Dragon Warrior III
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| Dragon Warrior III | |
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| Developer(s) | Chunsoft |
| Publisher(s) | Enix |
| Release date(s) | JPN January 10, 1988 NA 1991 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) (GBC) |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy Color, |
| Media | 4-megabit NES cartridge 16-megabit SFC cartridge 32-megabit GBC cartridge |
Dragon Warrior III (ドラゴンクエストIII そして伝説へ… Doragon Kuesuto Surī Soshite Densetsu e…?, literally "Dragon Quest III: And Into the Legend…"), also known as Dragon Quest III, is the third installment in the Dragon Quest series, first released for the Famicom in Japan, or NES in North America. The game later was ported as an enhanced remake on the Super Famicom and Game Boy Color.
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[edit] Gameplay
Dragon Warrior III is noted for greatly expanding upon the original Dragon Warrior and Dragon Warrior II. Dragon Warrior III adds a class system, in which each character has a certain class. While the hero always keeps the Hero class, the other characters can choose among the following: Soldier, Fighter, Pilgrim (Cleric in the Game Boy Color version), Wizard (Mage), Merchant (Dealer), Goof-Off (Jester), and Sage. The choice of class greatly affects the character's stats and spells he or she can learn. Furthermore, upon reaching level 20, a character may change classes at the temple of Dharma. Another innovation is an arena where the player can place bets on the outcome of monster battles. Dragon Warrior III features a much larger world than its predecessors, as well as a much larger array of items, equipment, magic, and enemies.
[edit] Plot and setting
[edit] Plot
Dragon Warrior III is set many years before the original Dragon Warrior in a world bearing great geographical similarity to the real world.
A wicked fiend, Baramos, threatens to destroy the world. The hero, son or daughter (you can choose to be either male or female; the only gameplay effect of gender on a character is that a few items, like the feathered cap, can only be used by female characters) of the legendary Ortega, recruits up to three travelling companions and sets out to defeat Baramos, only to find later that Baramos is merely a disciple of Zoma, the fiend who rules the Dark World below. The hero then travels to the Dark World, which is known as Alefgard in subsequent installments of the series, and restores light. For his bravery, the hero receives the title of Erdrick (or in later versions, Loto).
The flow of the game is as follows. The hero travels from his/her home country of Aliahan to explore the world and acquire two of the three keys needed to open doors throughout the game. After saving two people of the town of Baharata from the rogue Kandar, he/she receives Black Pepper, which he/she trades for a sailing ship at Portoga. With the ship, the hero acquires the Final Key and the six mystical orbs which are used to revive the legendary bird Ramia (in later versions, Lamia). Ramia takes the hero to Baramos' castle. After a ferocious battle, the hero's celebration is cut off as Zoma attacks and opens the pit to the dark world. In the dark world, the hero acquires the Sun Stone and the Rain Staff. These items create the Rainbow Bridge, which leads the hero to Zoma's castle for the final confrontation.
[edit] Characters
Dragon Warrior III (GBC Version)
In the game, you start out as a single hero; male or female. When you begin your quest you can eventually build up a team of diversified heroes through the local tavern in Aliahan. You have the choices of Mage, Cleric, Thief, Jester, Fighter, Warrior, and Dealer in either their male or female forms. You can (when selected) change their starting abilities with 5 magical seeds, given to you by the tavern listrar of heroes.
Hero: The Hero is the most well balanced of the characters. Speed, strength, intelligence, luck and vitality are very fitting to this character. He or she can be equipped with either heavy or light armor, and can use a variety of weapons. The Hero also is given such magical abilities as blaze and heal for defensive and offensive purposes. Some of the most powerful healing, defensive, and offensive spells in the game are exclusive to the hero class. The Hero can use a variety of outside abilities as well, such as Recall (which allows you to remember conversations) and Return (which allows you to travel to cities you have visited).
Mages: Mages specialize in destructive magical spells such as Blaze and Boom. Though mages are strong, they cannot equip heavy weapons such as swords, axes, or spears. Mages also have the abilities to use spells in the outside world. Such spells as Outside and X-Ray will help you advance in caves and adventuring. The mage is given excessively strong magical abilities when leveled fully, such as BeDragon and Explodet. The mage also has the spell Chance, which has a large menu of possible random effects, some very good, some very bad.
Clerics: Cleric are on the other side of the magical spectrum, as they specialize in healing and fortifying spells. Such spells as heal and speed up are low level spells; but, as you advance, the spells become more useful. Like mages, clerics cannot equip heavy armor, but they can use weapons much like a hero or a warrior can. Clerics do have initially more strength, agility and vitality than mages.
Thief: The Thief was a new class added to the GBC version of Dragon Warrior III. Thieves have high speed and agility and have decent attack power but limited defense. They have the ability to steal at the end of a fight, and can retrieve from a ton of gold to a single herb. Though they are decent combatants, in the outside world abilities such as eagle eye allow you to locate villages and nearby towns - which make them a definite choice for an adventurer.
Jester: Jesters, although pretty much useless on the battle field, have a great amount of luck. This can allow them to deal devastating amounts of damage (when they feel like it). This class is the wild card of classes - they can be rewarding in the end, but can also become an early burden to the starting adventurer.
Fighter: Fighters have a great amount of speed, agility, and strength. They can deal devastating amounts of damage from a single strike, and can be equipped with a variety of weapons. However, if equipped with a sword, the fighter's abilities come into question. His or her attack power will lower considerably - but with a claw type weapon, their attack will rise. Though strong and agile, they lack in defense, which makes them an easy target for a lumbering attacker.
Warrior: This class allows you to recruit basically another hero, but without the inherited magical abilities. Their vitality and strength are up to par with any other class, but agility is their major downfall. Although heavily equipped, against a quick opponent these well-armed warriors become targets.
Dealers: They have many outside abilities, such as Excavate (which allows you to dig underfoot for treasure) and YellHelp. They also have the ability to pick up money from after a battle. Dealers are an ideal starting character, but have the tendency to level up too fast - which leaves other characters in your party behind.
Sages: The magical abilities are comprised of the skills belonging to both Clerics and Mages. You cannot acquire this class initially, but you can transform a levelled up jester into one at the Dharma Temple. If you have an item called the Book of Satori (or the Zen Book in the DWIII remakes) any character holding it can also become a sage. (Note: There are two Zen Books throughout GBC DWIII.)
[edit] Setting
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[edit] Development
[edit] Differences between versions
Both remake versions of Dragon Quest III offers many new features, including:
- A mini game called Pachisi (called Suguroku in Japan) from which the player can win items.
- Monster and attack animation in battles (a feature first introduced in Dragon Quest VI).
- A new Thief class.
- Merchant class is replaced by the dealer class.
- It is possible to change class to jester in the Game Boy remake. (This is impossible in the NES original.)
- Two challenging bonus dungeons.
- A monster medal collection and new items.
- The small medal system seen in later Dragon Quest games (which was included in the remakes of previous Dragon Quest games, as well).
- Individual personality types for the members of your party which determine which stats increase when they level up.
- A pre-game sequence in which your Hero's personality is determined based on your answers to moral dilemmas similar to that in Ultima IV.
- An overhauled introduction for the game (including Ortega's battle with the dragon, though the outcome is the same).
The Game Boy color version is based on the Super Famicom version, which is currently being fan translated.
[edit] Reception
Dragon Quest III is often mistakenly known as being the game that caused in 1988 the Japanese government to outlaw further releases of Dragon Quest games on school days, a law still in effect today. This however is untrue. Enix themselves held off the release of future Dragon Quest games until weekends. The Japanese Government had nothing to do with the decision, contrary to a popular gaming urban myth. A survey conducted by the magazine Famitsu in early 2006 among its readers placed Dragon Quest III as the third best game of all time, being preceded by only Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy VII.
As is the case with other North American releases of the series, Dragon Warrior III did not come close to meeting the success of its Japanese counterpart. The NES version of Dragon Warrior III sold fewer copies than both Dragon Warrior and Dragon Warrior II, though it sold more copies than Dragon Warrior IV. The GBC version did not sell well in North America either, and it sold fewer copies than the NES version in both regions.[citation needed]
[edit] Soundtrack
As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. Here is the tracklisting of the Symphonic Suite:
- Roto (1:41)
- Prologue (3:58)
- Rondo (2:59)
- Around the World (Around the World ~ Town ~ Jipang ~ Pyramid ~ Village) (6:48)
- Adventure (3:09)
- Dungeon ~ Tower ~ The Phantom Ship (5:34)
- Distant Memories (2:52)
- Requiem ~ Small Shrine (3:11)
- Sailing (2:53)
- Heavenly Flight (2:44)
- Grueling Fight (4:05)
- Zoma's Castle (3:30)
- Fighting Spirits (Battle Theme ~ In Alefgard ~ Hero's Challenge) (5:41)
- Into the Legend (3:01)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Dragon Warrior III GBC Website
- A Dragon Warrior III shrine at RPGClassics
- Dragon Warrior III at MobyGames
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Dragon Quest and Dragon Warrior video games
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