https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz_3trp9RlE&list=PL49207A67C68DE4EB

Dragon Warrior was one of the first (the first?) turn-based RPG to come to the NES. Despite its immense success - they are up to, what, 10? - I think the game was pretty terrible and difficult. Equally terrible was the soundtrack. The sounds were average for the time but even Final Fantasy had it much better.

The main problem stems from ridiculously short loops. The Overworld theme lasts 17 seconds and extremely annoying “flute” that gets too high a pitch. Plus the background theme is rather anti-epic compared to other such themes like the Legend of Zelda. The Battle Theme lasts 19 seconds and the main track repeats pretty much the same arrangements for 80 percent of that (it also gets high –pitch, albeit not as annoyingly as the overworld theme). Castle Theme lasts 15 seconds and feels quite incomplete; the beginning was actually promising, as it sounded as regal as it could in 1986.

Equally repetitive (but with a touch of originality) is the cave theme. The loop lasts 13 seconds, but as you go deeper and deeper underground the track becomes slower and darker. So when you reach the eighth and last floor of the Dragon Lord Castle, it sounds pretty creepy.

Furthermore, the soundtrack wasn’t totally bad. Throne Room (inside Tantegel village) is a more complete version of the Castle Theme minus the high-volume arrangements. It sounds peaceful, but the Village Theme was done better. It sounds very welcoming, as is expected for such theme. Even the 8-bit track is integrated well for a 24-second loop. Finally, there is (unlike FF I) a final boss theme, Dragon Lord Theme. It may only last 26 seconds but it was still done pretty well. The main track is slow and dark and gets even darker in the second part of the loop by becoming a little louder.  The background arrangements give the track the right tempo and ambiance.

In short, unless you played the original game I don’t think you will like the soundtrack. It is (almost) the book definition of “bleeps and boops” and isn’t very enjoyable. The loops are too short and / or are highly repetitive; the succeeding games were done much better.