4/5 ★ – elkniodaphs's review of Dragon Fighter.

Truly a hidden gem, even those of us with deep knowledge of the NES library might have missed this one. Released in 1992, a year *after* the Super Nintendo launched in the west, Dragon Fighter on the NES didn't stand a chance. Its generic name and Dollar Tree box art do not inspire enthusiasm. Borrowing from traditional action platformers of the age, such as Power Blade, Shadow of the Ninja, and Batman, Dragon Fighter feels like a fantasy Shatterhand. In short, it keeps (and replicates) good company. It's not that Natsume were ripping off other development efforts, but they were clearly drawing from the same well as their contemporaries. Playing as a warrior brought to life by the great Dragon Spirit, you are tasked with defeating six powerful guardians, culminating in a final battle to avenge the people of Baljing, a land burninated by the evil warlock Zabbaong. But Zabs wasn't counting on the avatar of the Dragon Spirit to be a metamorphosing powerhouse. In dragon form, the warrior fights in the air which is more handy for spike pits and such than it is for enemies, though this form gets an insane upgrade in the final stage. The general preference throughout the game is for the warrior's human form, his stoic stance showcasing top-shelf art direction which somehow conveys the martial chivalry of an assuredly competent hero. Yes, it's boilerplate Conan stuff, but that works, if you're in the mood for it. Everything here contributes to the whole. Detailed backgrounds, simple but elegant level design, pulsing music that holds its own against upper-tier titles in the NES library. It's not a perfect game, but it is surprisingly well executed for a game couched between and ultimately obfuscated by heavies like Double Dribble and DuckTales on the shelf at Blockbuster. Easy to overlook, but worth looking over.