Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3

"The best GBA title yet? I think so."

I am an avid Tales fan. I have loved the series since Phantasia and have become familiar with all of the characters and their intricate relations. That's why when I found out about Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3, I nearly flipped. While it's not a new entry into the main series, Narikiri Dungeon 3(which will henceforth in the review be called NariDun) is an adventure that revolves around cameos from other games. All 37 playable characters from Phantasia, Destiny, Eternia, Destiny 2 and Symphonia() are here, and fans can look forward to cameos from other favorites, as well. Enter Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3, an adventure that mixes turn-based strategic action with the side-scrolling combat fans love. It all adds up to an epic that Tales fans will adore.

Story:
The story is surprisingly well done, compared to the second NariDun, anyway. You play the role of Furio Sven and female sidekick Kyaro Olange, residents of Minnacle Town, where a series of drastic events is about to unfold. Professor Brown, a resident scientist in Minnacle, unearths a machine that can cross dimensions, which the heroes call Dream. However, the machine is stolen, and the legends of the Tales heroes are tampered with. Later, the heroes encounter a copy of Prof. Brown, who traveled to them from 100 days in the future with another copy of Dream, bearing news of a terrible event soon to happen. Also, that copy of Dream was used to transport to Minnacle Lloyd Irving, Stahn Aileron, Ridd Hershel, and their companions. Now, you must find the mystery behind this event 100 days in the future while restoring order to the legends of the Tales heroes. Nicely done, but it's all in Japanese. However, there is a great story walkthrough on GameFAQs that aided me alot when trying to comprehend the story. Very original! 9/10

Graphics:
NariDun's graphics are clear and eye-friendly, though they do little to push the GBA to its limits. Some of the attacks look like they were dumbed down visually from the console versions, which may disappoint some. However, the battle sprites for each character are nice, as are the backgrounds. Also included in the game are several of the mugshots with different facial expressions seen in the characters' respective games. Well done, but my only major complaint is that Lloyd's sprite looks a little dorky due to his enormous bouncing hair(see my avatar...). 8/10

Sound
By far, one of my favorite aspects of NariDun is the soundtrack. What it lacks in original songs it makes up for in having tons of the best classic Tales songs. They did a good job in picking songs that fit the mood of whatever situation Furio and Kyaro get themself into. Adventurous-sounding map themes, a serene-yet-peppy town theme, and intense battle themes really help the player get into the game. 2 thumbs up, Motoi Sakuraba!10/10

Gameplay
Without a doubt, NariDun sports some of the best handheld gameplay I've ever seen. The game, for the most part, works like a turn-based strategy game in which you guide characters towards a mission objective on the map or simply try to defeat a swarm of enemies. However, rather than controlling individual units, each unit consists of 3 people that you select, with up to 4 units on the field at a time. Battles work differently than in traditional strategy fare, too. Rather than watching your units waste enemy combatants onscreen, you actually battle them in a traditional Tales fashion. This means lots of fast-paced side-scrolling action combined with the map mechanics of a traditional strategy game, which makes for a memorable experience. What sets this apart from any other RPG I've played, though, is the costume. Simply put, throughout the game, you will receive various items called 'roots' that seem to have no purpose at first glance. However, there is a costume shop in Minnacle that can take those roots and transform them into different costumes that Furio and Kyaro can use for battle. Using a costume causes your character to change form, giving them different abilities in battle(ex. the Knight class gives Furio a sword and several sword-based techniques) or on the field(a Thief class can pick locks without a key). Many of these resemble traditional RPG classes, and there are even costumes to turn into every playable Tales character and their games' respective villains. Best of all, though, are the cameo costumes. Cameos from games like Xenosaga, Tower of Druaga and even Taiko Drum Master. Though it seems like a normal RPG class system, the root system adds a collection element that only makes the game more addicting. I can't believe a game this fun could exist on a handheld, frankly.10/10

Multiplayer
No multiplayer, sorry. Would have been nice, though.

Replay Value
Since I bought it, I have beaten this game 9 times. I play it constantly, and have a hard time leaving the house without it. You will probably love it just as much as I do, and even if you get bored of it for awhile you will probably come back to it eventually. I fondly remember it as the greatest GBA game that there ever was, and that reminder constantly draws me to the game, long after my first playthrough ended months ago. 10/10

Rent or Buy
I DEFY YOU to find a place that rents this game. You should buy it. You could always get a ROM, but you wouldn't want to do that, would you? Would you?

Overall
The best GBA game ever made? I think so. While some may be turned off by a lack of prior knowledge about Tales series and the fact that the game is in Japanese, this is worth checking out if you can get past those facts. I enjoy this thoroughly, and I think that if you give it a shot, you will too.10/10!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/11/05