Everybody loves a spot of trivia. And what greater trivia is there than a whole list of information about the progenitor of the JRPG genre? Square Enix has released a short list of fun facts about Dragon Quest, including but not limited to the following:
- The first DQ game was titled “Dragon Warrior” in the US due to copyright concerns, and would keep the adopted moniker up through the PlayStation 2 era.
- The iconic Slime debuted in the first title and has been present in every single DQ title (mainline, spinoff, or otherwise) since.
- The release of DQ I, II, and III on the Switch marks the first time the NES titles are available in Europe.
- The first Dragon Quest (or rather, Dragon Warrior) was at one time a free gift in Nintendo Power.
- The first Final Fantasy game contains a reference to the first Dragon Quest, with a grave marking the death of DQ’s hero Erdrick (replaced in later versions by an allusion to Link of Zelda fame).
- Decades later, after Squaresoft and Enix merged, Final Fantasy XII would contain another DQ callout — this time in the form of the Wyrmhero Blade weapon, resembling Erdrick’s sword and utilizing DQ sound effects when used.
- Dragon Quest Builders is actually a quasi-sequel to the first DQ game. In similar fashion, Dragon Quest Builders II is also a quasi-sequel to DQ II.
- Yuji Horii, the series creator, has worked on every single series title (mainline, spinoff, or otherwise) to this date.
- There’s a super cool Dragon Quest café in Tokyo that you should check out if you get the chance.
For full explanations and details, be sure to check out the source article. You can pick up the first three Dragon Quests, as well as Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition, on your Switch right now.
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
