| Dragon Quest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix (formerlyEnix) |
| Creator(s) | Yuji Horii |
| Artist(s) | Akira Toriyama |
| Composer(s) | Koichi Sugiyama |
| Platform(s) | |
| First release | Dragon Quest May 27, 1986 |
| Latest release | Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake November 12, 2024 |
| Spin-offs | |
Dragon Quest,[a] previously published asDragon Warrior in North America until 2005,[b] is a series ofrole-playing video games created by Japanesegame designerYuji Horii (Armor Project), character designerAkira Toriyama (Bird Studio), and composerKoichi Sugiyama (Sugiyama Kobo) and published bySquare Enix (formerlyEnix). Since its inception, development of games in the series have been outsourced to a plethora of external companies untilthe tenth installment, with localized remakes and ports of later installments for theNintendo DS,Nintendo 3DS, andNintendo Switch being published byNintendo outside of Japan. With its first game published in 1986, there are eleven main-series games, along with numerous spin-off games. In addition, there have been numerousmanga,anime andnovels published under the franchise, with nearly every game in the main series having a related adaptation.
The series introduced a number of features to the genre and has had a significant impact on the development of other role-playing games. Installments of the series have appeared on various computers, consoles, handheld devices, and mobile phones. Early in the series, theDragon Quest games were released under the titleDragon Warrior in North America to avoid trademark conflict with the unrelatedtabletop role-playing gameDragonQuest. Square Enix did not register theDragon Quest trademark for use in the United States until 2002.
The basic premise of mostDragon Quest games is to play a hero (actually named "Hero" in spinoff fiction, but in all games, the player is able to name their hero) who is out to save the land from peril at the hands of a powerful evil enemy, with the hero usually accompanied by a group ofparty members. Common elements persist throughout the series and its spinoff games:turn-based combat; recurring monsters, including theSlime, which became the series' mascot; a text-based menu system; andrandom encounters in most of the main series.
All games in the series as of 2024 involve scenario writer and game designerYuji Horii, and prior to their deaths, character designerAkira Toriyama and music composerKoichi Sugiyama have handled their respective roles on most games in the series. The original concepts, used since the first game, took elements from the Western role-playing gamesWizardry andUltima. A core philosophy of the series is to make thegameplay intuitive so that players can easily start playing the games. The series features a number of religious overtones which were heavily censored in the NES versions outside of Japan.
Thefirst installment of the franchise was released in Japan on May 27, 1986, titled with the name"Dragon Quest" followed by a Roman numeral. Since 1986, the franchise has featured eleven games within the main series, as well as several spin-off games, and also two animated productions.
| 1986 | Dragon Quest |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Dragon Quest II |
| 1988 | Dragon Quest III |
| 1989 | |
| 1990 | Dragon Quest IV |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | Dragon Quest V |
| 1993–1994 | |
| 1995 | Dragon Quest VI |
| 1996–1999 | |
| 2000 | Dragon Quest VII |
| 2001–2003 | |
| 2004 | Dragon Quest VIII |
| 2005–2008 | |
| 2009 | Dragon Quest IX |
| 2010–2011 | |
| 2012 | Dragon Quest X |
| 2013–2016 | |
| 2017 | Dragon Quest XI |
| TBA | Dragon Quest XII |
The first fourDragon Quest installments were released for theFamicom andNintendo Entertainment System in Japan and North America, respectively. The first two installments were released in Japan on the Famicom and ported that same year to theMSX; all four games have been remade for newer systems.Dragon Quest was first released in Japan on May 27, 1986, and in North America asDragon Warrior in August 1989.[1][2]Dragon Quest II Akuryō no Kamigami was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1990 asDragon Warrior II.Dragon Quest III Soshite Densetsu e... was released in Japan in 1989 and North America asDragon Warrior III in 1992.Dragon Quest IV was released in Japan in 1990 and in North America in 1992 asDragon Warrior IV. A 2001 JapanesePlayStation remake ofDragon Warrior IV scheduled for the North American market was never released.[1][3] The Nintendo DS remake ofDragon Quest IV was released in North America, Europe, and Australia under its original translated title; the European release removed the number from the title.[1]
Two games were released for theSuper Famicom:Dragon Quest V in 1992 andDragon Quest VI in 1995; both have been re-released on newer systems.[1]Dragon Quest V was originally scheduled for release in North America but was canceled amid rumors that Enix had given up on the American market. No official reason was ever given.[1][4] The Nintendo DS remakes were released in North America withDragon Quest V also being released in Europe and Australia, the latter without the numbering.[5][6] One game was released for the PlayStation:Dragon Quest VII: Eden no Senshi-tachi in 2000 in Japan and 2001 in North America under the titleDragon Warrior VII.[1]Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King was released for thePlayStation 2 in 2004 in Japan,[1] 2005 in North America, and 2006 in Europe and Australia,[7] again without the number in the title for Europe.Dragon Quest VIII was the first game in the series to be released in North America under the title ofDragon Quest, and the first European release of a main series game.[8][9]Dragon Quest IX, the only game in the series initially released on the Nintendo DS, was originally released in 2009 in Japan, and in 2010 in North America, Europe, and Australia.[10]Dragon Quest X was announced for theWii in December 2008.[11] In September 2011, Square Enix announced thatDragon Quest X would also be released on theWii U, withNintendo 3DS connectivity.[12] It is the firstMMORPG in the series, and the only numberedDragon Quest game not released outside Japan.[13]Dragon Quest XI was released in Japan on July 29, 2017, and worldwide on September 4, 2018.[14]
Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate was announced in 2021.[15] According to Horii, the game will have a darker tone, feature more meaningful choices, and overhaul the traditionalDragon Quest turn-based combat.[16]Dragon Quest XII will also be the first mainline title released after the deaths of series music composer Koichi Sugiyama and character designer Akira Toriyama who had been involved with the series since its inception.
The franchise includes several spin-off games, including theDragon Quest Monsters RPG. The series has also inspiredarcade games such as the JapaneseDragon Quest: Monster Battle Road, where players compete for real-life cards with monster data that the arcade game issues to the players through a slot on its front. The latter is the only spin-off series to have none of its titles released outside Japan.[17][18][19][20][21][22] TheMystery Dungeon andItadaki Street series use characters and other elements fromDragon Quest games, and the Mystery Dungeon series has gone on to spawn its own franchise.[23]
In 1993, Chunsoft developed a SNES game that included Torneko (a.k.a. Torneko Taloon), a character that first appeared inDragon Quest IV.[24] Theroguelike gameTorneko no Daibōken: Fushigi no Dungeon continues Torneko's story fromDragon Quest IV as he attempts to make his store famous, venturing into mysterious dungeons to retrieve items to stock his store with. The game was successful in Japan.[25] In 2000 the direct sequelTorneko: The Last Hope was released in Japan and the United States. The gameplay is similar to the first game, thoughTorneko: The Last Hope is considered easier to play.[26] The game sold enough copies in Japan to allow development of the second direct sequel on the PlayStation 2,Fushigi no Dungeon 3 Torneko no Daibouken.[27] The second and third Torneko games have had remakes for the Game Boy Advance (GBA).[28] A later game featured Yangus, a character who first appeared inDragon Quest VIII;Dragon Quest: Young Yangus and the Mystery Dungeon follows Yangus on his adventures before he meets up with Hero in the aforementioned game.[29] The success ofTorneko no Daibōken spawned theMystery Dungeon series that has grown to include franchises beyondDragon Quest.[30][31]
When Enix took over theMonopoly-inspired video game seriesItadaki Street, theDragon Quest franchise became an integral part of the game in its second version,Itadaki Street 2: Neon Sain wa Bara Iro ni.[32][33] The firstItadaki Street, released byASCII, did not contain elements from theDragon Quest franchise.[34] The fourth game in the series,Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special, included characters from theFinal Fantasy franchise, and later versions would include characters fromMario.[35][36]
Like the main series,Dragon Quest Monsters was originally released under theDragon Warrior name in the US.[37] The next game,Dragon Warrior Monsters 2, is the only game to be split into two versions,Cobi's Journey (Ruka's Journey in Japan) andTara's Adventure (Iru's Adventure in Japan), named after the mainplayer characters.[38] Each version has slight differences, such as the monster that appear in them.[39]Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart is a prequel toDragon Warrior VII, following Keifer who is pulled into Torland and must find the six Orbs ofLoto in order to return.[40] The release ofDragon Quest Monsters: Joker is the first spin-off title to be released in English using theDragon Quest name;[41] its sequelDragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 was released in North America on September 19, 2011.[42][43] There is also anAndroid title,Dragon Quest Monsters: Wanted!.[44]
Dragon Quest has also produced a number of smaller spin-off titles. In two of them, players use their special controllers as a sword, swinging it to slash enemies and objects.Kenshin Dragon Quest: Yomigaerishi Densetsu no Ken is a stand-alone game in which the controller is shaped like a sword, and a toy shield contains the game's hardware.[45]Dragon Quest Swords for the Wii uses themotion sensingWii Remote as a sword.[46][47] Another spin-off title,Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest, uses the game's popular slime monster as the protagonist,[48] and its sequel,Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, has been translated into English.[49] There is also a downloadableDSiWareturn-based strategy game,Dragon Quest Wars[50] and other titles have been released in Japan for cellphones.[51][52]Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, a PlayStation 3 and 4 game featuring the gameplay of theDynasty Warriors series byKoei Tecmo, was released in Japan on February 26, 2015, and in North America and Europe in October 2015 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive. It later had a sequel that released on May 17, 2016, in Japan, and later came out in North America and Europe in April 2017 to the PlayStation 4 as well as PC.[53][54]Dragon Quest Builders for the PS4 was released in 2016. It later had a sequel release on July 12, 2019, for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.Theatrhythm Dragon Quest is arhythm game developed for the Nintendo 3DS. Like theTheatrhythm Final Fantasy games before it, the game allows players to play alongside various songs from theDragon Quest franchise.[55] In September 2019,Dragon Quest Walk, anaugmented reality game, was released forAndroid andiOS mobile phones.[56]
Beginning in 1988, the media franchise expanded into other media, with a number ofanime, manga, andlight novel adaptations. Following the success of aDragon Quest III light novel, Enix began publishing more volumes starting from the first game in sequential order. Enix published titles from every main series game previously released by March 23, 1995, as well as the first Torneko'sMystery Dungeon game.[57] The titles are written from a second-person perspective; the reader determines the next course of action and the stories have multiple endings.[58]
Other printed titles released in 1989 include:Dragon Quest Monsters Story;Dragon Quest Item Story; theDragon Quest Perfect Collection series starting withDragon Quest Perfect Collection 1990; and the first twoDragon Quest novels by Takayashiki Hideo. All of these works have had additional titles published for different games by different authors: Hideo wrote the first four volumes spanning the first three games; Kumi Saori authored ten volumes comprising the next three games; and Hiroyuki Domon wrote three volumes forDragon Quest VII. Starting withShinsho Shousetsu Dragon Quest I in 2000, a new series by all three authors began publication. The authors wrote new stories for their respective series, three stories for Hideo, nine for Saori, and three for Domon; with the latter's works featuring illustrations by Daisuke Torii. Several standalone titles and audiobook titles have also been released.[57]
Dragon Quest manga began publication inWeekly Shōnen Jump in 1989.[59] Based on the world ofDragon Quest,Riku Sanjo andKoji Inada'sDragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai (ドラゴンクエスト ダイの大冒険,Doragon Kuesuto: Dai no Daibōken, lit. Dragon Quest: The Great Adventure of Dai) was created as a two-chapter short-story entitledDerupa! Iruiru!. Its success led to the three-chapter sequel,Dai Bakuhatsu!!!, which set the framework for a later serialization spanning 37 volumes.[59][60][61]
Several manga based on the games have been published. The longest-running of these,Dragon Quest Biography: Emblem of Roto (ドラゴンクエスト列伝 ロトの紋章,Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō),Warriors of Eden, andMaboroshi no Daichi, were published inMonthly Shōnen Gangan.Emblem of Roto, byChiaki Kawamata and Junji Koyanagi, with art byKamui Fujiwara, consists of twenty-one volumes published between 1991 and 1997. In 2004Young Gangan ran a mini-series calledEmblem of Roto Returns. It takes place betweenDragon Quest III andDragon Quest I.[62] It was adapted into a comic CD in 1994, and an anime movie based on the manga was released in Japan on April 20, 1996.[63] As of 2019, the series has sold 21 million copies, including 400,000 copies sold overseas.[64]Warriors of Eden consists of eleven volumes, with art by Fujiwara. The series is a retelling ofDragon Quest VII with some minor changes.[65]Maboroshi no Daichi consists of ten volumes. The series is a retelling ofDragon Quest VI with some minor changes.[66] Other shorter manga series have been released including several based on other games, some official4koma strips, and a manga about the making of the originalDragon Quest game.[67][68]Dragon Quest: Souten no Soura (ドラゴンクエスト 蒼天のソウラ,Doragon Kuesuto Sōten no Soura,lit. "Dragon Quest: Blue Sky Soura"), authored by Yuuki Nakashima and supervised by Yūji Horii, is a sidestory ofDragon Quest X. It was serialized between February 2013 and October 2022, with 19 volumes released through 2022.[69]Hiro Mashima drew the one-shotDragon Quest XI S Tōzoku-tachi no Banka (ドラゴンクエストXI S 盗賊たちの挽歌), based onDragon Quest XI, for the October issue ofV Jump, which was released on August 21, 2019.[70] A manga adaptation ofDragon Quest Treasures titledDragon Quest Treasures: Another Adventure Fadora no Takarajima will begin serialization inV Jump in November 2022. It is written by Masaki Hara with illustrations byYoichi Amano and supervision by Horii.[71]
The Road to Dragon Quest is a manga about the creators ofDragon Quest, published by Enix. The single-volume manga was released in 1990 and produced byIshimori Productions. It focuses on the creation of the series and features series creator Yuji Horii, programmerKoichi Nakamura, composer Koichi Sugiyama, artist Akira Toriyama, and producer Yukinobu Chida.[72]
Prior to the debut of any directDragon Quest adaption for television, elements of the first English-language game in the series,Dragon Warrior, were incorporated into the 1989DIC Entertainment animated seriesCaptain N: The Game Master, where "Dragonlord" served as a recurring antagonist to both his home-world of "Dragon's Den" and the greater dimension of "Videoland".
There are three major television series that were adapted from the games.Dragon Quest: Legend of the Hero Abel (ドラゴンクエスト ～勇者アベル伝説～,Doragon Kuesuto Yūsha Aberu Densetsu) was produced byStudio Comet and aired from December 2, 1989, to April 5, 1991, 43 episodes were broadcast before the series ended. It was supervised by Horii, with a story loosely based onDragon Quest III. The first 13 episodes of the series were translated into English by Saban Entertainment under the titleDragon Warrior. Due to its early time slot, it was not renewed. The series was released onDVD in Japan in October 2006, with its nine volumes selling about 90,000 units by February 2007.[73]
A second anime series,Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, based on the manga of the same name, was produced byToei Animation. It ran for 46 episodes from October 17, 1991, to September 24, 1992.[74] Asecond anime adaptation of the same manga also produced by Toei Animation aired from October 3, 2020, to October 22, 2022.[75]
On April 20, 1996, a film titledDragon Quest Saga – The Crest of Roto was released. It was produced byNippon Animation.[76]
A3DCG movie based onDragon Quest V,Dragon Quest: Your Story, was released in Japan in August 2019.[77]
Dragon Quest VR [ja] (ドラゴンクエストVR) was avirtual realityteam-based onlyarcade-style roleplaying game first released at VR ZONE SHINJUKI inTokyo'sShinjuku district, then later hosted at VR ZONEOSAKA on September 13, 2018, and finally MAZARIA inSunshine City, Ikebukuro, Tokyo on July 12, 2019, a series of thenBandai Namco-owned virtual realitytheme parkarcades.[78] Prices for the one-time experience fee was 3,200 yen and a separate facility entrance fee was required. The experience took approximately 15 minutes.[79]
Dragon Quest VR was discontinued on March 9, 2019, before the closure of VR ZONE SHINJUKI itself on April 1 in the same year,[80] with the experience also ending at VR ZONE OSAKA on October 25, 2020,[81] and MAZARIA on August 31, 2020.[82] Yuji Horii has expressed the possibility of future commercial titles being released in or with VR support.[83]
In mostDragon Quest games, players control a character or party of characters that can walk into towns and buy weapons, armor, and items to defeat monsters outside of the towns: on theworld map or in a dungeon. However, in the originalDragon Quest, there was only one character walking on the map. In most of the games, battles occur throughrandom monster attacks and improving the characters'levels requires players togrind.[84] The series uses cursed items, difficult dungeons where players need to use their resources wisely to complete them, and difficultboss battles.[85] When the party encounters monsters the view switches perspective and players are presented with several options on amenu; theseturn-based menu-driven battles have become a staple of the series.[86] Players use the menus to select weapons, magic, and other items used to attack and defeat the monsters, or can attempt to flee the fight; though characters cannot flee during a boss battle. Once the party defeats the monsters by winning the battle, each party member gainsexperience points in order to reach new levels. When a character gains a new level, thestatistics (stats) of the character are upgraded.[87] Winning battles also rewards players with gold which can be used to purchase items. In addition to the experience points and gold awarded for successfully defeating monsters, occasionally, items will be dropped as well that are added to the player's inventory.
In mostDragon Quest games, players must visit a church (known as a House of Healing in the NES translations) and talk to a priest or nun to save the games' progress;[88] inDragon Warrior, players had to talk to a king to save their progress,[87] though the first twoDragon Quest titles for Famicom use apassword save system. If the party dies in battle the group loses half of its gold and warps to the nearest save location where the hero is revived;[1] players must then pay a priest or nun to revive their party members.
Dragon Quest features "Puff Puff" – massage girls that the player can hire with text describing their actions in some of the games; it is a pun on a Japaneseonomatopoeia for a girl rubbing her breasts in someone's face, which can also be used for the general term of a girl jiggling her own breasts.[1] in later games gags were used since breasts could not be displayed. The text descriptions were removed from some North American translations.[c][1][89]
InDragon Quest III,Dragon Quest VI,Dragon Quest VII, andDragon Quest IX, severalcharacter classes can be chosen for the party members.[1] Each game has its particular set of classes with typical options, including theCleric,Fighter, Jester,Thief,Warrior, andMage.[d] All the aforementioned games also include advanced classes such as the Sage. In addition,Dragon Quest VI andVII include monster classes.[90]
InDragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, a new collectible item known as mini medals, resembling small gold coins with a five-pointed star in the middle, was introduced; they have nothing to do with winning the game, but they can be traded with a certain character for items. Players collect them throughout the game, primarily by opening chests, breaking pots and barrels, and searching in sacks and drawers. Horii introduced them as he wanted to have something players collected that were similar to the crests and orbs in the previousDragon Quest games, but did not want to repeat the necessity for players having to collect a certain number of them before they could complete the game.[91]
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TheDragon Quest series features several recurring monsters, includingSlimes, Drackies, Skeletons, Shadows, Mummies, Bags o' Laughs, and Dragons.[92][93][94] Many monsters in the series were designed byAkira Toriyama.
SeveralDragon Quest games allow the player to recruit monsters to fight alongside them. InDragon Quest IV, a Healer monster called "Healie" can be recruited for the first chapter.Dragon Quest V andVI monsters can be selected by the player to join the player's party and fight in battles.[1] InDragon Quest VIII players can defeat and recruit monsters to fight in an arena.[95]
The Slime, designed by Toriyama for use inDragon Quest, has become the officialmascot of theDragon Quest series. Series designer Yuji Horii cited the monster as an example of Toriyama's skills, claiming it took "[artistic] power to take something like a pool of slime and use his imagination to make it a great character."[96] A Slime is a small blue blob, shaped like a water droplet, with a face. It has appeared in everyDragon Quest game and it is usually one of the first monsters the players encounter.[e] The Slime's popularity has netted it theSlime spin-off series on handheld consoles.[97][98]
Erdrick, known as Loto (ロト,Roto) in Japanese and in the North American remakes of the Game Boy Color versions of the first three games,[1] is the title given to a legendary hero in theDragon Quest series. The first threeDragon Quest games, all connected to the legend of Erdrick, comprise the Erdrick or Loto trilogy. Also known as Arusu, he is known as the hero who freed the Kingdom of Alefgard from the darkness.[99][100][101][102] The chronological order of the first threeDragon Quest games is:Dragon Quest III,Dragon Quest, andDragon Quest II.[102]
In the firstDragon Quest game, the hero, theplayer character, is a descendant of Erdrick[87] who follows in his footsteps to reach the Dragonlord's Castle and confront him. InDragon Quest II, the heroes are also descendants of Erdrick;[100][101] they explore the expanded world of Torland that includes the continent of Alefgard. Erdrick's legend in theDragon Quest series was completed inDragon Quest III when the King of Alefgard bestowed the "Order of Erdrick", the country's highest honor, upon the hero at the end of the game. Two of the player character's three highest-level armaments are named "Erdrick's Sword" and "Erdrick's Armor" inDragon Quest andDragon Quest II. PlayingDragon Quest III with the name "Erdrick" is impossible in the original release, as the game prompts the player to choose a different name for the hero. This is because the status ofIII in the chronological order as a prequel of the first two titles is presented as a plot twist. The Game Boy Color remakes prevent the use of the name "Loto" for the same reason.
InDragon Quest XI, theplayer character is a warrior chosen by the world tree Yggdrasil to save the world of Erdrea from a being of pure evil known as "Calasmos". After Calasmos is defeated at the end of the game, Yggdrasil bestows him the title of Erdrick.
Torneko (トルネコ,Toruneko), known as Torneko Taloon in North American English localizations, is a recurring character who first appears inDragon Quest IV. A traveling merchant, Torneko's usual goal is to expand the inventory of his shop by procuring rare items, often by traversing dungeons and fighting monsters on his own or with his family.[103][104]
The character's popularity with players led to further appearances oreaster egg references in subsequent mainline sequels, as well as a starring role in 1993'sTorneko no Daibōken: Fushigi no Dungeon, the inaugural entry of the long-runningMystery Dungeon video game series bySpike Chunsoft.[103] The character's other video game appearances include two direct sequels toTorneko no Daibōken: Fushigi no Dungeon, the 2016 video gameDragon Quest Heroes II, and theItadaki Street series.
Zenithia, also called Zenith Castle, Zenith, orTenkū-jō (天空城, "Heaven Castle") in Japanese, is a floating castle that first appears inDragon Quest IV; it is used as a descriptor for several elements inDragon Quest IV,V andVI. Its appearance in all three games has led to the games being described as the Zenithia orTenkū trilogy, despite different geographical layouts in each of the three games' worlds.[105][106] Horii explained that a trilogy was never the intention: "EachDragon Quest title represents a fresh start and a new story, so it seems too much of a connection between the games in the series. It could be said that the imagination of players has brought the titles together in a certain fashion."[107]
InDragon Quest IV, Zenithia can be accessed by climbing the tower above the entrance to the world of darkness. InDragon Quest V Zenithia has fallen into a lake south of Lofty Peak (Elheaven in the original release), until the Golden Orb is returned leaving the castle able to move freely in the sky. InDragon Quest VI Zenithia is sealed by Demon Lord Dhuran, and a large hole is left in its place in the "Dream World". When the Dream World returns to its natural state inDragon Quest VI, Zenithia is the only part that remains, floating above the "real" world. In addition to the trilogy, a castle in theDragon Quest III remakes is also called Zenith, although the layout differs from the castle in theTenkū series.[108]
The series' monsters, characters, and box art were designed by Toriyama.[8] Themusic for theDragon Quest series was composed byKoichi Sugiyama.[109] In the past, mainDragon Quest games have been developed byChunsoft,Heartbeat,ArtePiazza,Level-5 and starting withDragon Quest X, by Square Enix for the first time.[110] Horii's company, Armor Project, is in charge of the script and design ofDragon Quest games that were published by Enix and Square Enix.
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In 1982, Enix sponsored a video game programming contest in Japan which brought much of theDragon Quest team together, including creator Yuji Horii.[109] The prize was a trip to the United States and a visit to AppleFest '83 in San Francisco, where Horii discovered theWizardry video game series.[1] The contest winners Koichi Nakamura and Yukinobu Chida, together with Horii, released the Enix NES gameThe Portopia Serial Murder Case. Music composer Sugiyama, known for composing jingles and pop songs, was impressed with the group's work and sent a postcard to Enix praising the game.[111] Enix asked him to compose music for some of its games. The group then decided to make arole-playing video game that combined elements from the western RPGsWizardry andUltima.[f][112] Horii wanted to introduce the concept of RPGs to the wider Japanese video game audience. He chose the Famicom because, unlike arcade games, players would not have to worry about spending more money if they got a "game over", and could continue playing from asave point.[113] Horii used the full-screen map ofUltima and the battle and statistics-orientedWizardry screens to create the gameplay ofDragon Quest.[1]Dragon Ball creator and manga artistAkira Toriyama, who knew of Horii through the manga magazineWeekly Shōnen Jump, was commissioned to illustrate the characters and monsters to separate the game from other role-playing games of the time.[112] The primary game designs were conceived by Horii before being handed to Toriyama to re-draw under Horii's supervision.[114] When Horii first createdDragon Quest many people doubted that a fantasy series with swords and dungeons, instead of science fiction elements, would become popular in Japan; however, the series has become very popular there.[9] Since then Horii has been the games' scenario director.Dragon Quest was Sugiyama's second video game he had composed for,Wingman 2 being his first. He says it took him five minutes to compose the original opening theme. His musicalmotifs from the first game have remained relatively intact.[115]
The first sixDragon Quest stories are divided into two trilogies. The first three games of the series tell the story of the legendary hero known as Roto (Erdrick or Loto in some versions).Dragon Quest IV-VI are based around a castle in the sky called Zenithia, referred to as theTenku in Japan, meaning "heaven". Games in the main series fromDragon Quest VII onwards are stand-alone games.[116]
The earlyDragon Quest games were released under the titleDragon Warrior in North America to avoid trademark conflict with the pen-and-paper role-playing gameDragon Quest, which was published bySimulations Publications in the 1980s until the company's 1982 bankruptcy and acquisition byTSR, Inc. TSR continued publishing the line as an alternative toDungeons & Dragons (D&D) until 1987.[117] On July 23, 2002, Square Enix registered theDragon Quest trademark in the United States for use with manuals,video cassette tapes, and other video game software.[118][119] On October 8, 2003, Square Enix filed for a more comprehensiveDragon Quest trademark,[120] also on August 2, 2016.[121]Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King became the firstDragon Quest game released outside Japan, all previous games having used theDragon Warrior title.[8]
Dragon Quest was not as successful outside Japan, as it was eclipsed by another RPG series,Final Fantasy.[117][122] Because of Enix's closure of its North American branch in the mid-1990s,Dragon Quest V andDragon Quest VI were not officially released in North America. No games were released in Europe prior to the spin-offDragon Quest Monsters. With the merger of Square and Enix in 2003,Dragon Quest games were released in numerous markets.[9] In May 2008 Square Enix announced localizations of the Nintendo DS remakes ofDragon Quest IV,V, andVI for North America and thePAL region, commonly referred to as the "Zenithia" or "Tenku trilogy".[105][123] With this announcement, all the mainDragon Quest games at the time had been released outside Japan. The ninth installment was released in Japan for Nintendo DS on July 11, 2009. The North American version was released on July 11, 2010, while the European version came out on July 23, 2010. The tenth installment of the main series was released for the Wii.[124] Nintendo has been a major publisher outside Japan for the mainDragon Quest games, publishing the firstDragon Quest game in North America, and publishedDragon Quest IX worldwide outside Japan; the NDS version ofDragon Quest VI is published by Nintendo in North America.[6]
At the time I first madeDragon Quest, computer and video game RPGs were still very much in the realm of hardcore fans and not very accessible to other players. So I decided to create a system that was easy to understand and emotionally involving, and then placed my story within that framework.
When designingDragon Quest, Horii play-tests the games to make certain the controls feel right. This includes going into meticulous details such as how fast a page opens or the way a door opens. According to Horii, "... little things like here and there the controls not feeling right and such can really grate the players' nerves if the tempo isn't right." He believes players should be able to control the game unconsciously, which is not easy to accomplish.[125] Horii tries to design the games in such a way that players never need to read a manual nor play through a tutorial in order to figure out how to play the game,[126] and tries to create good storylines with short dialogues.[127] Ryutaro Ichimura, who has worked onDragon Quest titles with Horii sinceDragon Quest VIII, has implemented Horii's suggestions even when it is not obvious why his ideas will work. "[A] lot of the time when he [Horii] points these things out, we cannot see them at first, but eventually you get it."[125]
Dragon Quest games have an overall upbeat feeling.[85] The typicalDragon Quest plot involves the player controlling a party of heroes to defeat an ultimate evil villain, who usually threatens the world in some way. The plot-line often consists of smaller stories that involve encounters with other characters.[1] This linear plot-line is intentional, to help ease the generally high learning curve RPGs have for those unaccustomed to them.[113] The gameplay is designed to allow players to decide when, and whether, to pursue certain storyline paths.[128] To ensure players continue to enjoy playing the game, no storyline path is made without some kind of reward and, to help ease players who may be apprehensive about whether they are on the right path, the distance the character has to travel to get rewarded is reduced at the beginning of the game. While the player never starts the game in a wholly non-linear way,[125][129] they usually allow players to explore anopen world in anon-linear manner following an early linear section of the game.[129] Early character levels start players off with morehit points and a substantially increasing growth at later levels, although the effective bonuses of every additional level decreases.[129]
While Toriyama would later become more widely known with the success ofDragon Ball Z in North America, whenDragon Quest was released he was relatively unknown outside Japan. While theDragon Quest hero was drawn in asuper deformed manga style, theDragon Warrior localization had him drawn in the "West's template of a medieval hero".[130] The trend continued through the first four games, although the artwork for weapons and armor began using more of Toriyama's original artwork forDragon Warrior III andIV. However, while the booklets' artwork was altered, the setting and poses remained virtually identical.[130]
The games always feature a number of religious overtones; after the firstDragon Warrior game, saving and reviving characters who have died is performed by clergy in churches. Bishops wander around the over-world ofDragon Quest Monsters and can heal wounded characters. The final enemy in some of theDragon Quest games is called the Demon Lord; for instance inDragon Quest VII, the Demon Lord (known as Orgodemir in that particular game) is the finalboss, and there is asidequest to battle against God. The first fourDragon Quest titles were subjected to censorship in their North American localizations, largely in keeping withNintendo of America's content guidelines at the time that placed severe restrictions on religious iconography and mature content. When these games were remade for the Game Boy Color, most censorship was removed.[131] The translated versions of the games have largely followed the originals sinceDragon Quest VII.[132]
For English releases, games usually include a number of British dialects, such asPolari andCockney.[133]
The majority ofDragon Quest soundtracks were written and orchestrated by the classically trained composerKoichi Sugiyama. In the mid-1980s, Sugiyama, who was already a well-known composer of television shows, anime, and pop songs at the time, sent a feedback questionnaire from an Enix game to the company, and, upon seeing Sugiyama's feedback, producer Yukinobu Chida contacted him to confirm that "he wasthe Sugiyama from television." Upon confirmation, Chida asked Sugiyama to compose a score forDragon Quest.[134] Sugiyama had previously composed a video game score forWingman 2.[135] Sugiyama stated it took him five minutes to compose the original opening theme, and noted the difficulty in adding a personal touch to the short jingles, but that his past experience with creating music for television commercials helped. According to Sugiyama, the composer has between three and five seconds to catch the audience's attention through music. The theme and other jingles forDragon Quest have continued to be used throughout the series.[135] He went to compose a total of over 500 tracks for the series.[136] Sugiyama was also composing forDragon Quest XII prior to his death in 2021.[137]
The first album of music from the series was released in 1986 and was based on music from the first game,[138] followed by aSymphonic Suite album for each game in the main series. The original soundtrack's "eight melodies" approach set the template for most RPG soundtracks released since then, hundreds of which have been organized in a similar manner.[139] The original game'sclassical score was considered revolutionary for video game music.[140]
Other compilations ofDragon Quest music have been released, includingDragon Quest Game Music Super Collection Vol. 1.[141] TheLondon Philharmonic performed many of the soundtracks, including a compilation entitledSymphonic Suite Dragon Quest Complete CD-Box.[142] Some of the soundtracks include a second disc with the original game music, as with theDragon Quest VI soundtrack.[143] In 2003 SME Visual Works releasedSymphonic Suite Dragon Quest Complete CD-Box, featuring music from the first sevenDragon Quest games.[142]
In 2006, readers of the Japanese gaming magazineFamitsu voted on the hundred best video games of all time.Dragon Quest III was third,Dragon Quest VIII fourth,Dragon Quest VII ninth,Dragon Quest V eleventh,Dragon Quest IV fourteenth,Dragon Quest II seventeenth,Dragon Quest thirtieth, andDragon Quest VI thirty-fourth.[144] In 2009, Horii received a special award at theComputer Entertainment Supplier's Association Developers Conference for his work on theDragon Quest franchise.[145]
According toSatoru Iwata, former President of Nintendo,Dragon Quest's widespread appeal is that it is "made so that anyone can play it...and anyone can enjoy it depending on their different levels and interests." According to him,Dragon Quest is designed for anyone to pick up without needing to read the manual in order to understand it. Ryutaro Ichimura, producer at Square Enix, who has played the game since he was a child, says theDragon Quest storylines allow players to experience a moving sense of achievement where they take the role of a hero saving the world.[128] Horii believes the ability to appeal to larger audiences ofcasual gamers, while not alienating the morehardcore gamers, is due to being able to lower the initial hurdle without making it too easy. Iwata and Ichimura believe it is because the games are created in a way that allows both groups to pursue their own goals; casual gamers can enjoy the storyline and battles, but for those who want more there is still content for them to pursue.[125]
Although the series is extremely popular in Japan, the success in Japan was not replicated in North America until the 2005 release ofDragon Quest VIII.[117] Despite the first four games to be released in America generally receiving good reviews,[1] Nintendo had to give away copies ofDragon Warrior.[citation needed] However, those four games have been among the most sought-after titles for the NES, especiallyDragon Warrior III andIV.[1][122] It was not untilDragon Warrior VII was released thatDragon Quest became critically acclaimed in North America,[117] although reception was still mixed.[122] The series gained more universal praise withDragon Quest VIII, and began to sell better outside Japan andDragon Quest IX sold over 1 million copies outside Japan.[122][146]
One of the main aspects of the series that critics point out, either positively or negatively, is that the series "never strays from its classic roots."[147] Unlike other modern, complex RPGs,Dragon Quest on the DS retains the simple gameplay from the first game that many critics find refreshing and nostalgic.[147][148] Points of contention are its battle system, comparatively simplistic storylines, general lack of character development, simplistic primitive-looking graphics (in earlier titles), and the overall difficulty of the game. These arguments are countered by noting its strength in episodic storytelling with the variousnon-player characters the party meets. The stories avoid melodrama and feature relatively more simplistic characters thanFinal Fantasy'sSquall Leonhart orTidus, a source of contention. There are exceptions, however, such asDragon Quest V, which has been praised for its unique, emotional storytelling. Battles are also simple and finish quickly. As for difficulty, Yuji Horii is noted as a gambler. The lack of save points and the general difficulty of the battles were included with the intention of adding a sense of tension. Because of this added difficulty, the punishment for the party's death was toned down compared to other games by simply going back to where you had last saved, with half of your gold on hand.[1] When asked about criticism ofDragon Quest games, Horii says he does not mind, it means the critics played the game and he would rather know their concerns than remain ignorant.[126]
As of March 2022, theDragon Quest series has sold over85 million copies worldwide.[149]Dragon Quest III set sales records in 1988 by selling1.1 milliongame cartridges in Japan within a day[150] and3 million in a week,[151] and it grossed¥20 billion ($143 million) within a month[152] and$230 million by 1991.[153]Dragon Quest IV in 1990 sold out1.3 million copies within an hour,[154] andDragon Quest V sold over1.3 million cartridges within a day.[155] The series had sold10 million copies by 1990,[156] and15 million units by 1993,[157] with theDragon Quest sequels having grossed several hundred million dollars each.[158] As of 2007, all games in the main series, along with three spin-offs, had sold over a million copies each in Japan, with the highest-selling single release (not including remakes) beingDragon Quest VII which sold over four million copies.[159] The remake ofDragon Quest VI sold 910,000 copies in Japan in the first four days after its release, an exceptional sales figure for a remake.[160]
The originalDragon Quest game is often cited as the first console RPG.GameSpot called it the most influential role-playing game of all time, stating that nearly all Japanese RPGs since then have drawn from its gameplay in some shape or form.[161]Next Generation said it was "probably the first ever 'Japanese style' RPG", and listed the series collectively as number 56 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time". They commented, "While never as ambitious as Square'sFinal Fantasy series, later installments ofDragon Warrior[g] can't be beaten for sheer size (if you only had enough cash to buy you one game that had to last you a month, you bought aDragon Warrior title)."[162] In response to a survey,Gamasutra cites Quinton Klabon ofDartmouth College as statingDragon Warrior translated theD&D experience to video games and set the genre standards.[163] Games such asMother,Grandia,Lunar,Atelier,Shin Megami Tensei,Rune Factory,Story of Seasons,Breath of Fire andLufia & the Fortress of Doom were inspired by variousDragon Quest titles.[164]Dragon Quest III's class-changing system would shape other RPGs, especially theFinal Fantasy series,[122] and its day-night cycles was also a "major innovation" for console RPGs according toGameSpot.[165]Dragon Quest IV's "Tactics" system, where the player can set theAI routines forNPCs, is seen as a precursor toFinal Fantasy XII's "Gambits" system.[166]Dragon Quest V is cited as having monster recruiting and training mechanics that inspired monster-collecting RPGs such asPokémon,Digimon andDokapon.[1][167]Dragon Quest V was unique in that it made pregnancy, and who the player chose as the mother, a crucial aspect of the plot.[168] The real world and dream world setting ofDragon Quest VI is considered an influence on the later Square RPGsChrono Cross andFinal Fantasy X.[1] TheDragon Quest series was recognized byGuinness World Records, with six world records in theGuinness World Records Gamer's Edition. These records include "Best Selling Role Playing Game on the Super Famicom", "Fastest Selling Game in Japan", and "First Video Game Series to Inspire a Ballet".[169]
Dragon Quest is a cultural phenomenon in Japan.[170] According to Ryutaro Ichimura and Yuji Horii,Dragon Quest has become popular enough that it is used as a common topic for conversation in Japan,[171] and is considered by the Japanese gaming industry as Japan's national game.[126] William Cassidy ofGameSpy claims that "the common wisdom is that if you ask someone from Japan to draw 'Slime,' he'll draw the onion-like shape of the weak enemies from the game."[117][172] With the Japanese release ofDragon Quest IX in January 2009, a new eatery inspired by the series called Luida's Bar was opened inRoppongi, a well-known nightlife hotspot inMinato, Tokyo. This was notable due to the usual center of Tokyo's gaming culture beingAkihabara rather than Roppongi. The venue provides a meeting location for fans of the series: styled in the fashion of a Medieval public house like its virtual counterpart, its food is directly inspired by both items and monsters found in the games. It was described by a Western journalist as a cross between aDisneyland resort and amaid café[173][174]Dragon Quest also served as the inspiration for a live-action television drama.Yūsha Yoshihiko initially aired in July 2011, with a sequel series being produced and released the following year.[175] For its 2012April Fool's Hoax,Google announced a "NES version" of itsGoogle Maps service, which uses graphics and music based on the series.[176]
There is anurban myth that the release ofDragon Quest III caused a law to be passed in Japan banning the sale ofDragon Quest games or video games in general except on certain days such as weekends or national holidays.[8][177][178] WhenIII was released in Japan, over 300 schoolchildren were arrested fortruancy while waiting in stores for the game to be released.[179] The rumor claims there was a measurable dip in productivity when aDragon Quest game was released and although muggings ofDragon Quest titles became so widespread that there were hearings in theJapanese Diet, no law was ever passed. However, the Japanese release of everyDragon Quest title continued to be on a Saturday until the release ofDragon Quest X, which was released on Thursday, August 2, 2012.[8][177][178]
Dragon Quest's music has been influential on various sectors of the performing arts. It was the first video game series to receive live-action ballet adaptations,[180] and musical concerts and audio CDs were produced based on theDragon Quest universe.[111] Since 1987, the series' music has been performed annually in concert halls throughout Japan.[8] EarlyDragon Quest concerts inspiredNobuo Uematsu's compositions for theFinal Fantasy series.[181] "Lotto's Theme" was one of the video game music compositions selected for theopening ceremony of the2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and was the first to be played.[182]
The series is also represented in the 2018 crossoverfighting gameSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate viadownloadable content released in July 2019. Unlike most of the game's roster, the "Hero" is not a single playable character but rather a character slot shared by four separate, albeit functionally identical, main protagonists from the series: Eleven (also known as The Luminary) fromDragon Quest XI, Arusu (also known as Erdrick) fromDragon Quest III, Solo fromDragon Quest IV, and Eight fromDragon Quest VIII. Other elements from the series are also featured, such asSlimes and a stage based on Yggdrasil's Altar fromDragon Quest XI.[183][184]
The latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump reveals that the combat system of Dragon Quest IX for the DS will retain the traditional turn-based system ..
Serial n. 78146654.
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By noon that day, they and customers across Tokyo had bought1.1 million cassettes of the hottest computer game in memory: Dragon Quest III.
In the last year, a software of family computer game, named as DRAGON QUEST III, achieved¥20 billion gross sales, it means$143 million, within a month after its appearance on the market.
That's literally thousands of buyers — 3,000 lined up in front of one store; 1,500 at another to buy Dragon Quest III. The game's maker, Tokyo-based Enix, sold an estimated5 million copies for a total of$230 million.
The degree of anticipation for the games was unprecedented. On its first day in stores,1.3 million copies of "Dragon Quest 4" sold out in an hour, despite a price tag of 11,050 ($75) yen, higher than for any other Nintendo game.
Dragon Quest V, the cart that sold over1.3 million copies on the first day of release
As for video-game software, accumulated sales of Capcom Co.'s Street Fighter II series reached 10 million units in 1993, compared with 15 million units of Enix Inc.'s Dragon Quest series and 100 million units of Nintendo's Super Mario series.
The "Dragon Quest" sequels grossed several hundred million dollars apiece.
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