What was your favorite part of Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior)? What do you find most nostalgic about it now? Please consider supporting me at www.patreon.com/xygorgaming OR through KZfaq membership by clicking the JOIN button above!

I was born in 1980 and also got it with Nintendo Power. Fell in love right away and went on to DW2, FF, DW3, DW4, Crystalis, and so on. So glad.

I first played the game about five years ago, when I stumbled upon an NES cart of it at a flea market for $7. Since then, I've gone on to obtain and play every numbered sequel (except 10) and am now literally obsessed with this series.

Dragon Warrior iv was my first RPG. I started attempting to play it when i was 4 years old. I didn't understand most of the text, but 14 years later I'd finally beat it. It's still the most formative genre I've ever played.

This free game and all it brought saved my life as a kid. I had a difficult childhood and thought I was useless garbage. This let me believe I could be of help to someone. It warms my heart that you made this video and you had at least a somewhat similar experience to my own.

My mom found this at a yard sale, and brought it home because she knew I needed more games. It was my first RPG, and I beat it without any help from magazines. I still vividly remember killing the final boss and running to tell my mom. She must have took notice, because over the next few years she kept finding RPGs for me to play and when the SNES came out it got even better!

First RPG for me too, absolutely transformative moment. I'm so grateful for the marketing team at Nintendo for broadcasting it so wide. Also, you probably know this but you don't have to rescue the princess at all, and I love that it is optional. :)

This waw my first RPG. Many a weekend nights with pizza, soda, and my NES. I was in elementary school, no bills, no worries, it was a great time.

I remember playing this as a kid, and when saving-the-princess was NOT the end of the game, I thought it was mindblowing and revolutionary. It felt like a movie-sized universe once I crossed over into Rimuldar and had an entirely new goal to meet. The games that followed felt absolutely insanely huge as well, to me.

They actually used that bad ending in Dragon Quest Builders 1. It's a timeline branch where the hero did that and the Dragonlord gave him a castle and called it "half the world" so he kept his promise.

Played this all the way through grade school till 8th grade on a hand me down nes even after I got a snes. Once I finally completed the game I had spent 10 years on it felt like I completed a quest of my own. One of those games I will remember forever.

I got this game when I was barely 3 years old in the mail from nintendo power in 89. I still remember the day it came and the envelope it came in. I attribute this game to accelerating my math and reading skills. I won't forget the first time I ever made it to the end boss and when he offered for me to join his side I was like SWEET. Then got game over XD

Definitely one of the most important RPG's ever. One of the earlier JRPG's and one of the games that was responsible for so many awesome JRPG's being made.

The music will always be near and dear to my heart. Memories of farming Wyverns and Goldmen south of Rimuldar for hours. So good.

I'm playing this on the GBC right now. I love it. It's one of the best.

I played the recent-ish release on the Switch, and the game still plays really well! Especially with the menu improvements, and because it's so short and sweet. AFAIK, rescuing the princess is completely optional as well, you can beat the game without defeating the dragon that guards her. It's definitely not the greatest RPG ever (not even the greatest Dragon Quest), but perhaps the most important one?

I like this fanchise. The first DQ game I played was DQ8 when it first came out. They had a website for the game and they advertised a free demo that could be mailed to you (which I still have) and from then I was hooked on the story and played other DQ games.

I was 2 or early 3 and this is the first game I remember playing that was not Pole Position on the Atari, or Mario Brothers, and let me tell you did it delight my little brain. I could not read, asked mom to let me try, and never looked back. Not only that, but I beat so many Slimes to death with my bare fists that it would have been a crime otherwise, and it was fun, I loved the death music, and how the screen blinked or turned red because I was "Mad" and had to go home. (Thanks for that, mom, for explaining why I went back to the king) I doubt I ever made it past Kol back then, but my favorite monster that I saw at the time was the "Draky", but all in all it would be the first game I beat not long after I learned to read. Because I first enjoyed that game during very early childhood, to this day, I think is why it's my favorite Nintendo game... And if we are sticking to the Dragon Warrior games for NES, I know damn well that part 3 was, and will always be superior, I still like the first the most. (Always wished Dragon Warrior/Quest II would have continued the story by making the game about the Hero (You) siding with the Dragon Lord at the end of the first game) Side note, I still hum the over world theme to this day, like I'm not an adult who has adult stuff to do, or something.

Great video! Very nostalgic. My favorite part of playing this as a kid was how real the world felt. There were tons of different locations, terrains, dungeons and castles to explore. It really felt like a grand adventure!

My best friend borrowed this from a neighbor and at the time I just didn't "get it". It was so alien to me after being really into games like Zelda where you just selected attacks from a menu. Once I got a little older, Final Fantasy IV lured me into RPGs and I went back to play the Dragon Warrior games on the NES and that's when they clicked and I fell in love with the series.

You could argue that the Dragon Quest series is the best JRPG series of all time.

I remember this game just because of the cover. I usually watched my brother play it. I never got far into it because I was so young I didn't learn how to read yet. That's kind of important in an RPG.

Probably the first RPG I actually got into growing up, good stuff

"But thou must" As someone who didn't play this until the 1+2 "remakes" on the gbc, I thoroughly enjoyed this. But for me, probably the most memorable/most impactful thing I remembered about this game was the overworld theme. Even more than the overture, it always gave me a "this is what Dragon Quest sounds like" vibe.

I'll never forget the battle theme music of the old NES game fighting those blue blobs, just a cozy memory. I did download the remake on the iphone and played it thru, really enjoyed the nostalgia.

To my recollection, Dragon Warrior was not part of the free game promotion here in Canada with Nintendo Power (it wasn't for me), so this wound up being a birthday gift for me in 1989. I did have good memories but for whatever reason, I was hellbent on maxing out my experience at 65,535 and level 30 before I completed this. The grind to get that, was NOT fun 🤣, but I wouldn't change a thing. It's incredible how well this simplistic RPG still holds up today.

I played Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior, the NES, and I have the remastered, Dragon Quest 1&2 on the SNES. I played both games, stuck in Dragon Quest 2, played Dragon Quest 1 and beat the game in a week. RPGS are one of the genre of video games, I like to play,

The ninth issue of Nintendo Power happened to be the first I ever read and rereading the special pull-out guide to Dragon Warrior until I broke the staples and had to repair it with tape got me hyped for the game well before I ever got a chance to try it. When I did, it delivered everything promised and more. One of my fondest memories was the first time I ever managed to get the Cursed Necklace in the Rock Mountain Cave after being teased by it in the guide, but never being able to find it before, so I felt on top of the world. I had no idea until much later that it was a randomized treasure chest substitution and it drove me crazy when I couldn't find it on future playthroughs.

perfect timing! i just started up Dragon Quest Viii again (after my 3ds memory card crapped the bed mid-playthrough). Compared to other games that released at the time, it’s amazing how well the first game has held up even today.

This was my first RPG since then turn based RPG games are my favorite games. The thing I love most back then was level up the main Character getting more spells.

As many here this was the game that got me hooked into RPG . Still remember the day got my copy with my Nintendo power . 🍺

I also got this game for free through Nintendo Power but I just couldn't get into it after trying a number of times. Final Fantasy was the complete opposite, I was hooked the moment the game's real "intro" played after the King builds the bridge that allows you to start the game proper.

I LOVES this game. It sucked that so few other ppl ever talked or knew about it. The exploration was my favorite aspect, but the music was just BOMB.

The music is so nostalgic.

I too received this game with my subscription to Nintendo Power and it was one of my favorite games growing up. I have a weird coincidence where 3 years in a row I beat the game on Thanksgiving with my family there to root me on. Just happened that I would start playing a new quest same time each year and the conclusion of completing the game fell on that day each year. Fond memories that I will never forget.

I played this game as a kid and had no idea wtf I was doing. I eventually got earthbound and was hooked on rpgs afterwards

I played it on GBC. It felt in love with the pixel graphic, simple gameplay and the world presented. That was one of the most important games I've ever played.

Man… I played Dragon Warrior so much when I was 11 years old I used to dream bout it. I’m 44 now and when I heard that title music, it brought me back to my childhood

First RPG I ever played. I have played through it over a dozen times and I don't know why I love it so much. Most memorable moments were definitely the Golem, Haukness and searching for the Fighter's Ring. I'm not going to lie, I enjoy navigating the menu to open chests and use stairs.

I got the game the exact same way. I had never played anything like it before. My lifelong love of RPGs began right there.

In the 80s I couldn't afford an nes. I begged my mom for months to rent me one for the weekend, from the local gas station. She finally did and it came down to renting this, or mario 3. I chose this and thus began a lifelong love for rpgs.

Dragon Warrior/ Quest happens to be my very first RPG that I ever played. I never thought that playing an RPG like this one would eventually turn me onto the genre itself and I still play RPGs to this day thanks to it.

My first RPG as a kid and I still find myself going back and playing through this on emulation as well as Dragon Warrior 2. 2 added so many more features and was so fun to play, but sadly it released 2 months after Final Fantasy and never got the love and recognition it deserved. Thanks for the nostalgia. You gained a subscriber :)

I learned to read playing this game. Born in '88 in CA with Japanese immigrant contacts, this was a pivotal moment in my gaming/life development. Best aspect of this game is the well thought out progression of leveling and ability to kill mobs. Moving across a bridge to find a new table of mob spawns was so cool, not to mention going into dungeons to find whole new tables of baddies. OG gaming right here

I got the free NES cartridge when I subscribed to Nintendo Power. I loved it and still have it. I remember my mom walking in on me and saying "The enemies don't even move? Well I guess if it's free you can't expect it to be good."

Do you remember in the clue book, the part where the little graphic of the hero thinks to himself "I know only what I am told."? That has stuck with me for decades.

I’d played a lot of Zelda, but at a sleepover for my friend’s birthday, I got to play Dragon Warrior. I was amazed. I loved it. The sound, the style, everything about it felt interesting. My friends and I stayed up way too late playing it. I never saw it again. Over the years it became a hazy memory. I wasn’t 100% sure of the title any more and nobody seemed familiar with it. Until 1998! Another friend had the manual at his place in a box! I couldn’t believe it! I traded it off him and managed to find a copy on eBay. It was so exciting! I’d been buying and selling transformers and Japanese mega man figures for a while there at that point, but I’d never been so excited for my mail! I finally got the game in the mail and spent the next week on it! It was totally worth the wait! Also, I’ve always preferred the dame Dragon Warrior, I wish they’d have stuck with that here.

I still remember getting this game free as a kid and it felt like something super special. At the time I was already well into final fantasy legends series too so it felt great to have something in color. The extras you got with it were great too. At the time you basically needed it to know what to do. Not sure I’ve played any since but I definitely played the hell out of this and FFL 1&2.

This is what got me into gaming. My favorite game growing up. I have no clue how I found this game, but thank God I did.

I bought this game originally for .29 cents in a Funcoland. Still have the cart. No box or book obviously but it was difficult and somehow still fun. Great times were had.

This was my first RPG, but FF was the first RPG I ever beat. As the years go by, I've revisited FF about a hundred times, but I'll always have a soft spot for DW. The sound design and music carries it so much.

My first experience with this game (or really any rpg) was the GBC version. I loved it and none of my friends had it/knew about it- but I was endlessly addicted.

I had joined the reserve, during my advanced individual training I met up with a group of guys that were into DnD. They tried to get me into it but a lot of it flew over my head. I truly loved the fantasy setting and setting off on adventures is what stuck with me the most my time there. Later on I got my NES. The first game I bought Dragon Warrior. I was working a fast food job and doing the reserve once a month for a weekend but that game I enjoyed. I had to use a guide to be it, still loved every minute of it.

0:51 What are you talking about? Role-playing video games originated in the West. "Dragon Quest" was directly inspired by the hugely popular "Wizardry" and "Ultima" series, both of which preceded DQ by five years.

Having played video games since 1990, I just played DQ1 for the first time a few months ago. It is a delightful game! I immediately played 2 and 3 after. Definitely missed out on those gems for a really long time.

My first experience with Dragon Quest was the GBC versions of I&II. I knew of the series and was so excited to try it, once I got my hands on it I feel in love and ive been hooked ever since. Played all the mainline games (except X) multiple times each, some across various platforms and Ive played tons of spinoffs, more that I can recall at this point! I think I might be a bit of a fan... :D

Ahh the game that made me fall in love RPGS, me and my two brothers pretty much played all the JRPGs for the NES Sega Master system SNES Sega Genesis and so on but for some reason the Dragon Quest (Warrior) series just had this charm about it. Even though I played superior games in the genre Dragon Quest was always the one that got me most excited when a new one got released. Also the part where the main character never speaks gives you the impression you are the hero. My favs of all time are part 3 and part 6. Thanks for this.

Still have my original complete copy I bought from the store as a kid, great game!

I remember getting this for my Birthday back in the 80s and not seeing the outside for days such a lovely game to get lost in Dragon Quest/Warrior also Suikoden , Lufia , Breath of Fire are some other lovely titles 🙂

This was my first RPG. This game is the very catalyst that began my love for RPGs. I still play it at least a few times a year.

You and I came into RPGs the same way. This Nintendo Power promotion. After that, I played the other three entries on NES.

It took my mom 15 years to finish this game, I'm 39 now I remember she had the game when it came out there was one part that she couldn't find something when the original system was out, years later we bought it again cuz our original one got lost, for that time there was ways for downloading walkthroughs online when that was a thing back in the day so she did it and the only thing she did was find that item and she did the rest herself. Great memories great game even the cartoons were awesome

This game and the first Final Fantasy game on NES will forever be etched into the core of my being. These were amazing RPGs period. Great introductions to the JRPG and RPG world in general.

This is the earliest game I can remember playing. I must’ve been 4 or so. Had no clue what I was doing but I loved it.

My first RPG. So grateful. Great video!!

When I was a kid my mom and I use to play and beat DW all the time. It was so fun but I was just like 4 or 5 years old. It was what made me like RPGs later on in life. We also played FF1 a lot too. Good times. She does not play video games at all anymore but I will never forget about DW and FF on our old 8 bit NES.

I got this game free in the mail in 1989. It was my first RPG too. I was 12. I'm 45 now and still game. Dragons Quest XI was fun.

I just learned now that Koichi died, it struck me. Rest in peace sensei

When I got my Nintendo, I asked my parents for a Nintendo power sub. That month was the release of Dragon Warrior and I received not one, but 2 free copies along with 2 Nintendo powers magazine. It had a a bonus map and leveling guide. Down the RPG rabbit hole I went.... still digging to this day. Hilarious, as you start your video with that same story. We were living parallel lives for a while I guess :)

I used to play it a lot on NES, even got the Gameboy Color Dragon Warrior (Quest) 1 & 2 combo. To my surprise, after all these years, the Gameboy still works.

Miss when games came with inserts that were maps & item-buying guides. We got them up until the Xbox One & PS4 era. Many 360 games came with reference material.

Got this too from nintendo power. First turned based rpg i ever played followed by final fantasy. Such a great game. Dq8 is probably my favorite of the series though

Dude, this is the same way I got this game. Came with a little strategy guide type manual that helped with some game play

The music to dragon warrior is more addictive than any drug to me lol. God I love that game. Trying to sneak ahead to the next town before you’re ready. Grinding gold golems. The music and SFX. Yes it has flaws, but it’s still one of my favorite games to this day. I can’t remember if I played FF1 before this or not, but I know I never liked FF1. FFVI is probably my #1 favorite game, but back in the day it was all about dragon warrior.

I actually played this game on my game boy color and I must have been about 9 or 10 when I played it. It was new at the time for me and I remember putting it down a lot because it’s extremely hard but I enjoyed it a good amount that I kept giving it a try until I learned all the little things that help you on your journey. This games does not hold your hand at all and it actually helps to talk to everyone you see

That was EXACTLY how I got the game - the Nintendo Power give away. As a Final Fantasy fan, I had to get it. So glad I did.

I liked and subscribed. I'm actually on DQ 6 right now.

I got this game free with the Nintendo Power subscription and still own it to this day and still my all time fave JRPG

Didn't know about the saves! Thank god we had that when we were kids haha.

This was the first RPG I ever played after asking for it for Christmas '89 followed by the first Final Fantasy for my birthday the following summer.

I have a regard for this game especially because it was very important in my learning to read. My parents would read the text and I just memorized the words because I was fascinated with this type of games.

This is one of 2 games I come back to play once a year.

The level up sound is my text tone

Didn't get into this game till recent years. Did the two remakes and the NES version to, I enjoyed figuring most of it out myself also the menu navigation is a bit on the nose but I just got done playing Phantasy star 1 which had alot of menu navigation also In both games I had to memorize all the mazes or draw the map on graph paper.

got my first copy the same way. fell in love instantly

0:07 -- Flashback to my introduction of RPGs with my cousin. ^.^

I think the fact that what you name your character actually determines what your level ups look like was such a crazy but cool aspect of the game and allowed for replay value. It was also fun to challenge yourself to accomplish things at the lowest level you could. Like for example, defeating the Axe Knight that guards Erdrick's Armor at level 13. Gotta get lucky with Sleep spells and well timed Herbs to take that sucker down at that level! One of my top 10 of the NES library for sure!

I think the way you feel about the sounds and tunes of Dragon Quest is how I feel about Pokèmon Red and Blue LOL. I'll always have those tunes branded into my memory lol

I just finished this game on the Gameboy Color a few hours ago. It's honestly refreshing. No complicated game mechanics and no sidequest padding. The inventory limitation is a minor inconvenience. It really needs a simple overworld map though like in the Pokemon games. Can't wait to play Dragon Warrior II next on my day off.

Loved the game. Took a while to get going, but that was part of the fun. And oh yeah, you could bring the Princess to spend a night with you in the inns. You got a different message from the innkeeper in the morning ;).

My first too, back in the day when NES was young. I'm old.

This was my first RPG as well. Good times.

I used the search command ON EVERY SINGLE TILE in Tantegel Castle before I figured out it was a "walk out of what you should be the town border to send you back to the overworld". Ugh. Life before the internet.

I remember the first RPG I ever played that my cousin's played all the time called the 7th Saga for the NES. My cousins were the only people I knew that played RPGs and they introduced me to the genre they had a few other RPGs they had I can't remember the names though

30 years later I still hear the music in my head

I'd be interested in your reviews of the other games as I am considering playing other games in the series. So far this is only one I've played and not sure which one I should jump into next.

I remember playing this game back in the day, it was my first jrpg. I had no idea what the hell I was doing or where to go. Eventually had to give up.

It was my first RPG too. A friend of mine who lived down the road had it and loaned it to me. Together we figured it out and I ended up beating the Dragon Lord with something like 5 hit points left and no magic so it was one last shot or death. We didn't understand the concept of grinding and had problems with several rpgs never realizing why we were getting our butts kicked. I had this awesome full guide for Final Fantasy but always got stuck at the Marsh Cave never realizing the key was to simply level up before continuing forward with the story. In hindsight, at least Final Fantasy has something to offer if you want to play it now but Dragon Warrior 1, ohh this is a rough one to try and play now. So basic, so slow, so much grinding! But that sound track, it will always be in my head and bring happy memories.

My brother got the copy from the magazine too and i played through the game a bunch when i was like 3 or 4, dying over and over and over and out being one of maybe 3 or 4 games we had.

I was too young when DQ 1-3 came out, but I have a lot of nostalgia remembering watching my brother play them. I did eventually play it myself, and it was the first RPG I played, and possibly even the first video game I played. (Super Mario was too hard at the time for me. Dragon warrior was too, but I remember that one better for some reason.).