The importance of this game cannot be overstated. Dragon Quest single-handedly codified a genre for decades to come, and the series would continue breaking new ground until the franchise became so beloved and iconic in its native country that it became too beholden to tradition to innovate further. Unfortunately the entire game is literally nothing but grinding, which to a modern audience is utterly repulsive. However for the extremely patient gamer, DQ1 is a quaint and memorable journey.