More Insight into Dragon Quest 3

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   Review by Seth Brown, aka SquareTex

Dragon Quest 3 (Super Famicom Remake)
Music by Koichi Sugiyama
SPCs extracted by kazamit
ID666 work by kazamit and Datschge

Reviewed by Seth Brown, aka SquareTex

Opening Notes
The music in Dragon Quest 3 justifies the time and effort to extract SPCs alone.

Very opinionated, I know. But we are talking about the Dragon Quest series (known to the Americas as Dragon Warrior), the bastion of console RPGs. And with these games comes some truly classical music.

This is due to the presence of one Koichi Sugiyama, a classically trained composer well respected in Japan, in part due to what he has done with this series. He was somehow able to take the 4-channel sound of the NES and make these wonderful miniature symphonies come out of it. With the SNES came a great boost; there were now eight sound channels, and the ability to include custom instrument samples. And darned if Sugiyama-sama and the Enix Sound Team didn't take advantage of it.

Ever since DQ5, Enix has been running a campaign of re-releases. DQ1-2 was remade with DQ5's basic engine, and in like manner DQ3 inherited its qualities from DQ6. Included in this was - IMHO - a great collection of orchestral samples. Included in this as well was one instrument in particular that gives some great character to these pieces. I wasn't sure what to call it at first; I would have gone with "synth vox." But when kazamit released the DQ6 SPC set, he referred to it as a "glass" synth. Regardless, it has a wonderful ethereal quality that has served both DQ6 and DQ3 well, represented here in such tracks as "Heaven" and "Night Village."

I should also mention that if you were lucky enough to buy the DQ3 Symphonic Suite CD, you've essentially heard this music already. That's one thing I've liked about Sugiyama. Not only does he compose the music for these games, but he also expands the pieces into full orchestral scores, commissions an orchestra like the London Philharmonic, and often handles the conducting duties himself. The results are astounding. And since the SNES was able to handle the extra complexity of the expanded suites, it would have been a crime for its music not to have taken advantage of the orchestral works. As a result, many pieces such as "Dream" and "Phoenix Ramia" now have expanded melody lines that are just gorgeous. There are other pieces that didn't appear in the original NES release also. The aforementioned "Heaven" is one of them, as well as the extremely fun "Sugoruku!" And all your old favorites? Let's just say that you'll be blown away with their new arrangements.

I downloaded the SPC set of this music when it was released, and loved it immediately. But even more recently, I have all the more reason to love it. This reason is that the first three DQ games were also released for the GameBoy Color. Essentially, they managed to SHRINK DOWN the SNES re-releases. When I picked up a GameBoy Advance, I forewent getting something like Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Super Mario Advance...I wanted only Dragon Warrior 3. And so with the time I've been playing it and seeing which music goes where, my enjoyment of this collection has increased even more.

If you need a collection that can prove just how much video game music can be ART, this one may just do the trick. If you're a fan of the series, and especially this game, you should have this already. And even if you've never thought about classical-style music before, surprise yourself! This is the orchestral side of the SNES at its best.

Track Review
SQUARETEX'S DISCLAIMER: You will notice that the order in which I review these tracks will differ from the order they fall in a freshly-opened collection. This is just my preferential listening order, and is not meant as an insult against the extractors and ID666 encoders.

Before I begin, I'm going to define a term I'll be using throughout: A/B renditions. I use this to describe the process Sugiyama used, taking the short melodies from the original game (A) and repeating the melody with embellishments (B) to lengthen the tunes here in the SNES soundtrack. Also, having never played the NES original, I had to do some research on its music via an NSF, which is essentially a sound/song extraction from the NES game. That way, I could learn which tunes weren't in the original.

Main Title (Dragon Quest Theme)
This has been a constant throughout the entire series, THE signature theme for the game. The only difference is that the intro from the first three games was different, as heard here. It is a muted, but busy horn line that slows down just before the full orchestra comes to life playing the main theme. Also, it became a rarity for the melody to be repeated in future version of the game as it also does here, the strings climbing high on the reprise. Then there's the gentle refrain, providing a calm contrast to the full-throated conclusion. As good as this melody is after all these years, it's no wonder that the Japanese hold it in as high esteem as - and maybe even more than - Beethoven's best.

Save Data
I cannot say whether it began with the third or fourth game, but along the way this charming ditty became the standard "opening menu" motif. It's a charming, ringing, but simple theme, with a soft hihat rhythm and great pizzicato harmonies.

Prologue
One new thing that the SNES remake did - and the eventual GBC port as well - was tell the story behind the hero's father, Ortega, if the player let the intro run. This prologue begins with the birth of the hero. This moment is accompanied by this lovely rendition of the "Ariahan" theme. Due to the lullaby nature of this piece, it's only appropriate that it is also the theme for the castle towns at night.

Heaven
Another new thing in the remake was that the game proper began with the hero being asked questions by an unseen entity in a dream. This was to determine the hero's personality. The scene is underscored by a tremendously lovely piece. The glass melody is gorgeous, supported by calming strings. The flue takes a lovely moment in the melody as well, before my favorite part...the glass "acapella" which is so well written that I can see many getting a lump in their throat. The first part of the melody is then repeated, but now comes a surprise...a burst of happy-go-lucky melody on flute and pizzicato that really seemed out of place when I first heard it. But over time, I've accepted and grown quite fond of that moment, which has earned its place in an overall excellent track.

Dream
The questions would end with an interactive sequence, where the hero must accomplish something. Depending on how you answered, you may end up in a rather dreary scenario (as a monster!), during which this music plays. This piece is built upon a dark string passage that really provides a spooky atmosphere. But after playing the original theme from the NES twice, it goes in a new direction. This part provides beauty to the darkness, while still maintaining the depressing atmosphere. Because of this, I can see why this may not become a favorite of many. However, it accomplishes its task successfully, and excels as a dark/sad theme.

"Ariahan"
As you know, the L and R sounds are interchangeable in the Japanese language, which is why the first castle town is also rendered "Aliahan." Regardless, the castle towns are represented by a joyful melody. Here, AB is in high form. The flutes play the opening, while the strings provide an uplifting chorus. In the B, extra harmonies are evident as well as a burst of strings, while the chorus is played an octave lower. The variation works well, preventing the repetition from being grating.

"Castle"
Before DQ5, castle themes were the sole domain of the string section, and this piece is no different. It is classical through and through, bringing a regal and majestic air to the surroundings. Excellent.

"Save"
I put this here because in the first trilogy, saving was almost entirely the domain of kings. However, this organ motif actually didn't come into vogue until the fourth game. The unusual thing about this rendition is how quickly it plays. :)

"Field"
Unlike its two predecessors, the overworld theme is no tranquil affair. Far from it. It is a rousing, adventurous theme that is meant to make the player feel proud and excited. The A rendition is led by a boisterous trumpet, while the B is the violin section in all its glory. Very good.

"Battle"
It's hard for me to pick a favorite battle theme in this series. I think this one comes the closest. It certainly is exciting. After the opening dive of strings and rumbling of French Horns, the catchy melody is backed by the continuing brass thunder and shrieking, twirling woodwinds, not to mention a tambourine-drive rhythm that is just perfect. I love this tune even in its scaled-down GBC version!

"Fanfare 1"
The standard burst of trumpets whenever you level up. Some things should never change. :)

"Dungeon"
Wow. After a dissonant rise on the clarinets, the melody begins with low flute and shimmery strings. After a quirky interlude between the other woodwinds and brass, the B moment begins with the strings hopping to the forefront, and a spare percussive track accompanying. One of the most enjoyable dungeon themes I've heard, IMHO.

"Village"
If you remember the NES original, which the GBC take emulates, this song was quite peppy. And while the tempo is the same here, the instruments used give it a more beautiful edge than before. A high clarinet leads the way, joined halfway through by a piccolo. The strings provide the chorus, before taking over the B rendition completely. They play high up, and are joined midway through by some lovely flute work. It is all so beautifully arranged, that I would say it's my favorite town theme in the series, if it were not for one more coming up...

"Awakening"
It only seemed appropriate that the trilling inn motif on flute go here.

"Tower"
I don't think I like this as much as the Dungeon theme, but it isn't bad at all. The opening "what was that" trill on French horns get your attention, while the strings play the menacing melody line. A jumpy, jarring middle section leads to a very nice brass and woodwind harmony. Then for the B section, the strings jump into the background, the oboe takes the melody (it sounds as if it's smiling :), the jumping section is punctuated by a loud CRASH on cymbals, and the strings provide a beautiful backdrop to the woodwind and horn's shining moment.

"Loser"
Game over...it happens. And when it does, it pays to have a beautiful sad song like this one. (I think it also underscores other sad moments in the game). The first melody line is played on glass, the clarinet provides the second, and strings underscore it all. Nice.

"Church"
Hmmm...well, if you've just died, shouldn't the priest revive you? That's why I put the holy-sounding organ snippet here. :)

"Night Village"
THIS is the one I love more. I mean, if you take an already-beautiful song and do what you can to make it even more beautiful, magical things happen. In this case, it's a lovely clarinet opening, the melody played on an enchanting reverberated piano (I love this effect), and a heart-tugging glass chorus. If I was to make a compilation album of night/winter music, I would certainly put this on it.

"Shrine"
The original theme was pretty even on the NES, and it's represented well by strings in this remake. Best of all, where the source was one looping piece, this variation actually provides some minor-key closure before it repeats. Great atmospheric tune.

"Colloseum"
Whenever a gambling establishment is concerned, Sugiyama leaps away from his classical roots to deliver something entirely different. In this case, it's an irrestible shuffle featuring a great - if somewhat derivative - honky-tonk piano. It gets me every time. :)

"Night Issis"
In most cases, castles are locked at night, but Isis is the exception. Thus, it needs a variation of the castle theme all its own, and gets one here in a lovely, Bach-style harpsichord piece. Maybe a little creepy, but still very good.

"Pyramid"
Here, Sugiyama mixes the Egyptian influence in with his classical stylings, coming up with a captivating theme. The A melody involves a clarinet over marching strings, playing an engrossing, Arabianesque melody. The B rendition shows the strings enjoying the melody, and adds some tambourine as well. Oh yeah, I like it.

I've placed the three following snippets in front of the Ship theme because I discovered that two of them are anchored to it - no, I WASN'T trying to do a pun there! ;) - in the NES version.

"Song of Sadness"
Sadness? This goofy little piano outburst is supposed to be sad? :)

"Memories of Love 1"
It certainly sounds like it could be the beginning of a love song, with its descending harp lines and lush strings.

"Memories of Love 2"
Wow...what a sad little snippet this is on glass and harp. Is someone sailing away for good? I haven't played far enough in the game to tell...

"Ship"
I've discovered something...there isn't an ocean theme in the entire series that I DON'T like. Ocean themes first appeared in DW2, which featured a very nice waltz. DQ3 responds with a waltz of it's own, and I like this one even more. The first half of this melody is a happy exchange between the French Horn and the strings, while the second half is a lovely, serene portrait that the violins paint. The clarinets in the back are great as well.

"Sugoruku!"
...Or as we GBC/A fans know it, "Pachisi Tracks!" :) I've really taken a liking to this built-in board game, and the music in the background makes it even more enjoyable. After a rolling marimba intro - which rolls in regularly throughout - the pizzicato strings carry the melody, the bass clarinets interject laughingly, and then a surprising rhythm kicks in as the flute carries us to the end. One of the best melodic descriptions of "fun" I've ever heard. :)

"Fanfare 2"
This proud, boisterous brass outburst *tangles tongue ;)* is commonplace in the series. I've put it here because it plays when you beat a Pachisi Track.

"Jipangu"
I THINK this may be know as "Xipangu" in the American versions of the game. But as the name would indicate, it's supposed to be a country much like Japan. The piece reflects that well, as the trumpet lead has a strong oriental flair to it. And of course, when Sugiyama mixes it with classical stylings, it just comes across very well. On the B rendition, there are extra high string harmonies, a boisterous conclusion, and a rolling harp punctuating.

"Palace of Himiko"
This track is another take on the Jipangu theme, and succeeds in outstyling it. It's slower, more mystical, and very thoroughly Far Eastern. The percussion - more for effect than rhythm - is excellent.

"Ghost Ship"
You won't find a weirder track than this one. Dissonant throughout, woodwinds take the A, and strings the B. Behind it all is a toe-tapping hihat rhythm, accompanied by a knocking noise. I'd assume it's a woodblock, but it sounds like a woodblock mixed with someone crunching a radish to me. ;)

"Reverie of Phoenix 1"
A very short, haunting glass motif, with a bit of harp at the end.

"Reverie of Phoenix 2"
The next motif shows the glass playing a bit of Ramia's theme. It is then repeated as if far off in the distance. I find this effect quite eerie.

"Phoenix Ramia"
I'm almost certain that I read somewhere - but can't remember - about this piece being considered by many as the best flying theme in the series. It's hard not to see why. The original theme was very sweet, represented here by piccolo and clarinet over harps before the strings sweep it up in a rising cymbal crash. But where the original NES theme ended, this one carries on with an extra melody that's very lush. It then wraps up with a quicker-tempo, smiling clarinet line, much like the last part of DQ6's Sailing theme. A truly magnificent theme, and a shining moment for Dragon Warrior.

"Castle of Baramoss"
I imagine you just looked at the running time for this track and balked. "Ten minutes?!?" That's right. Kazamit and Datschge didn't want to break their two-loop rule, and this piece DOES have A and B renditions. The only difference between the two is that the intro - a VERY CREEPY take on the Dungeon theme - is played one octave lower the second time through. So the main piece is two and a half minutes...of some wonderfully dark, spooky music. The theme - exclusively strings - makes it clear that you are not wanted here. Long running time or no, I enjoy this piece. So if you appreciate dark orchestrals, and aren't discouraged by the length, this track may grow on you as well.

"Battle with Baramoss"
As far as I know, Baramoss didn't have his own theme in the original NES game. So consider this a treat...and what a treat it is! Unlike the somewhat jarring themes that would come in later games, this theme doesn't get too dissonant. Both the brass and strings thunder around each other, and even throw in a quote from the Dungeon theme as well. My favorite part is when the violins shriek about while the cellos bellow the main melody down deep. One of the better - and most exciting - major battle themes in the series.

Prepare to go back in time now, Dragon Warrior fans. The music is about to push the nostalgia button...

"Underworld"
One of the coolest features in DW3 was the discovery of another world besides the major one...no more than Alefgard from the first game! (I can't help but wonder whether they would have included the full world of DW2 if space wasn't an issue...but I digress. :) So the original overworld theme fro that game comes back in a slow rendition built over triplet-based harp. It's actually spookier than it's predecessor, but I think that was the intention.

"Raditoom Street"
In the original game, this was heard in the town of Brecconnary, as well as the other villages. When the game was remade in the DQ1-2 release, the theme was based from the Symphonic Suite. Thus, the melody was played once, repeated at a higher octave, and then moved onto a great new duet between the low strings and the flute, even hinting at the Castle theme from the first game. I don't think the melody is any different from the DQ1-2 rendition, though the instrument samples may be better. Absolutely excellent.

"Castle of Raditoom"
Here is the music from the throne room of Tantegal Castle. But as with the village theme, Sugiyama took it further. Extra classical lines spin away from the melody, providing a wonderful glimpse of what the composer wanted this piece to sound like all along. A wonderful way to relive a truly memorable theme.

"Dungeon of Underworld"
Enix did something weird in the DQ1-2 remake. If you remember from the original game, the dungeon motif was a short snippet that got deeper and slower the more a player descended into the caves. They brought this back in DQ1-2, but they also included the suite from the Symphonic release for Erdrick's Cave, which linked all the variations into one flowing piece. I personally felt that they should have just used that for the dungeons by itself, and disposed of the "snippet" variations. When you hear the DQ3 rendition, I think you'll see why I feel this way. It takes all of them, maintains the sense of adventure and suspense, and doesn't overkill one section of it while you search desperately for the stairs. But that's just me. :)

"Last Battle"
I just want to thank kazamit for not saying who the last boss IS. :) As for the piece, it is every bit as exciting as Baramoss's, but unusually, it's also shorter. I don't understand that...if this boss is tougher and will take longer to kill, isn't there a danger that his theme will wear out its welcome? Oh, all right...I'll stop complaining. <;) Really, though, it gets you pumped up with its mighty trumpet work, and even seems to be quoting just a bit from the overworld - of the UNDERword, that is :) - theme as well. Good, solid, exciting music.

End Title
Trumpets and strings loudly herald the hero, before the flute takes the player on a calm, reflective moment. The strings also tell their own part in the story. The brass rushes forward, loudly acclaiming the hero once again. The ending gradually builds upon itself, resulting in one last exultation. While this may not be my favorite ending theme in the series, it's far from a slouch.