Today, the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, inducted SQUARE ENIX’s beloved and groundbreaking DRAGON QUEST into its World Video Game Hall of Fame.
Established in 2015, the World Video Game Hall of Fame recognizes electronic games that have achieved icon status and significantly influenced the video game industry, entertainment, popular culture or society at large over a sustained period of time. DRAGON QUEST’s induction arrives ahead of Dragon Quest Day, which will celebrate the franchise’s 40th anniversary on May 27.
Released in 1986, DRAGON QUEST stands as a pioneer in the RPG genre and has spawned a critically acclaimed global phenomenon franchise that has shipped more than 97 million units worldwide, spanning 11 main series titles, many spin-off games, as well as films, anime, novels, manga, merchandise, and more. With its player-friendly approach, compelling narrative, charming visuals, and stunning soundtrack, DRAGON QUEST built a foundation for RPGs still apparent Today.
Dragon Quest is a series I hold especially close to my heart. It has the art designs of my favorite artist of all time, Akira Toriyama. It has a battle system that continually shows how great it was, even in the beginning. It was a series that started simple, and rather than making it more complex, just evolved it to be a better system of stories, and emotions built in its familiar theme of light vs dark. It is also a series that is starting to finally get some more popularity in the West as more and more titles are released. Dragon Quest I-III all got HD-2D remakes that did well, as well as a brand new 3D remake of Dragon Quest VII.
This is a game that deserves its place in the World Video Game Hall of Fame. It deserves more acknowledgement from the industry as well for the importance this series has given to gaming. I am happy to see it get its flowers.
Source: Press Release
