In this Dragon Warrior III review SuperDerek examines what makes Dragon Quest 3 such an improvement over previous iterations in the series Visit www.SuperDerekRPGs.com for more RPG Reviews #dragonwarrioriii #dragonquestiii
I came pretty close to beating 3. But I agree 5 and 8 are some of the best. I liked 7 for original playstation, more than all the others. The storyline was really creative and the game was fun up until about halfway through. I don't know why but the game felt like more of a grind of boredom from then on and lost its appeal on me. Even still, first half was flawless imo. edit:typos.
I'm jealous your collection has room for growth seen in the video. I have to get another shelf. And it's getting a little crazy lol. Love watching and learning. Look forward to more. And eventually the suikoden series!
It should probably be mentioned that there are some really surprisingly well done ports of the first three Dragon Quest games on Android and iOS that are probably the most accessible versions for new players. They include a lot of the improvements from the SNES and GBC versions as well as fully orchestrated soundtracks that do a great job of making you feel like you're embarking an epic quest. Definitely worth a peep!
I recently got the first three games on Switch, which are based on the mobile remakes (which in this case is a good thing as DQ actually got treated well on mobile for the first 6 games according to most fans I've seen online), and it's interesting to learn that some of the stuff that was a first in this game back in the 8-bit days later got added into the remakes of 1 and 2 (Zoom in remake DQ2 lets you fast travel to all villages you've visited, and they have the vault). As of this comment I'm about to start three so I wanted to quickly check some videos online to see if there might be something I should know before hopping into it, but it looks like I'm good, and DQ3 sounds like it's gonna be a real treat.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I didn't think that you did when watching the play through. I have a lot of love for this game, as it was among the first few games that really got me into RPGs. I don't have my original NES copy (wish I did) but I do have the GBC release which I will play again soon. Does anyone remember the Dragon Warrior anime that was on TV in the early'90's? Directed by Rintaro, it's loosely based on this game. It actually aired (13 episodes) about a year before this game was released in North America. I was blown away when some of the characters from the anime were in this game. Fun times being a kid! It was unfortunately a typical Saban hack-job but still fun to watch. Wait until you play Dragon Quest 8. It's a truly impressive game. One of those timeless RPGs that still holds up well after more than a decade.
There were some parts that weren't so fun, but I think that could be said of most RPGs to be honest, but the overall experience was worth it. And I actually played and 100% Dragon Quest VII a couple of times, and of course loved it! :)
The year is 2001. I’m in Florida with family/cousins on vacation. We went into a game store (EB Games), to look around as usual/play the latest demos to pass time…and then I saw it sitting on a bottom shelf - a fresh box of Dragon Warrior 3 for GBC. I was shocked, because I never knew there was a third game, ended up buying it on the spot. I didnt have my gameboy with me so I think i spent a ton of time reading tue manual and box art and wondering what to expect. It was 100% worth it. One of the best rpg’s I’ve played to this day, loved the story and content (GBC version).
i remember i was like 10 years old when i had this game been playing since dragon quest monsters original game , it hold a place in my heart. i love the NDS games they made!
Never played this game. I kinda forgot that Dragon Warrior existed after I played 2 a little bit. I heard about Dragon Warrior later in life as they came out on future consoles but it was never really my speed. I picked up XI because I saw their panel at PAX and it looked rad, and they also touted the praises of V so I picked that one up as well.
i loved dragon warrior 1 for the nes, i still have my hand written stratagy/map guide i made for it as a little kid (times were tough back before the internet) but for some reason i never played any of the newer ones, no idea why. looks like i would have really enjoyed them.
Thanks Andrew! RPGs are kind of niche these days, so I don't expect to become huge. I'm just glad that the followers I've got all seem to be mostly awesome people. :)
It's the best genre, by far. The only genre that experiments and innovates with combat mechanics. I also love the stories, even when they are cheesy. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the next review.
I stopped on DW 2, but remember seeing my brother playing 3 & 4 a lot. Have you played the Valkyrie profile series Derek ?, and are ever going to make a vid about them ?
I had a sudden urge to check out reviews for Dragon Quest ( I love the games!) So I started watching them , its been 20 minutes now , I have watched both of your DQ I & DQ II videos & was right on time to see the third one Great Videos , will be sure to check out more of your stuff!
Just started playing the Super Famicom remaster of this game with an English patch and a wireless controller for my phone which comes in handy for retro games that never made it over seas.
Great review!! I missed out on the dragon warrior games on NES as a kid! I got a retro pi with all of them on it for the nes. I was thinking of starting with this game or Dragone warrior 4. What’s your advice?
Yeah, it sucks not being able to put out reviews every 2 weeks anymore, I started a new job which has cut down on my play time a bit. I do have my streaming channel where I play games and talk to the chat a few times per week if you're interested, but it's pretty chill and probably not for everyone. :)
The most influential RPG of all time, ever made. One of the greatest games of all time and best RPGs ever. Dragon Quest III is a masterpiece game and up there with Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger easily. Thank you for doing this amazing review Derek and doing this amazing game justice. Dragon Quest 3 is forever my favorite DQ in the series and will always be that way, I love it so much. Can’t wait for the Octopath style Dragon Quest 3 Remake, 2D-HD style coming. Hope your excited for the remake too Derek, would love to see you make a video on it and your thoughts on its influence and hopes for more 2D-HD Remakes on more classic JRPGs we grew up with like Chrono Trigger, DQ V, or Final Fantasy VI. They announced DQ 1 and 2 will be next after DQ 3 to complete the trilogy in 2D-HD style after its release.
I have to say, you definitely do a good job giving a review of these games. I never got to play much of 3 or 4, but definitely looks like I should pick it up sometime. I've often been told that 5 is actually one of the best ones, but I'm pretty skeptical, hopefully when you get time you can review that one so I'll now lol.
It's actually direct-captured over HDMI or other methods, then I overlay scanlines over top with a custom filter. On some of the videos I did this to, I also used a duplicated, blurred, mostly-transparent layer set to "lighten" in order to get that bloom effect.
Just discovering them now. I mean, I've known of them since forever, but a much younger me couldn't get past the graphics after being spoiled by late-SNES titles. I'm glad to be rectifying that now though, and getting a deeper understanding of my RPG roots! :)
Dragon Quest III , you actually play as the legendary Edrick in this one. I couldn't get enough of the series. I really liked the grinding really. I m not a fan of fighting games. I liked these better because of the mystery. I wish they'll reboot the whole series.
They say brevity is the soul of wit. But what they don't tell you is it takes less time to edit... >.> lol, just kidding. I was actually a little self-conscious about how short the review ended up being, even with the bit about the remakes tacked onto the end. I just felt like I ran out of things to say. Not sure if it's because I'm just getting better at writing succinctly, or if I'm just getting worse at coming up with things to say. xD
It's because these RPGs are simple and this will happen to you when you review the 1rst Final Fantasy game. JRPGs started to get heavy on story in the 16 bit era.
One of the few channels that reviews both WRPG's and JRPG's. Keep up the great work Derek! I didn't know you had a streaming channel so I subbed to that too. I'm watching the Corpse Party stream first :)
i love the gbc version of this game... it blew my mind when i played back in the day, big DQ fan since then. ext one is IV, another great DQ game, im looking foward to that. you will review every DQ game or only the NES ones?
Dragon Quest 3 just might be my favorite game of all time, compared to Final Fantasy, I am surprised on how little known the Dragon Quest series has become in america.
That little tune at the beginning of every DW/DQ game, and in the beginning of this video makes me so nostalgic for some reason. I didn't even get into this series until a year or two ago, and it still gives me that feeling. It's weird. Anyway, great review! DQ3 is my favourite out of the first 4 (which are the only ones I've finished). I did play the SNES remake though, and it was AMAZING.
My personal favourite of the early Dragon Warrior/Quest games. I could only rent this since no stores in my region carried it for sale, I was able to purchase the rental copy once Blockbuster placed it for sale. Also have the GBC versions which is a nice update that streamlines the leveling system and the new translation gives it a breath of fresh air for long time fans.
True IV has a very unique approach in that all party characters are pre-defined and thus have goals and reasons for joining the main character, plus having the chapters allows you to learn how each character works before you get into the main game.
Nope, they fixed up the XP curves a bit. I think they didn't quite have it figured out in II which is what drove me up a wall, but by III, leveling was smooth. For instance, when I was level 20, one of my characters reset to level 1 because I changed their class. By the time my other characters were 25, that character was already back up to 20, and by the end of the game they were only a level or two behind. That's a sign of a properly balanced experience curve. :)
never actually played DW3, but remember watching my brother play it quite a bit, and DW2. so do you always rename your RPG characters or is that a more recent thing for videos/streams? i could see you as a renamer, i was always the proper name guy, like whatever the game names them is their name and why would i ever change them? i renamed all my characters in FF3 the first time i played it and it always bothered me afterwards. looking forward to DW4, that was my favorite!
Well, typically I'm a proper-name kinda guy. But with the DW titles, I didn't know the original names of characters, and the forms weren't pre-filled, so I just made up the names with my friends. :)
I'm hoping one day you'll cover the Final Fantasy Legends games on Gameboy as well as final Fantasy Adventure! There arent a whole lot of reviews on those games for some reason
Unfortunately, you'll be waiting a little while. Think I'm taking a break from DQ after IV. Gotta get a system that can play my SFC titles in English. :)
Love these videos. How old do the games have to be to review? One game series that I'd like to see you review is Ar Tonelico. It's a surprisingly good RPG in my opinion, and not all that well-known compared to more mainstream series. It's funny, you could actually think of it as a game where you really did come for the articles. What I mean is, if you look up Ar Tonelico on RU-vid you'll find an awful lot of stuff that seems sort of borderline, as the creators enjoyed throwing in a variety of innuendo as well as a few snapshots and avatars that would raise a few eyebrows. But you'll also find other things, particularly absolutely awesome music. Three games in the main series (two on PS2) as well as a prequel, and all had incredible music. Not to mention a great storyline and very interesting world, altogether strong enough to make it through three games (plus one that never came to America despite content on the prequel depending on the presence of save files)
Thanks BroEye! I don't really have a strict cut-off, I've done games as recent as Persona 4 Golden and Dark Souls, so that's not really a big factor. Usually what determines what I review is whether or not I own the game, whether or not I have the first game in the series to start reviewing the series, and whether or not I've got any time-sensitive goals I'm trying to meet. Ar Tonelico is one of the games I've been really interested in for a while, ever since I've seen their brand of humor. I actually have Qoga for PS3, but like I said above, I usually prefer to start at the start, then work my way forward. The only real exceptions I've made to this is Earthbound and Morrowind. And sort of with the Persona series. But Ar Tonelico has been on my wish list for some time, so I'm sure I'll get to it eventually! :)
Let it be known, it was the legendary Hapa who carried Super Derek's sorry ass through Dragon Quest III...literally, if you take a look at the party members he used.
Well, it's still there just severely reduced. Scanlines have also been heavily reworked, and a lighting effect applied, also reworked the TV screen overlay. Been experimenting a bit, and I'm probably not done, but overall I think this way looks a bit stronger, and less distracting. :)
Yeah, I mean they're also on IOS and Android but I'm kind of a controller kinda guy. Then again, maybe they're compatible with Bluetooth controllers? Couldn't say.
Well towards the end of the game you have access to a place with metal monsters that give you high XP That is how I got to lv99 back when I played it as a kid. It is not that bad
I still found the story to be a bit on the shallow side, which isn't really to my tastes, I prefer an RPG to have a more engaging story but I can't really hold it against the game since it's still fairly early in RPGs. I still enjoyed it though.
Yeah, I think my list didn't update until this morning actually, sorry about that! I'll make sure you're there with the next video which hopefully will be sooner than next month, knock on wood! :)
Heh, Earthbound was my first review ever, but it could definitely use an update. I plan to eventually cover the Mother trilogy, but it may be a ways off.
They need to reboot this game really. I think they should bring to Ps IV. It's also been 27 years since the original release of Dragon Quest V and 24 something for VI. I doubt they're going to do anything about it
Hmm, your wish is sort of granted. Unfortunately for some but great for the rest, that remake is using the Octopath Traveler/HD-2D engine as the basis. In fact, consider it as a taste of what's to come for 2D-based JRPG remakes by Square Enix.
