Tobe yo!! Dragon! review
Originally released as DSiWare way back in 2010, Silver Star Japan’s Tobe yo!! Dragon! was priced at just 200 points and is now available on the Japanese Switch eShop priced at just ¥300 (less than $2.8) and is the cheapest game on the system. Described by the publisher as a ‘2D jump action game’ which is perhaps the most effective description as there really is little else to do.
Tobe yo!! Dragon! plays somewhat like a vertical endless runner although with jumping instead of running and (much) slower scrolling screens. Storyline is virtually non-existent as you choose between one of three martial artists (one with a better jump, one with a faster speed and one an all-rounder) whilst jumping up an endless waterfall in somewhat of a Sisyphean manner.
The game deploys the same screen layout of the original (which used both NDS screens) and thus forms a small central strip of the Switch screen complete with massive borders – I found no evidence of a vertical mode which is a huge shame, with the control very simple (move left or right, jump, plus a couple of special moves which can be used to jump (i.e. score) higher or to destroy birds.
Birds aren’t the only obstacle in the game as there are two different sized boulders (and rather pleasingly – boss battles) that you encounter on your journey up the waterfall. If everything does sound pointless and needless then on one hand it is, on the other it is all executed rather well and relies more upon the player’s skill than simply relying on luck where most similar games fail.
Conclusion:
Silver Star have also enabled a two-player mode and whilst ‘Sharing the Joy’ may not necessarily be the most appropriate tag-line, it is a neat touch to add. Overall it’s an age-old argument whether a game should be scored on value for money or irregardless of the price. I vote for the latter which is a perhaps misleading as Tobe yo!! Dragon! is at least deserving of the ¥300 entry price.
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