Draconus (C64, 1988)
Graphics-8 Sound-7 Control-5.5 Challenge-8.5 Story-6
Level Design-5 Frustration-9.5 Fun-5 Originality-6
Overall Score-5
+
One transformation (draconewt - swimming form) at checkpoints
Idle animation
Pretty good enemy variation
Good animation
Two alternate weapons (fire breath and lightning staff which shoots bolts in a wave pattern)
Good item descriptions
+/-
Some checkpoints (the slabs that you transform on, not enough though)
Mostly linear structure (can grab a few items out of order it seems but it's not recommended)
Die from falling more than one screen's length until you find the shield of Grom which nullifies this damage
Limited ammo for the fire breath weapon (have to find placed ammo packs) - can punch as a mid-height attack but not as a high or low attack. The bolt attack only needs one ammo pick up to function
Can't jump forward if moving up against a wall unless pressing diagonally upward
Die from flaling into water as well in the default form
Unforgiving hit detection near platform edges
No challenge in taking out certain enemies since they just move back and forth in a predictable pattern
Only one boss (two mini-boss like enemies)
-
Only 3 lives and you can't gain more - various instant death hazards
No save feature
No map feature
Various control issues (can't climb down ladders or jump down through platforms you can jump up through, can't steer your jump after jumping straight up, have to press a direction+fire to attack normally, no air control after falling off a ledge and you also lose forward momentum at the end of a forward jump arc, no mid-air control, keep getting back up if you hold down to crouch, keep jumping if you hould up, can't attack in mid-air)
Trial & error (very strange how you can stand inside various walls and this is required to progress, can't tell if you're doing damage to an enemy or not, various leaps of faith, various enemies can't be killed, can't tell what your current health is! - can take about 14 hits from the first enemies however your health also drains quickly while an enemy is moving through you so it's more like 4 hits if you stand still, some invisible roof obstacles near pits, can jump through floors at some points - one-way, rooms with flying amoeba-like enemies that attack you at the same time, some cheap enemy spawning points)
Some unavoidable damage
Unavoidable death when getting the shield of Grom
Doesn't hand out enough fire attack ammo
Some backtracking (back to beginning after getting the item which opens the path to the staff) - no shortcuts
Short (about 15-20 mins if you know the path and play well)
No in-game music besides when finding items
Easy boss (the enemies before it are harder)
Level Design-5 Frustration-9.5 Fun-5 Originality-6
Overall Score-5
+
One transformation (draconewt - swimming form) at checkpoints
Idle animation
Pretty good enemy variation
Good animation
Two alternate weapons (fire breath and lightning staff which shoots bolts in a wave pattern)
Good item descriptions
+/-
Some checkpoints (the slabs that you transform on, not enough though)
Mostly linear structure (can grab a few items out of order it seems but it's not recommended)
Die from falling more than one screen's length until you find the shield of Grom which nullifies this damage
Limited ammo for the fire breath weapon (have to find placed ammo packs) - can punch as a mid-height attack but not as a high or low attack. The bolt attack only needs one ammo pick up to function
Can't jump forward if moving up against a wall unless pressing diagonally upward
Die from flaling into water as well in the default form
Unforgiving hit detection near platform edges
No challenge in taking out certain enemies since they just move back and forth in a predictable pattern
Only one boss (two mini-boss like enemies)
-
Only 3 lives and you can't gain more - various instant death hazards
No save feature
No map feature
Various control issues (can't climb down ladders or jump down through platforms you can jump up through, can't steer your jump after jumping straight up, have to press a direction+fire to attack normally, no air control after falling off a ledge and you also lose forward momentum at the end of a forward jump arc, no mid-air control, keep getting back up if you hold down to crouch, keep jumping if you hould up, can't attack in mid-air)
Trial & error (very strange how you can stand inside various walls and this is required to progress, can't tell if you're doing damage to an enemy or not, various leaps of faith, various enemies can't be killed, can't tell what your current health is! - can take about 14 hits from the first enemies however your health also drains quickly while an enemy is moving through you so it's more like 4 hits if you stand still, some invisible roof obstacles near pits, can jump through floors at some points - one-way, rooms with flying amoeba-like enemies that attack you at the same time, some cheap enemy spawning points)
Some unavoidable damage
Unavoidable death when getting the shield of Grom
Doesn't hand out enough fire attack ammo
Some backtracking (back to beginning after getting the item which opens the path to the staff) - no shortcuts
Short (about 15-20 mins if you know the path and play well)
No in-game music besides when finding items
Easy boss (the enemies before it are harder)