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Dragon Power

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Goku and Nora (Bulma) are on a quest to find seven crystal balls. By finding all of these crystal balls, the Dragon Emperor will grant them one wish. It won't be easy though, there are rumors of a mysterious army that is also looking for them. Dragon Power is a game based on the Dragon Ball an...

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Developer
TOSE

Released on
1986

Size
1 Player

Version
NES

Requirements
Nintendo Entertainment System

Downloads
Action

Publisher
Bandai

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

Goku and Nora (Bulma) are on a quest to find seven crystal balls. By finding all of these crystal balls, the Dragon Emperor will grant them one wish. It won’t be easy though, there are rumors of a mysterious army that is also looking for them.

Dragon Power is a game based on the Dragon Ball anime in japan (though a lot of it is lost in translation). Goku can jump, attack or release a powerful wind wave to stop his enemies. Much of the game is an overhead view, though occasionally Goku will have to fight in a side view. Different power ups will increase his powers and techniques, letting stronger abilities flourish.

Dragon Power

Overview & History

Released by Bandai in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Dragon Power is the heavily localized North American adaptation of Dragon Ball: Shenron no Nazo. To appeal to Western audiences unfamiliar with Akira Toriyama's iconic anime at the time, Bandai scrubbed the recognizable character sprites and renamed Goku into a generic martial artist named 'Nota,' while altering other character designs to strip away explicit anime references. Despite this bizarre coat of paint, the game retains the foundational lore of the early Dragon Ball saga, tasking players with traversing a treacherous overworld to rescue the kidnapped Bulma and collect the mystical Dragon Balls.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Unlike standard linear platformers, Dragon Power alternates between two distinct gameplay styles. The primary perspective shifts between overhead action-adventure exploration and side-scrolling combat dungeons. In the top-down maps, players must navigate mazes, dodge hazards, and enter castles where the camera switches to a 2D side-scrolling view reminiscent of Kung-Fu Master. Nota’s move set is surprisingly versatile for an early NES title: he can execute swift punches, flying jump kicks, and sweep attacks, while also utilizing collectible magical items like the Power Pole and the flying Nimbus cloud to bypass obstacles. As players progress, defeating enemies yields capital used to purchase health-refilling ramen bowls and power-ups from merchants, though failing to manage Nota's stamina meter can lead to swift defeat in the game's notoriously punishing boss encounters.