Overview
From Dragon Quest to Mystery Dungeon. Chunsoft began as Enix’s development partner, programming the foundational Dragon Quest games. They then created the Mystery Dungeon series—accessible roguelikes that crossed over with Pokémon, Final Fantasy, and other franchises. Their visual novels, particularly the 999 series, found devoted audiences before the company merged with Spike in 2012.
Fast facts
- Founded: 1984.
- Founder: Koichi Nakamura.
- Merged: Spike Chunsoft (2012).
- Key series: Mystery Dungeon.
Dragon Quest development
| Title |
Year |
Role |
| Dragon Quest |
1986 |
Programming |
| Dragon Quest II |
1987 |
Programming |
| Dragon Quest III |
1988 |
Programming |
| Dragon Quest IV |
1990 |
Programming |
| Dragon Quest V |
1992 |
Programming |
Mystery Dungeon series
| Crossover |
Year |
| Torneko’s Adventure |
1993 |
| Shiren the Wanderer |
1995 |
| Pokémon Mystery Dungeon |
2005 |
| Final Fantasy Fables |
2007 |
Visual novels
| Title |
Series |
| 999 |
Zero Escape |
| Virtue’s Last Reward |
Zero Escape |
| Danganronpa |
Published |
Legacy
| Impact |
Note |
| Roguelike accessibility |
Genre popularisation |
| Visual novel craft |
Narrative innovation |
| Spike merger |
Continued development |
See also