Dragon Quest is the role-playing game that started the series. Enix released it for the Famicom in Japan on 27 May 1986. It was designed and written by Yuji Horii and developed by Chunsoft, with art by Akira Toriyama and music by Koichi Sugiyama. The Japanese original saved progress with a 20-character password called the 'spell of resurrection' (fukkatsu no jumon). According to Japanese Wikipedia, it is the only game in the series with a bad ending, reached by accepting the Dragonlord's offer of half the world.
In North America Nintendo released it in 1989 as Dragon Warrior, with Satoru Iwata directing the localization. The Western version replaced passwords with battery saves, updated the graphics and used a mock-Elizabethan English script. In late 1990 Nintendo gave free copies of Dragon Warrior to Nintendo Power subscribers, which brought the magazine nearly 500,000 new subscribers.
The game was later remade for the Super Famicom and Game Boy Color together with Dragon Quest II, and it has been ported to mobile phones, PS4, 3DS and Switch. In 2025 Square Enix released Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, a full remake for modern platforms.1234
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Dragon WarriorBattery save; Japanese Wikipedia gives May 1989 | NES | August 1989 | NintendoNES-DQ-USA | 5 |
| NA | Dragon Warrior I & IINew translation without the Elizabethan style | Game Boy Color | Sep 27, 2000 | Enix | 2 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストDoragon KuesutoFamicom; password saves; date also in Japanese Wikipedia | NES | May 27, 1986 | EnixEFC-DQ | 5 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストDoragon KuesutoMSX and MSX2 versions both 1986; GameFAQs dates the MSX2 version to November 1986 | MSX2 | 1986 | EnixE-G184 | 1 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストDoragon KuesutoPC-9801 | PC-98 | 1986 | Enix | 2 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストI・IIDoragon Kuesuto I・IISuper Famicom remake bundled with Dragon Quest II | SNES | Dec 18, 1993 | Enix | 2 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストI・IIDoragon Kuesuto I・IIGame Boy Color remake with Dragon Quest II | Game Boy Color | Sep 23, 1999 | Enix | 2 |
| JP | Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary CollectionDragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection; includes the Famicom and Super Famicom versions | Wii | Sep 15, 2011 | Square Enix | 2 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストDoragon KuesutoAlso iOS; distributed via the Dragon Quest Portal App | Android | Nov 28, 2013 | Square Enix | 1 |
| WW | Dragon QuestFirst Western release under the original name; also Android | iOS | Sep 11, 2014 | Square Enix | 2 |
| JP | ドラゴンクエストDoragon KuesutoDigital only; 3DS version the same day | PlayStation 4 | Aug 10, 2017 | Square EnixCUSA-08192 | 1 |
| WW | Dragon QuestDigital only | Switch | Sep 27, 2019 | Square Enix | 6 |
Also known as: ドラゴンクエスト JP1DRAGON QUEST JP1ドラゴンクエストI JP1ドラクエ1 JP1Dragon Warrior NA2Dragon Warrior I & II NA2Dragon Quest I WW5
Box art by region
NA Dragon Warrior 
JP ドラゴンクエスト
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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TitleNES (NA)GBC (NA)
In North America the game was called Dragon Warrior because the name Dragon Quest was trademarked by the tabletop role-playing game DragonQuest.2
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GameplayNES (NA)
The Famicom original saves progress with a 20-character password, while the North American cartridge uses battery-backed saves instead.1
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GraphicsNES (NA)
Dragon Warrior has larger sprites that turn to face the direction they move (the Japanese ones always face forward), proper coastlines on the map and a reworked title screen, bringing its look closer to Dragon Quest II and III.7
Where to play legally today
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App Store Purchase
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Google Play Purchase
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Nintendo eShop Purchase
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Steam Purchase
DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake
2025 HD-2D remake (not the original game)
Checked: 2026-10-133store.steampowered.com
Reception
The original sold more than 2 million copies, about 1.5 million in Japan and 500,000 in the US. The Super Famicom remake sold more than 1.2 million copies in Japan.2
In lists
Sources
- 1ja.wikipedia.org
- 2en.wikipedia.org
- 3store.steampowered.com
- 4en.wikipedia.org
- 5gamefaqs.gamespot.com
- 6nintendo.com
- 7new.tcrf.net
- 8apps.apple.com
- 9play.google.com
- 10nintendo.com
- 11ja.wikipedia.org
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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