| Dragon Warrior | |
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| Developer(s) | Chunsoft |
| Publisher(s) | JPN Enix Corporation NA Nintendo of America |
| Series | Dragon Quest series |
| Released | JP May 27, 1986 NA August, 1989 |
| Genre | Role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Ratings | ESRB: E (Everyone) (GBC) |
| Platform(s) | NES/Famicom, MSX, NEC PC-9801, Super Famicom, Game Boy/Game Boy Color (hybrid cartridge) |
| Media | 640-kilobit NES cartridge (NA) 512-kilobit Famicom cartridge (JP) GBC/SFC/MSX cartridges |
Dragon Warrior, also known as Dragon Quest (ドラゴンクエスト Doragon Kuesuto?) in Japan, is a role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and originally published in Japan by Enix Corporation (now known as Square Enix Co., Ltd.) for the Famicom console.[1] It is the first game in the Dragon Quest series (also known as the Dragon Warrior series in North America). Dragon Warrior has been ported and remade for several platforms including the MSX, Super Famicom, Game Boy Color, and mobile phones.
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Gameplay
Dragon Warrior uses very basic console role-playing game mechanics. Battles are fought in turn-based format and experience points are awarded after every battle, which allows the main character to level up and become stronger. Gameplay consists of moving him to different cities and other locations, fighting monsters along the way.
Plot
The protagonist of the story is a warrior who is a descendent of the legendary hero Erdrick. Starting in the chambers of King Lorik, the player is made aware that the Dragonlord has stolen the Ball of Light which must be reclaimed to restore peace to the land. Although this minimalistic story presents itself at the beginning, the player will find more minor story elements to the game as it progresses. These mostly occur through dialogues with NPCs that detail rescuing the Princess Gwaelin, the destruction of the town of Hauksness, and the hints about relics needed to reach the Dragonlord. Although this is the first title released of the Dragon Warrior franchise, Dragon Warrior I is actually the second, chronologically, of a three game series which share a storyline. The story is preceded by that of Dragon Warrior III and followed by Dragon Warrior II.
Characters
The Warrior
Little is known about the hero besides his ancestry, being of the bloodline of Erdrick.[2] A hero, descendant of the legendary Erdrick,[2][3][4] The only hints of personality for the character are a somewhat forced relationship with Princess Gwaelin and the yes or no answers the player can select to certain questions proposed by certain characters throughout the game. The user can name him however he or she wishes, within the limits of the naming system (8 letters in the North American NES version, 4 hiragana characters in the Japanese Famicom version). The Dragonlord
A dragon from Charlock whose soul became evil from learning magic.[5] He sought "unlimited power and destruction,"[5] which resulted in a rising tide of evil throughout Alefgard. He rules from Charlock Castle[2][3] to the south-east, where surrounding swamps and a destroyed bridge to the mainland have rendered his castle inaccessible. Inside Charlock, a complex maze of turns and monsters further protects his throne.[3] The Dragonlord's origin is unclear, but his motives are to enslave the world with his army of monsters.
Development
North American Localization
The game was localized for the North American release in 1989, but the title was changed to Dragon Warrior to avoid infringing on the trademark of the pen and paper role-playing game, DragonQuest (although in fact there was another pen-and-paper role-playing system called Dragon Warriors). The North American version of the game featured improved graphics and a battery-backed RAM savegame, whereas the Japanese version used passwords.
Many differences may be noted in comparing the original Dragon Quest and Dragon Warrior:
- The map graphics and character sprites were enhanced, with better definition and multi-directional facing (in the original version, sprites only faced forward regardless of which direction they were moving, and the player had to choose in which direction to interact with objects and NPCs from a menu)
- Spells went from having nonsensical names in the Japanese version to straight-forward one-word names.
- Many locations were given names relating to the Arthurian legend, and dialogue was written in a quasi-Early Modern English style.
- Regarding the Japanese version, in the town that the hero first buys keys, a woman offers to provide "puff-puff" to the Hero. This was changed in the American release as the woman asks if the hero would like to purchase tomatoes.
Nintendo Power Bonus
Nintendo Power provided three feature articles on Dragon Warrior from May/June 1989 - Sept/Oct 1989.[6][7][8] The Nov/Dec 1989 issue provided a Strategy Guide.[9] In March/April 1990, the magazine provided a map/poster of Dragon Warrior/Super C, and it featured a Dragon Warrior text adventure.[10] During that year, Nintendo Power gave away free copies of Dragon Warrior to new (and old) subscribers, along with a card explaining the equipment, monsters, levels, and locations. Brief mention of the subscription bonus appears in volume 80 of Nintendo Power.[11]
Super Famicom
In a compilation known as Dragon Warrior I & II, the Super Famicom remake was marketed exclusively in Japan (due to the absence of Enix America Corporation). BS Dragon Quest was also released for the Satellaview extension for the Super Famicom. This game is based off of the original Dragon Quest.
Game Boy Color
The Game Boy Color release of Dragon Warrior in North America, based on the Super Famicom version, used an entirely new translation, discarding the Early Modern English style and giving names closer to the Japanese version's. In this remake Dragonlord's name was changed to DracoLord, and Erdrick was changed to 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.
References in the Final Fantasy series
Loto's Sword is used during an optional boss fight against Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy XII. This also marks the first time the mix of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest has happened in the light of both Square and Enix merging to be noticed in the western world. (Technically speaking, the crossover has happened previously in Itadaki Street, a video board game exclusive to Japan.) In the United States, however, Erdrick was referenced as early as the original NES Final Fantasy, where one of the tombstones in Elfland reads, "Here lies Erdrick." (The Japanese version reads, "Here lies Link", a reference to the Legend of Zelda series main character.)
Mobile phone version
Dragon Quest was released for cellular phones in Japan in 2004, with updated graphics that are similar to Dragon Quest VI's.[12]
Soundtrack
As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. The Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite was bundled with the Dragon Quest II symphonic suite and a disc of original compositions called Dragon Quest in Concert. List of Dragon Quest I tracks:
- 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)
Reception and legacy
Dragon Quest was wildly popular in Japan, and became the first in a series that now includes nine games with several spin-offs, including Dragon Quest Monsters. The release of Dragon Quest is regarded as a milestone in the history of the console RPG, a popular genre that also includes the Final Fantasy series. It was the first console RPG to use a top-down perspective, a staple of 2D console RPG's, and has since been cited by Gamespot as one of the fifteen most influential games in the history of video games.[13] Seemingly primitive by today's standards, Dragon Quest features one-on-one combat,[3] a limited array of items and equipment,[3] ten spells,[3][14] five towns, and five dungeons.[3] Nintendo Power critics ranked the NES Dragon Warrior an average of three on a scale of zero to five.[5] Nevertheless, it was successful financially and well received by many fans. Today, Dragon Warrior is received with mixed reviews among the young and old. Some praise the game because of its simplicity and nostalgic charm, while others dismiss the game for its lack of plot interactivity and characterization, and the constant grinding required to progress through the game.
References
- ^ Dragon Quest Series (Japanese). Dragon Quest Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
- ^ a b c (1989) Nintendo, Enix Corporation Dragon Warrior Instruction Manual (in English).
- ^ a b c d e f g (1989) Nintendo of America Inc., Tokuma Shoten U.S. Edition, Enix Corporation Licensed exclusively to Nintendo of America Inc., Nintendo Power Strategy Guide Published by Nintendo of America Inc. and Tokuma Shoten Dragon Warrior Strategy Guide (in English).
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power July - August, 1989; issue 7 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 40.
- ^ a b c Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power May - June, 1989; issue 6 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 52.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power May - June, 1989; issue 6 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 52-53.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power July - August, 1989; issue 7 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 39-50.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power September - October, 1989; issue 8 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 20-27.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power November - December, 1989; issue 9 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 5.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power March - April, 1990; issue 11 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 4, 51-54.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power January, 1996; issue 80 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 58.
- ^ GameSpot staff (2004). Dragon Quest for Mobile Phones. Retrieved on Oct 14, 2007.
- ^ GameSpot staff (2005). 15 Most Influencial Games. Retrieved on Sept 1, 2007.
- ^ Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power July - August, 1989; issue 7 (in English). Nintendo of America, Tokuma Shoten Publishing, 44.
External links
- Dragon Quest Official Site (Japanese)
- Dragon Warrior at MobyGames
- A Dragon Warrior I shrine at RPGClassics
- Dragon Warrior I at Dragon Quest I capture
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| Main series | I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX |
| Monsters | 1 • 2 • 1+2 • Caravan Heart • Joker |
| Slime MoriMori | Shougeki No Shippo Dan • Rocket Slime |
| Fushigi no Dungeon | Torneko no Daibouken • The Last Hope • Torneko 3 • Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon |
| Other | I & II • Kenshin • Swords |
