Play Flying Dragon - The Secret Scroll Online

Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989, developed by Culture Brain. It was one of those mid-to-late NES releases that tried to blend a few different genres, offering a side-scrolling beat 'em up mixed with one-on-one fighting segments. It didn't have the huge marketing push of some other titles, so it felt like a discovery for those who stumbled upon it.

You control a young martial artist on a quest to recover five stolen secret scrolls. The game alternates between two main styles of play. In the side-scrolling exploration stages, you move from left to right, punching and kicking through waves of enemy fighters. Then, at the end of certain stages, the perspective shifts to a one-on-one duel against a rival martial artist, fought on a single screen. You have to learn their patterns, block, and strike when you see an opening. The pacing is deliberate, and the difficulty can spike during these boss fights, demanding patience and timing. It feels like a rough but earnest attempt to bring martial arts tournament drama to the NES.