Dragon View
In-game title screen
Developer(s)Kotobuki System
Publisher(s)
Platform(s)Super NES
Release
  • JP: August 26, 1994
  • NA: November 1994
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Dragon View is a side-scrolling role-playing beat 'em up for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Kotobuki System in November 1994 and published by Kemco in North America. Released in Japan as Super Drakkhen[lower-alpha 1] and otherwise known as Drakkhen II, it is meant to be a sequel to Drakkhen although it bears little resemblance to its predecessor. It uses the same pseudo-3D overworld system for which the series is most famous. Other features of Dragon View are its side-view action role-playing game (RPG) hybrid gameplay (used when exploring more detailed areas such as towns and dungeons), its well translated first-person storyline, and its emphasis on player-driven undirected exploration. In 2019, the game was re-released through emulation for Windows. In 2022, a reproduction SNES cartridge was released by Limited Run Games.[1]

Gameplay

A screenshot of Dragon View's first-person overworld perspective.

The Drakkhen series' most recognizable feature is its custom overworld engine. First used by the original Amiga version of Drakkhen, it was later used in the PC and SNES ports. The Dragon View version sports basic terrain shading and mountainlike "boundaries" that enclose areas of the continent. While not "True 3D", the overworld engine simulates depth on its own (without the aid of supplementary hardware such as the Super FX chip) using sprite scaling and rudimentary rendering. This system is able to run smoothly on standard SNES hardware because little more than half of the total screen area is ever in use. Since the top and bottom panels are completely static during overworld navigation, all hardware power is focused on rendering the first-person view. Even so, framerates can suffer as many sprites are sometimes present on a single screen.

Reception

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: スーパードラッケン
  2. ↑ In Electronic Gaming Monthly's review, three critics rated Dragon View 7/10, one 6/10, and another 8/10.[2]
  3. ↑ GamePro gave Dragon View two 4/5 scores for control and fun factor, 3.5/5 for graphics, and 3/5 for sound.[3]
  4. ↑ Nintendo Power rated Dragon View 3.4/5 three times for graphics/sound, challenge, and theme/fun, and a 3/5 for play control.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Hagues, Alana (27 April 2022). "Limited Run Games Releasing SNES Cartridge For Side-Scrolling RPG 'Dragon View'". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Semrad et al. 1994, p. 38.
  3. ↑ Scary Larry 1994, p. 120.
  4. ↑ Markus 1995, p. 94.
  5. ↑ Nintendo Power 1995, p. 107.
  6. ↑ Dancin' Homer (2001). "Dragon View". RPGFan. Archived from the original on September 13, 2001. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  7. ↑ Video Games 1995, p. 111.

Works cited

  • "Dragon View". Video Games (in German). April 1995. p. 111. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  • Markus (February 1995). "Dragon View". Mega Fun (in German). p. 94. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  • "Now Playing". Nintendo Power. No. 68. January 1995. pp. 102–107. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  • Scary Larry (October 1994). "Dragon View". GamePro. No. 63. p. 120.
  • Semrad, Ed; Carpenter, Danyon; Manuel, Al; Sushi-X; Weigand, Mike (December 1994). "Review Crew". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Vol. 7, no. 12. pp. 34–46.
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