Play Mashin Eiyuu Den Wataru Gaiden (Japan) Online

Mashin Eiyuu Den Wataru Gaiden came out in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Sunrise Interactive. It was part of that wave of late NES games that tried to do a little more with the hardware, often with mixed results. Based on an anime series, it follows the adventures of a young hero named Wataru, and it feels very much like a product of its time, with all the charm and limitations that implies.

You control Wataru, moving screen by screen through side-scrolling areas and overhead map sections. Your main goal is to explore, defeat enemies, and progress through the story, which involves rescuing friends and confronting bosses. Signature mechanics include using a sword for close combat and the ability to summon and ride a dragon during certain segments, where you can breathe fire on foes. The pacing is deliberate, and the difficulty can spike unexpectedly in places, but switching between on-foot action and dragon combat keeps things interesting. It feels rough in spots, but there's a real sense of adventure when you're soaring through the air on your dragon's back.