Dragon Warrior III
Encyclopedia
Dragon Warrior III, known in Japan as , 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 (known as Dragon Warrior in North America at the time of its original release), 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
in 2001. This game was never released in Europe.
This is the final game in the Loto trilogy and is the first chronologically. 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's lair.
While the combat system remains close to the previous Dragon Quest games, keeping battles turn-based and in first-person
, Dragon Warrior III expanded on the open world
and nonlinear gameplay of its predecessors, and introduced innovations such as a persistent world
with its own day-night cycle, and an innovative class
-changing system, which is later seen in Dragon Quest VI, VII
, and IX. This class system allows the player to customize his or her party by changing character classes during the game, and keep a character's stats and skills learned from previous classes. Dragon Quest IIIs class-changing system shaped the gameplay of future RPGs, especially the Final Fantasy
series, while a similar class-changing system later also appeared in Wizardry VI and VII.
and Dragon Warrior II
. The game uses basic console role-playing game conventions, such as leveling up by gaining experience point
s and equipping items. Battle is turn-based
like the other games in the series.
Dragon Warrior III features 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 in the GBC
version), Fighter, Pilgrim (Cleric), Wizard (Mage), Merchant (Dealer), Goof-Off (Jester), Sage, and Thief which was available only in the later versions. The choice of class greatly affects the character's stats and spells he or she can learn. Furthermore, upon reaching experience Level 20, a character has the option of changing classes at the temple of Dhama, found halfway through the game. The game starts with just the Hero in the party, who then is able to 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 characters can be in the party at a time, extra members of the party can be kept at the tavern, allowing room for new recruits. Another innovation is an arena where the player can place bets on the outcome of monster battles.
The remakes incorporated some interface changes from later games in the series, such as simplified door opening; the bag, which replaced bank item storage; the item sorting "Tidy Item" and "Tidy Bag" commands; and the "Full HP" command, which can be used outside of combat to automate the process of casting healing and status restoring spells.
While the earlier Dragon Quest games were also non-linear, Dragon Quest III was the most substantial example of open-world
gameplay among the early Dragon Quest games. It also allowed the player to swap characters in and out of the party at will, and another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."
. At the start of the game, the player begins as a single hero, male or female. After the quest begins, the player can eventually build up a team of diversified party members through the local tavern in Aliahan. This team can be made up of Wizards, Pilgrims, Goof-offs, Fighters, Soldiers, Merchants, and Thieves (only in the remakes) in either male or female form. The Hero cannot change classes, but all other characters can change classes at Dharma once they have reached experience Level 20, and can change classes any number of times. A character who changes classes has their stats halved and restarts at experience Level 1, retaining their spells and, in the remakes, their personality. This allows a player to create a character that knows Wizard spells, but has the defense of a Soldier.
In the remakes, after selecting a character, the player can change the person's starting abilities with five magical seeds, given by the tavern listrar of heroes. Also new in the remakes, each character has a personality trait, which affects the rate of stat growth. The Hero's personality is determined by the player's choices and actions during a dream sequence at the start of the game, while other characters' personalities are determined by their stats at the end of the character generation process, most personalities are available to both male and female characters, while a few are exclusive to male or female characters. A character's personality can be temporarily changed by equipping certain accessories or permanently changed by using certain consumable books.
The Hero leaves his home country of Aliahan to travel the world and complete his father's quest to defeat Baramos. A major portion of the adventure is the quest to acquire the last 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 and stealing back the King of Romanly's crown, the Hero receives Black Pepper, which he then trades for a sailing ship at Portoga. Kandar later appears in the Dark World, in Tantegal's prison, telling the Hero where to find the Sunstones. 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 allows the Hero and his party to travel to Baramos's castle, which is surrounded by mountains.
After defeating Baramos in a ferocious battle and returning to Aliahan, the Hero's celebration is cut off as Zoma, Baramos's master, the true villain, reveals his existence, attacks and opens a pit to the Dark World. The Dark World is in fact Alefgard (of the previous installments of the series), where the Hero must acquire several of the artifacts that were collected in the original Dragon Warrior
, including the Sun Stone and the Rain Staff. Rubiss, a legendary sage has been turned to stone and is rescued by the Hero. In return, the Hero receives the Sacred Amulet. These items, as in the original game, create the Rainbow Bridge, which leads the Hero to Zoma's castle for the final confrontation. Along the way, the party must defeat the revived Baramos, turned into Baramos Bomus and Baramos Gonus (shortened to BaraBomus and BaraGonus respectively in the Gameboy Color remake). With the Ball of Light, given by the Dragon Queen, the Hero defeats Zoma. For his or her bravery, the Hero receives the title of Erdrick (or in later versions, Loto).
time period, complete with knight
s and magicians
. 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, and many towns correspond to their real-world cultures, including "Romaly" for Rome
, "Portoga" for Portugal
, "Assaram" near present-day Iraq
(derived from "as-salamu alaykum
"), "Jipang" for Japan
and even a "New Town" in eastern North America
that experiences a revolution against an overbearing ruler.
, whereas the artwork was done by Akira Toriyama
, of Dragon Ball fame.
Koichi Sugiyama
composed all the music for Dragon Warrior III.
version, released in late 1996, during 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 had left the North American market. In 2009, it was unofficially translated into English. However, the next remake, for the Game Boy Color
, was released in both Japan and the US. The Game Boy Color version is based on 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. Both remake versions of Dragon Quest III offer many new features and changes. No version of Dragon Quest III was released in Europe and Square-Enix has not yet made any announcement for future planned releases of any version of this game.
A new class, the Thief, was added to the roster in each of the remakes. Many of the names of the classes were changed in the English localization of the Game Boy Color version, such as Soldier to Warrior. 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 / Treasures and Trapdoors as of the Dragon Quest V Remake), which is a giant board game
style adventure from which the player can win items. This game is based on Horii's series Itadaki Street
. The Mini Medal system, which lets players collect hidden medals to gain new items, seen in later Dragon Quest games (it originated in Dragon Quest IV), was added. 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. Two bonus dungeons become available after the main quest is over.
The remakes feature updated graphics. An overhauled introduction for the game was made, similar to the one in the original Dragon Warrior III, which included Ortega's battle with the Dragon Queen. Monster and attack animation in battles were added, a feature first introduced in Dragon Quest VI.
A personality system was added to the remakes of Dragon Quest III. A pre-game sequence in which the player answers moral dilemmas similar to that in Ultima IV
determines the Hero's personality. The personality of the other members of the party is determined by the stat-raising seeds that the player gives them during the character generation process. Personalities determine which stats increase when a character levels up. The personalities may be changed by use of special items and books.
It was announced in May 2011 that Square-Enix will be releasing Dragon Quest III in Japan, as both the Famicom and Super Famicon ports as part of the September released of Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Commemoration Famicom & Super Famicom Dragon Quest I・II・III for the Wii. No official word has been released if this game will be released outside of Japan.
series and video game soundtracks.
series, , was written by Chiaki Kawamata
and Junji Koyanagi with artwork by Kamui Fujiwara
and was published in Monthly Shōnen Gangan
from 1991 through 1997. The series was later compiled into for 21 volumes published by Enix; in 1994 it was released on CD and was released on December 11, 2009 on the PlayStation Portable
as part of manga distribution library. In 1996 an anime
movie based on the manga was released on video cassette. A sequel series, , published by Square-Enix started in 2005 and is still ongoing; nine volumes have been released. The first four volumes were written by Jun Eishima and the last five volumes written by Takashi Umemura. All of them have been supervised by Yuji Horii with artwork done by Kamui Fujiwara.
Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō is meant to take place between Dragon Warrior III and Dragon Warrior
. After monsters possessed the Carmen's king for seven years, the kingdom fell to the hordes of evil. The only survivors were Prince Arus and an army General's daughter, Lunafrea. Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Loran, a child by the name of is born with the name Jagan per the orders of Demon Lord Imagine. As Loto's descendant, Arus, along with Lunafrea, set out to defeat the monsters and restore peace to the world.
Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō ~Monshō o Tsugumono-tachi e~ takes place 25 years after the events in Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō. The world is once again in chaos and a young boy, , sets out gathering companions to once again save the world from evil.
composed and the music for the game. Dragon Warrior IIIs 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. This game's music has also been featured on other Dragon Quest compilation albums, such as Dragon Quest on Piano Vol. II, which was released in 1990, and Dragon Quest Best Songs Selection ~Loula~, released in 1993.
A compilation of Dragon Warrior IIIs music was put on Dragon Quest III ~And Into the Legend…~ Remix Symphonic Suite which charted 16 times on Oricon's
list topping at number 2. The album was published by Sony Records in 1996.
to outlaw further releases of Dragon Quest games on school days. In truth, Enix themselves decided to hold off the release of future Dragon Quest games until weekends. A survey conducted by the magazine Famitsu
in early 2006 among its readers placed Dragon Quest III as the third most favorite game of all time, being preceded by only Final Fantasy X
and Final Fantasy VII
, and the best game on Famicom. In Japan, the Super Famicom remake sold 1.4 million units, with nearly 720,000 units sold in 1996 alone. The Game Boy Color version sold a lower 604,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2001. 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.
The North American release of Dragon Warrior III did not meet as much success. Considered an improvement over the first two games, Dragon Warrior III "kept the same ugly graphical style and clumsy interface", explained Kurt Kalata of Gamasutra. North American's poor sales are also partly due to the fact that the game was released after the release of 16-bit gaming systems, making it seem even more archaic to gamers. Critics found the new day/night system and the addition of an in-game bank praiseworthy.
As is the case with other early 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." Nintendo Power
gave the remake a respectable 4/5, while IGN
gave the game a perfect 10/10. Dragon Warrior III was 176 on Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.
Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō - To the Children Who Inherit the Emblem has sold well in Japan.
For the week of August 26 through September 1, 2008, volume 7 was ranked 9th in Japan having sold 59,540 copies. For the week of February 24 through March 2, 2009, volume 8 was ranked 19th in Japan having sold 76,801 copies. For the week of October 26 through November 1, 2009, volume 9 was ranked 16th in Japan having sold 40,492 copies for a total of 60,467.
Chunsoft
is a Japanese video game developer specializing in console RPGs and visual novels. It was founded by Koichi Nakamura, a video game designer from Enix...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
). It is the third installment in the Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series (known as Dragon Warrior in North America at the time of its original release), first released for the Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in Japan, and then the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
in North America. The game later was ported as an enhanced remake on the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
in late 1996 and then on the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
in 2001. This game was never released in Europe.
This is the final game in the Loto trilogy and is the first chronologically. 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's lair.
While the combat system remains close to the previous Dragon Quest games, keeping battles turn-based and in first-person
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
, Dragon Warrior III expanded on the open world
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
and nonlinear gameplay of its predecessors, and introduced innovations such as a persistent world
Persistent world
A persistent world is a virtual world that continues to exist even after a user exits the world and that user-made changes to its state are, to some extent, permanent...
with its own day-night cycle, and an innovative class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
-changing system, which is later seen in Dragon Quest VI, VII
Dragon Warrior VII
Dragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation in...
, and IX. This class system allows the player to customize his or her party by changing character classes during the game, and keep a character's stats and skills learned from previous classes. Dragon Quest IIIs class-changing system shaped the gameplay of future RPGs, especially the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series, while a similar class-changing system later also appeared in Wizardry VI and VII.
Gameplay
Dragon Warrior III is noted for greatly expanding upon the original Dragon WarriorDragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
and Dragon Warrior II
Dragon Warrior II
Dragon Warrior II, known as in Japan, is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix in 1987 for the MSX and Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Dragon Quest series .The game's story centers on the prince on Midenhall who is ordered to stop an evil...
. The game uses basic console role-playing game conventions, such as leveling up by gaining experience point
Experience point
An experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
s and equipping items. Battle is turn-based
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
like the other games in the series.
Dragon Warrior III features a class
Character class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
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 in the GBC
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
version), Fighter, Pilgrim (Cleric), Wizard (Mage), Merchant (Dealer), Goof-Off (Jester), Sage, and Thief which was available only in the later versions. The choice of class greatly affects the character's stats and spells he or she can learn. Furthermore, upon reaching experience Level 20, a character has the option of changing classes at the temple of Dhama, found halfway through the game. The game starts with just the Hero in the party, who then is able to 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 characters can be in the party at a time, extra members of the party can be kept at the tavern, allowing room for new recruits. Another innovation is an arena where the player can place bets on the outcome of monster battles.
The remakes incorporated some interface changes from later games in the series, such as simplified door opening; the bag, which replaced bank item storage; the item sorting "Tidy Item" and "Tidy Bag" commands; and the "Full HP" command, which can be used outside of combat to automate the process of casting healing and status restoring spells.
While the earlier Dragon Quest games were also non-linear, Dragon Quest III was the most substantial example of open-world
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
gameplay among the early Dragon Quest games. It also allowed the player to swap characters in and out of the party at will, and another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."
Classes
Dragon Warrior III features a class systemDragon Quest character classes
In installments of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, published by Square Enix, character classes are specific roles for playable characters that determine a character's proficiencies and weaknesses...
. At the start of the game, the player begins as a single hero, male or female. After the quest begins, the player can eventually build up a team of diversified party members through the local tavern in Aliahan. This team can be made up of Wizards, Pilgrims, Goof-offs, Fighters, Soldiers, Merchants, and Thieves (only in the remakes) in either male or female form. The Hero cannot change classes, but all other characters can change classes at Dharma once they have reached experience Level 20, and can change classes any number of times. A character who changes classes has their stats halved and restarts at experience Level 1, retaining their spells and, in the remakes, their personality. This allows a player to create a character that knows Wizard spells, but has the defense of a Soldier.
In the remakes, after selecting a character, the player can change the person's starting abilities with five magical seeds, given by the tavern listrar of heroes. Also new in the remakes, each character has a personality trait, which affects the rate of stat growth. The Hero's personality is determined by the player's choices and actions during a dream sequence at the start of the game, while other characters' personalities are determined by their stats at the end of the character generation process, most personalities are available to both male and female characters, while a few are exclusive to male or female characters. A character's personality can be temporarily changed by equipping certain accessories or permanently changed by using certain consumable books.
Plot
Dragon Warrior III is set many years before the original Dragon Warrior in a world separate from the first two games. A wicked fiend, Baramos, threatens to destroy the world. The story revolves around the Hero, son or daughter (the player can choose to be either male or female, with few gameplay changes) of the legendary and recently deceased Ortega. On his or her sixteenth birthday, the Hero (from here on referred to as "he" for the sake of convenience) is summoned to the castle and is given by the King of Aliahan the challenge to follow in his father's footsteps to try to rid the world of the evil archfiend Baramos. The Hero then is able to recruit up to three traveling companions to fight Baramos with.The Hero leaves his home country of Aliahan to travel the world and complete his father's quest to defeat Baramos. A major portion of the adventure is the quest to acquire the last 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 and stealing back the King of Romanly's crown, the Hero receives Black Pepper, which he then trades for a sailing ship at Portoga. Kandar later appears in the Dark World, in Tantegal's prison, telling the Hero where to find the Sunstones. 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 allows the Hero and his party to travel to Baramos's castle, which is surrounded by mountains.
After defeating Baramos in a ferocious battle and returning to Aliahan, the Hero's celebration is cut off as Zoma, Baramos's master, the true villain, reveals his existence, attacks and opens a pit to the Dark World. The Dark World is in fact Alefgard (of the previous installments of the series), where the Hero must acquire several of the artifacts that were collected in the original Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
, including the Sun Stone and the Rain Staff. Rubiss, a legendary sage has been turned to stone and is rescued by the Hero. In return, the Hero receives the Sacred Amulet. These items, as in the original game, create the Rainbow Bridge, which leads the Hero to Zoma's castle for the final confrontation. Along the way, the party must defeat the revived Baramos, turned into Baramos Bomus and Baramos Gonus (shortened to BaraBomus and BaraGonus respectively in the Gameboy Color remake). With the Ball of Light, given by the Dragon Queen, the Hero defeats Zoma. For his or her bravery, the Hero receives the title of Erdrick (or in later versions, Loto).
Setting
The game starts in the castle town of Aliahan. Like the rest of the Dragon Quest worlds, this castle is set in a medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
time period, complete with knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s and magicians
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
. 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, and many towns correspond to their real-world cultures, including "Romaly" for Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, "Portoga" for Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, "Assaram" near present-day Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
(derived from "as-salamu alaykum
As-Salamu Alaykum
As-Salāmu `Alaykum is a traditional Muslim greeting, often translated as Peace be upon you.-Usage:*In Arabia, the greeting is associated with shaking right hands and then possibly two or three light cheek to cheek kisses....
"), "Jipang" for Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and even a "New Town" in eastern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
that experiences a revolution against an overbearing ruler.
Development
As with the other main games in the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Warrior IIIs scenario was designed by Yuji HoriiYuji Horii
is a Japanese video game designer and scenario writer best known as the creator of the Dragon Quest series of console role-playing games, as well as the visual novel adventure game Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken.-History:Dragon Quest is recognized as the first role-playing game to posit the idea...
, whereas the artwork was done by Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama
is a Japanese manga artist and game artist known mostly for his creation of Dragon Ball in 1984. Toriyama admires Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy and was impressed by Walt Disney's One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which he remembers for the great art...
, of Dragon Ball fame.
Koichi Sugiyama
Koichi Sugiyama
is a Japanese music composer, council member of JASRAC , and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society...
composed all the music for Dragon Warrior III.
Remakes
The Super FamicomSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
version, released in late 1996, during 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 had left the North American market. In 2009, it was unofficially translated into English. However, the next remake, for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
, was released in both Japan and the US. The Game Boy Color version is based on 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
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
feel, due to fan demand on Enix's message boards. Both remake versions of Dragon Quest III offer many new features and changes. No version of Dragon Quest III was released in Europe and Square-Enix has not yet made any announcement for future planned releases of any version of this game.
A new class, the Thief, was added to the roster in each of the remakes. Many of the names of the classes were changed in the English localization of the Game Boy Color version, such as Soldier to Warrior. 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 / Treasures and Trapdoors as of the Dragon Quest V Remake), which is a giant board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
style adventure from which the player can win items. This game is based on Horii's series Itadaki Street
Itadaki Street
is a computer board game series originally created by Dragon Quest designer Yuji Horii. The first game was released in Japan on Nintendo's Famicom in 1991. Since then, sequels have been released for the Super Famicom and Sony's PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Playstation Portable and Nintendo DS...
. The Mini Medal system, which lets players collect hidden medals to gain new items, seen in later Dragon Quest games (it originated in Dragon Quest IV), was added. 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. Two bonus dungeons become available after the main quest is over.
The remakes feature updated graphics. An overhauled introduction for the game was made, similar to the one in the original Dragon Warrior III, which included Ortega's battle with the Dragon Queen. Monster and attack animation in battles were added, a feature first introduced in Dragon Quest VI.
A personality system was added to the remakes of Dragon Quest III. A pre-game sequence in which the player answers moral dilemmas similar to that in Ultima IV
Ultima IV
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, first released in 1985 for the Apple II, is the fourth in the series of Ultima computer role-playing games. It is the first in the "Age of Enlightenment" trilogy, shifting the series from the hack and slash, dungeon crawl gameplay of its "Age of Darkness"...
determines the Hero's personality. The personality of the other members of the party is determined by the stat-raising seeds that the player gives them during the character generation process. Personalities determine which stats increase when a character levels up. The personalities may be changed by use of special items and books.
It was announced in May 2011 that Square-Enix will be releasing Dragon Quest III in Japan, as both the Famicom and Super Famicon ports as part of the September released of Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Commemoration Famicom & Super Famicom Dragon Quest I・II・III for the Wii. No official word has been released if this game will be released outside of Japan.
Related Media
Dragon Warrior has spawned some related media, notably a mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series and video game soundtracks.
Manga
The mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series, , was written by Chiaki Kawamata
Chiaki Kawamata
is a Japanese science fiction writer and critic. Chiaki Kawamata has won both the Seiun Award and the Nihon SF Taisho Award. Chaki Kawamata is also noted for the manga Emblem of Roto.-References:...
and Junji Koyanagi with artwork by Kamui Fujiwara
Kamui Fujiwara
is a Japanese character designer and manga artist. Fujiwara's father was a soldier in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He excelled in mathematics and computer science when in grade school. He graduated from the Kuwasawa Design School, which is attached to Tokyo Zokei University...
and was published in Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
from 1991 through 1997. The series was later compiled into for 21 volumes published by Enix; in 1994 it was released on CD and was released on December 11, 2009 on the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
as part of manga distribution library. In 1996 an anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
movie based on the manga was released on video cassette. A sequel series, , published by Square-Enix started in 2005 and is still ongoing; nine volumes have been released. The first four volumes were written by Jun Eishima and the last five volumes written by Takashi Umemura. All of them have been supervised by Yuji Horii with artwork done by Kamui Fujiwara.
Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō is meant to take place between Dragon Warrior III and Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
. After monsters possessed the Carmen's king for seven years, the kingdom fell to the hordes of evil. The only survivors were Prince Arus and an army General's daughter, Lunafrea. Meanwhile, in the Kingdom of Loran, a child by the name of is born with the name Jagan per the orders of Demon Lord Imagine. As Loto's descendant, Arus, along with Lunafrea, set out to defeat the monsters and restore peace to the world.
Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō ~Monshō o Tsugumono-tachi e~ takes place 25 years after the events in Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō. The world is once again in chaos and a young boy, , sets out gathering companions to once again save the world from evil.
Soundtracks
Koichi SugiyamaKoichi Sugiyama
is a Japanese music composer, council member of JASRAC , and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society...
composed and the music for the game. Dragon Warrior IIIs 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. This game's music has also been featured on other Dragon Quest compilation albums, such as Dragon Quest on Piano Vol. II, which was released in 1990, and Dragon Quest Best Songs Selection ~Loula~, released in 1993.
A compilation of Dragon Warrior IIIs music was put on Dragon Quest III ~And Into the Legend…~ Remix Symphonic Suite which charted 16 times on Oricon's
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
list topping at number 2. The album was published by Sony Records in 1996.
Reception and sales
Dragon Quest III sold over 3.8 million copies in Japan. It is often mistakenly known as being the game that in 1988 caused the Japanese governmentGovernment of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
to outlaw further releases of Dragon Quest games on school days. In truth, Enix themselves decided to hold off the release of future Dragon Quest games until weekends. A survey conducted by the magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
in early 2006 among its readers placed Dragon Quest III as the third most favorite game of all time, being preceded by only Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
and Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, and the best game on Famicom. In Japan, the Super Famicom remake sold 1.4 million units, with nearly 720,000 units sold in 1996 alone. The Game Boy Color version sold a lower 604,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2001. 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.
The North American release of Dragon Warrior III did not meet as much success. Considered an improvement over the first two games, Dragon Warrior III "kept the same ugly graphical style and clumsy interface", explained Kurt Kalata of Gamasutra. North American's poor sales are also partly due to the fact that the game was released after the release of 16-bit gaming systems, making it seem even more archaic to gamers. Critics found the new day/night system and the addition of an in-game bank praiseworthy.
As is the case with other early 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
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
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." Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
gave the remake a respectable 4/5, while IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game a perfect 10/10. Dragon Warrior III was 176 on Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.
Dragon Quest Retsuden: Roto no Monshō - To the Children Who Inherit the Emblem has sold well in Japan.
For the week of August 26 through September 1, 2008, volume 7 was ranked 9th in Japan having sold 59,540 copies. For the week of February 24 through March 2, 2009, volume 8 was ranked 19th in Japan having sold 76,801 copies. For the week of October 26 through November 1, 2009, volume 9 was ranked 16th in Japan having sold 40,492 copies for a total of 60,467.