The Best Secret Locations In The Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D Remake

The JRPG genre’s beginnings are quite murky: some would point to Dungeon as the first proper RPG from Japan, while others would say it was Dragon Slayer or even the first Dragon Quest itself. Less ambiguous is the fact that Dragon Quest 3 refined, defined, and nigh perfected the genre. Released in 1988 for the NES, Dragon Quest 3 set the template for all turn-based RPGs to come. Even today, many JRPGs are, on a reductionist level, little more than Dragon Quest 3 mods.

DQ3’s HD-2D remake provides an avenue for newer generations to experience it in all its glory. Yet, due to this game being decades old, you might be unfamiliar with its caveats and miss some areas. Here are some you definitely shouldn’t miss.

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Under Patty’s Party Planning Place’s Pergola

A Dragon Scale Tale

Hey, Dragon Quest loves alliteration. You can’t blame us for trying to one-up it. While the HD-2D remake’s tutorial pop-ups will prevent you from missing areas like the Mini Medal Manor in Aliahan’s well, this one is kept obscure. Next to Patty’s Party Planning Place, keep following the veranda into the side passage.

Your characters will be obscured by the pergola, but keep going. You’ll find a Dragon Scale at the very end, an early defensive accessory. Yes, it’s not a game-breaker, but it teaches you a valuable lesson: this world is filled with hidden treasures.

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Treasures In The Trees

Look Around Dreamer’s Tower

The Dreamer’s Tower will act as your first test of mettle gameplay-wise. Around the area, there are a few hidden locations you should look for to obtain useful items for the early game. One of them is west of Reeve, where you’ll find a divine dagger. The other is to the northwest of the Dream Tower, where you’ll find shell armour.

Finally, go to the forest north of Dreamer’s Tower to find some more gold and healing items. Unlike the other two, this area is glowing and easy to find. These early-game hidden areas encourage you to explore the overworld thoroughly. What looks like a standard isolated tree or rock on the map might actually be a hidden location with a treasure in it.

6

Treasure Near The Teleportal

A Must For Magic Users

To truly get started with your adventures, you’ll need to leave your cozy continent behind and venture out into the world. This requires you to go through a teleportal east of Aliahan. However, before you go traipsing through the teleportal, veer off the beaten path a bit.

There will be an area near the teleportal, to the east, which looks like it’s been burned. There, you will find much gold and a wizard staff, great for enhancing magic attacks. Your mage and priest will thank you.

5

Romarian Revelation

The Hidden Area That Tells You About Hidden Areas

Here’s a rather amusing and lovely hidden area that encapsulates the charm and joy of Dragon Quest 3. North of Romaria, you’ll find a rock monument in the midst of a forest. You should definitely pay this area a visit, because it’s a true treasure trove of information.

Here, you will find an NPC who will tell you of three other hidden areas around Romaria. There’s a tree in the far north, a coastal area, and a similar rock monument near a mountain range. Each of these areas will bless you with healing items as well as monsters for wrangling.

4

Grave Of The Mini Medals

Buried Treasure

In the village of Khyorv, you’ll find a child NPC who complains of being scolded by a babushka. All she had been doing, she says, was playing near the graves. Apparently Khyorv doesn’t have playgrounds. Either way, you and your party are too old to be scolded by a babushka, so go ahead and check out the graveyard next to a church.

At the grave in the bottom right, you’ll find a mini medal. You can exchange these at the Mini Medal Manor in Aliahan for pricey rewards.

3

Snowy Ridge

Cloudy With A Chance Of Rabbit Tails

North of the sleepy village of Norvik, you’ll find a snowy area that looks different from the surrounding grasslands. In DQ3’s visual language, this cue means ‘go check this place out immediately.’ In the hidden area here, you’ll meet a Cumaulus who’s friendly and nervous. Wrangle this monster, name him Cloud, and then keep exploring to find a rabbit tail.

Then go westward to find another hidden area where you’ll meet a spiked rabbit (likely the one who lost his tail) also ripe for wrangling. Your party will name him Harry.

2

Mountain Range Delights

Two For One Hidden Area

North of Romaria and south of Norvik, there’s a mountain range separating the two towns. In this mountain range, you’ll find a tree with a seed of luck, a stat-boosting item that will suit your hero, priest or assorted gadabouts. You’ll also find multiple healing items, including a strong medicine, much better than the healing herbs your party has been relying on so far.

Within the mountain range, you’ll also manage to rescue an antnibbler creature named Gobblebert. Apparently your party was out of ideas that day.

1

We’ll Come Back Later

The Joy Of Open-Ended Exploration

DQ3 is a massive game, and it was not meant to be linear. While RPGs up to this point designed areas to be abandoned once you were done with them story-wise, DQ3’s world is designed to be explored. At the top of your first continent, you’ll find a shiny treasure area lingering alluringly out of reach.

Worry not, because you’ll come back here much later in the game. Once you obtain a ship, your part will be able to reach areas it couldn’t before. It will open up a whole new world of exploration within Dragon Quest 3. This may seem quaint now, but in its time, it was revolutionary.