Dragon Quest III

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Dragon Quest III: Soshite Densetsu e (Japanese: そして伝説へ…, lit. And Into the Legend...), originally released as Dragon Warrior III in North America, is the third installment of the popular Dragon Quest series, first released for the Famicom in Japan, or NES in the United States. The game later was ported as an enhanced remake on the Super Famicom and Game Boy Color.

Plot summary

Dragon Quest III is set many years before the original Dragon Quest in a world bearing great 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) 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 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 receives Black Pepper, which he 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 Lamia. Lamia 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 Stone of Sunlight and the Staff of Rain. These items create the Rainbow Bridge, which leads the hero to Zoma's castle for the final confrontation.

Dragon Quest III is noted for greatly expanding upon the original Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest II. Dragon Quest 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, Cleric, Mage, Dealer, 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 Quest III features a much larger world than its predecessors, as well as a much larger array of items, equipment, magic, and enemies. It was intended to have even more features, including a small medal system, but these additional features were cut to save space.

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 new Thief class, two challenging bonus dungeons, a monster medal collection, new items, the small medal system seen in later Dragon Quest games, 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, and many other small changes. The Game Boy color version is based on the Super Famicom version, which is currently being fan translated.

Character creation

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 Luisa's 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 or the tavern can change the person's starting abilities with five magical seeds, given by the tavern.

Hero (勇者, Yuusha): The Hero is the most well-balanced of the characters and is restricted to the main 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, 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 Thordain. 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 (魔法使い, Mahoutsukai): (Mage in the Game Boy Color version) 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 powerful 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 (僧侶, Souryo): (Cleric in the Game Boy Color version) 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 (盗賊, Touzoku): The Thief was a new class added to the remake versions. Thieves have high speed and agility but average attack power and defense power. 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 (遊び人, Asobinin): (Jester in the Game Boy Color version) 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 Dharma Temple without a Book of Satori.

Fighter (武闘家, Butouka): 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 (戦士, Senshi): (Warrior in the Game Boy Color version) 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 (商人, Shounin): (Dealer in the Game Boy Color version) 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 (賢者, Kenja): 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.

At the beginning of the game, a pregenerated soldier, cleric, and mage are placed in Luisa's tavern. Additional characters may also be created there. The hero can only be removed from the party if one of the savegames indicates that the game has been completed.

Class changing, at the Temple of Dharma, can be done whenever a party member (other than the hero) reaches 20th level. It will reset the PC's level to 1 and cut all stat values in half, but the PC will retain all spells he or she possessed before the change. Special abilities, such as a Fighter's open-hand attacks or a Thief's ability to snag items, are lost, but can make the Ultimate Magical Warrior or Fighter.

Popularity

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, nor did it sell as well as the original version did in the same region.

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:

1. Roto (1:41)
2. Prologue (3:58)
3. Rondo (2:59)
4. Around the World (Around the World ~ Town ~ Jipang ~ Pyramid ~ Village) (6:48)
5. Adventure (3:09)
6. Dungeon ~ Tower ~ The Phantom Ship (5:34)
7. Distant Memories (2:52)
8. Requiem ~ Small Shrine (3:11)
9. Sailing (2:53)
10. Heavenly Flight (2:44)
11. Grueling Fight (4:05)
12. Zoma's Castle (3:30)
13. Fighting Spirits (Battle Theme ~ In Alefgard ~ Hero's Challenge) (5:41)
14. Into the Legend (3:01)

New features

• It is now possible to change the party's marching order. Also, characters can be added or dropped at Luisa's Tavern.
• The spells are classified in the traditional fashion, for the first time.
• The RURA (Return spell) and the Wyvern wing now offer a selection of places to go, instead of automatically returning the party to the last save point.
• This game introduces several new statistics; speed, vitality, intelligence, and luck appear for the first time. Also, each statistic is now capped at 255. The amount of stat points gained with each level is now randomized, with a range depending on the character's class.
• The combat system is enhanced to use the new stats; in particular speed will affect the order in which PCs and monsters act.
• It is possible to attack allies; this is useful for curing status effects such as sleep or confusion.
• XP values are divided by the number of current party members, so a lone hero will gain experience faster than a full party of four.
• There is a day-night cycle for the first time. The underworld is always shrouded in night, however.
• Even the original Japanese version now has a battery save, instead of a password system. This means that more information can be saved from one game to the next; for example, a list of chests which have been opened, and the full stat list of the party.
• There is now an aerial vehicle in addition to the ship.
• Mimics appear for the first time. There is also an identify spell to detect mimics.
• Vaults appear for the first time, allowing gold to be preserved upon the party's demise, and storing unneeded items. The vault charges a commission to store items. The latter feature was removed in the remakes, since they added a bag.
• Certain towns feature Monster Arenas, where the PCs can bet gold on which monster will win a fight. Odds are chosen based on the monster species, and the bet amount is determined by the lead PC's level.

Version Differences

The North American edition (NES edition)

• There is now a more elaborate title picture, and the title BGM is changed to "Theme of Erdrick". The BGM for savegame selection is also changed; it is now the same as in Dragon Quest IV.
• The American edition introduced the prologue showing Ortega battling a monster on a volcano. This prologue is also included in the Japanese remakes.
• The cross and coffin graphics are changed as in all the old Dragon Warrior games.
• The credit roll BGM has been extended to match the new longer credits.
• XP and gold drops are increased 25%, so that PCs can level faster.

Super Famicom remake

The graphics and command system were upgraded using Dragon Quest VI as a base. However, its AI system was not copied.

• As in the first remake, it is now possible to search inside pots, barrels, bookshelves, and the like.
• As in Dragon Quest VI, it is now possible to climb into wells.
• The "spells" associated with Dragon Quest VI's conversation recall system have been added.
• The bag was added. So the Vault is now a Bank. One cannot directly use items in the sack yet, however.
• There is now a character at the Tower of Dharma who can change the names of the characters (or even of the Bag).
• It is now possible to specify quantities when buying items at the item shops.
• Combat screens now have backdrops and monster animations; monsters also have more sound effects.
• There is now a Personality system, which assigns one of 45 personalities to each PC when they level up. The protagonist's initial personality is determined by a "personality test" at the start of the game. Other PCs initial personalities are determined by the seeds used at their creation. Certain books and pieces of equipment can change a character's personality also.
• 5 Parchisi minigames were added to various locations.
• Stat increases depend on a character's gender.
• There is a new "Thief" class, as described in the classes section above.
• Merchants and Jesters can now gain MP when leveling; this is needed since they now gain some additional spells.
• As in Dragon Quest VI, the special actions of the Jester class may now have special effects, such as healing the party.
• Female heroes now have different graphics, and a few dialogs are changed for them.
• There are also new dialogs in the case that the hero is not in the party, if the game has been completed.
• Luisa's Tavern can now save the game; this will be done automatically if the composition of the party is changed.

Items and Monsters

• As usual, boss monsters have had their HP upgraded compared to the original game. Boss Trolls no longer appear as wandering monsters in the endgame; the only one is the one in Samanao.
• There is a bonus dungeon with 8 new types of monster, and a hidden boss.
• There are many new kinds of item. But it is no longer possible to obtain one item, although it still exists in the game data.
• Some weapon and armor shops have different items in stock. (EG, Samanao no longer sells Dragon Slayer swords.)
• The world map shows visited regions in color.
• Boomerangs and whips can now attack multiple enemies at once.
• Tiny medals can now be collected, and given to the Medal King in the well in Aliahan. The system from Dragon Quest VI is used: prizes are given according to the total number of medals collected.
• Monsters drop different items at the end of a battle.

Map changes

• The pyramid layout is slightly different.
• It is now possible to save the game in Portoga, by speaking to the minister of state next to the king.
• Portoga and Baharata now have weapon shops.
• A bonus dungeon has been added; it contains a castle which is a new Return spell target.

Sound

• The location BGM is now remixed depending on the time of day.
• There are new tunes (listed in the Music section above).

Gameboy Color remake

• It is now possible to collect Monster Medals; these are shared across savefiles, and can be transferred to other Gameboys.
• Battle screens no longer have illustrated backgrounds, although monsters and spell effects are still animated.
• It is now possible to create a temporary save anywhere, since the Gameboy might run out of batteries at any time.
• There is a second bonus dungeon, the Ice Caves. It contains boss monsters and mimics as wandering monsters, allowing the player to collect their monster medals. There is an additional hidden boss who will challenge the party to collect all the monster medals.

Bugs

Original edition

• By selecting Defend in the combat menu, the damage a PC takes in battle is cut in half-even if the player backs out and selects a different command. This bug is mentioned in the official guidebooks, but is fixed in the remakes.
• One can get a leaf of the World Tree by searching in a square near Rimuldar. This square has the same coordinates as the World Tree grove in the overworld.
• Under certain circumstances, Metal slime monsters will take 10 points of damage instead of 1 or 2.
• The level requirements for Wizards to learn MAHYADO and HYADAIN are switched.
• Some stats cycle if they are raised above 255. Fixed in the remake.

External links

• Official Dragon Warrior III GBC Website
• Unofficial arrangements (ReMixes) of Dragon Warrior III's soundtrack at OverClocked ReMix

Dragon Quest