Editor's note: the SPE reprint (in 2000) has all the exact same music, but different packaging and a slightly different title ("Super Famicom Edition" was removed). This recording was done with the London Philharmonic. The 2009 reprint is also the same material, but sports a different front cover.

It's Koichi Sugiyama. It's Dragon Quest music. Who needs a review? Seriously, though, this soundtrack is absolutely wonderful. Containing 14 tracks from both the SNES version of Dragon Quest III, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the greatest in the world, and conducted by the man who wrote the music, you really can't go wrong with this CD.

Though there's very little from Dragon Quest that I don't like in terms of music, I found this soundtrack to be of especially good quality, both in terms of production quality and length. The wonderful renditions of "Sailing" and "Grueling Fight" by the London Philharmonic amplify Sugiyama's genius twofold. The excellent brass in "Roto" brings this timeless epic to life, while the string sections during "Sailing" take you out of your house and onto the high seas of adventure.

I could say so much more about this CD, including the fact that comes with a booklet that includes photographs of the performance and the sheet music for all the tracks, but my explanation would pale in comparison to actually hearing this soundtrack for yourself. If you can find it, buy it. I picked it up for $10 used at my soundtrack Mecca, Book Off. But even for full price, it's worth it. Almost every Dragon Quest soundtrack is.

Reviewed by: Damian Thomas