I think I'm getting soft in my old age. I really enjoy this silly little game. I wasn't crazy about it at first, as it seemed like a fairly uninspired run-and-jump-and-bop sort of thing with so-so gameplay, but its graphics encouraged me to maintain hope. Vibrant colors and a few well-implemented effects enhance the attractive scenarios, which include pretty blue skies with clouds calmly drifting by and a log-riding strip where the scenery is reflected in the undulating river.
Thank goodness the visuals are so appealing; otherwise, I might not have stuck with the game long enough to power up and hop atop the protagonist's dragon ally and realize that the gameplay, at least once you really get going, isn't so bad either. Riding a full-powered beast is so much more fun than bumbling around with the clumsy main character. You can shoot plenty of large, enemy-seeking fire bullets while utilizing the creature's soaring abilities to reach previously out-of-the-way platforms and icons. If you're a decent player, you'll reach big-lizard status very early on, meaning you won't have to spend much time goofing around with the lesser phases--unless, of course, you die at some point.
But you won't die, not once you're powered up--unless you fucking suck. And that brings us to the main issue most folks will have with the game.
It's a complete cakewalk once you're riding the mighty dragon. Bosses (even the last guy) go down in no time at all, and you seldom have to put forth any real effort while playing through the stages themselves. Consider the aforementioned log-riding scene: by simply standing in one spot and firing away, you can make it to the end of the level without taking a single hit. Of course, you can avoid the dragon power-ups if you want some additional challenge, but then the game will play like an uninspired effort again, and, well, it'll still be really easy (aside from the final battle).
Another aspect of DE that some won't like is the fact that, while the first three stages contain multiple areas to play through, the last three are very, very short. The brevity of Stage 4's log ride is understandable, as it basically constitutes a mere "gimmick strip" anyway, but there's no reason that the game's desert and castle boards shouldn't have featured more sub-sections to fight through. It makes you wonder if, at some point, the designers just decided to speed things up and get the project out the door.
Pleasant visuals inspired me to trudge onwards when the gameplay seemed unspectacular.
The third area is large and mazelike, but subsequent scenes--including the brief desert jaunt--are very straightforward.
Take a good look at the bosses now because most of them will last for only a few seconds onscreen before your mighty dragon destroys them.
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