Developer: Natsume Publisher: Sofel Release: 01/92 Genre: Action
Every system has its share of games that fly under the radar. Most of the time these games are terrible; there is a reason no one remembers crap like Chubby Cherub or the Crow: City of Angels. Dragon Fighter is on another level entirely. I never saw it on store shelves, for rent, or even a print review. It is shocking as this is a pretty good action game along the lines of Shadow of the Ninja. That should come as no surprise as it was also developed by Natsume.
Part of Dragon Fighter’s obscurity has to be its publisher. Sofel was a late comer to the NES and spent its first years publishing complete crap. When the likes of Casino Kid and Wall Street Kid are on your resume you can’t blame kids for writing you off. Don’t let that deter you though as Dragon Fighter has some good ideas buried under its flaws. Fans of action games would do well to unearth this hidden gem.
As strange as it may sound Dragon Fighter is a combination of platformer and shooter. As the nameless hero you have a lone sword and few power-ups to work with. The sword can be charged to fire off a projectile but offensively that is mostly it. There are two separate power-ups that modify the charge attack. One grants heat seeking properties at the expense of power. The other is a ground based napalm attack. You won’t see these too often so get used to the timing of the sword.
The dragon in the title refers to your alternate form. Killing enemies fills the dragon meter slowly and at the halfway point you can transform at any time. In dragon form the game auto scrolls and becomes a slow paced shooter. The rapid fire breath attack makes clearing the screen quickly easier but it isn’t without its limits. You cannot turn around and will have to maneuver in tight spaces to avoid taking hits. It isn’t advantageous to try and remain in this form too long as the meter constantly ticks down but it is handy in a pitch. Managing its use will make some of the harder boss battles trivial.
In all other respects Dragon Fighter is similar to Natsume’s other action games like Shatterhand and Shadow of the Ninja. It even has a similar look albeit within a fantasy setting. You won’t find the nuanced platforming of those titles but a nonstop level of action instead. The game does a good job pacing itself in terms of content with a new set of enemies introduced in every level. For its final level it becomes a fast paced shooter. I really like it and would have loved to have seen one or two more stages like it. Not because the game is short but to offer a reprieve from the unrelenting difficulty.
Like many of its action brethren Dragon Fighter is pretty hard in that NES way. Enemy attacks are near relentless in a way that is off-putting. Little restraint is shown as they spawn from all corners and almost never stop. Imagine enemies more annoying than medusa heads, it is that bad. Every level introduces some new enemy that will harass you constantly and is almost always just out of reach. Despite the pace being faster than Castlevania you have to play Dragon Fighter in a similar fashion, always taking measured steps and considering when to attack. I realize the numerous enemies allow you to fill the dragon meter quickly but even that doesn’t help all that much.
Some of this difficulty is artificial. You have one life and a mere three continues which is clearly no enough. The game is stingy with health items and the game doesn’t even completely refill your life bar between levels! Despite comprising six levels each stage is very long. The enemy spawns are so relentless that I don’t doubt most won’t complete stage one on their first try. It is not a knock against your skills, the game really is that tough. If the game had better balance it would have been excellent as the production values are amazing.
In Closing
That being said the high difficulty does not make this a bad game. Dragon Fighter may be frustrating at times but I enjoyed my time with it. It has the potential to be greater but fumbles a bit and may scare away players. Whether this is a deal breaker is up to you.
