Dragons of Flame (video game)

{{Infobox video game

|title = Dragons of Flame

|developer = U.S. Gold
Atelier Double {{small|(Famicom)}}

|publisher = Strategic Simulations
U.S. Gold

|designer =

|composer = Hitoshi Sakimoto, Takeshi Yasuda {{small|(FM Towns/Famicom/PC-9801)}}

|series = Dragonlance

|released = 1989

|genre = Action adventure

|modes = Single-player

|platforms = Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, FM Towns, Famicom, MS-DOS, PC-9801, ZX Spectrum

}}

{{nihongo|Dragons of Flame|ドラゴン・オブ・フレイム|Doragon obu Fureimu}} is a video game released in 1989 for various home computer systems and consoles. It is a sequel to Heroes of the Lance.

Gameplay

Like Heroes of the Lance it is arcade oriented, with few RPG elements.{{cite magazine | title =Dragons of Flame | magazine =Zzap! | issue =59 | page =23 | date =March 1990 | url =http://amigareviews.classicgaming.gamespy.com/dragoffl.htm | issn =0954-867X | access-date =2007-03-26 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071224143219/http://amigareviews.classicgaming.gamespy.com/dragoffl.htm | archive-date =2007-12-24}} The style of the game is very much like its predecessor, horizontally scrolling fighting controlling one character at a time.

Plot

It is based on the second Dragonlance campaign module, Dragons of Flame, and the second half of the first Dragonlance novel Dragons of Autumn Twilight. The plot is a faithful representation of the books it is based on.

Development

Dragons of Flame was adapted from the Dragons of Flame printed adventure module.{{cite web | title =Dragons of Flame | publisher =MobyGames | url =http://www.mobygames.com/game/dragons-of-flame | access-date =2007-03-26}}{{cite web | title =Dragons of Flame | publisher =World of Spectrum | url =http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0001500 | access-date =2007-03-26}} The game Shadow Sorcerer is a sequel to this game's storyline, but has quite different gameplay.

Reception

Dragons of Flame was successful for SSI, selling 55,711 copies.{{Cite web |url=http://www.filfre.net/2017/03/opening-the-gold-box-part-5-all-that-glitters-is-not-gold/ |title=Opening the Gold Box, Part 5: All That Glitters is Not Gold |last=Maher |first=Jimmy |date=2017-03-31 |website=The Digital Antiquarian}} According to GameSpy, "while the number of characters was increased to 10, the gameplay remained the same moderately competent, hack-'n-slash, side-scrolling action, marking this as another less than stellar entry on SSI's resume".{{cite web | first=Allen | last=Rausch | date=August 15, 2004 | title=A History of D&D Video Games | publisher=GameSpy | url=http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/538/538865p3.html | access-date=November 15, 2012}}

ST Action magazine reviewed the Atari ST version, giving it an overall score of 73%: "When U.S. Gold announced they were going to produce an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons range I thought we were going to be in for the usual graphic-lacking role-playing games. ... I've been proven very wrong. This latest game seems to offer more of a challenge than its predecessor, Heroes of the Lance. ... The thing I noticed about Dragons of Flame was the playability. Although the game uses complex menus, they have all been set out in a friendly, easy-to-use manner". ST Action also praised the variety of monsters, graphics, and "well implemented" gameplay.{{cite magazine|title = Dragons of Flame Review|date = January 1990|url = https://archive.org/details/ST_Action_Issue_021_1990-01_Gollner_Publishing_GB/page/n59|magazine = ST Action|publisher = Gollner Publishing|issue = 21|pages = 58–59}}

References

Reviews

{{cite journal | last = Alan | title = Review: Dragons of Flame | format = review | journal =Sinclair User | issue = 125 | page = 43 | date =July 1992 | url = http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=SinclairUser/Issue125/Pages/SinclairUser12500043.jpg | issn = 0262-5458 | access-date = 2007-03-29}}
{{cite journal | title = Replay: Dragons of Flame | format = review | journal = Your Sinclair | issue = 78 | page = 74 | date = June 1992 | url = http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=YourSinclair/Issue78/Pages/YourSinclair7800074.jpg | issn = 0269-6983 | access-date = 2007-03-29}}
{{cite journal | title = Dragons of Flame | format = review | journal = Your Sinclair | issue = 58 | page = 82 | date = October 1990 | url = http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=YourSinclair/Issue58/Pages/YourSinclair5800082.jpg | issn = 0269-6983 | access-date = 2007-03-29}}
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[https://archive.org/details/Page6-44-Jun90/page/54/mode/2up Review] in Page 6