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Lttp: Dragon Quest 3

Anustart

Member
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the series, I've finally purchased this game on Android and will be giving it a thorough shake down.

I played dragon warrior on a 13 inch black and white tv back in the day and loved it. The next one I played was 4 and oh my what a game that was.

After 4 came 8, then 5, then 7 and finally, 2. Now I will, after so many years be completing the original trilogy. I'm still super early, but super excited to play this one! I will be posting as I play as a complete newbie to the game. Hopefully I'm in for a treat!
 

Krammy

Member
Dragon Quest III is the best game in the series as far as I'm concerned. Shame you're going to miss out on the fantastic monster animations of the original (Super Nintendo port), but enjoy it none-the-less!
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jb1234

Member
DQ3 is pretty charming. I think I was burnt out by that point because I had played 1 and 2 directly before it but that doesn't take away from 3's strengths.
 

Bitanator

Member
I played the GBC version a whole bunch back in the day, I love it and recruiting people was fun even if most people do not like that aspect. I got to imagine them their own personalities, I played it one time recruiting a new body once one of them died in battle
 
While the first game will always be my favourite; Dragon Quest 3 is the canonical origin of the original trilogy and had enough new features to round off things perfectly. From what I recall (it's been a few years) it was slightly more open world than the previous two games and had a limited class system in place too? Not that I liked the openness at the time for some reason, I think I enjoyed my linear RPGs more and dare say still to this day too. I have a lovely Zoma action figure in my home office (along with most other enemies and heroes) as the designs for the earlier games are still some of the best out of the entire franchise. Later instalments seemed to up the cosplay flair with flowing capes and dresses while the original trilogy remained grounded in swords and sandals.

It's a really good game, how does it play on iOS? Have they refined the controls?
 

Anustart

Member
I'd like to know this too. If it's anything like Dragon Quest V I'm in. I've only played VIII and V, V has the better controls due to its 2D format and better fit for portrait orientation. I'm assuming III is similar?

I havent played the others but it sounds similar. The interact button is just the center of the movement dial.

Easy to use one hand. I'm just not sold on the non grid based movement, as I find myself having to make slight taps to move where I want to. Other than that it's good.
 

canedaddy

Member
It's the only DQ I've never finished. I tried it on iPhone but the controls and missing animations were a bummer for me.
 
Probably my favorite game in the series and the only one I've beaten twice (nes when it released and SNES recently). Love the freedom you have in assembling the party. And the journey was so memorable, especially after playing DQ1. Not to mention you explore a pyramid which is always cool.
 
Probably my favorite game in the series and the only one I've beaten twice (nes when it released and SNES recently). Love the freedom you have in assembling the party. And the journey was so memorable, especially after playing DQ1. Not to mention you explore a pyramid which is always cool.

Oh my goodness, the pyramid! I remember the cursed item there, that sound was so eerie.
 

Bladenic

Member
I'm playing it too! Just reached the new area after the first teleport. I have hero, priest, martial artist, and jester.
 
Great game, haven't played it in forever but have a lot of very fond memories of Dragon Quest (3 and 4 especially). Glad it came out on smartphones so more people can enjoy it :)
 
I feel like whenever I close my eyes and say the words "Dragon Quest", DQIII is the one I think of first. Everything about this game just screams charm and personality. This was the game to really nail what Enix was working their way towards with the first two entries. While not my favorite, I can understand how this game rocked Japan back during it's original release.
 
My brother and I rented it on NES so many times back in the day that the rental store owner just gave it to us. Best game in the series as far as I'm concerned.
 
Played the GBC version a couple years back. Still holds up for those looking for a solid JRPG. Sweet town vignettes, fun times grabbing orbs from all corners of the world.
 

Anustart

Member
I rolled with a monk, thief and wiz. Thief already paying off in dividends, scored 1 herb already lol.

Been to reeve, about to hit up that tower looming and get that sweet key!
 

jiggle

Member
I didn't like it at the time
And it's still not one of my favs in the series
Never did like a party of generics
 

Ydelnae

Member
Dragon Quest III is amazing. I played it for the first time last summer, and while I'm not usually found of old JRPGs like this, the game just felt fresh. If I didn't have to play the rest of the series, I would replay it every now and then. It's so seriously charming and fun to play.
 
It's so fun building your characters, though! Then you get the extremely character-driven DQIV right after it anyways.

These swerves from one game to the next are high on my list of reasons why I love this series.

Yup. You go from one character in I to three characters in II. III has four party members but only one is static and the others are your own personal preference. IV has its character based chapter structure and V has you mostly recruiting monsters throughout it. VIII is the most character centric game in the franchise and IX's answer is to be one of the least. Just constant shifts and changes.
 
Dragon Quest III is the best game in the series as far as I'm concerned. Shame you're going to miss out on the fantastic monster animations of the original (Super Nintendo port), but enjoy it none-the-less!
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Nothing but truth in the post, the connection with Part 1 and 2 is one of my favourite thing in gaming ever
 
I don't know if it's in the iOS version, but one of my favorite things about the original NES Dragon Quest/Warrior 3 was that XP is divided evenly among your active characters so you can give yourself a very different experience just by playing with a different sized party like a 2 character party with double XP or a solo playthrough with quadruple XP.
 

Aeana

Member
I don't know if it's in the iOS version, but one of my favorite things about the original NES Dragon Quest/Warrior 3 was that XP is divided evenly among your active characters so you can give yourself a very different experience just by playing with a different sized party like a 2 character party with double XP or a solo playthrough with quadruple XP.
This is why a solo hero game is enjoyable in this game. I highly recommend it.
 

ULTROS!

People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
The iOS version is on sale for $6.99 btw.
 

Dark_castle

Junior Member
Dragon Quest III is the best game in the series as far as I'm concerned. Shame you're going to miss out on the fantastic monster animations of the original (Super Nintendo port), but enjoy it none-the-less!
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Yup, DQIII SNES is amazing. Great fan translation quality.
 

Volodja

Member
Bought both III and II following the sale on iOS.
Now I only need to wait for DQ VII and VIII for 3DS to arrive here and I'll have them all (except X, but I wouldn't play it anyway).

I still need to get to most of them, however. Only finished I and IV (liked I for what it was and quite loved IV).

II and then III are probably gonna be next even if the lack of some animations is a bit of a shame.
 

Anustart

Member
Bought both III and II following the sale on iOS.
Now I only need to wait for DQ VII and VIII for 3DS to arrive here and I'll have them all (except X, but I wouldn't play it anyway).

I still need to get to most of them, however. Only finished I and IV (liked I for what it was and quite loved IV).

II and then III are probably gonna be next even if the lack of some animations is a bit of a shame.

I love 8, you're in for a treat on that one. Hell, they're all good. You're in for a lot of treats.
 
Remind me why this DQ game was so popular in Japan upon release?

Popular series and a great game with art from the DBZ guy. Also, keep in mind that the NES Dragon Quest games came out much earlier in Japan than they did in North America so comparatively, they were much more impressive - for example, Dragon Quest 3 came out in Japan over a year before Dragon Warrior 1 came out in North America.
 

Aeana

Member
Remind me why this DQ game was so popular in Japan upon release?
Because of the momentum started by DQ1 and DQ2. It had good word of mouth going into it. You know, the kind of thing that compels people to be excited about the next entry in any franchise.
 

Hugstable

Banned
Remind me why this DQ game was so popular in Japan upon release?

It was the first game in the series IMO to be really well balanced in it's difficulty (especially after 2) and had a class system where you can make your party as you see fit. Also had a huge world to explore, was the first DQ game where you could fly instead of just sail adding more access to the world. Plus adding the agility stat changed up the battle system and attack orders. I'm not sure of the exact reason why it blew up in japan compared tp the others, but those are my main reasons as to why I completely fell in love with it.

Though im not a fan pf the mobile port, they took out all the cool fog effects, spell effects outside of battle and no battle animations, when all that stuff was in the snes port :(
 

clem84

Gold Member
Played this thing on the NES way back... SOOOO good!

I hear the SNES remake, on which the android game is based, is way better.
 

Vandole

Member
DQ 3 is definitely one of my favorites in the series. Glad to hear you played the original. It's not much of a secret that 3 is the prequel, but playing it first goes a long way in enhancing the DQ 3 experience.
 

Volodja

Member
I love 8, you're in for a treat on that one. Hell, they're all good. You're in for a lot of treats.
Well, DQ 4 is possibly my favourite JRPG (not that I am that big into the genre, however), so I reckon I really am, but the time investment required is quite steep and I have some issues clearing them from my backlog.
 

Hilarion

Member
So Dragon Quest III is broken on the latest version of Android for me, which is disappointing because Android is the only way I have to potentially play the game. I beat I and II back in the day on the Game Boy Color, and IV, V, and VI on the DS, and am going to play VII and maybe VIII later this year on the 3DS, but I have no way to play Dragon Quest III and that'll always annoy me.
 
I *just* started a game of the NES version. Any advice on what directions I should or shouldn't take in recruiting my party? I do understand that the goof off class isn't too useful
but eventually upgrades into the strongest class in the game
. Also accepting any thoughts on if it's totally backwards to still be playing the original version for my first playthrough in 2016!
 

Anustart

Member
I *just* started a game of the NES version. Any advice on what directions I should or shouldn't take in recruiting my party? I do understand that the goof off class isn't too useful
but eventually upgrades into the strongest class in the game
. Also accepting any thoughts on if it's totally backwards to still be playing the original version for my first playthrough in 2016!

I beat 1, 2, and 4 on the nes but for whatever reason, I never, ever saw a dragon warrior 3 cartridge. Not in a store, not in a game rental shop either.
 

Man God

Non-Canon Member
I beat 1, 2, and 4 on the nes but for whatever reason, I never, ever saw a dragon warrior 3 cartridge. Not in a store, not in a game rental shop either.

4 is much rarer than 2 or 3. There's more copies of 1 in the US than the other three combined.
 
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