Nintendo has a sophisticated system for detecting pirated software. If you go online with a modified console or pirated NSP, your console could be permanently banned from the eShop and online play.
Downloading copyrighted NSP files is theft. While Nintendo rarely sues individual downloaders, they aggressively target distributors. More importantly, Dragon Quest survives on sales. Series creator Yuji Horii and composer Koichi Sugiyama (estate) rely on legitimate purchases to justify localizing these massive RPGs for the West.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D will likely receive day-one patches, balancing fixes, and potentially post-game DLC. Pirated NSP files cannot connect to Nintendo’s servers. You will be stuck with a buggy, unfinished version of the game forever.
To get the best, most stable experience, we highly recommend purchasing the game through official channels: