Drakengard (2004)

In the mobile version of the PS2 game Drakengard, you control prince Caim, along with the Red Dragon, in a struggle against the imperial forces. Each of the three locations consists of two sequences: side-scrolling fighting with Caim alone, followed by a flight sequence on the back of the dragon. On the ground, Caim's moves include sword combos with a finishing blow, blocking, jumping, a dash attack and a dragon attack. To launch a dragon attack, you have to fill your magic meter with finishing blows. Once complete, you can summon the Red Dragon to attack all enemies on the screen, except for the bosses. Each ground level is followed by a duel against a boss. During the flight sequences, you control the dragon carrying Caim. You have to take out all incoming enemies and projectiles with fireballs and destructive spells or use the escape move for tricky situations. The game also incorporates some RPG elements: you gain experience by defeating enemies. These points can be used to level up, rendering attacks more powerful and expanding the maximum amount of health. Additional experience points are based on a time bonus and the stage score. Although the story of the original game is only vaguely mentioned, all missions have an introduction explaining your mission and the setting. There is a high score list and you can upload your score to an online ranking board.

• Release Date: July 8, 2004
• Developer: Macrospace