Dragon Blaze

Dragon Blaze is a vertical-scrolling shooter in which four Dragon Knights take on Demon King Neburos and his army. After a nation breaks the seal that held Neburos, he takes the Moon God's spirit and uses its power to transform people across Megalis into monsters. The Sun God gives divine weapons to four Dragon Knights and sends them to defeat him and recover the four magic stones needed for that task.

Dragon Shoot

You can separate your ship into its rider and dragon, changing how you attack. The moment they split, Dragon Shoot delivers a powerful close-range attack to enemies it touches. Press the Dragon button again to recall the dragon; holding the button during recall stops it, letting you adjust its position.

Shots fill the Magic Gauge. Once it reaches a certain level, hold the shot button to use a Super Magic Attack. Each character has two types: one for combination and one for separation, with different power and attack range. You can also use a Magic Bomb for emergency evasion; its range and strength vary by character.

Scoring and progress

Defeating enemies with shots and Super Magic Bombs can produce silver coins worth 100 points each. Dragon Shots can produce gold coins worth 200 points each. Dragon Shots at specific locations in each stage reveal Bonus Carries that release many gold coins.

Each stage boss has a weak point called the Core, exposed once during an attack. Hit it with a Dragon Shot to defeat the boss quickly and earn a Technical Bonus. When you get a Game Over, the game displays your achievement rate, showing how far you progressed through the stage. Shots can be powered up by one level at a time, to a maximum of three, and you can carry up to nine Magic Bombs.

The Dragon Knights

The four playable characters each have their own weapon, dragon and attacks:

• Quade: A 23-year-old captain of the Royal Guard serving King Harad, ruler of the desert. Returning from a foreign expedition, he finds his city plundered and overrun by monsters; his lover Dina has also been transformed. He sets out to defeat the Demon King. He uses a mounted lance and a Fire Dragon, with Fire Shot, Holy Lance, Burst Lance, Fire Breath and Chaos Flare.
• Sonia: The 17-year-old only daughter of the Sea King, who is concerned for the safety and peace of the sea kingdom Alje. After the Demon King's invasion destroys the temple and transforms the sea people, including her mother, Sonia escapes the curse inside the undersea temple's barrier. She seeks the four magic stones to defeat the Demon King and lift the curse. She uses a longbow and an Aqua Dragon, with Bubble Shot, Freeze Arrow, Diamond Dust, Aqua Blast and Trident Rush.
• Rob: A 300-year-old dwarf and leader of the people of Shaba, a hidden realm beneath the Giant Tree Forest. Cheerful and fond of drink and festivals, he is also stubborn and quick-tempered, but trusted by the villagers. His brothers disappeared years ago as rumors of the Demon King's invasion spread, and Rob continues to search for them. He uses a hammer and a Thunder Dragon, with Thunder Shot, Plasma Hammer, Lightning Hammer, Giga Wave and Thunder Break.
• Ian: A 30-year-old necromancer whose birth and parents are unknown. He lived in solitude and despised humans, but cared for his master and foster father. When Neburos's army attacks Maimana and transforms its people, Ian encounters a bone dragon and sets out with it. He uses a magic staff and a Skull Dragon, with Soul Shot, Magic Sword, Death Crash, Health Pin and Dark Stinger.