Dragon Quest III

An epic RPG with staggering depth, Dragon Warrior III immerses you in a deep adventure that you won't soon forget. Known as Dragon Quest in Japan, the Dragon Warrior series has produced some of the most popular RPGs of all time, and for good reason. Enix caters to their fans with an obsessive attention to detail, creating a universe which is both whimsical and realistic at the same time.

You get to control a young hero (male or female) in the land of Aliahan who is called upon by the king to defeat the Demon Lord Baramos. Your quest will take you through more than 50 caves, dungeons and towns, each filled with monsters to defeat and puzzles to solve. You can stock your traveling party with three companions from nine character classes, each with unique strengths and weaknesses.

U.S. gamers got their first taste of Dragon Warrior III in 1992, when the game was released for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. The game was massive even for a home console system, and Enix has upped the ante even more with the Game Boy Color version. Revamped graphics make the game look better than ever, new twists to the storyline keep things fresh, and plenty of other changes help to give the adventure a rejuvenated feel.

One of the most intriguing changes is the addition of a personality system. You're asked a series of questions when the game begins, and you are assigned a unique personality depending on your responses. There are over two dozen possible personality traits, and the game changes depending on your character's personality and gender. If you don't like the way you've been labeled, you can always read a book or two to alter your personality.

Monster Medals are another new feature in the Game Boy Color version. Monster Medals are sometimes left behind after you defeat an enemy, and come in three varieties: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Using a Game Boy Game Link Cable, you can trade Monster Medals with your friends to try to complete your collection.

There are over 150 different monsters to strike down throughout the game, including some new monsters like SeaSlime. The bad guys look great, because they were all designed by Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Warrior III is an RPG fan's dream come true -- and it's portable. All hail the Slimes, and have fun overthrowing Lord Baramos.