I used all the included documentation when I played through Dragon Warrior, and I think it helped my enjoyment of the game, if anything. It's such a grindy game, the more it can be streamlined, the better, in my opinion.

I found Dragon Warrior Monsters even more dull than Pokemon Blue, mainly due to the randomly generated dungeons, where you very quickly see the same map shapes over and over and over. But I know the game has its fans, so YMMV. To be honest, I think monster-collecting RPGs in general aren't for me. I do like collecting things in other games, but something about that specific combination always seems to be a bore for me. I've had similar meh feelings about others I've beaten, like Metal Walker. Maybe someday I'll find one that clicks with me.