He wanted you to see the enemy before you chose to fight.
In 1984, when Yoshio Kiya designed Dragon Slayer, only two kinds of RPG existed: Wizardry and Ultima. He wanted to make something new. Random battles — fighting invisible enemies whether you wanted to or not — felt wrong to him. So he put every enemy on the map. You could see them before they saw you. You could walk around danger if you wanted, or walk straight into it if you didn't. The choice became yours. That decision, simple as it sounds, helped build the action RPG genre in Japan. Dragon Slayer came to the Game Boy in 1990, six years later, carrying that same idea: no surprises. Just choices.
— inspired by Yoshio Kiya
About this game
Dragon Slayer came to the Game Boy in 1990 as a port of Nihon Falcom's pioneering 1984 action RPG. Designed originally by Yoshio Kiya, the game broke away from the random encounter system of Wizardry and Ultima by placing every enemy visibly on the map. Players could see danger before choosing to engage or avoid it. The Game Boy version, developed by Epoch, brought this foundational action RPG experience to a portable format.
The Story Behind
Dragon Slayer was originally released on September 10, 1984 for the NEC PC-88 computer by Nihon Falcom. Designer Yoshio Kiya, a former car repairman who began programming as a hobby, was put in competition with another Falcom employee to create an RPG. Kiya's game won and became one of the earliest action RPGs, pioneering visible enemy encounters instead of random battles. The Game Boy port was developed by Epoch and published by Falcom in Japan in 1990.
Tricks & Tales
Yoshio Kiya opposed random encounters from the start, stating he 'always thought there was something weird about randomized battles, fighting enemies you can't see.' The original Dragon Slayer spawned a franchise of loosely connected games, including the later Legend of Heroes series. Kiya joined Falcom officially in June 1984, just months before Dragon Slayer's release.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The original Game Boy is fully region-free. A cartridge manufactured for Japan, North America, or Europe will run on any DMG unit from any region with no adapters, no modifications, and no lockout chip to defeat. The game's language is determined entirely by the software on the cartridge — the console hardware applies no restriction. The only notable caveat is that cross-region link-cable multiplayer may not function correctly in all titles. If you are buying Japanese-market Game Boy software to play on a non-Japanese DMG, or vice versa, hardware compatibility is simply not a concern.
Maintenance Tips
Vertical lines on the LCD are the Game Boy's signature aging defect. The cause is delamination of the ribbon cable that connects the LCD panel to the board. The standard repair is to apply heat along the ribbon cable near the LCD edge -- a soldering iron (at low temperature) run slowly along the ribbon cable reflows the connection and usually clears the lines. This repair has a documented success rate and requires no replacement parts. The speaker can be replaced with any 8-ohm 0.5W speaker of similar dimensions; audio quality often improves noticeably with a new unit. Clean battery terminals with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. The contrast dial uses a potentiometer that can be cleaned with contact cleaner if the image is unstable at certain positions. Use fresh alkaline AA batteries -- rechargeable NiMH cells run at lower voltage and may cause erratic behavior.
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 Dragon Slayer copies regularly.
The original Game Boy has no backlight. Can I still play it on a modern TV or with better lighting?
The original DMG Game Boy has a purely reflective LCD with no backlight -- it requires ambient light to be visible. In good lighting conditions (daylight or a bright lamp angled at the screen) the display is perfectly legible; in dim or dark environments it is effectively unplayable. A significant modification community exists: backlit LCD kits (IPS panel replacements) are widely available and transform playability, but require soldering and voiding the original hardware. If you prefer original hardware unmodified, factor in lighting conditions. The Game Boy Light (1998, Japan only) was the official backlit variant; it is rare and commands a premium.
Are there different versions of the original Game Boy? Which one should I look for?
The original Game Boy (DMG-01) was produced from 1989 to approximately 1997 in several board revisions. The primary variants visible externally are: the original grey brick, and the Play It Loud series (1995) in translucent and coloured shells. Internal board revisions (CPU-01 through CPU-09) introduced minor circuit changes; for collectors, later revisions are generally considered more stable. The Game Boy Pocket (1996) is a smaller, sharper redesign using AAA batteries. All standard Game Boy cartridges are compatible with all models in the Game Boy line up to and including the Game Boy Color.
How long do batteries last, and what type does it take?
The original Game Boy uses 4 AA (LR6) batteries. Nintendo's official specification was approximately 15 hours of playtime per set of alkaline batteries; real-world testing commonly reaches 20-30 hours with quality alkalines. Rechargeable NiMH batteries are slightly lower voltage (1.2V vs 1.5V per cell) and may cause the unit to behave erratically near the end of charge; they generally work but alkaline cells are preferred. A battery indicator light turns red at low charge -- when the light comes on, save if possible, as the unit will shut off within 1-2 hours.
Do Game Boy cartridge saves still work after 30+ years?
It depends on the game. Earlier Game Boy cartridges used battery-backed SRAM for saves -- the same CR2032 or BR2032 coin cell technology found in Famicom and Super Famicom cartridges. These cells have a rated life of 10-20 years and are almost certainly dead on any original-production cartridge. If your game shows no save data after a power cycle, the battery is the likely cause. Cartridge battery replacement is a standard repair. Later Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges used EEPROM or Flash storage, which requires no battery and retains data indefinitely.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Dragon Slayer
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy 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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Good news — Game Boy is region-free
Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any Game Boy worldwide.
Just confirm the hardware family — original GB, Color, or Advance — matches the cartridge.
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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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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
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Memories from around the world
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