Dragon Buster/Gameplay

Arcade

 * and : Press the joystick left and right to make Clovis walk in either direction. To make Clovis run in a direction, push the joystick in that direction, release the joystick, and quickly resume holding the joystick in the same direction.  Clovis will dash at twice his walking speed.
 * : Press the joystick up to jump. Clovis can double jump in the air.  To perform a double jump, push up to make Clovis jump, release the joystick, and push up again.  The timing is very specific and it cannot be done too soon or too late.  To makes Clovis leap forward in the direction he walking or running, release the joystick, and then push up.  If you do not release the joystick and push up while moving, Clovis will most likely jump straight up.  Up can also be used to climb up ropes.
 * : Hold the joystick down to make Clovis squat. Also hold the joystick down while pressing the sword button to make Clovis aim his sword down in a stabbing motion while falling through the air.  Down can also be used to climb down ropes.
 * Sword: Press the sword button to make Clovis swing his sword. Hold the joystick down while falling through the air to make Clovis stab down toward the ground when he swings.
 * Magic: Press the magic button to make Clovis cast the spell on the next (oldest) scroll in his possession. This will either cast a regular Fireball, or the rarer Fireball Special spell.
 * 1 - 2 Players: Press either button to begin a one player, or two player alternating game.

Famicom/MSX

 * and : Press the direct pad left and right to make Clovis walk in either direction. To make Clovis run in a direction, push the pad in that direction, release the pad, and quickly resume holding the pad in the same direction.  Clovis will dash at twice his walking speed.
 * and : Press up or down on the direction pad to climb up or down ropes. Down can also be used to make Clovis squat.
 * : Press A to jump. Clovis can double jump in the air.  To perform a double jump, tap A to make Clovis jump, and tap A again.  The timing is very specific and it cannot be done too soon or too late.  To makes Clovis leap forward in the direction he walking or running, hold the pad in a direction and press A.
 * : Hold down while pressing A to instruct Clovis to use one instance of which ever magical item is currently selected from his inventory
 * : Press B to make Clovis swing his sword.
 * : Hold down while pressing B when falling through the air to make Clovis stab down toward the ground when he swings.
 * : Press start to begin a new game or to pause the action mid-game. While the game is paused, the magic item inventory can be seen on the bottom.  Press  or  to cycle through the available items to select which one is in active use.
 * : Not used.

Clovis
Clovis was born the son of the kingdom's chief bodyguard to the royal family. As a small child, Clovis was very mischievous and undisciplined, so his father thought it might be best to place him under the care of a monk who lived in the woods far from the kingdom. Under the monk's care, Clovis began to learn various aspects of knowledge, including how to be a superior swordsman. When word reached the monk that the king's second daughter Celia has been kidnapped and held for ransom by a fearsome dragon, Clovis felt a sense of duty to chase after the dragon and rescue Celia in the name of his father. Tested daily by the monk, Clovis learned to withstand injury and still be just as capable a fighter as ever, whether cut by swords or burned by flame. Clovis has a vitality meter which can be seen on the screen. Clovis will lose his only life if his vitality ever reaches 0, and the game will be over. There are no chances to continue. While Clovis is a capable swordsman, his attack range is quite short. Besides the use of his sword, Clovis has other distinct abilities, the ability to dash, and the ability to double jump, and the ability to cast fireball spells from scrolls. Clovis must use his ability to double jump in order to investigate hallways which might otherwise be out of reach.

Celia
The second princess of the Lawrence royal family, Celia is 16 years old. Celia was abducted by a dragon and is being held as ransom against the kingdom that the dragon intends to terrorize. The dragon stashes Celia in one of the 12 provinces in the kingdom. Along his travels, Clovis will encounter Celia in the 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 12th provinces that he visits. Each reunion is short lived, however, as the dragon recovers and deposits Celia in another province, and Clovis must continue his journey and mission to rescue her.

Ladies
In the Famicom and MSX versions of the game, Celia only appears at the end of the 12th province. Instead, various kidnapped ladies appear at the end of the 3rd, 6th, and 9th provinces of the Famicom and MSX versions.

Dragon
Wishing to enslave mankind and make it do his bidding, the dragon has chosen the kingdom of King Lawrence as his new domain. He chooses a suitable victim that will break the kingdom's spirit, and abducts the second princess, Celia, from the castle. Fearing their own lives as well as the Princess' safety, the kingdom quickly descends into misery and despair. So it is much to the dragon's surprise when Clovis chases after him and discovers his lair in the mountains of one of the kingdom's provinces. Though powerful, the dragon is not invincible. He can be attacked in multiple locations such as his head, neck, arms, or tail, and he even has one location that is his weak spot, suffering twice as much damage if attacked there. This location changes from fight to fight. If Clovis hits this location, it will flash red instead of the usual white, to indicate that the dragon has taken damage. Although the dragon appears to be defeated each time, he can resurrect himself and he becomes more powerful each time. The few times that Clovis does locate and encounter Celia, the dragon is quick to snatch her away and deposit her in another province of the kingdom.