I just wanted to share some thoughts on my transition from MM2 to MM3. MM2 had some annoying gameplay elements and in some ways I am thankful i am through with it. I didn't beat it persay but I did enough to feel as if I didn't need to do anymore. ****SPOLIER****I got to about lvl 100(found the cuisenarts), I got all the discs from Castle Xabran and quit after visiting one of the elemental planes.*** End of Spoiler****
There wasn't much left to do and I was so annoyed with the battles that took 5 minutes a piece. I mean NWC should know better than to do that. Thankfully MM3 doesn't have battles with 300 monsters! I am enjoying MM3 now. Don't get me wrong MM2 was a decent game, but it's age shows and there was clearly some bad gameplay design choices. It is clear NWC was actually learning as they made these games, because the annoyances of the previous installments are missing from part 3. Part 3 is just an all around better game and my suggested starting point for anyone wanting to play this package. I have seen some people here starting with 6 and yes it may be the best looking game of the bunch and possibly the best, but come on, it isn't the only good one. MM3 is fantastic and is user friendly. It doesn't have you feeling as lost as in MM1 and 2.
PS.
If you mess with your DOSBOX options you can add some overlay options that make the game look nicer and remove the pixelization that is so apparant on LCD screens.
A topic that discusses how to do this can be found here
http://www.gog.com/en/forum/general/how_do_i_change_dosbox_resolution_for_window_mode

I've put a few hours into M&M III and it's been an interesting experience. The game feels very freeform with the player almost stumbling along for the most part. You may come across a quest in one town, be completely clueless about how to proceed then almost accidentally come across the path that leads to the solution much later.
The story takes a backseat to the exploration and hackenslashing. What little flavour text that's given is completely unmemorable. This is pretty much roam around, kill, gain loot, level up, rinse and repeat. That's not to say the game is completely mindless. Some of the puzzles in M&M3 are the most devious you'll encounter, and the wordplay and math will tax your brain. That puzzle in the Arachnid Cavern beat me, I will admit, and I had to shamefully resort to the cluebook for the solution.
(Side note: there's a misprint in the cluebook with the encryption key but it shouldn't be difficult to figure out.)
As the characters grow in the strength, the game world opens up. Sea and river are no barrier, vast distances can be traversed in a blink of an eye, supplies can be conjured up out of thin air and the player is less tethered to the nearest temple. At that point, there is a sense of wonder and discovery as the player moves around the Isles of Terra.
I'm not sure I can be sufficiently motivated to complete the game but playing this game really is like delving into a time capsule. Things were certainly different back then -- not always for the better, not always for the worse -- and it's refreshing to look back.