Dragon Warrior 3
Reviewed by Garrett Martinez
A year ago, when we got Dragon Warrior 1 & 2, we were happy about
ourselves, liking the fact that we could enjoy the first two games
in the Dragon Warrior/Quest series, and we thought it couldn't get any
better. We thought we got our meal.
Fortunately, that was not the case. Dragon Warrior 1 & 2 was not a meal.
It was merely an appetizer. Now is the time for the main course: Dragon
Warrior 3. But this is based upon the SNES remake of the game, not the
NES version released here.
Dragon Warrior 3, like the rest of the Dragon Quest/Warrior series, is a
game well-received in the Japanese homeland, selling 5.5 million copies
(NES, SNES, and GBC sales combined), but spurned in the states for being
a game before the SNES era of intricate storyline, or the PSX era of FMVs.
But is the GBC reincarnation worth playing? It sure is.
Graphics: 9.8 out of 10
While it can't compare with graphics at the level of GBA games, Enix still
managed to pull off some of the best graphics compatible to a GBC there
are. In a new opening sequence, you start in a forest and walk to a cliff,
with an excellent waterfall view. Monsters (done by Akira Toriyama of
DBZ fame) are animated in many ways. Castles, towns, and dungeons are
given in brilliant detail. Spells are animated in battle. Probably the only
deduction from a perfect score here would be the lack of battle backgrounds.
Music and Sound: 9.6 out of 10
A true conversion from the SNES version, the music composition of
Koichi Sugiyama brings the rather mediocre GBC speakers to their
full potential. The music is what you would expect from the NES version,
and then some. For one, there are variations of music in towns and castles
between day and night. And there are more soundtracks (ones from the
SNES version but not from the NES version) for new areas in the game.
Sound is also at this same level of quality. Expect new sound than what
you heard in the NES version. Trust me on this one.
Game Challenge: 10 out of 10
The game challenge was perfectly balanced to suit pretty much any
player out there, as you can create your own characters, and one can
level up to their level of challenge. A more balanced party will generally
fare better than one consisting of merely warriors of spellcasters. Also,
players have their own tactics of taking down even the most powerful
enemies, and the enemies and their weaknesses (if small) blend perfectly
with such considerations.
And there are many challenges. Can you find all 110 TinyMedals? Get
165 types of gold monster medals? Beat the final boss alone? The
challenges both thrown at the player and the ones in the mind of even
the most creative gamer are virtually endless.
Game Play-Fun: 10 out of 10
This is probably one of the few RPGs that I play after the game is
generally said and done. But to tell all the new gaming features would
be not only tiring and pointless, but pretty much impossible. To start
off, there is a new class, the Thief, which can steal items and sniff out
hidden treasure in towns, castles, and dungeons. There are also new skills
you can use outside of battle, such as YellHelp, a dealer (Merchant) skill
that calls the last shop/inn/priest visited, and a memo system for the
hero. A new board game, called Pachisi, allows the player to use one of
the characters as a game piece, where you can win prizes, win or lose
gold, or even change your stats or personality.
Speaking of personality, each character has his or her own personality.
The hero gets a personality quiz at the beginning of the game, involving
a series of questions, which lead to a final question where, depending
upon the player's actions, determines the hero's personality, which should
roughly match your own. Other characters get a personality depending
upon their starting statistics (five seeds are given to create the character).
And if you don't like your personality, you can change it by reading various
books or equipping various accessories.
And with two bonus dungeons, monster medals (I'll leave you to find
out their meaning yourself), highly balanced combat, and about double
the items in the NES version, it will keep you entertained, hours on end.
Yuji Horii at his best, people.
Replayability: 10 out of 10
If you want a hint upon the high replayability score, you should probably
check the section marked "Game Challenge". There are so many game
challenges, your mind, body, and maybe even soul will be begging for more.
And more. And yes, even more.
Overall: 10 out of 10
This game is definitely going to be an old-school RPG gamer's feast. But
newbies are quite welcome. This is sure-fire proof that Square isn't the
only RPG honcho in town, and that even the GBC/GBA can sport excellent
RPGs. I'm more than waiting for the release of Dragon Warrior VII for the PSX.