Dragon Spirit

A NES port of Namco's 1987 vertically scrolling arcade shoot-'em-up, Dragon Spirit brings its fantasy mythology premise intact to home hardware. Prince Amul is granted the power of the dragon by the gods, transforming into a blue dragon to battle the evil deity Zawell and rescue the kidnapped Princess Alicia. Players guide the dragon through stages with varied terrain, unleashing blue flames on both ground and aerial enemies. Collecting power-ups expands the dragon's fire to three heads and boosts its attack strength. Dragon Spirit distinguished itself among shoot-'em-ups of its era through its mythological setting and richly varied stage designs.