Castle of Dragon

About

Castle of Dragon is a side-scrolling action game where you play Geraden, a knight fighting to rescue a captured princess from a dragon-worshipping villain. You battle through eight stages filled with enemies, obstacles, and occasional platforming challenges. The first three levels follow a set path but after that you can explore five stages in any order. Each stage requires defeating bosses and clearing waves of foes with melee attacks and basic moves. The game’s open structure after stage three lets players revisit levels for better gear or alternate routes. With a 4.2 rating from retro gaming forums its mix of linear and non-linear design feels ahead of its 1990 release. Available on arcade cabinets and NES it balances hack and slash combat with strategic choices. The simple story of kingdom restoration masks a surprisingly flexible progression system rare in early 90s beat ’em ups.

Storyline

The Dragon Master, Darklarza, has been terrorizing the kingdom for numerous years. The king was forced into exile by this threat. He retreated, with the bravest knight in the kingdom. This knight, named Geraden, must hold his fort. Darklarza stages an attack on the king's fortress, breaks in and manages to abduct the royal princess. Now it is up to the brave Geraden to journey throughout the kingdom, rescue the captive princess, and put an end to Darklarza's evil reign once and for all.