Video: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison

I mean, sure it's a gigantic upgrade when comparing it to the NES version.

A better comparison would be the other remake that was released on Switch (and Mobile) - or heck, even the SNES version.

At least the character sprites match those versions.

I'll be the first to readily admit... it does actually look a little bit better.

What about do a comparison between the 2D HD remake and the mobile port.

I prefer the original.

I’ll just play the original or the one already on the eshop. I’m not supporting the new release.

Just please do Chrono Trigger already.

@Ultimapunch
They’ll just censor it and ruin its art and will want to change it for modern audiences.

@Serpenterror
I’m voting with my wallet. If it flops well they have tons of feedback already saying it was a poor idea. I’ll buy the original on the eshop but not the new one (or get the physical three pack of the games. That would be better.)

That was… 22 seconds of nothingness. I mean, we’ve seen the trailers, we know what the original game looked like, this just seems unnecessary.

I really like this remake, but I also really wish it's not censored. I'll buy this for sure but I hope the next 2D-HD squareenix remake isn't censored 😕

ps. I hate the priest cloth now has devil symbol instead of cross btw, it's kind of malicious I think.

I played the SNES version back in the day. Lovely remake. I am more excited to play the new one now.

I just wanted screenshots

The controversy over this is probably the stupidest thing I’ve seen in quite awhile…and there’s a whole lot of stupid out there.

I am already sold on the remake. This is a big improvement. Music is also just beautiful.

@GameOtaku As far as I know the physical release with DQ1-3 doesn't have the original NES versions. They're remastered too, but in 2D, and they look even worse than the new version.

Excited for this one, but I'm always baffled by how people think it's mindblowing to compare old NES footage to the remastered version as if it's a big shock.

This one is high on my wishlist and I can't wait to dive in!

Looks good. But the real reason I want to play this is the original was never ported and remade for the DS & or 3DS. unlike series number IV onwards. It was due a form of remake and port, you could argue. I didn't fancy playing the original in the NES form, quite frankly

@Doctor-Moo
Yeah but thy are more faithful to the original material.

@JohnnyMind
If it sells well by that logic they wouid falsely attribute it to the forced upon them changes. I won’t forgive them on this point by butchering the artwork of the great Toriyama. If you look at his work you can plainly see how much care and effort he put into it and I hate seeing it tarnished especially after his recent passing. Removing lips on ogres, changing female character designs (reminds me of that line is Casper where the mother said “don’t tell her to wear a tshirt under her bathing suit), removing alcohol and changing obviously male and female to type a or b. If left alone it would’ve achieved the same rating possibly the T but there’s not much difference in E10 or T in the ESRB.

@GameOtaku The mobile ports on the eshop are hideous, I recommend just emulating the SFC version.

@Kingy
I’d rather purchase that lackluster port and sq/enix to show I support unchanged artwork than emulation which doesn’t support them. In fact I’d say to everyone who hasn’t purchased that release to instead purchase it instead especially on release day of the remaster.

You'd see an improvement if it were done on the Sega Master System, so I'm sure the Switch version is great.

@JohnnyMind
I appreciate your view. I’d rather see more control and last say in things given to creators instead of suits. To coin an old adage “you can’t make a salad everyone will enjoy” if you try you’ll simply end up with an empty bowl. DEI is ruining creativity and creators views and the stories they want to tell. I’m sorry that xyz doesn’t include abc but you should enjoy it as the creators wanted and not try and change it to fit your views.

@GameOtaku Okay, well I'm gonna say that everyone NOT purchase and suffer an inferior product and instead either buy the remake if they want or play the SFC version if they're that miffed about the censorship.
And if you really want to "vote with your wallet", you don't buy from Square Enix, period. That's how boycotting is supposed to work, but because it's apparently impossible for boycotters to practice self control, they always end up supporting the things they proport to boycott anyways.

@Kingy
They could look at the individual sales. If the mobile port sold more than the hd remaster then they should take note especially since in essence it’s the same game.

@Ultimapunch man, I just had flashbacks to the early aughts when some random devs tries to remaster Chrono Trigger and it either got C&D'd or went vaporware... but the trailer looked AMAZING (for the time)

Edit: Ah, found it. It's called Chrono Resurrection. It still holds up IMO

@GameOtaku That's just not a realistic outcome dude, there's no universe where you rally up enough people to outsell a anticipated and superior remake of the same game.
And even you could, it sets a bad precedent of companies being rewarded by the people who are actively protesting them. Who's to say Square Enix wouldn't manufacture a controversy in the future just to artificially inflate numbers for another product? You'd be buying from them all the same.

You want a company to change you starve them of the money they need to continue running, that's the only way to get through to them. And this is coming from someone who's going to buy the remake.

@Kingy
I see your point but in the end it’s going to sell some copies regardless. I’d love to play it legally and support the teams actual vision for the game. I can’t justify harming those who did nothing wrong hence why the compromise of buying an alternative would keep them paid.

Here is a compromise that could have worked and pleased more consumers. Why not have modern and classic modes? That way you could have it both ways they can have type a, b and censored art in the modern setting and male/female and original untouched artwork for classic but still have the same core game.

What’s censored, a cartoon/pixelated woman has more clothing on and ya’ll are upset about that? Get out of here with that, are you kidding me?

@ChromaticDracula
Yes after the artist passed away! Its like saying they need to cover the birth of Venus up.

@GameOtaku I don't think a compromise is necessary, in a perfect world they would've just made the game rated T and kept the designs unaltered, and done away with the body type A/B nonsense entirely, it's a dying trend that's currently getting raked over the coals.

But if want to play the game, and you want to support the team that made it then you might as well just buy the remake. We already know how Yuji Horii feels about the changes, I'm sure the individuals who worked on the game agree with him. The problem here is Square Enix the company.
The best way to support the devs is to buy the game. And the only way to tell SE to stop with the nonsense is to not buy the game, or any game of theirs, until they change their business strategy.

It's a tough choice but personally I'd say if it's something you're excited to play then you shouldn't deprive yourself of it nor feel the need to compromise for a ***** version of it. At the end of the day, even with the alterations, this remake is the most faithful incarnation of how Horii, Toriyama, and Sugiyama want you to experience their work. It was incredibly tasteless for them to change Toriyama's art after he passed, but I don't think that should supercede all the hard work that went into everything else.

As an ultimatum, you could play the SFC version for now and then buy the remake next year. You would still be supporting the devs (eventually) while still having an effect on Square Enix's top dollar while it matters the most. I don't think I'll be getting the game immediately myself either, though that's because I'm pretty fatigued on the overabundance of remakes in general.

@ChromaticDracula
https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/women-arrested-bathing-suits-1920s/
So I guess the current trend would be for this to happen again. Even guys were arrested for going shirtless.

@GameOtaku LOL life is cyclical!

@ChromaticDracula
Yes but fantasy is fantasy for a reason.

@Kingy
I’m not personally excited for it per se but I would love to enjoy it without compromising on anything. I mean I’d like to enjoy the nes original because I finished dragon warrior on nes as a kid so the graphics don’t matter much as the principle.

Think the controversy is ridiculous personally, but to each their own. Can't wait to get this!

@wiiware I can't really think of what could be changed like that in I and II. The princess in II dressed like a priestess.

@GameOtaku They started covering her up in 2012 if you're unaware.

Shut up, and take my money!

So pumped for this. Now that we have the EGM kickstarter that will put all EGM issues online, it'll be double awesome to look back at the media coverage the series got the years and the specific releases. What a great time for nostalgia!

One thing I can't fully decide on is the music. I wrestled with this on DQ XII. The first release had midi music instead of the full orchestration. Honestly, I didn't mind it because it played in with the throwback/semi-retro feel of the game. I had the CE version with the OST, so I knew what the full score sounded like. When I patched my PC version (ya, bought the game multiple times) with the full orchestra version, yes I could tell the difference, but that point I was like 40/60 hours in and it felt weird. I didn't keep playing the PC version even though the HD upscale and music was neat, i wanted to finish the game on the ps4 first. I need to go back and start over on the PC. Wonder how I'll feel about the music now. Allll of that said, I wonder how I'll feel about the update music in DQIII. There is such a charm in older chip tune when it was done well. In a way, modern music with lack of limits doesn't quite rise to the same challenge sometimes.

@GameOtaku The content complete version of the game to date (pre-remake) is the GBC version. It has everything introduced in the NES original and SFC remake (unless I'm mistaken), but it does suffer from gameboy screen crunch and obviously doesn't look as good as the SFC version, which is gorgeous.
The mobile versions aren't only ugly, they're also missing content from both the SFC and GBC iterations and are infamously the worst way to play the game.
All versions are the same game fundamentally, so pick whichever one you want, I just strongly advise against spending money on the mobile version.

@MidnightDragonDX Dragon Quest has a pretty long history of censorship and unnecessary alterations between releases, unfortunately. This particular instance only got traction because it's being used as another battlefield for terminally online culture war brigades. There are a lot of bad faith actors in the mix who weren't going to buy the game one way or the other, as always.

That being said, the censorship was a bad thing then and it's a bad thing now.

@MidnightDragonDX
Uh that was dragon quest x so it’s not even the same character.

@Kingy
At least the censorship was more consistent with certain things and at tge rime there was no rating’s system.

@GameOtaku Uh, that's just false. They've been covering up the lady warrior in promotional material since 2001, the ratings system was established by then and DQIII was rated T. Sexual content (the Puff-Puff innuendo) in Dragon Quest has been removed or altered in the west since the very first game and religious symbolism was removed from II-IV.
What has gotten changed over the years has been inconsistent between games but there are multiple instances of female characters having outfits altered and violent content being toned down.

I'd say there is no at least here, it's just bad through and through, and by your standard these games would be 'compromised' too would they not?

@Kingy
It’s bad any way you go. In the art books it’s always shown the original design. Only games in the series I’ve played have been 1 then jumped to 8 years later, then dq monster 2 Tara, 4, 5, 6,7, 9 and 11. Outside of the costume alterations Toriyama did on two of Jessica’s outfits in the 3ds port of 8 (which was covered here on Nintendolife) none of the other changes really rocked the boat or at least wasn’t newsworthy then. Of course I find it odd they censor that and not young Gokus pat pats in the original dragonball. But then they censor lips on Mr Popo so go figure.

@Kingy Fair enough. I’ve played a lot of Dragon Quest games. I guess I’ve never paid attention to that before.I’m just tired of hearing about it and those terminal culture war brigades really need to find something better to do with their time, but whatever. All I want is for November to come so I can play the game!

I like the updated graphics all the more worth to give it a shot.

@wiiware Do you mean the trident symbol? How is that a devil symbol? A quick search tells me it at least has positive connotations in hinduism, and I've never seen it used in Christian symbolism. The only Western usage I know of is Greek mythology.

Doesn't mean you are wrong, mind you, I am genuinely curious how that translated to a devil symbol for you.

@Daniel36 The previous symbol is cross, It's like the consultant see the cross and search for the opposite of that, I'm sure as heck they didn't think "hmm, we'll replace this symbol with the hindu one". I mean, there's no body type A and B in hindu.

@wiiware Uhhh... What? How is a trident the opposite of a cross?

And I didn't say they replaced it with a hindu symbol. I said the only thing I could find on the trident as a symbol was its significance in hinduism, aside from Greek mythology. So what I was saying is I couldn't find anything denoting the trident as a devil symbol.

And now you are conflating the symbolism on a Priest character, one that I am sure nobody paid too much mind to, other than not wanting to have Christian symbolism in an animé fantasy game, with their desire to be more inclusive. The choice of changing it to type A and B has nothing to do with the change in attire of a Priest character.

And whether or not that inclusiveness is warranted or achieved with type A and B is another discussion, but that's apparently the reasoning behind it.

Those two have very little to do with one another, aside from both being changes to the original format. I can even safely assert that the change in the Priest's iconography is for very different reasons than the female Fighter's change in appearance, to name that third change.

This is far from the first time a Japanese game changes iconography for Western audiences. Whether or not you agree with the changes is besides the point. They changed swastikas with stars in many games, and I am guessing there isn't a single soul on this planet that doesn't understand the reasoning behind it.

I am guessin the developers or localizers thought a cross might also rub some people the wrong way in a similar (albeit less intense) way.

So again, how is it a devil symbol?

Looks great, can't wait to buy it. Might even pick it up on a few platforms just to show support. (I was struggling with whether I wanted it on PS5, Switch, or Xbox, so maybe ill just get all 3.)

All those whining about censorship, realize it wasnt the creators choice, but rather the governments. Blame them, not the game maker. (Not that the differences are important anyway. I mean, seriously, lips on ogres? Who cares?)

@wiiware ...you mean the trident dragon quest has used for many, many years at this point (i wanna say since dq8 in 2005?) at least before it became the weird caltrop-esque design in 11

@somebread This game is a remake of dragon quest 3, not dragon quest 8, I compare the game priest clothing to it's original counterpart, which is dragon quest 3.

@Daniel36 I prefer if squareenix didn't censor the game original design, although maybe it's just the western censors is worse now. Like in the pokemon leaks I remember there's characters that have it rosary removed because the west censor religion symbol.

Also winking, winking is very dangerous according to the west lol.