Thinking back to previous posts of mine in this thread, I really should have linked a better example of Koichi Sugiyama's work. Here's a video of him conducting a piece from Dragon Quest IV.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V_6bSLNnHE
Honestly surprised you say you've never heard of him. He's the one who inspired many of the best VGM composers, including Nobuo Uematsu.
And about the Dragon Quest series: If you're interested in trying it, I suggest starting with a later game in the series, VIII (PS2) would be best. It's not that the older games are really
bad, per se, but since the Dragon Quest series pretty much
invented the JRPG, and most of the advancements in the genre, the fact it's done so much first
shows.
The remakes are pretty good, for Dragon Quest I and II I would tell you to either hunt down the GBC compilation pak (with reduced grind), or download a ROM and the English patch for the Japan-only Super Famicom I and II multicart. Looks and sounds better, (though nostalgia goggles sway me towards the classic NES versions) and I believe the Super Famicom versions have the grind tweaked as well. As for Dragon Quest III, you have the option of NES, GBC remake, or playing a patched ROM of the Super Famicom version which I highly recommend since much has been added (battle animations, and the fact that it was released midwayish through the console's time, and its graphics looking great). IV-VI have decent DS remakes, VII's on the PS1, VIII's on the PS2.
Wall of text.
Edited by Toxie, 19 May 2012 - 03:54 PM.