Dragon Warrior III
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dragon Warrior III | |
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| Developer(s) | Chunsoft |
| Publisher(s) | Enix |
| Designer(s) | Yuuji Horii (scenario and game design) Akira Toriyama (character and monster design) Koichi Sugiyama (music composer) |
| Series | Dragon Quest |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo Entertainment System / Famicom, Super Famicom, Game Boy Color |
| Release date | Nintendo Entertainment System JP February 10, 1988 NA June 12, 1991 Super Famicom JP December 6, 1996 Game Boy Color JP December 8, 2000 NA July 7, 2001 |
| Genre(s) | Console role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) (GBC) |
| Media | 2-megabit FC cartridge 4-megabit NES cartridge 32-megabit SFC cartridge 32-megabit GBC cartridge |
Dragon Warrior III, known in Japan as Dragon Quest III Soshite Densetsu e… (ドラゴンクエストIII そして伝説へ… Doragon Kuesuto Surī Soshite Densetsu e…?, lit. "Dragon Quest III: And into the Legend…"), is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix (now Square Enix). It is the third installment in the Dragon Quest series (then known as Dragon Warrior in North America), first released for the Famicom in Japan, and then the NES in North America. The game later was ported as an enhanced remake on the Super Famicom in late 1996 and then on the Game Boy Color.[1] This is the final game in the Loto trilogy. This game was never released in Europe.
Dragon Warrior III introduces a Class system, which is later seen in Dragon Quest VI and Dragon Warrior VII, which allows the player to customize his or her party. This game remains close to the previous games in the series, keeping battles turn-based and in first-person.
The story follows the traditional Dragon Quest "Hero", who is on an adventure to save the world from evil. Putting together a party of assorted classes, the Hero must travel the world, stopping at various towns and other locations, eventually making his or her way to the Demon Lord Baramos' lair.
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[edit] Gameplay
Dragon Warrior III is noted for greatly expanding upon the original Dragon Warrior and Dragon Warrior II. The game uses basic console role-playing game conventions, such as leveling up by gaining experience points and equipping items.[2] Battle is turn-based, like the other games in the series.
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 (Warrior), Fighter, Pilgrim (Cleric in the Game Boy Color version), Wizard (Mage), Merchant (Dealer), Goof-Off (Jester), and Sage (not initially selectable). 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 Dhama.[3]
Another innovation is an arena where the player can place bets on the outcome of monster battles.[4] 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] Classes
In the game, the player starts out as a single hero, male or female. When the quest begins, the player can eventually build up a team of diversified heroes through the local tavern in Aliahan. This team can be made up of Wizards, Pilgrims, Thieves, Goof-offs, Fighters, Soldiers, and Merchants in either male or female form. After selecting a character in the remake, the player can change the person's starting abilities with five magical seeds, given by the tavern listrar of heroes.
Hero: The Hero is the most well-balanced of the characters and is restricted to the main character.[3] 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, including Ironize, which makes the party completely invulnerable for a short time, HealUsAll, which completely restores the group's HP, and the lightning spells Zap and Thordian. The Hero can use a variety of outside abilities as well, such as Recall (which allows the player to record conversations) and Return (which allows the player to travel to cities already visited).
Wizard: (Mage in the Game Boy Color version)[3] Wizards specialize in destructive magical spells such as Blaze and Boom. Wizards also have the abilities to use spells in the outside world. Such spells as Outside and X-Ray will help the player advance in caves and while adventuring. The Wizard is given excessively strong magical abilities when leveled fully, including BeDragon and Explodet. The Wizard also has the Chance spell introduced in Dragon Warrior II, which has a large menu of possible random effects: some very good, some very bad. Though Wizards have high Intelligence, they are physically frail and cannot equip heavy weapons such as swords, axes, spears, or heavy armor.
Pilgrim: (Cleric in the Game Boy Color version)[3] Pilgrims are on the other side of the magical spectrum from Wizards, as they specialize in healing and fortifying spells rather than attack magic. Introductory spells such as Heal and SpeedUp are useful in the early stages of the game, but as the player advances, the spells become more versatile. Like Wizards, Pilgrims cannot equip heavy armor, but they can use weapons much like a Hero or a Soldier can. Pilgrims do have initially more strength, agility and vitality than Wizards.
Thief: The Thief was a new class added to the Game Boy Color version of Dragon Warrior III. Thieves have high speed and agility but average attack power and defense. They have the ability to steal items at the end of a fight. In addition, they are decent combatants that can use whips and chains to attack multiple enemies at once. In the outside world abilities such as Eagle Eye allow the player to locate villages and nearby towns.
Goof-off: (Jester in the Game Boy Color version)[3] Goof-offs, although pretty much useless on the battle field, have a great amount of luck. This allows them to deal critical amounts of damage more often than other characters. The trade-off for this is the fact that Goof-offs have minds of their own, and the player cannot always control their actions. Goof-offs are the wild cards of the game, as they sometimes do damage to themselves instead of attacking enemy characters. Goof-off is the only class that can turn into a Sage at Dhama Temple without a Book of Satori.
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 or other bladed weapon, a Fighter's abilities will actually decrease, as his or her attack power will lower considerably. This is because Fighters prefer to attack with their bare hands, and so only claw type weapons will make their attack power rise.
Soldier: (Warrior in the Game Boy Color version)[3] This class, which focuses on strength and defense, allows you to recruit basically another hero, but without the inherited magical abilities. Their physical abilities are higher than other classes, but they suffer from relatively low agility.
Merchant: (Dealer in the Game Boy Color version)[3] Merchants have two unique outside abilities: Excavate (which allows the player to dig underfoot for treasure) and YellHelp, which summons a shopkeeper in the field. They also have the ability to pick up money from after a battle and can appraise items free of charge.
Sage: The magical abilities of a Sage are comprised of the skills belonging to both Pilgrims and Wizards. This class is not initially available, but a player can transform a leveled up Goof-off into one at the Dharma Temple. If the player has a rare item called the Book of Satori (or the Zen Book in the remakes), any character holding it can also become a Sage.[3]
[edit] Story
[edit] Characters
The game starts with just the Hero, who then may recruit a party of three at the local tavern. Unlike most Dragon Quest parties, aside from the Hero, the party is not made up of characters involved in the story. Although only four people can be in the party at a time, members of the party can be kept at the tavern, allowing room for new recruits.[5]
[edit] Plot
Dragon Warrior III is set many years before the original Dragon Warrior in a world separate from the first two games.[6] A wicked fiend, Baramos, threatens to destroy the world.[7] The Hero, son or daughter (the player can choose to be either male or female; the only gameplay effects of gender on a character is that a few items, like the feathered cap, can only be used by female characters and some dialogue changes with the gender) of the legendary and recently deceased Ortega,[8] 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 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, the Hero receives Black Pepper, which he/she then trades for a sailing ship at Portoga.[9] 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 and his party to Baramos's 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 most of the artifacts that need to be collected in the original Dragon Warrior, including the Sun Stone and the Rain Staff.[9] These items, as in the original game, create the Rainbow Bridge, which leads the Hero to Zoma's castle for the final confrontation.
[edit] Setting
The game starts in the castle town of Aliahan. Like the rest of the Dragon Quest world, this castle is set in a medieval time period, complete with knights and magicians. Unlike games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest III's' world has no modern technology, using horses for travel and torches for light.
The party explores several caves, ruins, and castles during the adventure. The geography of Dragon Warrior III largely corresponds to the actual geography of the world, with the exception of Aliahan as a continent located in the South Pacific Ocean. In addition, many towns correspond to their real-world cultures, including "Roma" for Rome, "Assaram" near present-day Iraq (perhaps derived from "Assyria"), "Jipang" for Japan and even a "New Town" in eastern North America that experiences a revolution against an overbearing ruler.
The quest takes the characters from Aliahan to an Egyptian themed area, complete with a pyramid, to the northern tip of the world, where the land is frozen and snow covered. Once the party gains a boat, they can travel to far away islands not on the starting continent, and once they can ride Ramia, they can travel over tall mountains, opening up even more territory.
[edit] Development
[edit] Production
As with the other main games in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Warrior III's scenario was designed by Yuuji Horii,[10] whereas the artwork was done by Akira Toriyama, of Dragon Ball fame.[11] Koichi Sugiyama composed all the music for Dragon Warrior III.[12]
[edit] Remakes
The Super Famicom version, released in late 1996, the last days of the SNES in North America, was never brought to North America, due to Enix America Corporation's closure in 1993. By the time Enix of America returned, the SNES left the North American market. However, the next remake, for the Game Boy Color, was released in both.[1] The Game Boy Color version is based on the Super Famicom version. Thus the walkthroughs written for the Game Boy Color version may also be used for the Super Famicom version. For the North American release of the Dragon Warrior III Game Boy Color remake, Enix decided to give the packaging an anime feel, due to fan demand on Enix's message boards.[13] Both remake versions of Dragon Quest III offer many new features and changes. No version of Dragon Quest III was released in Europe. As of now, Square Enix has no plans for a future version of the game.
Many of the names of the classes were changed in the English localization of the Game Boy Color version, such as Soldier to Warrior, and a new class, the Thief, was added to the roster. Also, in the new versions was the ability to change into the Jester class at Dhama, which was not allowed in the original.
New mini-games were added to the remakes, including Pachisi (called Suguroku in Japan), which is a giant board game style adventure from which the player can win items.[4] This game is based on Horii's series Itadaki Street.[14] The Tiny Medal system, which lets players collect hidden medals, seen in later Dragon Quest games, was added.[4] This system was also included in the remakes of the previous Dragon Quest games as well. Another medal system, Monster Medals, lets players collect medals from fallen enemies, was also added. In the Game Boy Color version, two players could trade Monster Medals via a Game Link Cable.[15] Two bonus dungeons become available after the main quest is over.
The remakes feature updated graphics.[14] An overhauled introduction for the game was made, similar to the one in the original Dragon Warrior III, which included Ortega's battle with a dragon. Monster and attack animation in battles were added,[6] a feature first introduced in Dragon Quest VI.[16]
The personality system was put into the remakes of the third Dragon Quest. A pre-game sequence in which the player answers to moral dilemmas similar to that in Ultima IV determines the Hero's personality. For the other members of the party, the personality is determined by the seeds that the player gives them upon creation. Personalities determine which stats increase when a character levels up.[17]
[edit] Reception
Dragon Quest III sold over 3.8 million copies in Japan.[18] It 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. In truth, Enix themselves also decided to hold off the release of future Dragon Quest games until weekends.[19] 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，[20] and the best game on Famicom.[21] In Japan, the Super Famicom remake only sold 1.4 million, much less than the original.[22] The Gameboy Color version sold less than the Super Famicom version in Japan and North America combined. However, together, with the sales of the remakes, Dragon Quest III is the most successful title in the series and one of the best selling role-playing games in Japan.[23]
[edit] North American release
| Reviews | |
|---|---|
| Publication | Score |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 7 of 10 |
| GamePro | 4 of 5 |
| GameSpot | 7.6 of 10[24] |
| IGN | 10 of 10[25] |
| Nintendo Power | 4 of 5 |
| Compilations of multiple reviews | |
| Compiler | Score |
| Game Rankings | 87%[26] |
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, although the Game Boy Color remake received very good reviews from critics. GameSpot gave the Game Boy Color version a "good" 7.6/10, saying that "DWIII is a worthy port of its old NES ancestor, but its firm grounding in the RPG old-school means that only the hard-core need apply."[6] Nintendo Power gave the remake a respectable 4/5, while IGN gave the game a perfect 10/10.[27]
[edit] Soundtracks
As with every Dragon Quest, Koichi Sugiyama composed the music and directed all the associated spinoffs. Dragon Warrior III's music is featured on Dragon Quest Game Music Super Collection Vol. 1, Dragon Quest Game Music Super Collection Vol. 2, and Dragon Quest Game Music Super Collection Vol. 3, each album a compilation of music from the first six Dragon Quest games.[28][29][30] This games music has also been featured on other Dragon Quest compilation albums, such as Dragon Quest on Piano Vol. II, which was released in 1990,[31] and Dragon Quest Best Songs Selection ~Loula~, released in 1993.[32]
A compilation of Dragon Warrior III's music was put on Dragon Quest III ~And Into the Legend...~ Remix Symphonic Suite. The album was published by Sony Records in 1996.[33] 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
- ^ a b Dragon Quest III data (2002). Retrieved on August 15, 2007.
- ^ (2001) in Enix: Dragon Warrior III (GBC) North American instruction manual (in English). Enix, 5.
- ^ a b c d e f g h (2001) in Prima Games: Dragon Warrior III Official Strategy Guide. Prima Publishing, 8-13. ISBN 0-7615-3638-8.
- ^ a b c (2001) in Prima Games: Dragon Warrior III Official Strategy Guide. Prima Publishing, 90-95. ISBN 0-7615-3638-8.
- ^ (2001) in Enix: Dragon Warrior III (GBC) North American instruction manual (in English). Enix, 14-15.
- ^ a b c Brad Shoemaker (2001). Dragon Warrior III preview. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
- ^ King of Alianhan: Thy enemy shall be the Archfiend Baramos. Enix. Dragon Warrior III. Enix. NES. (in English). (2007-08-27)
- ^ King of Alianhan: It is said thy father Ortega met when he fell into a volcano's crater at the end of a battle. Enix. Dragon Warrior III. Enix. NES. (in English). (2007-08-27)
- ^ a b (2001) in Prima Games: Dragon Warrior III Official Strategy Guide. Prima Publishing, 18-22. ISBN 0-7615-3638-8.
- ^ Dragon Warrior III at IMBD (2007). Retrieved on August 24, 2007.
- ^ Akira Toriyama at IMDB (2007). Retrieved on August 24, 2007.
- ^ Koichi Sugiyama at IMDB (2007). Retrieved on August 26, 2007.
- ^ Interview with Enix (2001). Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ a b Craig Harris (2001). IGN Dragon Warrior III Preview. Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
- ^ (2001) in Enix: Dragon Warrior III (GBC) North American instruction manual (in English). Enix, 35.
- ^ (1995) in Nintendo Power: Volume 81. Nintendo of America, pages 64-67. Retrieved 2007-4-6
- ^ (2001) in Enix: Dragon Warrior III (GBC) North American instruction manual (in English). Enix, 10-15.
- ^ Dragon Quest History (2002). Retrieved on August 15, 2007.
- ^ Student Arrested In Dragon Quest Death Threat. Retrieved on August 15, 2007.
- ^ Collin Campbell (2006). Japan Votes On All Time Top 100. Retrieved on August 15, 2007.
- ^ John Szczepaniak. Form is Superior to Mass: Famicom History. NTSC-uk. Retrieved on 18 December 2007.
- ^ Japan Platinum Game Chart (2007). Retrieved on August 27, 2007.
- ^ RPGFan News (2000). Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ Dragon Warrior III for Game Boy Color Review - Game Boy Color Dragon Warrior III Review. Gamespot.com (2001-08-01). Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ IGN: Dragon Warrior III Review. IGN.com (2001-07-20). Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
- ^ Dragon Warrior III Reviews. Game Rankings. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ Dragon Warrior III Reviews (2004). Retrieved on August 28, 2007.
- ^ Damian Thomas (2006). Dragon Quest Game Music Vol. 1. Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ Damian Thomas (2006). Dragon Quest Game Music Vol. 2. Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ Damian Thomas (2006). Dragon Quest Game Music Vol. 3. Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ Patrick Gann (2006). Dragon Quest on Piano Vol. III. Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ Patrick Gann (2006). Dragon Quest Best Songs. Retrieved on August 30, 2007.
- ^ Damian Thomas (2006). Dragon Quest III soundtrack. Retrieved on August 21, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Official Dragon Warrior III GBC Website
- Dragon Warrior III at MobyGames
- Dragon Warrior III at GameFAQs
- Dragon Warrior III at GameFAQs (GBC)
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