Play Dragon Ball - Dai Maou Fukkatsu (Japan) Online

Dragon Ball: Dai Maou Fukkatsu came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, published by Bandai. It was one of several early attempts to bring the Dragon Ball universe to home consoles, arriving at a time when licensed games were often straightforward action or platforming titles. The game adapts the final arc of the original Dragon Ball story, focusing on Goku's battle against the demon king Piccolo.

You control Goku as he moves screen by screen, fighting through waves of enemies with his Power Pole and signature martial arts moves. The main goal is to defeat Piccolo and his minions across a series of side scrolling and overhead perspective stages. Combat relies on close range pole strikes and a flying kick that requires good timing to execute. The game is quite difficult, with limited continues and enemies that respawn quickly if you backtrack. It feels like a rough but earnest effort to capture the energy of the series through simple, demanding action.