Ep.143 – Japan’s National Game: How Dragon Quest Defined a Genre and Captured a Nation

In 1986, Enix released Dragon Quest, the game that defined Japanese role-playing for generations. This week, we trace how writer Yuji Horii, programmer Koichi Nakamura, artist Akira Toriyama, and composer Koichi Sugiyama came together to make RPGs accessible to everyone. Our conversation follows Enix’s unusual origins as a real estate company, the Game Hobby Program Contest that discovered new talent, and the creative spark born from Wizardry and Ultima. We discuss Chunsoft’s development process, the brilliant design choices that simplified complex RPG systems, and the cultural impact that made Dragon Quest a national phenomenon. Join us as we fight slimes, level up, and explore the beginnings of Japan’s most beloved RPG series on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.