The Tower of Druaga

In 1984, Namco developed The Tower of Druaga, an action role-playing arcade game with a maze as its primary setting. The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Tower of Babel, and other stories from Sumerian and Babylonian mythology inspired the first installment of the Babylonian Castle Saga video game series. The game was a massive hit in Japan, drawing in millions of players thanks to its unique combination of elements from role-playing games and action games. This game was crucial in developing the role-playing action genre and was the impetus for Nihon Falcom’s Dragon Slayer. Both The Tower of Druaga and Dragon Slayer is responsible for starting the pattern of merging action-style arcade mechanics with role-playing game (RPG) mechanics. This trend inspired action role-playing games such as Hydlide and Ys, and The Legend of Zelda.