo]], but the title was changed to ''Dragon Warrior'' to avoid infringing on the trademark of the pen and paper game ''[[wikipedia:DragonQuest\|DragonQuest]]''. The North American version of the game had a few changes as well.

			[[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'' was the first turn-based role playing game to debut on a video game console and is considered a pioneer in the development of the genre. ''Dragon Quest'''s immense success proved that RPGs had a place in the industry, and would spawn a successful franchise that would become one of the de facto standards for role playing video games.		''Dragon Quest'' was the first turn-based role playing game to debut on a video game console and is considered a pioneer in the development of the genre. ''Dragon Quest'''s immense success proved that RPGs had a place in the industry, and would spawn a successful franchise that would become one of the de facto standards for role playing video games.
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	*The {{Hero 1}}: A descendant of the Erdrick, whose history is unknown.		*The {{Hero 1}}: A descendant of the Erdrick, whose history is unknown.
	*[[Erdrick]]: The legendary ancestor of the Hero. He rescued Alefgard centuries earlier from a [[Zoma\|wicked demon]], and had left items and clues for his descendant to aid in defeating future threats to the land.		*[[Erdrick]]: The legendary ancestor of the Hero. He rescued Alefgard centuries earlier from a [[Zoma\|wicked demon]], and had left items and clues for his descendant to aid in defeating future threats to the land.
	*[[King Lorik]]: The king of Tantegel, and ruler of the land of Alefgard.		*[[King Lorik\|Tantegel King]]: The king of Tantegel, and ruler of the land of Alefgard.
	*[[Princess Gwaelin]]: The beloved daughter of King Lorik. Abducted by the Dragonlord to break the spirits of the people and imprisoned in the [[Quagmire Cave]] southwest of [[Kol]].		*[[Princess Gwaelin]]: The beloved daughter of King Lorik. Abducted by the Dragonlord to break the spirits of the people and imprisoned in the [[Quagmire Cave]] southwest of [[Kol]].
	*[[Dragonlord]]: The villain of the story, he has stolen the Sphere of Light in order to infest Alefgard with horrid monsters.		*[[Dragonlord]]: The villain of the story, he has stolen the Sphere of Light in order to infest Alefgard with horrid monsters.

Lino49 at 20:56, 25 August 2026

2026-08-25T20:56:47Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:56, 25 August 2026
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	\| type=Main series games		\| type=Main series games
	\| title=Dragon Quest		\| title=Dragon Quest
	\| image=[[File:~~DQ Logo~~.~~png\|325px]][[File:DQ Laurel Wreath art.png~~\|325px]]		\| image=[[File:Dragon Quest 1 box.jpg\|325px]]
	\| caption=		\| caption=
	\| developer=[[Chunsoft]]		\| developer=[[Chunsoft]]
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	==Gallery==		==Gallery==
	<center><gallery>		<center><gallery>
	Dragon Quest 1 box.jpg\|Famicom box art.		Dragon Quest 1 box.jpg\|Famicom box art
	Dragon_Warrior_NES.png\|NES box art.		Dragon_Warrior_NES.png\|NES box art
	DQ Famicom guide.png\|Famicom guide.		DQ Famicom guide.png\|Famicom guide
	Higuchi_Dragon_Quest.png\|Adventure novel.		DQ Laurel Wreath art.png\|Famicom guide
	Shousetsu Dragon Quest.png\|Novelization.		DQ Logo.png\|Game logo
	Dragon Quest Suite.png\|Dragon Quest Suite.		Higuchi_Dragon_Quest.png\|Adventure novel
	DQI CD Theater.png\|CD Theater.		Shousetsu Dragon Quest.png\|Novelization
	DQ 4koma Gekijou Extra 9.png\|4koma comics.		Dragon Quest Suite.png\|Dragon Quest Suite
	Dragon Quest NES Slime battle.png\|Battle against Slime.		DQI CD Theater.png\|CD Theater
			DQ 4koma Gekijou Extra 9.png\|4koma comics
			Dragon Quest NES Slime battle.png\|Battle against Slime
	DQIGroupArt.png\|		DQIGroupArt.png\|
	DQI iOS Android.png\|iOS/Android.		DQI iOS Android.png\|iOS/Android
	DQI 25th Anniversary wallpaper.png\|25th Anniversary wallpaper.		DQI 25th Anniversary wallpaper.png\|25th Anniversary wallpaper
	DW NES Characters.jpg\|Characters. ({{NES}})		DW NES Characters.jpg\|Characters ({{NES}})
	Adventure Time S6 Episode 30.png\|Unnamed video game from ''Adventure Time'' S6 Episode 30 resembling the NES Version of ''Dragon Quest''.		Adventure Time S6 Episode 30.png\|Unnamed video game from ''Adventure Time'' S6 Episode 30 resembling the NES Version of ''Dragon Quest''
	</gallery></center>		</gallery></center>

Lino49 at 21:01, 20 July 2026

2026-07-20T21:01:16Z

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	\| modes=[[Wikipedia:Single player\|Single player]]		\| modes=[[Wikipedia:Single player\|Single player]]
	\| ratings=[[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board\|ESRB]]: E (Everyone) ({{GBC}})		\| ratings=[[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Rating Board\|ESRB]]: E (Everyone) ({{GBC}})
	\| platforms={{Famicom}}/{{NES}}, [[MSX]], [[Wikipedia:NEC PC-9801\|NEC PC-9801]], [[Wikipedia:Sharp X68000\|Sharp X68000]], {{Super Famicom}}, {{Game Boy Color}} ~~(hybrid cartridge)~~, [[Cell phone\|Mobile phone]], [[Wii]], [[Cell phone\|Android & iOS]], {{PlayStation 4}}, [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Nintendo Switch]]		\| platforms={{Famicom}}/{{NES}}, [[MSX]], [[Wikipedia:NEC PC-9801\|NEC PC-9801]], [[Wikipedia:Sharp X68000\|Sharp X68000]], {{Super Famicom}}, {{Game Boy Color}}, [[Cell phone\|Mobile phone]], [[Wii]], [[Cell phone\|Android & iOS]], {{PlayStation 4}}, [[Nintendo 3DS]], [[Nintendo Switch]]
	\| media={{vgrelease\|NA=640-[[Wikipedia:kilobit\|kilobit]] NES [[Wikipedia:cartridge (electronics)\|cartridge]]}}{{vgrelease\|JP=512-kilobit Famicom cartridge}}GBC/SFC/MSX cartridges		\| media={{vgrelease\|NA=640-[[Wikipedia:kilobit\|kilobit]] NES [[Wikipedia:cartridge (electronics)\|cartridge]]}}{{vgrelease\|JP=512-kilobit Famicom cartridge}}GBC/SFC/MSX cartridges
	\| requirements=		\| requirements=
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	==Gameplay==		==Gameplay==
	''Dragon Quest'' is set on a sprawling overworld with towns and dungeons to be explored throughout. The player selects actions from a menu, including talking to {{NPC}}s ~~(non-player characters);~~ opening doors~~; and opening~~ [[treasure chest]]s~~. The towns have inns where the player can rest to restore their {{HP}} and {{MP}}; and shops to buy weapons, armor, and items from. Most {{NPC}}s give useful information to help the player progress~~.		''Dragon Quest'' is set on a sprawling overworld with towns and dungeons to be explored throughout. The player selects actions from a menu, including talking to {{NPC}}s, checking their stats, opening doors or [[treasure chest]]s.

	The ~~battle system is turn-based, with enemies seen in a first-person perspective. As in~~ the ~~overworld~~, ~~the player selects actions from a menu~~, ~~including attacking; casting magical spells; using~~ items~~; and attempting~~ to ~~flee~~ the ~~fight~~.		The towns have inns where the player can rest to restore their {{HP}} and {{MP}}; and shops to buy weapons, armor, and items from. Most {{NPC}}s give useful information to help the player progress.

	~~===Differences from later games===~~		In the original Japanese Famicom version, the Hero only had sprites facing one direction (facing bottom), no matter the direction he walks into. As such, when the player wanted to interact with an NPC or an object on the map, they also had to specify to which direction they want to interact with.
	*The stat improvement algorithms depend on the ~~player's name~~, ~~deciding if~~ the ~~player will be more proficient in {{Strength}}~~, ~~{{Agility}}~~, or ~~magic ({{MP}})~~.
	*There is no party, only a ~~single~~ player ~~character~~.		Battles happen turn-based on a first person perspective, and are always 1v1 (only one monster at a time versus one protagonist). Each turn, the player will select an action from the command menu which can be doing a regular attack, casting a spell, using an item, or running away from the battle.
	*Although his sprite changes when the ~~princess is rescued~~, to ~~show him carrying her~~, the ~~princess~~ does not ~~participate~~ in ~~any battle~~.
	*Enemies attack the Hero 1-on-1, ~~never in groups.~~		When the player dies (their HP reaches 0), they will respawn to the throne room with half of their gold they had before dying.
	*~~There are no~~ [[~~vehicle~~]]s~~; one can only traverse the overworld map on foot~~, ~~or by using~~ a ~~[[chimaera wing]] or [[Zoom]] spell~~ to ~~travel~~ to ~~Tantegel Castle~~.
	*The ~~player can only~~ save ~~their game by speaking to King Lorik~~. ~~As such,~~ the ~~Zoom spell can only return to Tantegel. This is because~~ the ~~spell~~'~~s Japanese name,~~ '~~'rura~~'', ~~derives~~ from the ~~English word ''Ruler''.~~		Originally, the game does not feature a save system in the Japanese Famicom version, and the player was required to write down a ''[[Spell of Restoration]]'' given by the king, which serves the role of a password.
	*~~Acquired weapons, armor~~ and ~~shields will automatically replace~~ the ~~previous item~~, ~~which is then discarded or sold~~ to ~~the store~~. ~~This is changed in the remakes~~.
	*[[~~Key~~]]s ~~are disposable and break when used; new ones can be purchased at one~~ of ~~the "key houses" in Tantegel,~~ [[~~Rimuldar~~]], ~~or [[Cantlin]]~~.		==Version differences==
	*~~There are separate shops for buying [[holy water]]~~, ~~unlike later games where~~ it is ~~sold in item shops~~.		<!--Writing there, I realise there's a lot more things we could add there, on details for specific mechanics for each version-->
	*~~Caves~~ are ~~dark~~, ~~and must be lit up with a [[torch]] or~~ the [[~~Glow~~]] ~~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~~.		===Famicom/NES versions===
			When the game was first released in North America, several changes were made into the game:
			* The title was changed from ''Dragon Quest'' to ''Dragon Warrior''. The logo was also changed to accomodate for the name change. ''(See [[Dragon Quest localization history]])''
			* The Hero and several other NPCs received more sprites. This way, the Hero would actually have his sprite face the direction he's walking to, and there was no need for a secondary menu to select which direction you want to interact with.
			* The password system ([[Spell of Restoration]]) of the original Japanese version was replaced by a proper save system.

			===Super Famicom version===
			When the game was remade for the Super Famicom (alongside ''[[Dragon Quest II]]''), it got several additions/changes from the Famicom release:
			* Improved graphics and sound to accomodate for the better hardware
			* All characters have sprites facing all four directions, also they're generally more detailed and it's clearer to see what they look like.
			* The game incorporates a proper save system.
			* Stat-boosting [[seed]]s were added.

			===GameBoy Color version===
			The GBC release of this game (which was bundled alongside ''[[Dragon Quest II]]'') is mostly in par to the systems and mechanics of the SFC version, except the graphics and sound were re-apdated for the hardware.

			===Mobile phone version===
			* Graphics were remade to better fit the scope of a mobile phone game.
			* Maximum level was increased from 30 to 50, and maximum experience was increased from 65535 to 99999.
			* Descriptions were added to items and spells in the menu.

			===Smartphone version===
			The smartphone release of ''Dragon Quest'' was the first time the game got released in Europe and Australia, and also the first time it released on North America with the modern localization. As such, the logo is kept the same too.
			* Graphics are about the same as the mobile phone version, but the ratio of the screen is different. The screen also has several touch buttons to control the game.
			* Maximum level is back to 30.
			* [[Zoom]] costs 1 MP.

			===PS4/3DS/Switch version===
			The PS4/3DS releases were Japan-only, but the Switch release was international, which marked the first time the game got released on a console in Europe or Australia.
			The game is overall the same as how it was on the smartphone version, except the display is wider due to the difference in media, and it doesn't play on touch controls but with buttons.

			===HD-2D Remake===
			''See [[Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake]]''

	==Development==		==Development==

LiquidMetalSlime: Text replacement - "{{Dragon Quest series}}" to "{{DQSeriesNav}}"

2026-04-05T10:04:56Z

Text replacement - "{{Dragon Quest series}}" to "{{DQSeriesNav}}"

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	{{clear}}		{{clear}}
	{{DQINav}}		{{DQINav}}
	{{~~Dragon Quest series~~}}		{{DQSeriesNav}}
	[[Category:Dragon Quest I\|*!]]		[[Category:Dragon Quest I\|*!]]
	[[Category:NES games]]		[[Category:NES games]]

LiquidMetalSlime: Text replacement - "{{DQI}}" to "{{DQINav}}"

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Text replacement - "{{DQI}}" to "{{DQINav}}"

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	<references/>		<references/>
	{{clear}}		{{clear}}
	{{~~DQI~~}}		{{DQINav}}
	{{Dragon Quest series}}		{{Dragon Quest series}}
	[[Category:Dragon Quest I\|*!]]		[[Category:Dragon Quest I\|*!]]

Petchy: /* Trivia */ Additional trivia

2026-02-11T18:05:24Z

Trivia: Additional trivia

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:05, 11 February 2026
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	* The [[Game Boy]] Color release changed several character and town names to more closely match the Japanese text.		* The [[Game Boy]] Color release changed several character and town names to more closely match the Japanese text.
	* A recolor of Erdrick's Sword appears in ''Final Fantasy XII'', named Tournesol and used by the optional boss Gilgamesh.		* A recolor of Erdrick's Sword appears in ''Final Fantasy XII'', named Tournesol and used by the optional boss Gilgamesh.
			* The original Dragon Quest logo has been credited by Minecraft logo designer Junkboy as being a major influence behind its design.

	==Soundtrack==		==Soundtrack==

Artal: Traduction

2025-09-12T16:22:43Z

Traduction

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	[[Category:SNES games]]		[[Category:SNES games]]
	[[Category:Android/iOS games]]		[[Category:Android/iOS games]]
			[[fr:Dragon Quest (jeu)]]
			[[es:Dragon Quest (juego)]]

2600:1702:6F20:C7C0:25E3:74F5:E413:7607 at 06:05, 10 January 2025

2025-01-10T06:05:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:05, 10 January 2025
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	Development became a whirlwind of balancing adjustments near the end based on feedback provided by play testers, leading to the game's release being pushed back by one week. The changes were so drastic that monster behavior was completely restructured from the ground up, effectively leaving Chunsoft to reprogram half of the game all over again. The Hero himself was also rebalanced as he was deemed to be lagging too far behind the strength of the monsters after level 15<ref>Source: ドラゴンクエストへの道 page 234 ISBN 978-4-9005-2726-3</ref>.		Development became a whirlwind of balancing adjustments near the end based on feedback provided by play testers, leading to the game's release being pushed back by one week. The changes were so drastic that monster behavior was completely restructured from the ground up, effectively leaving Chunsoft to reprogram half of the game all over again. The Hero himself was also rebalanced as he was deemed to be lagging too far behind the strength of the monsters after level 15<ref>Source: ドラゴンクエストへの道 page 234 ISBN 978-4-9005-2726-3</ref>.

	While busy developing on the game, Horii was still taking freelance work as a writer and was working on the ''Famicom Shinken'' section of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine under the pen name of Emperor Yu (ゆう帝). ''Famicom Shinken'' was the video game section of the magazine, created by editor [[Kazuhiko Torishima]]. Horii and Torishima met years prior when introduced by their mutual friend [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%95%E3%81%8F%E3%81%BE%E3%81%82%E3%81%8D%E3%82%89 Akira ~~Sakamura~~] and quickly became friends themselves, which led to Torishima learning of the development of ''Dragon Quest'' in passing. This was the news the editor needed to hear, as Shonen Jump was struggling to compete with rival magazine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoroCoro_Comic CoroCoro comics] when it came to video game coverage, and being able to use ''Famicom Shinken'' to provide coverage on the development of a brand new title would give Jump an unprecedented advantage. Torishima convinced the skeptical management of Shonen Jump to provide page space for the unreleased and experimental title in the magazine, using his authority as the editor of [[Akira Toriyama]] to assign the rising star artist to the project as chief illustrator. The game's title screen was designed by [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA Kazuo Enomoto], also a Shonen Jump employee, who suggested adding the silhouette of the dragon to the logo due to being in the game's title and the importance of the beasts in the game's setting. As Enomoto did not know what an RPG was at the time, he used films as a point of reference and created a title screen that resembles a wide-screen lens to replicate the cinematic effect.		While busy developing on the game, Horii was still taking freelance work as a writer and was working on the ''Famicom Shinken'' section of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine under the pen name of Emperor Yu (ゆう帝). ''Famicom Shinken'' was the video game section of the magazine, created by editor [[Kazuhiko Torishima]]. Horii and Torishima met years prior when introduced by their mutual friend [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%95%E3%81%8F%E3%81%BE%E3%81%82%E3%81%8D%E3%82%89 Akira Sakuma] and quickly became friends themselves, which led to Torishima learning of the development of ''Dragon Quest'' in passing. This was the news the editor needed to hear, as Shonen Jump was struggling to compete with rival magazine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoroCoro_Comic CoroCoro comics] when it came to video game coverage, and being able to use ''Famicom Shinken'' to provide coverage on the development of a brand new title would give Jump an unprecedented advantage. Torishima convinced the skeptical management of Shonen Jump to provide page space for the unreleased and experimental title in the magazine, using his authority as the editor of [[Akira Toriyama]] to assign the rising star artist to the project as chief illustrator. The game's title screen was designed by [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA Kazuo Enomoto], also a Shonen Jump employee, who suggested adding the silhouette of the dragon to the logo due to being in the game's title and the importance of the beasts in the game's setting. As Enomoto did not know what an RPG was at the time, he used films as a point of reference and created a title screen that resembles a wide-screen lens to replicate the cinematic effect.

	''Dragon Quest'' would first be shown to the world in the February 11, 1986 issue of Shonen Jump, which continued providing behind the scenes coverage of the game until it's May 27 release.		''Dragon Quest'' would first be shown to the world in the February 11, 1986 issue of Shonen Jump, which continued providing behind the scenes coverage of the game until it's May 27 release.

dragon>Follower of Light: /* Development */

2024-10-13T16:46:55Z

Development

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:46, 13 October 2024
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	==Development==		==Development==
	The genesis of the game that would become ''Dragon Quest'' took place in 1983, when the fledgling video game publisher [[Enix]] announced that it would host a national programming contest with a prize of ¥1,000,000―a value of over $21,000 in 2024―as well as the option for the amateur programmers to have their titles professionally released. Yuji Horii had been programming his own games as a hobby during this period in his life, and on a whim decided to enter what he considered to be his most accomplished work: ''Love Match Tennis'' (ラブマッチテニス). Later when Horii arrived at the awards ceremony to report on the event, he was shocked to discover that his tennis game had earned him second place. The awards ceremony was also the fateful day when Horii met [[Koichi Nakamura]], ~~the~~ first place ~~winner of the contest, who~~ was only in his junior year of high school at the time. The two became fast friends and began publishing their work through Enix, with Horii's first commercial success being the murder mystery title ''[[Portopia]]''.		The genesis of the game that would become ''Dragon Quest'' took place in 1983, when the fledgling video game publisher [[Enix]] announced that it would host a national programming contest with a prize of ¥1,000,000―a value of over $21,000 in 2024―as well as the option for the amateur programmers to have their titles professionally released. Yuji Horii had been programming his own games as a hobby during this period in his life, and on a whim decided to enter what he considered to be his most accomplished work: ''Love Match Tennis'' (ラブマッチテニス). Later when Horii arrived at the awards ceremony to report on the event, he was shocked to discover that his tennis game had earned him second place. The awards ceremony was also the fateful day when Horii met [[Koichi Nakamura]], who won first place with ''Door Door'' (ドアドア) and was only in his junior year of high school at the time. The two became fast friends and began publishing their work through Enix, with Horii's first commercial success being the murder mystery title ''[[Portopia]]''.

	~~Later~~ that same year would see Horii and Nakamura travel to the [https://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/~~wiki~~/~~KansasFest consumer electronics trade show~~ Applefest], along with Enix director [[Yukinobu Chida]]. It was here that all three men would first encounter the concept of the RPG genre through the titles [~~https~~:~~//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_(series)~~ Ultima] and [~~https~~:~~//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/~~Wizardry Wizardry]. The younger men quickly became enamored with the two titles, having never encountered games where success was dependent on the player's strategy rather than quick reflexes, and upon returning to Japan Horii would purchase a compatible machine to play the games. Concurrent to this was the release of the ~~[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System Family Computer]~~ in July of '83, which quickly made waves in the consumer electronics industry as an affordable alternative to the traditional computer. Enix would experiment with the new hardware by publishing a port of ''Portopia'' programmed by Namakura and marked the first time that he and Horii collaborated on commercial software.		October of that same year would see Horii and Nakamura travel to the [https://www.apple2history.org/appendix/ahb/ahb3/ Applefest], along with Enix director [[Yukinobu Chida]]. It was here that all three men would first encounter the concept of the RPG genre through the titles [[Wikipedia:Ultima I\|Ultima]] and [[Wikipedia:Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord\|Wizardry]]. The younger men quickly became enamored with the two titles, having never encountered games where success was dependent on the player's strategy rather than quick reflexes, and upon returning to Japan Horii would purchase a compatible machine to play the games. Concurrent to this was the release of the {{Famicom}} in July of '83, which quickly made waves in the consumer electronics industry as an affordable alternative to the traditional computer. Enix would experiment with the new hardware by publishing a port of ''Portopia'' programmed by Namakura and marked the first time that he and Horii collaborated on commercial software.

	The porting process of the mystery game laid the groundwork for the [[Command menu\|command menu]] that would be the cornerstone of ''Dragon Quest's'' user interface. ''Portopia'' required players to type out commands on a keyboard in order to interact with the software, but this was impossible on the four-button controller of the Famicom. Instead players would maneuver through the game via a list of commands that appeared from a drop-down menu upon pressing the A button, which listed every action the protagonist of the game could take and insured that the player would not get stuck due to forgetting the commands for key actions. This user interface method was actually first used in ''[[The Hokkaidō Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance]]'' (オホーツクに消ゆ), released in 1984, but is commonly attributed to the Famicom version of ''Portopia'' due to the greater number of units sold.		The porting process of the mystery game laid the groundwork for the [[Command menu\|command menu]] that would be the cornerstone of ''Dragon Quest's'' user interface. ''Portopia'' required players to type out commands on a keyboard in order to interact with the software, but this was impossible on the four-button controller of the Famicom. Instead players would maneuver through the game via a list of commands that appeared from a drop-down menu upon pressing the A button, which listed every action the protagonist of the game could take and insured that the player would not get stuck due to forgetting the commands for key actions. This user interface method was actually first used in ''[[The Hokkaidō Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance]]'' (オホーツクに消ゆ), released in 1984, but is commonly attributed to the Famicom version of ''Portopia'' due to the greater number of units sold.
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	While busy developing on the game, Horii was still taking freelance work as a writer and was working on the ''Famicom Shinken'' section of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine under the pen name of Emperor Yu (ゆう帝). ''Famicom Shinken'' was the video game section of the magazine, created by editor [[Kazuhiko Torishima]]. Horii and Torishima met years prior when introduced by their mutual friend [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%95%E3%81%8F%E3%81%BE%E3%81%82%E3%81%8D%E3%82%89 Akira Sakamura] and quickly became friends themselves, which led to Torishima learning of the development of ''Dragon Quest'' in passing. This was the news the editor needed to hear, as Shonen Jump was struggling to compete with rival magazine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoroCoro_Comic CoroCoro comics] when it came to video game coverage, and being able to use ''Famicom Shinken'' to provide coverage on the development of a brand new title would give Jump an unprecedented advantage. Torishima convinced the skeptical management of Shonen Jump to provide page space for the unreleased and experimental title in the magazine, using his authority as the editor of [[Akira Toriyama]] to assign the rising star artist to the project as chief illustrator. The game's title screen was designed by [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA Kazuo Enomoto], also a Shonen Jump employee, who suggested adding the silhouette of the dragon to the logo due to being in the game's title and the importance of the beasts in the game's setting. As Enomoto did not know what an RPG was at the time, he used films as a point of reference and created a title screen that resembles a wide-screen lens to replicate the cinematic effect.		While busy developing on the game, Horii was still taking freelance work as a writer and was working on the ''Famicom Shinken'' section of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine under the pen name of Emperor Yu (ゆう帝). ''Famicom Shinken'' was the video game section of the magazine, created by editor [[Kazuhiko Torishima]]. Horii and Torishima met years prior when introduced by their mutual friend [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%95%E3%81%8F%E3%81%BE%E3%81%82%E3%81%8D%E3%82%89 Akira Sakamura] and quickly became friends themselves, which led to Torishima learning of the development of ''Dragon Quest'' in passing. This was the news the editor needed to hear, as Shonen Jump was struggling to compete with rival magazine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoroCoro_Comic CoroCoro comics] when it came to video game coverage, and being able to use ''Famicom Shinken'' to provide coverage on the development of a brand new title would give Jump an unprecedented advantage. Torishima convinced the skeptical management of Shonen Jump to provide page space for the unreleased and experimental title in the magazine, using his authority as the editor of [[Akira Toriyama]] to assign the rising star artist to the project as chief illustrator. The game's title screen was designed by [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AF%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA Kazuo Enomoto], also a Shonen Jump employee, who suggested adding the silhouette of the dragon to the logo due to being in the game's title and the importance of the beasts in the game's setting. As Enomoto did not know what an RPG was at the time, he used films as a point of reference and created a title screen that resembles a wide-screen lens to replicate the cinematic effect.

	''Dragon Quest'' would first be shown to the world in the February 11, 1986 issue of Shonen Jump, which continued providing behind the scenes coverage of the game until it's May 27 release.		''Dragon Quest'' would first be shown to the world in the February 11, 1986 issue of Shonen Jump, which continued providing behind the scenes coverage of the game until it's May 27 release.



	==Legacy==		==Legacy==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:56, 25 August 2026
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	\| type=Main series games		\| type=Main series games
	\| title=Dragon Quest		\| title=Dragon Quest
	\| image=[[File:~~DQ Logo~~.~~png\|325px]][[File:DQ Laurel Wreath art.png~~\|325px]]		\| image=[[File:Dragon Quest 1 box.jpg\|325px]]
	\| caption=		\| caption=
	\| developer=[[Chunsoft]]		\| developer=[[Chunsoft]]
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	==Gallery==		==Gallery==
	<center><gallery>		<center><gallery>
	Dragon Quest 1 box.jpg\|Famicom box art.		Dragon Quest 1 box.jpg\|Famicom box art
	Dragon_Warrior_NES.png\|NES box art.		Dragon_Warrior_NES.png\|NES box art
	DQ Famicom guide.png\|Famicom guide.		DQ Famicom guide.png\|Famicom guide
	Higuchi_Dragon_Quest.png\|Adventure novel.		DQ Laurel Wreath art.png\|Famicom guide
	Shousetsu Dragon Quest.png\|Novelization.		DQ Logo.png\|Game logo
	Dragon Quest Suite.png\|Dragon Quest Suite.		Higuchi_Dragon_Quest.png\|Adventure novel
	DQI CD Theater.png\|CD Theater.		Shousetsu Dragon Quest.png\|Novelization
	DQ 4koma Gekijou Extra 9.png\|4koma comics.		Dragon Quest Suite.png\|Dragon Quest Suite
	Dragon Quest NES Slime battle.png\|Battle against Slime.		DQI CD Theater.png\|CD Theater
			DQ 4koma Gekijou Extra 9.png\|4koma comics
			Dragon Quest NES Slime battle.png\|Battle against Slime
	DQIGroupArt.png\|		DQIGroupArt.png\|
	DQI iOS Android.png\|iOS/Android.		DQI iOS Android.png\|iOS/Android
	DQI 25th Anniversary wallpaper.png\|25th Anniversary wallpaper.		DQI 25th Anniversary wallpaper.png\|25th Anniversary wallpaper
	DW NES Characters.jpg\|Characters. ({{NES}})		DW NES Characters.jpg\|Characters ({{NES}})
	Adventure Time S6 Episode 30.png\|Unnamed video game from ''Adventure Time'' S6 Episode 30 resembling the NES Version of ''Dragon Quest''.		Adventure Time S6 Episode 30.png\|Unnamed video game from ''Adventure Time'' S6 Episode 30 resembling the NES Version of ''Dragon Quest''
	</gallery></center>		</gallery></center>