Mean Machines Sega
1st December 1996
Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Crystal Dynamics
Machine: Sega Saturn (EU Version)
Published in Mean Machines Sega #51
Blazing Dragons
Consider the creative energy of the Monty Python team. A ground-breaking TV series, a string of classic films and a fish called Wanda. Now consider ex-Python Terry Jones' latest project. Oh well.
Over the ages, dragons have been mankind's enemy in many a myth and legend. Feared and reviled by peasants throughout the land, your common or garden dragon has been driven to cruel extinction by brave knights in freshly Pledged armour. So it's about time that someone showed the story from the dragons' point of view. Enter Blazing Dragons, a new point-and-click Saturn adventure which tells of a wacky bunch of Dragon Knights of the Square Table from Castle Camelhot who are feeling a bit put upon by a load of marauding humans led by St George and his magician. Who's called Mervin.
Origin
Based on the 3DO update of the PC original.
Comedy Convention
Being a humorous sort of chap, Terry Jones has given all the Dragon Knights their own comedy personalities. Hence you have the stunningly myopic Sir Gasflame and the vain Sir Burnevere. Add to this had of hearing castle attendants, barking mad psychiatrists and their severely troubled patients and you have the full range of cliched Pythonesque characters. In an attempt to split a few more sides, some of the situations Flicker gets himself into are equally mirth-packed. Witness the CAT-apult and try not to laugh. Go on, I dare you.
Get The Girl, Kill The Baddies
Like most graphical adventures, Blazing Dragons has a fiercely thickening plot. You play Flicker, a young dragon with his eye on King Allfire's daughter, Flame. To get the lass, he must become a knight; and to do this he has to be trained by one of the existing knights, such as Sir Burnevere.
To add to this merriment, all the other dragons are blissfully unaware of St. George's plot to take over Camelhot, and so it's up to Flicker to save the day as well.
Gus
Having seen an episode of the cartoon series beforehand, I didn't hold out high hopes for Blazing Dragons.
Unfortunately playing the game did nothing to sway my prejudice. It looks basic, it simply isn't funny and the voice actors are among the most annoying I've ever heard. Admittedly the cartoon is aimed at children, but that's no excuse for a piece of basic, dull, patronising rubbish like this. Yes, there are a lack of decent point-and-click adventures for the Saturn, but that's no reason to buy Blazing Dragons.
For ex-PC owners and die-hand Python fans only.
Matt
If Blazing Dragons was marketed as a simple, colourful children's adventure, no doubt PC magazines would claim it was great piece of 'edutainment' software.
However, we Saturn owners know better and poor graphical adventures just aren't the reason we forked out £200 for our shiny 32-bit machine. Okay, so the presence of Terry Jones does add some seriously-neede credibility to Blazing Dragons but just take a look at his recent movie.
The Wind In The Willows, and you'll see that this ex-Python just isn't funny sometimes. Stick to Discworld if you must play this kind of game.
Verdict
A shining example of how not to produce an enjoyable and entertaining 'point-and-click' adventure. Blazing Dragons has few redeeming features. It should be taken out and shot.