Dragon Force - Sega Saturn Review

[@Alakazzam09]

I remember back in the day, my Dad and I were going to Toys r' us to get a new game. I was so excited. We get there and this dude was trying to sell or trade in a stack of about 10 used Saturn games. The girl behind the counter offered him $150 bucks, he laughed and said "no way" then walked out. My Dad followed him out and offered to buy them all for $200 and the guy said "sure!". This was one of those games and I was hooked. Still have it, still play it. Thanks Dad, rip.

[@dududu5189]

@Alakazzam09 Good story, thanks for sharing.

[@streetmagik3105]

Your dad was awesome! 👍

[@xcidgafhamas]

shout out to your dad.

[@mattmasso6588]

what a great dad.. cheers to him

[@LilBobSab]

Dad was a legend! RIP

[@michaeloffgrid]

Dragon Force is the game that gave me my first ever gaming marathon. I played it for 11 hours straight one Saturday when I was 16 years old. I had never played any game for that long, uninterrupted. "I'll just finish this battle and then save, quit, and go meet up with my friends. Ok, I just need to take over one more castle. I'll just handle these domestic affairs, and then I'm done." I just couldn't put it down! For me to stay home on a Saturday night when I was 16 years old, I had to be playing one hell of a video game, and Dragon Force was it! Oh, I bought the game in late '97 at Babbage's, used but in immaculate condition, for $30. I only bought it because it was published by Working Designs, and it seemed RPG-ish. It was one of the best purchases I ever made.

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

Similar stories with my crew and I ... Even group sessions! Incredible, right? Three to five friends sitting around one screen for several, even dozens of hours at a time! Not to mention with merely one controller, passed along no quicker than a half hour each time ... Wow ... Nearly impossible, since it seems perhaps only Dragon Force could pull this feat off, eh?!

[@maiolaproducciones]

Me too! I spent 10/11 hours on a friday night. Went to bed Saturday at 9 am.

[@JAMJR84]

Same here. It was also a Saturday for me. I vividly remember it as being the first time I truly lost track of time while playing a game. Very few games have managed that for me since.

[@michaeloffgrid]

Amazing how we all had basically the same experience with this game. There was something really special about Dragon Force.

[@JAMJR84]

​@@michaeloffgrid It has that classic "just one more turn" quality to it. Except one turn in this game can quickly become a massive time sink once things start intensifying. Then the turn is done and you think "well I guess I have to handle the admin stuff before stopping." And so on. It's also special to me for how it manages to be so chill but then suddenly be epic or intense without losing its chill.

[@fthetm]

This is my single favorite Sega developed title ever. I'm glad to see it getting it's recognition

[@jgs1703]

All 8 main characters have a different storyline. There are a ton of easter eggs and the story lines are epic. Each one being different.

[@jackrussell3084]

But not really though.

[@jgs1703]

@@jackrussell3084 bow to your sensei

[@jgs1703]

Almost every general has unique texts, powers, stories etc. There are like 160 different generals. When I say unique , there are like 10 different categories and each category has at least 100 different uniqueness with some characters have like 60,000 lines of text.

[@yuwish6320]

Dragon Force had so much replay value. EAch kingdom had specialty fighting forces with strengths and weaknesses. All were viable in some way. It was pretty well balanced.

[@jgs1703]

The art is awesome in this game.

[@lutfimakarim8258]

I remember back in the day, I was so engrossed with this game, i actually dreamt about coming up with strategies which I immediately tried first thing after waking up.

[@UltimaN3rd]

Only discovered this game a few years ago and it's easily my favourite games of all time

[@jaredwhite200]

Man I love this game. I’m so glad u did a review of this game. Dragonforce is the biggest reason why I have a Sega Saturn today

[@jgs1703]

Each main general has 4 "main generals" that are all apart of the storyline and extra special.

[@TheGemini5]

My favorite Saturn game period! Being able to play Goldark after beating the game was amazingly satisfying! PDS is great as well, but doesn't have nearly as much replay value IMO.

[@Sinn0100]

I forgot about that! Dragon Force is one of the best game on the Saturn. I still own my copy from when it was brand new.

[@TheGemini5]

@@Sinn0100 Never, EVER make the mistake of getting rid of it like I did years ago!

[@Sinn0100]

@@TheGemini5 Oh my friend I feel your pain...I stupidly sold Panzer Dragoon Saga in 2004 for 100 bucks thinking I made out like a bandit. I thought "When will I want to play this again?! I have an Xbox, PlayStation 2, and a Gamecube...that game is so old, sucker." I wound up getting it back when it was going for 400 bucks....now whose the sucker? That was a very painful experience that I learned from. :)

[@sushisunbreak]

Man, just hearing that music again gives me goosebumps!

[@adav838]

I don't think I have ever seen a game like this! It feels like you're not just selecting commands but also leading your troops. A true gem of a game!

[@jgs1703]

The game is just fucking epic all the way around. Its almost impossible to explain how awesome it is. This is a game where you have to find out for yourself. You are 100 % missing out if you dont.

[@welovegames1]

I never had a Saturn, unfortunately. So I never got to experience this. I wish I knew an easy way to play this....

[@jgs1703]

@@welovegames1 about $200 total and you can play it. Worth it.

[@jgs1703]

@@welovegames1 just remember, the man sega lord x himself said it was the best game in the saturn. This guy loves the. saturn. Easily worth the $200 invested.

[@planescaped]

This is the only Saturn game I still possess the disk for, though I do have the box for Shining Force 3. Loved Dragon Force. And yeah, despite its appearances as a strategy game, it really is more of an rpg. There haven't been many games like this, closest I guess would be Brigindine, but Dragon Force is still to this day kind of unique. And I remember when kid me finally figured out how to recruit Vlad and I got him. This was when gamefaqs was barely a thing and didn't have a tenth of the info it has now.

[@erix5184]

I remember renting this and having to fight Payne & Agony over 9000 times.

[@gildedvulture7965]

Those two were good for grinding exp. I still have this game and don't see myself letting it go anytime soon. I miss Working Designs T-T

[@drunkensailor112]

The castle/domestic affairs music makes me cry from nostalgia. What a game

[@jgs1703]

Thats how awesome the game is.

[@thenostalgiafactor5023]

You rang? :)

[@Chaosbreak1]

My favorite Saturn game. When Junon removed the mask was a damn surprise :D

[@MooseheadStudios]

DAMN RIGHT Dragon Force gets its own video!! 10/10 this game made my purchase worth it was a kid.

[@marinebiobry]

This is my favorite game of all time. I go back to it frequently!

[@kingdavid9252]

BEHOLD!!! THE VAST LAND OF LEGENDRA! This bountiful land... Damn I feel like crying the nostalgia is so strong with this one.

[@adfury]

Never understood why it's not an ages title now.

[@zanon__]

It was a Sega Ages title in 2004/2005 for the PS2. WHat surprises me is that Sega never ported it to other platforms afterwards. It would be a terrific Switch or even PC game.

[@fthetm]

@@zanon__ There's a ton of text required, and just re-using and reinserting the Working Designs translation would alone be a huge effort. Not impossible but if it happened an English localization might be more effort than it would be worth to Sega

[@zanon__]

@@fthetm Well considering Sega allowed 3rd Parties to work on Streets of Rage for a new game, as well as allowed a 3rd Party studio to remake/remaster Panzer Dragoon Saga, the only effort Sega would've had would be counting the money of all purchases coming it from an IP they haven't touched in over a decade.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

@@zanon__ That's the thing Sega doesn't do anything but license out it's properties these days. This would be such an easy win for them if they knew what they were doing.

[@zanon__]

@@JohnDoe-wq5eu Yep. We can hope things change. The game turns 25 this next Monday, so we can (unrealistically) hope they had something planned for us, long time Sega fans. (wishful thinking, I know but one can dream :) )

[@loganholmberg2295]

Dear god I miss this game. Its so unique and fun.

[@Gabrieloakk]

love dragon force, i play it still on the mednafen emulator, i like to keep my original 5 generals and level them up and get their troop counts up before getting or capturing any others, if i do capture i just send a general to an enemy with them to hand them over, as your main 5 level up and gain troops so do all other generals in the game, saves the trouble of having to level up all the others as you go, and allows a build up of awards for when you get the other chosen and give them new types of unit types that you want them to have

[@moandaindesigns]

I remember being so excited when I got this game so long ago. I ended up beating the game with every character. I loved Ogre battle on the SNES and this game is very similar. Thanks for the video and bringing attention to such a beloved game.

[@bortzanator3018]

I have been waiting for so long for this. I knew there was a dedicated Dragon Force video coming from you. Excellent. Thank you.

[@roscoe75]

I remember playing Dragon Force, it was a great game! Wish Sega would do a remaster of this game and Dragon Force II for next gen consoles.

[@jgs1703]

My favorite game of all time!

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

Same here!!! Others may attempt to come close, but all around and each category individually - nothing had, has, or will have ever make a claim to top this masterpiece!!!

[@jgs1703]

@@briantaylorcloe7725 a Ps5 DF3 would be awesome. Lets cross our fingers.

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

@@jgs1703 sawrie ... I'd have to go with thee Super Switch version 😼

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

@@jgs1703 but, y'know, if they did the SoR, TMNT, WBiML treatment, they could get all platforms like that!!!

[@jgs1703]

@@briantaylorcloe7725 The game would be far superior on the PS5 lol

[@jesperandersson8561]

Had Sega Flash disc vol 5 that had this game on video demo back then i was 9 years old. Now when im over 30 i finaly bought it on ebay and damn, was it an super nostalgic experience. Took me about 2 weeks to finish. Worth every penny.

[@kapparomeo]

This is interesting. I've never had a chance to play Dragon Force and I've never been able to work out from videos how the battles actually worked, so the breakdown is interesting.

[@keineLust1981]

the music starts -> instand goosebumps

[@chadgarrett6947]

My brother got his dragon force logo tattoo, I still need to get mine, but this game is a huge part of me and my brothers childhood, the instruction booklet was freaking amazing.

[@gildedvulture7965]

Working Designs was a class act, weren't they?

[@chazmaru9583]

Right on time for the 25th anniversary of the game next Monday!

[@SenorLRoboto]

Well, guess I gotta hook the saturn up and jump back into this game, cuz this review gave me ALL of the nostalgia

[@ollieadams4250]

This was the first game I’ve got when I brought the sega saturn.

[@jeffm5056]

I got this game on clearance at Toys R Us back in the day for $30. Loved Dragon Force!

[@willroberts2071]

Probably my favorite game of all console generations.

[@jgs1703]

Music is epic.

[@nszamani]

Hey, this is my favorite game as a kid! I used Debug menu to make it harder though, i did everything in this gameeee.

[@DreamcastQ]

Such an epic game! Wish we had seen more games use the processors to their fullest potential like this...

[@jgs1703]

Most of the probably 50 castles are unique with battles occuring everywhere across the map in every element out there which adds different elements to the game. There is a beautiful randomness to the game.

[@ReggieVSSolace]

So many Hours spent playing this game. Good times.

[@michiganjack1337]

Revolution Death Squad 🤘 -- Oh Sorry wrong DragonForce 😅 - Another great Working Designs product. I sure do miss that studio.

[@thecunninlynguist]

DF looks dope. I love RTS / Strat RPGs. That opening is gorgeous.

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

Sooooo .... You haven't played it yet?! 🙈 Find a way, Young Liege, and pronto 🦁

[@shanesteinhauser9680]

The more I watch these videos the more I want a Saturn. Gonna get a MODE and a Saturn so I can play these games. The 2D artstyle holds up a hell of a lot better than the blocky 3D of other platforms.

[@nimaiiikun]

I probably logged on more hours on Dragon Force and Iron Storm on my Saturn than all the games on PSX combined. So much replay value. I think I enjoyed playing Tradnor, Fandaria, and Highland the most. The only thing I didn't like were those two thieves that always appeared

[@jgs1703]

Payne and Agonni lol

[@dracothemighty]

My favorite game of all time. Nothing compares.

[@streetmagik3105]

YES!!! I love this game so much!!! I still play it almost once a year. Sad we didn't get the sequel in the US. One of my all time favorite games!

[@vettedsin]

this game was the definitive gem of the saturn. i had almost every game for the system and tbh this is the only one i remember fondly. i wish this franchise was brought to current gen specs like the ps5 or xsx; that would be effin awesome.

[@Planag7]

Love it all! I remember playing this game at a college and people just not knowing how to react to it because they had never seen so many characters animated in a plane like that. I definitely got a few people into this series'lol

[@jaimebarba619]

Dragon force was a beast

[@HielUFF]

El juego perfecto !! Hi from Venezuela !!

[@harpoonspecter2]

The last SS game I bought. The store had it hidden away in the tiny shelf they had for saturn games. I remember thinking, "holy crap, only 40 bucks!" Absolute gem of a game. The packaging was beautiful and the game still rocks. Check out the fan translated sequel if you can.

[@neozzickmixes3987]

I loved this game so much, as soon as I turned 18, I got a tattoo of the dragon symbol on my leg. I'm 38 years old now, I don't regret it at all. Still love the game

[@Gorilla_Jones]

What a wonderful game. I just started playing my original copy this week. Gaming is sadly missing these types of games.

[@jerrycuff013]

This saturn game looks so amazing! It's like the shining force series meets medieval total war.

[@vasileios6301]

Top Saturn game,that is not only great and unique as a game,but also is perharps the best example of Saturn's 2d capabilities without an extra ram cart. The amount of sprites on battles is just amazing.

[@maroon9273]

The only game pushed a lot of sprites on screen

[@Harkness78]

One of my favorites, I beat it with every faction except Reinhart, who I started but was pretty burnt out on the game by then. Really liked Goldark and Junon and Beastman playthrus. I wish they had brought the sequel to the West. I am fine with the "you get to the endgame and it forces you to finish because dragon armies just continually attack." It forces you to finish with that leader's story and move on to another one. I probably would have just played the same kingdom forever if it didn't cut me off.

[@jgs1703]

You can play it in english now. Ive beaten it with 4 of the factions.

[@verizonpayphone]

Love the content SLX, especially the Saturn coverage, I'm in the market for one finally and your buying guides have helped significantly. Thanks man!

[@deraykrause4517]

I don't ever replay games once I beat them, but I played this to completion with all 8 generals at least 3 times back in the day. The battles NEVER GOT OLD! Still have my original copy even though I don't have a Saturn anymore.

[@johndemetro8184]

I just beat this game last night. I really loved it. One of my favorite games of all time. I appreciate your recommendation.

[@aaronlemoine3707]

One of my personal all time favorite games. Want to replay it again and also try the sequel one day.

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

The fact this is 2D makes it far more timeless than anything 3D of the time. (which has aged like milk from the time) It is definitely at the top of the list of games from the Saturn that should be brought to anything and everything possible. It deserves more eyes and recognition.

[@affansonicfan]

I don't wanna spoil this awesome game too much. Definitely on the top of my backlog for my lovely Saturn.

[@jgs1703]

Quit everything you are doing in life and play this game. No game on the saturn comes close.

[@vasileios6301]

@@jgs1703 Shining the Holy Ark and Shining Force 3 are also on par or even better.

[@jgs1703]

@@vasileios6301 if you like rpgs like all the other hundreds of rpgs out there. Im sure.

[@vasileios6301]

@@jgs1703 I used to love them,now I hate them all except the YS series were are somewhat having the old good flavour.

[@affansonicfan]

@@jgs1703 wow ok. And I thought PDS was a perfect game

[@chadgarrett6947]

Absolutely love this game. One of the only ones I love as much as final fantasy 6 and not many seem to know today. So happy to find this review! I highly recommend checking out the English fan translation of the second game that never got an English release!

[@millenniumwatcher]

Man, I just love this game to death. It was a system seller IMO. And it was my first foray into the RTS genre. Playing every leader’s scenario felt like a different game each time. Can’t say enough about this game and its impact on the Saturn as a whole.

[@lanegunnell1218]

Thanks for adding the self-exploration point at the end of vid. My brother randomly found it at a game store, came home and said, "Now you owe me $60," cuz I owned the Saturn in the family. Best "favor" he ever did! I played DF w/ my best friend and brother over the next year. It was so fun figuring out tactics/secrets/cheats and giddily sharing it w/ each other. Really an amazing game. Now I know the game entirely; hearing your same troop challenge, it's time to dive in again!

[@Sinn0100]

One of the greatest 32-bit games I have ever played in my life. I am lucky enough to own a copy of this amazing game today. Sega needs to release this on XBLA like they did with Guardian Heroes and Radiant Silvergun. Thankfully, I don't think this game was lost like Panzer Dragoon Saga.

[@EliteGamersUnited]

my fav game of all time. i was 11 when this came out and i remember lputting hundreds of hours into this across multiple playthroughs

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Working Designs was KILLING it on the Saturn and PS1. My favorite was Vanguard Bandits.

[@qazza4165]

Dragon force is a fantastic game but what made it so memorable was working designs translation - really added depth and flavour to the characters and the story.

[@Carsonj13]

One underappreciated aspect about this game is that it has some pretty amazing looking FMV cutscenes for a game running on a stock Sega Saturn without an MPEG card.

[@ravagingwolverine]

It is a fantastic game and also think it is among the very best games on the Saturn. I believe I've beaten it with everyone but Reinhart. I have never been a big RPG or strategy guy, and I didn't really know what this game was about, but I knew that several people whose opinions I valued recommended it highly. I was in a position to be able to buy two Saturn games right at the start of a week off from high school. Plus, I was staying home with my grandparents who lived downstairs while my parents and brother went on a trip I had no interest in. Those two games were Dragon Force and an import copy of Fighters Megamix. I chose well that day and had an amazing week of gaming. I stayed up really late playing Dragon Force. The only reason I went to sleep was because I knew I could resume immediately after waking up. Anyway, I actually enjoy the game more using the pause exploit, as well as blitzing castles with multiple groups, but I did figure those things out for myself, so I can't find issue with your recommendations. I will say, not everyone is up for figuring everything out, and if some guidance helps people enjoy this game more, then that's a good thing. However, I wouldn't tell any rookies about the pause exploit either right away, since they need to focus on the fundamentals of battle and the importance of administration stuff like searching and fortifying castles and keeping their generals happy. There's so much to love about the game, and among those are the wonderful character designs of so many generals. I was so disappointed to know Dragon Force 2 existed but was never localized officially. I believe I learned from this channel that there was finally a translation, and it's why I picked up a used desktop computer to finally have something that could properly handle Saturn. I haven't gotten to play DF2 yet because I know it will be a massive time sink if it's anything like the first oone.

[@ClockedIt]

In 2002 I was working in a game shop when this got traded in. It was one of those Saturn games I had not got around to buying, but knew I really wanted, so quickly snapped it up when it was traded in. I played it an absolute ton once I got it and it instantly became one of my favourite Saturn games. You have to push past the initial difficulty and understanding of the game, but once you do, man, the battles can be amazing and the strategy element is fantastic. Great game.

[@wizeguy2100]

Best game on the Saturn!

[@Haelikor]

I briefly forgot English when I was very little (learning other languages from where I lived), and this is what I relearned English playing. Fond memories.

[@DarDarBinks1986]

You just put another Saturn game on my "to buy" list. If I can find it cheap enough, I'd like to buy it.

[@jgs1703]

Just buy it. Look at the comments. Almost every comment is saying its the best game of all time. Its priceless.

[@leandrocalmon4185]

Tips for experienced players who finds the game too easy: 1- Don't inspect enemy castles or troops. Always go prepared for the worst case scenario; 2- Only give awards for generals who deserved it by winning a battle. Castle conquer awards can be distributed freely; 3- Only recruit Generals after 2 or 3 weeks of them being captives; 4- Never use the pause button during the map session of the game; 5- In battle, if you're attacking a castle, always use offensive formations, never standby. Unless you have mages or archers. I started a run with those "rules" and the game became a lot more interesting for an experienced player like myself. If you have any suggestion of more of these "rules", please comment!

[@SlowSpyder]

Can you also review Dark Wizard for the Sega CD? Need more member berries like this.

[@Resvrgam]

I was definitely overwhelmed in the opening part of DragonForce. There was so many complicated systems thrown at you from the onset that I had no idea what I was doing.

[@michaeloffgrid]

I felt the same way at first, having always been quick to give up on any sort of strategy game when I was young. I tried the game once and gave up pretty quickly. I came back a few months later and started a campaign as Teiris and just sent all her generals to assault the nearest castle (there's only one road into/out of her castle). They took it over easily, there was a story cutscene, and I was hooked!

[@Mitjitsu]

That's why you need to read through the manual before playing it.

[@Resvrgam]

@@Mitjitsu If the game requires external material to understand before operation, it’s too convoluted. I never needed a manual for Herzog Zwei or Shining Force.

[@adultmoshifan87]

Closest I got to experiencing this game as a kid was a video preview on one of Sega Saturn Magazine’s few demo discs.

[@Graus4201]

really enjoyed it after finding it a few years ago reminded me of my favorite growing up Ogre battle 64.

[@datguybrandon9683]

I played this game when I was kid, over and over. My all-time favorite game on Saturn.

[@Warmaker01]

I remember seeing this game reviewed well on Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, convincing me to get this title. What really grabbed my interest was seeing the battles. It reminded me a little of the Genesis game called Warsong, which was a port of one of the Langrisser games from Japan. Dragon Force was a quite unique game for its time.

[@raywest6943]

Truly one of the best games ever made. I still play this now and its still has a high fun factor!!!

[@kevinstrauss4258]

I literally just started my first playthrough of this classic this week. Very happy to see this review and the tips you've shared. Loving it all so far!

[@GamingBroductions]

Nice video. I've yet to play Dragon Force unfortunately along with many other Saturn RPGs for that matter but I've always been really intrigued by it. The battles seem to play out pretty differently, but aesthetically on the world map and how characters move the game looks really similar to Ogre Battle 64 actually. Probably the closest comparison that comes to mind for me at least. That's one of my favorites which just makes me want to check this one out even more

[@Maken-X]

Love both this game and the band. Also, Junon > Samus. Change my mind!

[@briantaylorcloe7725]

Nearly equal in my book, but I agree ... Junon FTW 4 Lyf❣️

[@timyoung487]

One of the best games of my childhood. Rushing home from school and getting lost in being a general to unite the world! Wish Sega or an indie redo remake something similar. Closest has been Symphony of War.

[@sega-re-trop-vieux]

I like this game and even more the second dragon force ( artwork aren’t as good as the first one but the gameplay with 2 kind of army is insane!)

[@jgs1703]

I am going to play DF2 after I beat DF completely. Ive beaten DF 4/8 characters.

[@analog_ape]

I could only admire screenshots in the magazines at the time, as I had the PlayStation and couldn't afford both systems. Have been wanting to play it ever since.

[@MaidenHell1977]

Everything you mentioned about how this game made you feel and look was exactly what we felt first time playing it all those years ago. Very happy to own this game even if it's just a loose disc. Great episode.

[@sugarklay9159]

My favorite Saturn game. I got this game when it came out at Toy's R Us and started with Junon with became my favorite character. Awesome review

[@cumberbatchpepperpot]

Playing this back in the day was an amazing experience. I’m surprised dragon force didn’t develop its own, new popular genre

[@germainetaylor1757]

As far as I know there are no other strategie jrpg games quite like this one on any other console the first time I played this game as a kid I was blown away by the hand drawn 100 vs 100 battles please sega revisit this series again some day

[@eg4933]

This was an awesome game.

[@Asobitech]

Dragon Force is such a wonderful game, and you're completely correct on all fronts on how to play the game. Discovering things is part of the fun. It is for sure in my top 5 Sega Saturn games of all time. Thanks for covering this game, and give it the love and attention it deserves.

[@leonidaschryssinas1723]

NOTHING BEATS DRAGON FORCE - a game I got DIRT CHEAP on Xmas of 2000 !!!! Spent more than 420 hrs into it from years 2001-2006

[@bud9450]

I LOVE THIS GAME!! Thank you!❤

[@jaimebarba619]

Shining force 3 was fantastic