Tagin’ Dragon
System: NES
Release Date: 1990
Developer: Sachen
Publisher: Color Dreams
Genre: Maze
Take control of a dragon and prove you’re the toughest on the block in Tagin’ Dragon! Go through 20 rounds fighting a trio of enemies to complete every maze in your path. So turn the other dragons into bones as you chomp through them.
The dragons are impervious to attacks in any spot except for their tail. They all move at the same speed, so you’re going to have trouble if you try to chase them around. The dragons can turn on a dime, and they turn corners a lot, so you’ll have your shot. Tails have three lengths with the longer meaning you have more hit points. As any of the dragons are bit, their tail shrinks, but they can earn some tail back if they get a successful attack.
The hedge walls of the maze can be destroyed if you collect the Magic Lantern. As long as you can hit a wall with more than a square of space in front of you, the shrub will disappear and may reveal an item. Most of the items just seem to be for points, but there is an item that speeds you up significantly. Getting this makes chomping tails a lot easier. There are indestructible walls, pink and black squares that kill you if you stay on them too long, and ice squares that slide you along at quick speed.
Even after buckling down and concentrating on killing dragons instead of destroying every hedge, I couldn’t get past Round 6. Honestly, I wasn’t totally enthralled with the game and didn’t see much upside in continuing, so cut my time with it pretty short.
Graphics: 1.0
Graphics are nothing nice to look at. They are functional and that’s it.
Sound: 2.5
The music is pretty rocking, to be honest. Sounds, a little less so.
Gameplay: 2.0
Walk around and try to position yourself in a way to bite tails without setting yourself up for a tailectomy.
Difficulty: 2.5
The computer is pretty relentless and will rush you if you don’t rush it first.
Fun Factor: 1.5
I was kind of enjoying myself and kind of not, more getting angry at my bites not working as I expected.
Overall Rating: 1.9
Tagin’ Dragon earns a C. This is an interesting game, but I’d probably rather play other maze games.