Dragon Spirit/Gameplay

Controls

 * Joystick: Use the 8-way joystick to direct Amul around the screen. He is always moving forward, but you can direct him anywhere (despite his size).
 * Fire Button: Use this button to make Amul spit flames at the air-based enemies. If he has two (or three), heads, they will spit flames simultaneously.
 * Bomb Button: Use this button to make Amul drop bombs on ground-based enemies. If he has two or three heads, they drop bombs simultaneously.
 * 1 or 2 Player Buttons: Push these buttons to begin a 1 or 2 player game.

Amul


This human prince is the protagonist of the game. At the start of the game, he holds his magic sword up to the sky, which gets struck by lightning and transforms him into the blue dragon shown in the image to the right; below that is how he appears with two and three heads in dragon form. Amul can take three hits before dying (or two if the arcade operator has set the "Rank" dip switch setting to "B" in the options menu), and is transformed into the biggest sprite on the screen (except for the bosses) - and the powerups that make him grow additional heads when collected may give him more firepower, but they also give him more exposure to enemy fire and make him a bigger target for the air-based enemies themselves to fly into. When Amul takes a hit, he will "flash" for a few seconds; this means that he is temporarily invincible, so you should use it to your advantage. But you should watch out, because it does not last for very long - and the only way for Amul to recover a rectangle of his lost energy is by collecting an "Extend" powerup that a flashing enemy leaves behind when killed. Amul will also receive an extra life at two predetermined point values in game, which are 80000 points and 180000 points by default.

Enemies who appear on Stage 1
BOSS: Plesiosaurus - This enormous aquatic dinosaur is the first ground-based boss of the game but his head (which is his only vulnerable point) reaches up to Amul's level in the air, so he is classed as an air-based enemy; he attacks by swimming towards Amul in the water while spitting flames (which are the same size as Amul when he is in his one-headed form) at him, and he may find them somewhat harder to avoid if he is in his two or three-headed form as a result. Once you have shot a total of forty-eight Level-1 flames (or twenty-four Level-2 flames, or sixteen Level-3 flames), at his aforementioned head (and if it or any part of his neck touches Amul, it will also count as a hit - so you should not let this happen, as you will be able to defeat him much quicker in two or three-headed form with Level-2 or Level-3 flames), he will explode, and you will receive a 2000-point bonus. Amul will then start flying forward again as the game segues into its second stage (which will always have an introductory section; if you are playing the "old" version of the game, the first stage will also have an introductory section, but if you are playing the "new" version of the game, it will not). Also, if Amul should perish at any time during a boss battle, he will be sent back to just before it happens, and have to register every hit he landed on the boss again - which will be bad luck for both him and you if he only had a few more hits to land on him before he had exploded.

Powerups

 * Blue Egg: When this is bombed, a blue ball will fly out. If you obtain it, Amul will grow another head. Obtain another when Amul already has two heads and he will grow a third head. When Amul is hit with multiple heads, he loses one of them.
 * Red Egg: When this is bombed, a red ball will fly out. Obtain three in order to get level 2 flames. Obtain three more when Amul already has level 2 flames and he will get level 3 flames, but when he is hit with level 3 flames, he will be reduced back to level 2 flames and if he is hit with level 2 flames, he will be reduced to normal flames.
 * Long Fire: When you obtain this, Amul becomes green, and will shoot flames similar to level 3 flames.
 * Small Dragon: When this is obtained, Amul becomes smaller (much to the player's delight), but when he gets hit he will return to his normal size.
 * Wide Fire: When this is obtained, Amul becomes white, and will shoot flames similar to anti-aircraft fire.
 * Earthquake: When this is obtained, the ground will start shaking, and any enemies on screen will be instantly killed.
 * Power Wing: When this is obtained, Amul becomes temporarily invincible. Any enemies flying into him will be instantly killed.
 * Homing Fire: When this is obtained, Amul becomes gold, and his flames will home in on any enemies on screen.
 * Magic Eye: Only appears on the eighth stage. When obtained, it will temporarily make Amul's field of vision much larger.
 * Power Down: If you see this one, avoid it at all costs. Obtaining it equals a hit.
 * Dia: Obtaining this gives you 100 extra points.
 * Gold: Obtaining this gives you 10000 extra points.