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cross-posted from: https://sopuli.xyz/post/3558411
When you start playing Dragon Warrior you are given an important message by the king, the bad guy is back and you need to stop him. As you step outside the castle and are taken to the world map this is what you see.
That castle on the bottom right, surrounded by a poisonous bog, is your destination. If you could cross a few water tiles you could confront the Dragonlord right now. Unfortunately that cannot be done, and instead the game takes you on a journey through points 1 to 13 listed in the original image.
The effect is neat at the end of the game as well. As you approach the villain's lair you can see the castle where it all began.
Thanks Nintendo Power for this free game for subscribing. I must have played through 10+ times as a kid and a few times as an adult. One of my favorite games.
Same. That weird free game started a lifelong appreciation for the genre.
I remember the ad. I had no idea what a “Game Pak” was so I never took advantage of the offer. Seemed too good to be true if that meant an actual game.
That's how I got mine too! I had forgotten all about that fact until now.
My best friend had it. We spent a lot of time playing it! Also Zelda and Zelda II. Dragon Warrior was always my favorite, though.
This is how I got it. The only issue is I didn't really understand how I was supposed to play the game so I would just run randomly about and die. Never made any progress but I remember it fondly.
This map and the guide all came in Nintendo Power.
I found it at a retro store when I was in college. I was collecting NES games at the time and would buy anything with "dragon" in the name. Definitely worth the price, though getting it for free sounds great!