Draglade
A DS fighting game blending music and role-playing elements.
Draglade (also known as *Custom Beat Battle Draglade*) is a Nintendo DS game that blends fighting, music, and role-playing elements. It was created by Dimps, first released in Japan by Banpresto and Bandai Namco Games, and later brought to the US by Atlus.
The combat system stands out from typical fighting games: it requires few directional inputs for moves. Instead, players collect "Bullets" to set special moves, which are then activated using the DS touch screen.
The game takes place in a post-modern world powered by "Matter." This energy can be absorbed by a device called a G-Con, which transforms into a weapon known as a Glade. People fight with these Glades in a popular sport called Grapping. Four playable characters each have their own story: Daichi, Guy, Hibito, and Kyle.
Daichi comes from a village where people can talk to animals. He is chosen to help the animals and trains to become a Master Grapper. He travels through cities, eventually facing the Mad Company and their leader, President D, who is consumed by darkness and defeated.
Guy, a former member of the Black Fang gang, takes up Grapping legitimately to atone for past mistakes. He is manipulated by someone named Gyamon into returning to his old ways. Guy meets Shelly, who hates Black Fang for what they did to her brother. He teams up with the other characters to stop the Mad Company and earns Shelly's respect.
Hibito is a young boy who was once rescued by a Master Grapper. He pursues his dream of Grapping against his grandfather's wishes. During his journey, the Mad Company kidnaps his family. Hibito joins the other characters to rescue the captives and becomes a Master Grapper.
Kyle wants the cash prize for Master Grappers to pay off his father's debt. He travels by water, battling along the coast. After encountering the DoraDora Dan gang, he faces the Mad Company with the others, wins the tournament, clears his father's debt, and earns his title.
Reviewers gave Draglade a score of 71 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 23 reviews. IGN criticized the simple story and said the user interface felt familiar from other games, but praised the music-based combat and multiplayer, giving it a 7 out of 10. Nintendo World Report's Steven Rodriguez liked the combat and customization but found the game repetitive because you have to replay it multiple times to unlock hidden characters, scoring it
- Developer
- Dimps
- Publisher (Japan)
- Banpresto and Bandai Namco Games
- Publisher (US)
- Atlus
- Platform
- Nintendo DS
- Genre
- Fighting, music video game, role-playing game
- Metacritic Score
- 71/100 (based on 23 reviews)
- Sequel
- Custom Beat Battle: Draglade 2 (released July 10, 2008)
Lore & Background
Draglade is set in a post-modern world powered by 'Matter,' an energy absorbed by technology known as a G-Con, which transforms into a weapon called a Glade. Individuals fight using these Glades in a popular sport called Grapping. Four playable characters—Daichi, Guy, Hibito, and Kyle—each have their own storylines. Daichi, from a village where residents communicate with animals, trains to become a Master Grapper and battles the Mad Company and its leader, President D. Guy, a former Black Fang gang member, seeks redemption through legitimate Grapping, eventually teaming up with others to defeat the Mad Company. Hibito, a young boy rescued by a Master Grapper, pursues Grapping against his grandfather's advice and rescues his family from the Mad Company. Kyle enters Grapping tournaments to win prize money to pay off his father's debt, ultimately earning the title of Master Grapper.
Reader's Guide
Draglade's fighting system is distinct from other fighting games, requiring few directional inputs; instead, special moves are set by collecting 'Bullets' and activated via the DS touch screen. The game received a Metacritic score of 71/100 from 23 reviews. IGN criticized the simplicity of the story and described the UI as present 'in a dozen other games,' but praised the music-oriented combat and multiplayer options, scoring it 7 out of 10. Nintendo World Report's Steven Rodriguez commended the combat system and customization options, though he disliked the repetitiveness of replaying the game to unlock hidden characters, giving it 8.5 out of 10. Cyril Lachel of DefunctGames compared Draglade's rhythm mechanics to Beatmania and its grapple battles to Flame of Recca, lambasting the lengthy plot as 'boring' but praising its ability to remain engaging, grading it B minus. A sequel, Custom Beat Battle: Draglade 2, was released in Japan and the United States on July 10, 2008.
Did You Know?
- The game's full Japanese title is 'Custom Beat Battle Draglade.'
- Special moves are activated using the DS touch screen rather than directional inputs.
- The game features four playable characters, each with their own story: Daichi, Guy, Hibito, and Kyle.
- A sequel, Custom Beat Battle: Draglade 2, was released on July 10, 2008.
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