Draglade

In the end, Draglade suffers from a severe identity crisis, yet still manages to provide a coherent and competent experience that is enjoyable to play.

It's shallow, very easy, and tells a goofy story with all the sap of an after school special. That said, it's a very good kids' game, with some fresh ideas, and a unique blend of gameplay styles that make for a very appealing package.

The controls are solid and satisfyingly straightforward. [Mar 2008, p.71]

Draglade has a really unique premise that will keep players attention for a while, especially with the multiplayer aspects.

It's easy to get a little hung-up on the presentation, but Draglade is a good fighting game when you look deeper beneath the exterior trappings. The controls are tight, and the action blows by at a steady pace. Adding a touch of rhythm into the mix is a fresh and exciting idea.

The game offers a lot and it's all well-tuned. Just don't expect the publicized music element to be a big part of your playing experience. [Jan 2008, p.88]

It may look like it is based on a Japanese TV show, but I assure you that this game is not based on a licensed property. And maybe that's a good thing, because Draglade proves to be an interesting take on the fighting genre that perfectly fits the Nintendo DS' limited hardware.

So if you have some spare time on your hands, Draglade is worth picking up to get your fighting fix. Fighting based around beats is interesting but not enough to carry the game the way it’s supposed to. Mortal Kombat will probably be able to suit your fighting needs better, but Draglade is a decent addition to the DS’s fighting catalog.

The story mode can be played through with each character in just over two hours, the story is token "I want to be the very best." commonplace, and the characters did absolutely nothing to pull us in. What Draglade offers, however, is some solid battling centered around a unique beat-based combo system, allowing for a ton of customization and depth within a basic three-button fighter.

If you get Draglade expecting a nice mix of rhythm and fighting, you're in for some disappointment. Get it expecting a decent brawler with some simple controls, and you'll like it much more.

Each character's story, however, is extremely short, lasting at about two-hours for an average player.

Convincingly crossing dancing with beat-'em-up, Draglade is a fun, frenetic and hugely likeable DS B-movie.

Draglade is a big, brash and bombastic game that wears its influences proudly on its matter-manipulating sleeves, but also isn't afraid to try something a bit different.

The combat system's not particularly deep and there's a fair bit of faffing around talking to people, but Draglade is a quirky, fun and accessible game that will appeal to anyone looking for a different approach to a standard fighter. [Issue#23, p.74]

The controls are responsive and the anime-styled graphics are crisp, but the campaign is short - even with multiple characters to select - and the combat is far too shallow to hold everything in Draglade together. [Feb 2008, p.102]

Good fun for a couple of hours, but then its lack of depth starts to show through. [June 2008, p.85]

Draglade's rhythm-based combat isn't as robust as it could be, but the story mode and competitive online play are still fun.

There's a lack of scope to Draglade that makes repeated play-throughs an easy and unrewarding chore, something that a sequel should aim to address in the future.

Draglade won't change the way you game, and Atlus has released more memorable games than this in the past.

Draglade screams of missed potential.

Within Draglade, there are several good ideas and the basic seeds of a solid fighting game. At its best, it plays like a stripped-down version of Jump Ultimate Stars.