Overall: 9
Gameplay: 10
Graphics: 6
Sound: 8
Concept: 10
Replay Value: 9

Enix has, over the last year or so, slowly trickled new games to us along with news of the US release of Dragon Warrior VII. All of these games, Dragon Warrior Monsters, Dragon warrior I + II, and now the Dragon Warrior III remix, have been designed for the Gameboy Color platform, which lends to the play of the monster breeding and trading DWM, and lends to the retro feel of the DW I-III remixes.

DW3 not only revives one of the best (and rarest) RPG's for the original Nintendo console, but adds new flavor, life, and even some features that take advanatge of the tiny platform. If you played and enjoyed the original release, this new incarnation will delight you with it's improved class system, new side quests and sub-games, and small changes like combat animations. If you've never played the original, prepare to discover what a true RPG feels like and become immersed for hours.

Of course, the premise is simple; you are a hero, out to save the world, right? Well, that seems right, since you are following your father's footsteps to destroy the ultimate evil, but the story changes and deepens as you play. The world you are thrown into is rich, vibrant, and alive; each town has it's own feel, and you will encounter various clues, problems, and subquests along the way. Sometimes, what seems like a clue just turns out to be idle chatter, and other times, it seems like there are no clues to help you at all. However, the player who thouroughly explores this world will be richly rewarded.

The game starts by asking you a series of questions. These lead to one of several 'final questions', where you are placed in a situation, such as being lost in the woods, or perhaps being transformed into a monster who must eat at least one person in a village. What you do determines your personality, and your personality determines how you grow during the game, and how certain people within the game react to you.

You then must form a band of up to three other characters, chosen from one of several classes: Warrior, Fighter, Cleric, Mage, Dealer, Thief, or Jester. each class has it's advanatges, and choosing your companions can radically change how your progress through the game. For example, Warriors and Fighters are strong, but lack magic, and will help you early on in the game. Dealers earn more money in combat and can appraise items, a valuabe skill later on. Thieves can steal items, making it easier ot find some of the rarest items in the late game, and possess skills that can be invaluable. Jesters are useless in the beginning, but give you a serious boost midway through. How you choose your comapanions is up to you, and you can even coose to travel with less than four characters total! Also, you are not stuck with what you pick; if you don't like a character, leave them behind and pick a new one. This freedom in party design not only makes the first time through the game immensely enjoyable, but gives you a reason to play again and again. And, not only do you have this great class choice, but later on in the game you can change the classes of your three partners, making them more powerful and opening up new options. It's possible to devote dozens of hours simply to creating one character that you really like.

The game plays like other 'classic' RPG's, and any fan of the Dragon Warrior series will be able to pick it up right away. Your quest consists of travelling from place to place, gathering clues and solving one puzzle after another which open more areas for you to explore. After the first few hours of play, you will generally have several different paths to choose from, and there is not always a right way to go about things. This freedom to roam about and find your own way to complete your task is one of the best qualities of DW3.

Combat is classic turn based, wherein you choose from several commands like Attack, Parry, Cast, Use, etc, and your cahracters follow those commands for one turn, until you choose the next round of commands. There is an element of randomness in battle; for example the order of attack is largely determined by your characters Agility score, but it doesn't always work out the way you expect. This element of surprise what makes the battles challenging and stresses the strategy of turn based combat.

Several new concepts bring the game up to date, making it enjoyable for old and new gamers alike. The personality system is one, for example, Each character has a personlity that affects thier growth, and depending on your actions that personality changes during the course of the game. A new Tinymedal subquest has been added, and there are hundreds of medals to find scattered across the world with which you can gain special rare items. Also, and 'Pachisi' board game, where you are the playing peice, has been added where you can win valuable items.

Perhaps the most interesting, or strangest, addition is that of Monster Medals. each time you defeat monsters, you have a chance to win a medal corresponding to those monsters. There are three levels, bronze, silver, and gold, each increasingly more rare, and collecting the medals of all of the 150+ monsters will earn you a special prize. Because winning these medals is random, it takes a long time and many battles to get them all, but this is the Game Boy, after all. In true Pokemon fashion, you can connect with other DW3 players and trade your medals back and forth in an effort of collect every last one.

The graphics are, of course, limited to the GBC's ability, however this game really pushes the platform to it's limits. There are two different text styles used, as one example, and the various monster animations and vivid colors eally bring this aging system to life. Sound is wonderful, if you're a fan of the classic Dragon Warrior music. It's all well done, and each town and area has it;s own 'theme', not only letting the music seamlessly blend into the game, but also serving as a playing aid.

There are some drawbacks, however, mostly related to the GBC platform. The screen is small, and this makes it extremely hard to navigate some of the big open areas. You only have about a quarter of the viewing area that you would have in the original game on the NES. There is a solution for this built into the Thief character, but it is still a big problem. Also, the world map is not much of a help, since it's extremely difficult ot display the huge world of DW3 on such a small screen. Add the lack of a backlight, making it hard to see in dimly lit situations, and it can be frustrating to play sometimes.

Also, this game is huge. Really, really huge. In fact, you'll probably get more play time out of it than any Game Boy Advance title released at the time of this writing. As such, it is easy for some players to get stuck, even when there are a plethora of options available. 'What do I do now?' can be a common question. The game does guide you, but only if you are truly observant and dedicated to detail; for example, one riddle is impossible to solve unless you talk to one speific person in a nearby town and realize that the song she sings is the solution. Without solving this riddle, it's impossible to progress in the game, so some players may be slightly lost.

So overall, DW3 is a valuable addition to any gamer's library. If you don't already have a Gameboy Color, go out and buy one for this game, and while you're at it, get Dragon Warrior Monsters and Dragon warrior I & II. And, to all you RPG fans, you haven't played an RPG until you've played this game.

Recommended: Yes