Welcome friends to the Dragon Warrior Kingdom. This is truly a milestone series in video game history, as it is the first popular RPG video game ever.
The original Dragon Warrior game is considered by most people to be the first console RPG, however most western gamers consider Final Fantasy to be far more important. Though Final Fantasy has garnered more acclaim and greater success than Dragon Warrior, it does not mean to much in hind site. In Japan, Dragon Warrior IS the definitive RPG out there. It has grown so vastly popular and successful, release dates are held on Saturday. This is due to a severe rise in school ditching, and calling in to work to get the latest title. One release saw the arrest of 300 students ditching school to get their copy of the game. Despite this popularity and success, it was not until the early 2000's that Dragon Quest really began to see popularity in the USA.
GameSpot called the original Dragon Warrior "one of the fifteen most influential games of all time and the most influential role-playing games of all time". They continued on to say that almost all Japanese RPG's that followed have taken from its game play in some fashion or another. In response to a survey, Gamasutra cites Quinton Klabon of Dartmouth College as stating Dragon Warrior translated the D&D experience to video games and set the genre standards. Several games such as Mother, Breath of Fire and Lufia and the Fortress of Doom were inspired by various Dragon Quest titles.
Dragon Warrior III's class change system would shape other RPGs, especially Final Fantasy III, V, and X-2. Early games in the series are also credited with affecting D&D's leveling system to even out its randomness by giving more bonuses early on and giving starting characters maximum hit points at their initial level. This was perhaps one of the biggest benefits of making the RPG popular on the video game console, as it meant far less time developing and leveling characters.
Dragon Warrior IV's "Tactics" system, where the player can set the AI routines for NPCs, is seen as a precursor to Final Fantasy XII's "Gambits" system. Dragon Quest V is cited as having monster recruiting and training mechanics that inspired monster-collecting RPGs such as Pokémon, Digimon, and Dokapon, and in turn the modern trend of collecting achievements. The real world/dream world setting of Dragon Quest VI is a high influence on Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy X titles.
The Dragon Quest series was recognized by Guinness World Records, with six world records in the Guinness World Records Gamers Edition. These records include "Best Selling Role Playing Game on the Super Famicom", "Fastest Selling Game in Japan", and "First Video Game Series to Inspire a Ballet".
As of March 2011, the Dragon Quest series has sold over 58 million units worldwide (50+ million of them being in Japan) and is one of the most popular video game series in Japan. All games in the main series, and its many spin-offs, have sold over a million copies in Japan, with some selling more than 4 million. The remake of Dragon Quest VI sold 1.28 million copies in Japan in the first four days after its release, which for a remake game is almost the most successful sale. In 2006 readers of the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu voted on the hundred best video games of all time. Dragon Warrior holds 8 spots in Famitsu's top 100 games of all time. (Final Fantasy holds 12)
In 2009 Horii received a special award at the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association Developers Conference for his work on the Dragon Quest franchise. This means for Square-Enix, they cover 14 of the top 20 of that listing, as well as having over a quarter (26) of the top 100.

1. Final Fantasy X (2001)
2. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
3. Dragon Quest III (1988)
4. Dragon Quest VIII (2004)
6. Final Fantasy IV (1991)
7. Tactics Ogre (1995)
8. Final Fantasy III (1990)
9. Dragon Quest VII (2000)
11. Dragon Quest V (1992)
14. Dragon Quest IV (1990)
15. Final Fantasy V (1992)
16. Xenogears (1998)
17. Dragon Quest II (1987)
19. Kingdom Hearts (2002)
22. Final Fantasy VIII (1999)
24. Final Fantasy IX (2000)
25. Final Fantasy VI(1994)
28. Chrono Trigger (1995)
29. Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
30. Dragon Quest (1986)
32. Final Fantasy X-2 (2003)
34. Dragon Quest VI (1995)
40. Dragon Quest 5 (PS2 remake) 2004
60. Final Fantasy II (1988)
63. Final Fantasy (1987)
84. Final Fantasy Tactics (1997)

Despite it not showing the overwhelming popularity of Final Fantasy, Dragon Warrior is certainly one of the most popular and enduring RPG franchises of all time. Without the Dragon Warrior series, there most likely would have been no Final Fantasy. Nor would the RPG field be so popular as it now has become. Dragon Warrior is the one that began it all, and it is with great pride and reverence that I open it to the Final Fantasy Kingdom.