Dragon Spirit

System TurboGrafx 16

Cheats Used: Infinite Health

I’m not a huge fan of scrolling shoot-em-ups, mainly because a lot of them are very similar and don’t have anything special to differentiate one from another. For this reason, I like to play those shmups which do try to break the mold and do something different. Namco’s Dragon Spirit is one of those. Rather than a spaceship shooting down other spaceships (which is what shmups usually are), in this game you play a dragon, flying through various fantasy settings and using your flames to battle a wide variety of wild creatures. Since I love dragons, this premise appealed to me immediately.

This game is very good on a technical level with tight controls, good level design, creative boss fights, and catchy music. However, I imagine that the absurdly tough difficulty would be a big deterrent to most players. If I hadn’t cheated, I never would have made it past the first level. The last two levels in particular would be a nightmare for anyone trying to finish the game normally, and the final boss? Forget it! On the other hand, if you’re looking for just such a challenge, then I can certainly recommend this as one of the hardest games I’ve played. All I can say is good luck. You’ll need it.