He wrote it in high school. It opened the door to Dragon Quest.
In 1982, Enix held its first game programming contest — unusual at a time when most publishers developed internally. Koichi Nakamura entered while still in high school and placed second with Door Door, a puzzle game in which enemies are lured into rooms and trapped by closing doors. Enix released it as the company's first-ever Famicom game in 1985. Nakamura went on to serve as lead programmer of Dragon Quest in 1986 alongside Yuji Horii and Akira Toriyama — the RPG that defined Japanese gaming for a generation. That connection between a contest entry and one of the most important games ever made is not coincidence: Enix's policy of finding creators through open competition was the mechanism that brought both men into the same orbit. The door Nakamura built in high school opened into something he could not have imagined.
— inspired by Koichi Nakamura
About this game
Door Door is a 1985 puzzle-action game developed by Koichi Nakamura and published by Enix as the company's first Famicom title — marking Enix's entry into the home console market. Players control Chun, who must trap alien creatures by luring them through doorways and slamming the doors shut. The game originated as Nakamura's entry in Enix's inaugural game programming contest in 1982, where it placed second and earned him the contract to develop the Famicom version. The same Nakamura would go on to found Chunsoft and co-develop Dragon Quest with Yuji Horii and Enix.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Enix's strategy of finding game creators through public programming contests was unusual in 1982, when most publishers developed games internally or through fixed studio relationships. Door Door emerged from Enix's first such contest, held in 1982, which also produced other notable titles. When Enix decided to bring Door Door to the Famicom in 1985, it became the company's first home console release — establishing Enix as a Famicom publisher just in time for the platform's explosive growth period. The Nakamura–Enix partnership that began with Door Door would ultimately produce Dragon Quest in 1986, one of the most influential games in Japanese history.
Tricks & Tales
Koichi Nakamura wrote Door Door's original version while still in high school. The game placed second — not first — in Enix's programming contest; the first-place winner was a different title. Nakamura's prize included the development contract for the Famicom version, which sold approximately 200,000 copies and established Enix's presence on the platform. The 'Chun' character in Door Door's title is where Nakamura's later company 'Chunsoft' took its name — the character became an emblem of the studio he founded to develop Dragon Quest.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Released exclusively in Japan for the Famicom. Never officially released outside Japan. As Enix's first Famicom title, it is historically significant for Japanese game collectors.
Maintenance Tips
The gold-plated edge connectors on Famicom and NES cartridges pick up skin oils and oxidation over decades — a gentle wipe with a cotton swab dampened in 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol, stroking along the length of the pins rather than across them, is the accepted standard. Let the alcohol fully evaporate before reinserting. The old habit of blowing into a cartridge is folklore: the moisture in breath causes slow corrosion of the contacts over time, and any improvement you felt came from the act of re-seating the cart, not from the breath itself. Nintendo eventually updated its own troubleshooting guidance to say explicitly: do not blow into your Game Paks.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Door Door copies regularly.
Will this Japanese Famicom cartridge work on a North American Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)?
No, not without an adapter. The Famicom uses a 60-pin edge connector while the NES uses a 72-pin connector with a physically different form factor — the two are incompatible at the cartridge slot level. Third-party adapters exist that bridge the pin difference and allow Famicom cartridges to run in a NES. On a Japanese Famicom, NES cartridges face the same incompatibility in reverse. To play Japanese Famicom software, you need a Japanese Famicom, a Famicom-compatible clone console, or a NES fitted with an appropriate adapter.
How should I clean a Famicom cartridge to ensure reliable play?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated PCB edge contacts on the base of the cartridge. Never blow into the cartridge — breath moisture accelerates contact corrosion over time. If cleaning is needed inside, Famicom cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws (not standard Phillips); a security bit screwdriver is required to open the shell without damage. Note that most Famicom boot failures originate in the 60-pin console slot rather than the cartridge itself — cleaning the console slot contacts separately with a contact cleaning tool is often the more effective fix.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Door Door
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Famicom cartridge with a 60-pin connector; a North American NES uses a 72-pin slot, so it will not fit directly.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Door Door sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
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