"One of the most outstanding games in the portable world!"

Introduction
Hi. I'm reviewing one of the greatest RPGs of the portable world. No, it doesn't have the greatest story, nor does it implement new techniques. This game is DWIII from the long ago days of the NES. Except... it's MUCH better. Read on, if you please.

Story 8/10
Years ago, a kingdom called Aliahan ruled the world. Aliahan lost it's power, but it still was a very peaceful kingdom.. that is until the rise of the Demon Lord Baramos! He is this evil villain, whom people don't really care about... but still, he's deadly. So the king of Aliahan summons Ortega, a great hero, to defeat Baramos. Ortega says good-bye to his wife and kid and embarks on his journey. When he finally reaches Baramos' lair, he fights... to the death. The people think that he died in the volcano which him and Baramos were fighting on. So, over a dozen years later, Ortega's child wakes up on his sixteenth birthday. He and his mother go the King's castle and the King orders him to go assemble a team of warriors and destroy Baramos. Of course, you are that young boy.

SYNOPSIS
Definitely NOT the most epic story of our time. However, it works for its age, and remember... NES RPGs were definitely not made for storyline. There is some witty humor mixed in this game, which was definitely a blast.

Controls 10/10

The controls in Dragon Warrior III are excellent. You move with the arrow keys, and use A and B to select and enter menus. Select will enable the Hero's special power. Start will pause the game. Perfect and simple. The battle menu is also very simple.

SYNOPSIS
Perfect controls. It's a turn-based RPG --- quite hard to mess up.

Learning Time 10/10

Mastering the basics might take you from fifteen minutes to half an hour if you haven't played DWIII or any other DW game before. Anyway, the manual helps you alot! The manual tells you what the classes are, what all of the spells are, the story, how to begin the game, how to save, controls. It gives you a small start on the game. (It tells you how to recruit members from the tavern, buy items, how to use the menus, how to battle, and more) The manual helps you to master the basics, but you'll be on your own from then on...

SYNOPSIS
Great learning time. The manual is actually very helpful!

Gameplay 10/10

How can I describe this? Extremely great. As I said, there's not much new you have here (who cares, though?) -- simple battle system, class-changing system, etc. However, this game is full of items, sprinkled touches, and some great extras.

Standard-issue classes. However, there are some really neat touches. The personality system: it affects the statistics of your character; the two genders: it affects what weapons you can get, and there are a couple of unique personalities. Class-changing is EXCELLENT and really fun.

You journey from town to town, doing various quests which seem to just get entangled in your way. Items are by the plenty, even more than the original NES version. There are the Monster Medals -- they are medals that the monsters drop -- come in three classes; Bronze, Silver, and Gold. It's very difficult to get them, and it is for collecting. But, don't worry, there is a use for collecting them, which you'll find later in the game!

There are some cool mini-games, also added to this game.
Monster Betting is really fun; you bet on monsters that are battling in a stadium. You can win a lot of money, or lose a lot of money, this way! Also, there's Pachisi, a board game (depending heavily on luck) with many prizes and downfalls.
Both are very good side-additions to DWIII!

SYNOPSIS
Outstanding, near-perfect gameplay. There are many additions to the original game, which prove a hearty experience! Some tediousness might come to you, but nothing much.

Graphics 9/10

The graphics in this game are tops for the GBC. Monsters are detailed, lush environments -- and that waterfall in the introduction is very nice. However, this game is for the GBC, which doesn't have the greatest graphics in the world; I'll drop a point for that.

SYNOPSIS
Excellent, excellent graphics for the GBC. For the GBC.

Audio 7/10

Alright music, but put the volume down a little bit... it gets repetitive! The music is definitely no classic, or the best of its kind, but it gets the job done, I suppose. A few tunes here and there that change as you go, but not much special altogether. Sound effects are also decent.

SYNOPSIS
Decent audio. A bit repetitive and, for sure, it's no classic.

Overall 54/60 = 9/10

If you don't yet have a GBA (but have a GBC), and you are longing for a great game that will last you for dozens of hours -- pick up Dragon Warrior III. Altogether, gameplay is outstanding, and near perfect for any RPG lover, and the graphics are something to look at, too. This is a REAL update from the NES game, and worthy of the title Deluxe. I say it again, pick this up if you have the GBC/GBA, you won't go wrong!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/28/01, Updated 12/10/02