For a huge number of American kids, Dragon Warrior (1989 here; Dragon Quest in Japan) was the first RPG they ever played — because Nintendo literally gave it away free to Nintendo Power subscribers to seed the genre in the West.

It's slow by modern standards: one hero, one enemy at a time, lots of grinding levels in the fields outside Tantegel Castle. But it taught a generation the loop — fight, gain levels, buy better gear, push a little farther — and the joy of finally being strong enough to face the Dragonlord.

It walked so Final Fantasy could run. A foundational cartridge, and a clever giveaway that paid off for decades.