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The King of Dragons

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Up to three players fight in a horizontal scrolling fantasy world against orcs, skelettons, magicians and dragons. The King of Dragons is a 1991 side-scrolling hack and slash video game that allows players to choose from five characters (Elf, Wizard, Fighter, Cleric, and Dwarf) in order to tra...

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Developer
Capcom

Released on
1991

Size
1–3 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Beat 'em Up

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

Up to three players fight in a horizontal scrolling fantasy world against orcs, skelettons, magicians and dragons.

The King of Dragons is a 1991 side-scrolling hack and slash video game that allows players to choose from five characters (Elf, Wizard, Fighter, Cleric, and Dwarf) in order to travel through the kingdom of Malus and defeat the monsters that have taken over, as well as their leader, the red dragon Gildiss. Like Capcom’s Knights of the Round, it features a level advancement system, allowing character attributes to be upgraded as players progress through the game. The setting is very similar to that of Dungeons & Dragons and other medieval fantasy worlds, with familiar monsters such as Orcs, Gnolls, Harpies, Wyverns, Cyclopes, and Minotaurs.

The King of Dragons

Overview & History

Released by Capcom in 1991 for the CP System arcade hardware, The King of Dragons is a fantasy side-scrolling beat-'em-up that predates and heavily influenced their legendary Dungeons & Dragons arcade adaptations. Set in the mythical kingdom of Malus, the plot follows a coalition of five brave heroes answering the king's desperate summons to slay the returning red dragon, Gildiss, and purge the realm of an escalating monster infestation. Spanning sixteen diverse stages, players battle through haunted forests, underground ruins, and volcanic lairs, facing iconic fantasy beasts like minotaurs, harpies, and wyverns. The game stands out for introducing persistent RPG character progression into the arcade brawler genre, allowing heroes to gain experience points, level up, increase maximum hit points, and automatically upgrade their weaponry and visual armor sets after defeating specific boss encounters.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard brawlers where every character plays similarly, The King of Dragons offers five distinctly specialized classes: the balanced Fighter, the long-ranged Elf, the magic-wielding Wizard, the heavy-hitting Cleric, and the agile Dwarf. Each hero features a unique attack cadence and signature utility; for instance, the Elf fires rapid arrows and performs a backflip evasive maneuver, while the Wizard casts devastating area-of-effect spells at the cost of melee vulnerability. Combat mechanics rely on a two-button layout (Attack and Jump). Players can execute shield blocks by holding back against incoming strikes (available to the Fighter, Cleric, and Dwarf), perform sliding dash attacks, and unleash screen-clearing magical magic bombs by pressing both buttons simultaneously when holding a crystal. Jewels and gold dropped by fallen foes contribute directly to your experience bar, making point accumulation vital for surviving the punishing later stages.