Digivice D3 (Digimon, Detect & Discover) Version 1 (2000) Review

Hi guys!

I'm back again with another review of another product of the Digivice line from the Digimon anime franchise. This time, I'm gonna be talking about the D3 Digivice, which was featured in the Digimon Adventure 02 anime series, back in the year 2000.

A little backstory, I actually haven't really had an original V-Pet, Pendulum, or Digivice toys growing up, since I'm not from a wealthy family, so I couldn't asked for much toys back then. All I could was playing with my friends' or relatives', so the Digivice toys had been one my most wanted toys from the wishlist, well kinda is until now LOL. But my first original Digivice was a US version of D2 Ver 2, which I got from the flea market (too bad I've lost it few months later, I was a foolish child back then, I know 😭😭). But, I digress. Here's the product shot of the D3.

The D3 Digivice Ver. 1 Paildramon Color

Back view.

Top view

This particular D3 was the first Digivice I've gottten since I started collecting 3 years ago. It's a pretty strong device out of all 2-pronged LCD Digimon toys, V-Pet battle-type device got nothing on it. But, I digress.

The D3 has a pretty standard Digivice-type gameplay, you travel the map by using pedometer movement, which increases every step you take (or you could just shake it), and  you will encounter several enemies at a every 250 steps where your goal is to defeat the final boss and unlock all different evolution of your partner Digimon there are.

Before you shake, your partner's animation is standing...

... and it walks when shaken.

This particular D3 is the first version out of 3 version. There are also another variant of these; version 1 which consists of 3 color variant (White+Light Blue, Black, and Dark Blue+Green), version 2 which consists of 2 color (Dark Blue+White and White+Red), version 3 with 2 color varints (White+Yellow and Black+Blue) and lastly the 21st Century Limited Edition, which is pretty much version 1 White+Light Blue, except the white part being a transparent shell.

Every version's difference is of the partner Digimon, map enemies & bosses, and Digimon evolution. In this particular version, there is Veemon and Wormmon, with unlockable bosses; BlackWargreymon of Area 1, Deathmon of Area 2 and Crossmon of Area 3.

BlackWargreymon, a Virus-type Boss

Deathmon, a Data-type Boss

Crossmon, a Vaccine-Type Boss

Yep, there are 3 discoverable area in the Adventure gameplay. I've forgotten how many steps to complete each area, but I can say that it takes around 100,000 to 120,000 steps to finish the whole area, and if you manages to finished it with less than 130,000 steps taken, you will unlock all 3 bosses as a battle-capable partner. 

The black dots represent all available areas in the D3, if the dot is white colored, it means that the area isn't finished yet.

In the Menu, you can find the option of:

1. Treatment (チリョウ) - To treat your Digimon if they lose a fight/took to long to initiate battle with enemy.

2. Digimental (デジメンタル) - Check all Digimental you have collected.

3. Training (トレーニング) - Train your Digimon. ヤミ means training to lower your Digimon-type bar from Vaccine to Virus, while ヒカリ does the reverse of it.

4. Search (サーチ) - Use your D3 to search for Digimental.

5. Communication (ツウシン) - communicate with other connectable 2-pronged device, Wonderswan game console and D-Terminal to battle, Jogress, or transfer Digimental.

6. Battle Percentage (センセキ) - shows your winning VS amount of battle percentage.

The unique gimmick of D3 is as stated in it's name, 'Detect' function. Using the D3 you can search for Digimental to unlock certain Armor Evolution for your partner. Enter the search function to use it. Increase the detection meter to maximum by moving your D3 to any electronic device with radio frequency output (eg: mobile phone, laptop/desktop PC, radio, television etc.) and press A button to obtain the Digimental.

Digimental can also be produced and obtained with the help of Digimental. But D-Terminal is necessary if you're trying to collect all 8 Digimentals as the Kindness and Miracle Digimental can only be obtained using D-Terminal. Without D-Terminal for this version of D3, it's impossible for you to obtain Magnamon, Veemon, Stingmon, Paildramon and also Imperialdramon. 

Speaking of impossible-to-obtain evolution, you will also need another un-Jogressed D3 of the same version so you could Jogress each other's ExVeemon and Stingmon to obtain Paildramon and DinoBeemon. You also need to have a Wonderswan and communication cable with any of Tag Tamers or D-1 Tamers game. Jogress Paildramon with Metalgreymon from any of the Wonderswan game to obtain Imperialdramon.

Verdict:

D3 is a fun little toy for Digimon enthusiast but with little depth to it's gameplay where it's a basic Digivice experience, except for battling, where there's a few tricks (comment or e-mail me for any inquiry!) to win it, if it's getting more impossible for you. Plus, it's an incomplete device on it's own. where you will also need the help of another D3 of the same version, a D-Terminal and a Wonderswan with the Tag Tamers or D-1 Tamers game. I'd say, you better go for the 15th anniversary edition if you wish to collect it, that is if you don't care about collecting which version and just want a 'complete' device LOL. 

So that sums up my review, if you wish to know more about the gameplay check out File Island website: http://lcd.withthewill.net/DThreeIntro , and of there is any question about it, you could e-mail to me as well at emanzafir@gmail.com.