Play Dragon Spirit - Aratanaru Densetsu (Japan) Online

Game Overview

Dragon Spirit - Aratanaru Densetsu is one of those NES games that makes you go, "Wait, why wasn't this everywhere?" You play as a dragon—full-on wings, fire breath, the works—tearing through a vertical shooter that feels like someone took Gradius and gave it teeth. The first level throws you right into it: dodging arrows, torching knights, and picking up power-ups that change your attacks from spread shots to straight-up lightning.

Here’s the cool part—if you grab the right orb, you shrink down into a tiny blue dragon. Suddenly you’re zipping around faster, but your firepower changes completely. It’s not just a gimmick; some sections practically demand the smaller form. And those bosses? Huge, screen-filling beasts that take forever to whittle down unless you’ve got your upgrades lined up.

This version never made it outside Japan, which is a shame because it tweaks the arcade original with new stages and a slightly fairer difficulty curve. Still brutal, though. If you’ve got a soft spot for 8-bit shooters or just really like dragons (who doesn’t?), this one’s worth digging up.