'Dragon Strike' for the NES

Dragon Strike is set in Krynn, which is from the Dragonlance Saga. For those who are unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons, the table top, role-playing system had numerous worlds or realms, but Dragonlance was one of the more popular ones, which went on to inspire several novels as well. Dragon Strike, the video game, however, was released in 1990 to a variety of systems, but ported to the NES in 1992. The NES version was a little...okay, a lot different from the other ports, but it's still a hell of a game!

The funny thing is that the NES has numerous Dungeons and Dragons games. Their appeal to table top gamers is irrefutable, but this is the only DnD game in which you play as, wait for it, a dragon! You begin by selecting one of three dragons; gold, silver, or bronze, and each dragon has distinctive strengths and weaknesses, but they don’t seem to affect the over all game play much. Just choose your favorite color, and set off on your journey.

You fly around fighting monsters, humans, siege engines, ships, and other dragons. Each mission requires you destroy a set amount of specific enemies. While flying around, you can fire off two different kinds of attacks. Each one either helps or hinders the defeat of certain enemies, but some enemies are on the ground, or sea, while others are in the air, so you also have to switch between two heights.

It’s pretty cool to fly around from an overhead, 2D perspective and blast the baddies, if a little repetitive. There’s a two player mode, too, but it isn’t co-op, which is kind of weird. It’s more like Mario Brothers; the first player gets their chance to complete a mission, and whether it results in victory or defeat, the next player gets their turn.

The Good:

Dragon Strike has quite a bit going for it, I think. First of all, playing as a dragon is novel. There are a few other games in which you can play as a dragon, sort of. Dragon Spirit comes to mind, but you’re really a man with a magic sword, which allows you to transform into a dragon. Then, when you play, you’re a dragon the whole time, but you're an actual dragon in Dragon Strike, so the novelty is really special.

Admittedly, you're a knight on dragonback in the other ports; but hey, I'm not reviewing the other ports!

The graphics are fairly advanced for a NES game. The two heights you fly through are also a cool addition to the game play. The controls are smooth once you get used to them. Basically, you’re always in motion, flying in the direction your scaly snout is pointing. You press left or right to turn in a circle, so the up and down arrows switch your height.

There are some power ups throughout as well, which can either replenish health or increase your attack power. The music isn’t bad either.

The Bad:

Not a ton of faults in Dragon Strike. There could have been more distinction among the dragons; something like wider or faster attacks comes to mind. A difference in speed and resilience would also have been neat. As was mentioned above, a two player co-op or versus mode should have been added.

In conclusion, Dragon Strike on the NES is a great game. It’s not like other 2D shooters in which you just fly forwards at mach speeds and crash into everything, although you will crash into trees if you’re flying too low. It isn’t overly difficult when you get the hang of it, either. This is the type of game I would pop in after a long, tortuous day at school. Just sit back, fly around, wreak havoc on the forces of evil as a dragon, and enjoy the show.

I give it a B rating. It isn’t the best game I’ve ever played, but it has replay value, and it’s simply enjoyable and relaxing. Some games are great for stimulus, like Dragon Spirit, where you have to keep your eyes peeled—blink once, and you’re crashing into the side of a cliff. Dragon Strike, on the other hand, has just enough going on to keep you awake while still providing a feeling of satisfaction and rest from the drudgery of routine.

If you haven’t played it, give it a try! Thanks for reading.