Dragon Quest 3 for SNES English Translation

[kupomogli]

Finally, after years and years of waiting, multiple translation attempts being abandoned, and then more years of waiting, the SNES version of one of the greatest RPG titles ever to grace a console has been translated.

I'm a pretty big Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest fan(which you'd want to call it) and Dragon Warrior 3 has been tied as my favorite of the series(my other favorite being 7.) I've only tested out the SNES version before, but I hate playing any sortof text heavy game that isn't in a language I can understand(which is English only, unfortunately.)

So mark it on your calenders. March 1, 2009 is Dragon Quest 3 day. Multiple other days are Dragon Quest 3 day as well, but this one is more important than the rest since it's a version we haven't received. :P. The only reason I remembered to post this here is because I went and posted in that Dragon Quest 5 thread and then it made me remember the Dragon Quest 3 translation. We should just have March be called Dragon Quest month altogether, because last year in March, Dragon Quest Monsters Caravan Heart finally received a fan translation as well.

http://www.romhacking.net/trans/1323/ - This is where the patch is. They haven't updated the info from when they originally posted it other than add the patch.

[Mason P.]

Wasn't Dragon Warrior III a nes game? Is the SNES version different?

[aclbandit]

Wasn't Dragon Warrior III a nes game? Is the SNES version different?

It was an NES/Famicom game, yup. However, Square released a Super Famicom (SNES) version late in the SNES life-cycle, and it was, consequently, never released domestically. Supposedly even better than the NES game, but I've never played it, so I dunno.

[Cloud121]

It was an NES/Famicom game, yup. However, Square released a Super Famicom (SNES) version late in the SNES life-cycle, and it was, consequently, never released domestically. Supposedly even better than the NES game, but I've never played it, so I dunno.
You mean Enix released the Super Famicom version.

[kupomogli]

Wasn't Dragon Warrior III a nes game? Is the SNES version different?

The SNES game is the exact same as the NES game with the addition of that one Pachisi area, character personality traits, and Tiny Medals. The main difference is the graphical enhancement and the ability to search or enter areas without opening the menu(the search/enter without opening the menu was fixed in DQ5 so you didn't have to open the menu if you didn't want.)

Now I don't need graphics to like a game(I love the NES Dragon Warrior 3 for example,) but if a game is remade, stays true to the original, and the graphics are much better, then I'd definitely play that title over the original any day. The Dragon Warrior games have never been big on graphics or anything. Even Dragon Quest 5 doesn't look much better than an NES game.

But I honestly thank Heartbeat for making the Dragon Quest 6 graphics comparable to recent RPG titles and still retaining the Dragon Quest feel. I also thank them for doing the same for Dragon Quest 3 and making those graphics even better than DQ6. My personal opinion is that the DQ3 graphics are the second best the SNES has had as only FF6's are better.

The GBC Dragon Warrior 3 is the best of them all though. The graphics are comparable to those on DQ5, but in addition to everything on the SNES version, the GBC version also has the Monster Medals. Kindof a lame gimmick yes, but the game has an additional dungeon in which you need to collect those in order to get through certain parts. If you're not interested in the Monster Medal dungeon however, or you've already completed it or able to go there and complete it, then I'd say no real need to play any other version than the superior SNES version. Then you can always load up the GBC version if you want to go to the dungeon.

[aclbandit]

You mean Enix released the Super Famicom version.

Precisely. Sorry for the now-minor, then-major mixup.

[roushimsx]

Looking forward to finally playing this version. Enjoyed the original and the GBC remake of this remake was nice, but I've always wanted to play this one. Something about the DQVI-level graphics and such.

First things first though...I gotta play through the DS versions of IV and V. IV was always my favorite and V was "the one that got away" :(

[kupomogli]

You should play them in order. 3, 4, then 5. That way you can start with the awesomeness that is DQ3 on the Super Famicom first.

[Sudo]

Awesome, I've been looking forward to this forever. III is one of three games in the series I haven't finished (VI and VII being the other two).

[kainemaxwell]

Nice job with this. Always good to see early rpgs still getting some love.

[far336]

Hi there. umm i think i get a glitch or somthing after i play the game. see this is what happends i downloaded the zsnes one and i played the japanese version it worked fine, but when i did the translation patch it kinda glitched or somthing. when i click the dq3 game, there is a person with a sword standing with white background and writing at front, i click the A button the screen fades away but the game doesn't play, i been trying to use the fast forward too, din work, can somone help me?

[nectarsis]

Even Dragon Quest 5 doesn't look much better than an NES game.


While the DQ/DW have rarely been huge on graphics, DQ 5 is leagues better than any NES game (much less the NES DQ/DW games).

[Zoltor]

The SNES game is the exact same as the NES game with the addition of that one Pachisi area, character personality traits, and Tiny Medals. The main difference is the graphical enhancement and the ability to search or enter areas without opening the menu(the search/enter without opening the menu was fixed in DQ5 so you didn't have to open the menu if you didn't want.)

Now I don't need graphics to like a game(I love the NES Dragon Warrior 3 for example,) but if a game is remade, stays true to the original, and the graphics are much better, then I'd definitely play that title over the original any day. The Dragon Warrior games have never been big on graphics or anything. Even Dragon Quest 5 doesn't look much better than an NES game.

But I honestly thank Heartbeat for making the Dragon Quest 6 graphics comparable to recent RPG titles and still retaining the Dragon Quest feel. I also thank them for doing the same for Dragon Quest 3 and making those graphics even better than DQ6. My personal opinion is that the DQ3 graphics are the second best the SNES has had as only FF6's are better.

The GBC Dragon Warrior 3 is the best of them all though. The graphics are comparable to those on DQ5, but in addition to everything on the SNES version, the GBC version also has the Monster Medals. Kindof a lame gimmick yes, but the game has an additional dungeon in which you need to collect those in order to get through certain parts. If you're not interested in the Monster Medal dungeon however, or you've already completed it or able to go there and complete it, then I'd say no real need to play any other version than the superior SNES version. Then you can always load up the GBC version if you want to go to the dungeon.

There's a big differance between impoving graphics(aka cleaning them up/less pixelated), and "changing" them, and changing graphics in remakes is never a good thing. I am also very scared that you claim to even like the insult that it the GBC version(aka the worse remeke of any game ever made).

It looks nothing like the origi8nal, It's so insanely easy, It's basically impossible to die(The original DW 3 wasn't super hard as is, was there any reason to make the remakes even easier sigh), there is no treasure hunting in the GBC version, which kills all the fun there is to be had after you beat the game(and no, monster medals while a great concept doesn't make up for removing evey other treasure hunting aspect from the game), It's just such a crappy game, no fan of the original DW3 could possibly enjoy it.

Also you say It's good if a game stays true to the original, however the GBC version doesn't stay true to the original in any way, shape or form, so lets not praise it ok lol.


So how is the SNES remake, does it even look like the DW3 world? The Tiny Medals could be a nice addition, but what items do you get for them? Also what's the deal with the Pachisi area, is it a bonus dungeon/quest or what?

[Ravenswood]

I've played the NES version of Dragon Warrior III for years. In fact, if you'll check the "Beaten In 2010" thread, you'll notice that I just finished the game again, today. That said, I don't get the hate for the GBC remake. It's certainly not the worst remake ever... that award probably goes to the Game Boy Color remake of Crystalis.

I don't get what you mean by "treasure hunting". The number of treasure boxes hasn't been reduced, and the only difference is that some of them have different things in them. In fact, there's probably more "treasure hunting", since you can search dressers, pots, bags, ovens, etc.

The difficulty's been reduced, but that's a problem with most remakes. It hasn't been dumbed down to nearly the level of Dragon Warrior I & II or Final Fantasy I & II - Dawn of Souls.

The only real problem I have with the GBC remake is the Monster Medal dungeon. It's a pretty small reward for the hours you'd have to spend hunting medals from, say... Metal Slimes or Metal Babbles. Pachisi, on the other hand, is the best mini-game ever. It's certainly better than another generic casino or slot-machine game.

In my opinion, Dragon Warrior III GBC deserves every bit of the praise it gets. The only thing that would have made the game any better would have been the removal of the Monster Medal dungeon and the reintroduction of battle backgrounds. That plain white was killer.

[Zoltor]

I've played the NES version of Dragon Warrior III for years. In fact, if you'll check the "Beaten In 2010" thread, you'll notice that I just finished the game again, today. That said, I don't get the hate for the GBC remake. It's certainly not the worst remake ever... that award probably goes to the Game Boy Color remake of Crystalis.

I don't get what you mean by "treasure hunting". The number of treasure boxes hasn't been reduced, and the only difference is that some of them have different things in them. In fact, there's probably more "treasure hunting", since you can search dressers, pots, bags, ovens, etc.

The difficulty's been reduced, but that's a problem with most remakes. It hasn't been dumbed down to nearly the level of Dragon Warrior I & II or Final Fantasy I & II - Dawn of Souls.

The only real problem I have with the GBC remake is the Monster Medal dungeon. It's a pretty small reward for the hours you'd have to spend hunting medals from, say... Metal Slimes or Metal Babbles. Pachisi, on the other hand, is the best mini-game ever. It's certainly better than another generic casino or slot-machine game.

In my opinion, Dragon Warrior III GBC deserves every bit of the praise it gets. The only thing that would have made the game any better would have been the removal of the Monster Medal dungeon and the reintroduction of battle backgrounds. That plain white was killer.

Crystalis remake Isn't good either, now with that being said, I hate the GBC DW3 remake with a passion.

Treasure hunting=monster drops. Any/all of the super rares from the original game, can now be obtained through other means, not to mention any attraction left was stripped away due to the super broken thief class, which combined with the fact items are no longer restricted to enemy drops only, makes treasure hunting nonexistant.

In a new/original DW/Q game, Pachisi would probally be good, but not in a game that treasure hunting played such a dominant role to get alot of the special items in the game.

Lol yea It's funny that they wasted all that time to give the remake those crappy, not DW3ish graphics, but yet in battle there's only a white backround.

PS. Try getting 22 pairs of Shoes of Happiness, 8 Golden Claws,, 18 Sword of Illusions,30 Shield of Sarrows, 30ish Mysterious Hats, exc(you get the idea) in the original NES version, now that is true treasure hunting fun.

My friends, and I use to kind of compete with each other(who has more, and whatnot, including other types competitions.

Note: Granted It's true that all remakes tend to be easier then the original, but DW 3 for the GBC takes the cake for the remake with the biggest drop in difficulty from the original(hell the free seed you get in the beginning of the game, basically makes you unkillable, and to top it off they added the Thief Class which is so OPed, it puts the Fighter class to shame).

But then again, I haven't played the remake of DW 2, I refuse to even try a remake of that game, because I beat the real DW 2(the hardest game ever made), and I'm sure they all but removed mechanics/features that gave that game its flavor(and also the insane difficulty, which without its insane difficulty, DW 2 is nothing much. That game is not meant to be beating, It's an endurance race basically, so dumbing that game down would defeat the entire purpose of playing it).

[kupomogli]

Something about the GBC version sucking

If you don't like the GBC version then don't bother playing the SNES version. The GBC version is a port of the SNES version with less graphics and the monster medals were added. From the questionnaire at the beginning to the seeds when creating your characters as well as hidden seeds throughout the game.

Btw, you're not required to use any of the seeds hidden throughout the game in either version. You don't have to go to the Pachisi areas. You don't have to use Tiny Medal place to get extra items.

What's the difference between. These two pictures? If you look at the pictures really nothing other than the graphics. The level design is the same only a bit more refined in the SNES/GBC version.

Just like Final Fantasy compared to the remakes, it pretty much stays true with a few additions. Do you not like Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls at all because they made some major changes and extreme difficulty decreases to the original Final Fantasy? No need to act hardcore since it's not the original. Regardless whether it's the original or not, it's still a good game, just like Dawn of Souls is a good game even though the original is much better.

http://sydlexia.com/imagesandstuff/nes100/dragonwarrior3.png

http://i39.tinypic.com/20h3tl0.jpg

[Zoltor]

If you don't like the GBC version then don't bother playing the SNES version. The GBC version is a port of the SNES version with less graphics and the monster medals were added. From the questionnaire at the beginning to the seeds when creating your characters as well as hidden seeds throughout the game.

Btw, you're not required to use any of the seeds hidden throughout the game in either version. You don't have to go to the Pachisi areas. You don't have to use Tiny Medal place to get extra items.

What's the difference between. These two pictures? If you look at the pictures really nothing other than the graphics. The level design is the same only a bit more refined in the SNES/GBC version.

Just like Final Fantasy compared to the remakes, it pretty much stays true with a few additions. Do you not like Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls at all because they made some major changes and extreme difficulty decreases to the original Final Fantasy? No need to act hardcore since it's not the original. Regardless whether it's the original or not, it's still a good game, just like Dawn of Souls is a good game even though the original is much better.

http://sydlexia.com/imagesandstuff/nes100/dragonwarrior3.png

http://i39.tinypic.com/20h3tl0.jpg

Lol It's so sad that people actually think the GBC remake graphics are better then the original NES version, they are ugly as hell to say the least, moving on.

I can't say I aprove of the SNES graphics being completely different from the original(atleast townwise), but atleast they don't make me sick to my stomach(note the first ss you posted didn't look that different from the original 3, however I looked up some more, evidently the DW 3 SNES remake uses the exact same graphics as DQ 6).

Yes it does matter, they give you the seeds, logic dictates they must be used, and the mere existance of the Pachisi game discredits the Treasure Hunting aspect of the game(as does the thief class), thus if the person was playing the remake, and said he got x, y or z, it wouldn't matter, since any true treasure hunting aspect has been technically removed from the game(aka can be easily obtained).


PS. So the only change in the SNES version from the NES version is the graphics then? Meh, It's amazing anyone actually bothered translating it, kind've explains why it wasn't translated ages ago(back when DQ 5, and 6 were translated), I guess I'll pass then(sad people spent time to translate a game that was technically released in the US,but just with different graphics, while there are tons of games that have never been released here, that could've been translated instead).

Oh yea, just to be an *******(since It's not a big deal, just stupid), I hate the newer name changes, that were made because the Enix developers became too lazy to properly code the monster names(max length)in(aka Mataly instead of Metal Slime, Mettable instead of Metal Babble, and such, not to mention some of the Japanese versions of named monsters are incurrect, such a chimera instead of Wyvern, Chimeras look nothing like Wyverns, so why they named their Wyverns, which look like wyverns Chimeras, I will never understand)

[kupomogli]

There's also no standing over a stairs and hitting stairs to go down, no standing on a treasure and hitting open to check for an item. You can always hit the R or L button(can't remember which,) which is your fast action to look on the ground, look in dressers, look in a pot, talk to people, check treasures, etc. You can still do it the original way, but I like they actually added a fast action button to keep it standard with almost much every other RPG title ever created.

For a game that is a perfect representation to the original but altogether a better game, I really don't see myself going back to the original to play. If there were some truly major differences such as the FF games have had, then there'd be reason for it, but there's no real reason to with the enhanced controls and graphics.

I'll still be going back to Dragon Quest 4 on NES, 5 on SNES, and 6 on SNES even with the DS releases because the differences are major. 3d in my opinion is a major difference, so it's going to be a different experience in comparison to the exact same layout and gameplay on DQ3 with better control and graphics.

[Zoltor]

There's also no standing over a stairs and hitting stairs to go down, no standing on a treasure and hitting open to check for an item. You can always hit the R or L button(can't remember which,) which is your fast action to look on the ground, look in dressers, look in a pot, talk to people, check treasures, etc. You can still do it the original way, but I like they actually added a fast action button to keep it standard with almost much every other RPG title ever created.

For a game that is a perfect representation to the original but altogether a better game, I really don't see myself going back to the original to play. If there were some truly major differences such as the FF games have had, then there'd be reason for it, but there's no real reason to with the enhanced controls and graphics.

I'll still be going back to Dragon Quest 4 on NES, 5 on SNES, and 6 on SNES even with the DS releases because the differences are major. 3d in my opinion is a major difference, so it's going to be a different experience in comparison to the exact same layout and gameplay on DQ3 with better control and graphics.

Oh ok, that's a cool change(quick action button, and such).

Now I never said the graphic change would make DW3 SNES a bad game alone(If in every other aspect, it is true to the original, I'm sure It's a great game), just it was pretty pointless to translate it. As for me passing, I liked DW/Q3 just fine with how it looked on the NES, so I don't feel any reason to move from my big TV over to my much smaller computer screen.

[Ravenswood]

Crystalis remake Isn't good either, now with that being said, I hate the GBC DW3 remake with a passion.

Treasure hunting=monster drops. Any/all of the super rares from the original game, can now be obtained through other means, not to mention any attraction left was stripped away due to the super broken thief class, which combined with the fact items are no longer restricted to enemy drops only, makes treasure hunting nonexistant.

In a new/original DW/Q game, Pachisi would probally be good, but not in a game that treasure hunting played such a dominant role to get alot of the special items in the game.

Lol yea It's funny that they wasted all that time to give the remake those crappy, not DW3ish graphics, but yet in battle there's only a white backround.

PS. Try getting 22 pairs of Shoes of Happiness, 8 Golden Claws,, 18 Sword of Illusions,30 Shield of Sarrows, 30ish Mysterious Hats, exc(you get the idea) in the original NES version, now that is true treasure hunting fun.

My friends, and I use to kind of compete with each other(who has more, and whatnot, including other types competitions.

Note: Granted It's true that all remakes tend to be easier then the original, but DW 3 for the GBC takes the cake for the remake with the biggest drop in difficulty from the original(hell the free seed you get in the beginning of the game, basically makes you unkillable, and to top it off they added the Thief Class which is so OPed, it puts the Fighter class to shame).

But then again, I haven't played the remake of DW 2, I refuse to even try a remake of that game, because I beat the real DW 2(the hardest game ever made), and I'm sure they all but removed mechanics/features that gave that game its flavor(and also the insane difficulty, which without its insane difficulty, DW 2 is nothing much. That game is not meant to be beating, It's an endurance race basically, so dumbing that game down would defeat the entire purpose of playing it).

Yeah, but monster drops are a pretty minor nitpick. Very few people go out of their way to obsessively collect monster drops, and most of the ones that do are just doing it to farm Seeds. I don't see any reason for multiple Golden Claws, unless you have an all fighter team or you plan on selling them for a ton of money. Same thing goes with getting 30 or 40 of anything... you only have four party members. Getting 30 Snowblast Swords isn't fun, it's obsessive-compulsive. I understand that it might seem fun to you, but for most people, it's actually a minor complaint.

Most of the special items you won during Pachisi were also unique to Pachisis, so it didn't really cut back on obsessive item-grinding, if you really wanted to do it. Also, you could always elect to not use a thief.

I'm in total agreement with you about the battle backgrounds, though. That plain white was awful. Little mini background portraits like DW1 had would have been preferable to that white mess.

The difficulty drop between DW1 NES and DW1 GBC was much more profound than the drop between the two DW3's I believe. The XP and gold outputs were boosted way up, it introduced Seeds and a bank, weapons could cast spells, etc. DW2 was much the same way, but I still enjoyed the remake. At least they removed that damn Staff of Thunder glitch.

Back on topic, though, I've played a little bit of the DQIII SNES remake. It was pretty fun. It had the tiny medals and the Pachisi, but you didn't have to obsessively hunt medals to open up a second bonus dungeon. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a repro cart... I have ones of DQV and VI. Maybe I should save up 70 or 80 bucks and snag one.

[kupomogli]

The plain white background on the GBC DW3 is a weird complaint as well. Go back and play DW3 for the NES. Plain black background.

Or go play DW1 and 2 on the NES. The original has a battle background that shows up and then the second just has a black background. Now go and play DW1 and 2 on the GBC. The original has a battle background and the second has a white background(even though on the same cartridge.)

So having no battle background on the GBC versions really doesn't take much away as even the originals background on GBC doesn't really look that good. It also stays truer to the original games.

DW1 and 2 on GBC is better than their original incarnations. Not as much of a massive grind for the original title due to the double exp and double gp addition. I still don't like the original on that cartridge because the game is built around grinding, but the second title is improved with that aspect. I've never played the NES version of the second one so really no idea, but I did like the GBC version.

[SparTonberry]

I'm not sure if there were other technical reasons like VRAM, but a detailed background on the GBC would've been distracting and made it hard to see the enemy animation. Remember the real GBC screen had no built-in lighting and kind of a lack of contrast. I can only imagine playing DK Land 1 on an original GB to be something of a visual analogy.
(see the super bright palette for monochrome GB games. The contrast nearly blinded me when I played a GB game on a 101 GBA. :P )

[skaar]

I'm not sure if there were other technical reasons like VRAM, but a detailed background on the GBC would've been distracting and made it hard to see the enemy animation. Remember the real GBC screen had no built-in lighting and kind of a lack of contrast. I can only imagine playing DK Land 1 on an original GB to be something of a visual analogy.
(see the super bright palette for monochrome GB games. The contrast nearly blinded me when I played a GB game on a 101 GBA. :P )

I couldn't play through Circle of the Moon on the original GBA because of the damned lack of backlight. Went back to it on a DS years later - much better :D

[Ravenswood]

Full backgrounds weren't necessary. Miniature ones like the ones found in Dragon Warrior I would have been better. If I'm not mistaken, they even added backgrounds to the last few boss fights in Dragon Warrior II.

I guess it's not the backgrounds that bother me so much as how ugly the artwork looks against them. Lufia - The Legend Returns had plain white backgrounds, but it didn't bother me as much since the enemy artwork didn't contrast it so violently.