Dragon Warrior III
From Enix America Corp.

wow simply amazing
This stands as one of the two best RPGs of NES. Interesting story line which plays out throughout the game, as you are a boy hearing tales of your father being killed in a fierce battle with a dragon atop of a volcano. Then one day ofcourse you gather three of your friends (each can be modified with abilities and several other things) to go find out the truth for yourself. Along the way there are several adventures battling monsters, kings, dragons, yourselves and other things across a massive land full of secrets, towns, castles and towers. Another nice feature is that the game takes you back to the original world of Dragon Warrior, so there is a whole other game in itself within the game. This game is also available on Gameboy Color.

One of the 3 best RPGs on the NES
Disclaimer: This review is for the NES version of Dragon Warrior III, not the remake of it available for the Game Boy Advance or Japanese Super Famicom.

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Dragon Warrior III is arguably the strongest of the four games released on the NES. It has two detailed worlds to explore; multiple sidequests; an army of distinct playable classes; and an array of dungeons, towers, caves, and castles to explore. Several new features are also introduced, including the ability to create hybrid classes by using a class change; the ability to fly (and not just sail); unique magic spells allowing you to transform into other characters, ironize so you can see new enemies' attack patterns, and instant death spells; and a vault where you can deposit your hard-earned cash and items for safekeeping.

The game's controls are greatly improved over those of its predecessors. The key system was improved so that each new key opens all doors that previous keys could open (thus making it unnecessary to hold 3 or 4 different keys that could only open one type of door). The Return spell was also greatly improved, thus allowing you to travel around the world far more easily. Navigating the menus is also a bit easier.

Dragon Warrior III is a long quest. The different classes you can select greatly increase its replay value and affect the game's difficulty. The class change feature, available to all characters (except the hero) after level 20, allows you to customize your team even further. For example, you could create soldiers that know how to heal or a pilgrim/white mage that can use black magic. Different team configurations call for different strategies regarding fighting bosses and getting through dungeons--all things that increase Dragon Warrior III's replay value.

Another clever innovation was the introduction of the passage of time. Enemies are more active and more deadly during the nighttime. Sometimes a town may take on a different persona at night. And other times, nighttime is the only time when you can gather some important clues. The day/night component of this game only makes the exploring aspect of it more fun.

However, like all games, Dragon Warrior III has a few demerits. For one, the beginning of the game starts off a bit too slowly because the weapons and armor you need to buy to survive are very expensive, considering how much gold you win from the enemies after each battle. So this will require a bit of time-consuming leveling up or betting at the fighting ring (another innovation), particularly when you reach Romaly, Kanave, and Isis.

Another weakness is its graphics. While Dragon Quest historically is not known for graphical brilliance, the graphics in this game are almost completely unchanged from its first two games. This game was released at about the same time as Final Fantasy 1 (or maybe even a year later), but its tile-based graphics are much poorer. The dungeons also look repetitious (green walls with gray floors, or brown walls with dark brown floors).

Also, the music score in this game is generally uninspiring. There are a few catchy tunes and a nice remake of the original Dragon Warrior music, but for the most part, the sound is disappointing. You may have more fun if you just put the game's sound on mute and listen to your favorite CD while you play instead.

As for the game's difficulty, it really depends on what kinds of warriors you chose and how you developed them. A team with only one magic-user will probably struggle just as much as a team with three magic users. There's even a goofoff class that, well, goofs off during battle. The game's overall difficulty is a bit easier than in Dragon Warrior II, but it is still more difficult than average. The bosses are plentiful, and some of them will give you a real headache. Some enemies can attack you twice, while others can inflict a variety of status-changing ailments. Others are just downright deadly (Evil Mages and Salamanders, for example). So you have to stay alert. The game's difficulty also ramps up considerably once you reach Samanao (2/3 of the way through the game). You will likely spend lots of time leveling up just to keep pace with the enemies you will face towards the end of the game.

All in all, Dragon Warrior III is a very solid game. Most of its weaknesses are technical and aesthetic. However, the storyline itself is very good and its execution is crisp. Again, Dragon Warrior III is a long game filled with places to explore. It has also aged quite well throughout the years and is an essential part of any NES RPG library. This game is probably very difficult to find, so expect to pay a high price for it. It's not that the game is super rare, but rather that the people who bought it don't want to sell it (and rightfully so, as it's a very good game). Having said that, unless you are insistent on playing the NES version of this game, you would be better off buying the enhanced remake of it for the Game Boy Advance or the Super Famicom (if you can read Japanese) instead. Only serious collectors would probably be interested in paying lots of money for the NES version of this game, as the remakes would give the casual gamer far more for your money.

Dragon Warrior III
The gameplay itself is outstanding. I was very impressed with the second, being that it was so much larger than it's original, and when I played the 3rd I was greatly impressed. This game (being of course based on the NES version and therefore 8 bit style) surpasses some of the newer games on the market today. The storyline is decent, not too complicated, and the characters do not seem to really interact with their surroundings, but the puzzles and the dungeons and overall the entire game will take several hours to complete. However, near the end, one of the things that turned me off was the constant barage of attacks, one after another, without letup. That alone can make a person frustrated, especially when time is of value. Other than that one flaw, I loved it.

   

The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road
From Xseed

Dorothy, together with her dog, Toto, has been swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, only to realize that she has touched ground in an unfamiliar new land. A voice calls out to her to follow the Yellow Brick Road if she wishes to return home, but that path is an arduous one with multiple obstacles and foes. Three of the foes bested by Dorothy on this path; Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man, offer to join Dorothy on her journey. As the four new friends complete the journey to the end of the Yellow Brick Road, they encounter the larger than life Wizard of Oz within his magical castle. Despite his almost limitless power, there are four witches running amuck within his land that he just can’t control. Dorothy and her friends are tasked with defeating the witches with a return trip to Kansas as the reward, but is this new mission beyond the Yellow Brick Road everything it appears to be? THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is the latest creative interpretation on the much beloved tale of Dorothy and her magical journey through the Land of Oz. An accessible RPG created by Media.Vision (Wild ARMs series), all actions are performed with the use of a stylus, including movement which is performed by spinning the trackball on the Touch Screen. The high production values bring the colorful world of Oz to life, while the original soundtrack captures the spirit and environment of the magical land.

• Amazon Sales Rank: #891 in Video Games
• Brand: Xseed
• Model: 80919
• Published on: 2009-08-31
• Released on: 2009-09-29
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Nintendo DS
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .65" h x 5.41" w x 5.23" l, .25 pounds

The Wizard of OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is the latest creative interpretation on the much beloved tale of Dorothy and her magical journey through the Land of Oz. An accessible single player role-playing game (RPG) created by Media.Vision (Wild ARMs series), all actions are performed with the use of a stylus, including movement which is performed by spinning the trackball on the touch screen. The high production values bring the colorful world of Oz to life, while the original soundtrack captures the spirit and environment of the magical land. An interesting take on The Wizard of Oz I bought this game on a whim and I must say I'm not disappointed with my choice. The game is surprisingly entertaining and overall charming. The graphics are on the high standards for the DS. The charcters are colorful and wacky as you'd expect from a fantasy story. The battle system is done in first person and you can switch out party members as you please though it's a bit more complicated as a member of your party takes up a certain amount of battle slots and you have 4 battle slots in total. ie: Dorothy and Scarecrow: 1; Lion: 2 and Tinman: 3. So you can have lets say Dorothy attack twice and Lion attack once. As for the story. There are a few complaints that this game is nothing like Wizard of Oz and that it is crappy because of that. I'll say this: yes it isn't like the original story in any sense. You aren't going to get a carbon copy of the book or film. It is BASED on The Wizard of Oz. I use the term 'based' loosely. The beginning is close to the story as you play Dorothy following the yellow brick road towards the Castle of OZ, meeting up with Scarecrow, Lion and Tinman on the way (you have to battle and win against them before they join your party). Once you get to the castle is where the story sort of deviates quite a bit. There are four witches that you must defeat in order to help the Wiz and in return he will grant your wishes and thus you are sent out in OZ to defeat the four witches (The mother South and her three daughters: North, East and West. All follows a specific season theme too which I though was cute.) Overall it is a fun game to play if you are looking for something simple and easy. I recommend it for the younger players. Technically best DS graphics overall. Very beautiful game for DS, and pretty fun too. I very much enjoy this game, there is a lot of emphasis put on the graphics and animation! The battle system is decent...although not great, you can only see your enemies during battle. But the story is pretty light hearted and fun overall. :D Fun game. Beautiful, Lighthearted, Fresh RPG for Newbies & Veterans The Wizard of Oz is a beautiful, lighthearted, and fresh RPG for the DS--and it's a game that I believe both RPG newbies and veterans can enjoy. The game starts much like the original book/movie. Dorothy and Toto have been sucked up into a tornado and dumped in a new land. They travel the Yellow Brick Road, picking up the Strawman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man along the way, as they travel toward Oz. Once they get to Oz, the premise diverges from the original tale, as Dorothy and the gang are entreated to travel the land and gather all of the magical eggs in various witches' kingdoms, so that Oz can be the ruler of the kingdom. And so a series of quests begins and the real story of this game begins to unfold... The gameplay in Oz is quite straightforward overall. You use a trackball system on the touchscreen to control Dorothy as she makes her way down various paths. You can control her speed and direction, just in case you want to avoid a particular enemy at a particular time, and being able to affect her speed is important for making necessary backtracking quick and painless. As Dorothy and the gang travel down these paths, they'll encounter many enemies, which you will need to battle to proceed and to level up your team. You use the touch screen to interact with objects, select battle commands, and even teach Toto a few new tricks. The entire game is touchscreen controlled, which makes for a smooth and seamless experience. It feels very natural, once you get used to it. The battle system is simple but works well. Certain characters have certain affinities, so they do better battling certain types of enemies. For instance, Dorothy is best against ghosts, Strawman is best against aquatic enemies, the Lion is best against shell-based enemies, and the Tin Man is best against plant-based enemies. The game also uses a ratio system, so that the more powerful a character, the fewer times they can be used in battle per turn. It makes a lot of sense and makes battles more interesting--which is good, since you'll have many, many short battles and some lengthier boss battles throughout this game. The most complex part of the game is navigational, as there are many paths to take (and you'll want to keep track of which paths you've taken and what's there). The game provides signposts, which you can mark with your own system of symbols using icons that are provided (whatever makes sense to you), so that you can keep track of such things, but I wound up making a few maps/notes on my own as well. You'll often encounter gates or obstructions that can only be cleared through the use of various switches, and most of these switches can be triggered only with the appropriate elemental (little spirits of fire, earth, water, and wind that you'll pick up along the way). You'll sometimes have to do some backtracking to open gates after you've gotten the appropriate elemental. But again, because you can move quickly, as long as you keep track of where you're going, backtracking is relatively painless--and often quite fun, actually. Finally, as I mentioned in the first paragraph, this game is beautiful. The environments are vibrant and lush, and all of the characters and enemies are colorful as well. This is probably the most graphically gorgeous DS game I've ever played. The soundtrack is very fitting as well, and it's not annoying, which is important since you'll be hearing a lot of it. I easily sank 20-25 hours into it before beating the game, and this one's a keeper as I expect to come back to it and tie up a few loose ends. Overall, this is a fun RPG that is accessible to beginners but also interesting enough for experienced gamers. Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)   Blogger theme by BloggerThemes for ChethStudios | Design by Instantshift Copyright 2010 Nintendo