Famitsu Survey Ranks Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest
This is specialist news, not a buying guide: Famitsu has marked its 40th anniversary with a reader survey of more than 5,000 players, and the official results put Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest at the top of the most influential series list. For retro readers, the practical value is simple, it shows which Japanese series still carry the strongest legacy with the magazine’s audience, and which names matter most in the long tail of console history.
The survey was published by Famitsu, so this version uses the primary source rather than a secondary report. If you follow Japanese game history, that matters, because the results are a snapshot of reader memory, not a general market ranking, and they sit alongside other categories such as favourite developer, creator, character, boot sound and the games people would most like to replay.
Most influential series, according to Famitsu readers: Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest led the list. The survey also showed that influence and personal favourites are not the same thing, with Super Mario and Pokémon remaining major entry points for many players even when they were not the top names for formative impact.
Other notable results: Nintendo was voted favourite developer, while Masahiro Sakurai was named favourite creator. Final Fantasy XIV topped the list for the game players spend the most time with, which is a useful reminder that the series’ modern online side still has a large active community. In the character rankings, Mario beat Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart, and a Slime from Dragon Quest placed above Kiryu from Yakuza.
Retro and platform context: the original PlayStation startup sound was voted the favourite console boot sound, ahead of the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Sega Saturn and Game Boy. Famitsu also asked which games people would most like to replay if they lost their memory, and which series they would most want new entries for, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild top for replay value and Dragon Quest first for new entries.
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