Panzer Dragoon Mini
A scaled-down rail shooter spin-off for the Game Gear.
Panzer Dragoon Mini is a 1996 rail shooter developed by Rit's and published by Sega for the Game Gear. It is a spin-off entry in the Panzer Dragoon series, featuring three playable dragons and five levels. The game was released as part of the Kid's Gear lineup and received mixed reception from critics.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Rit's
- Publisher
- Sega
- Artist
- Hiroshi Kajiyama
- Composer
- Hitoshi Sakimoto
- Series
- Panzer Dragoon
- Platforms
- Game Gear
- Released
- November 22, 1996 (JP)
- Genre
- Rail shooter
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Panzer Dragoon Mini is a single-player rail shooter with five levels, each after the first including a boss encounter. The player controls an aiming reticle for one of three super deformed dragons without a rider, using the D-pad to aim and shoot or lock onto enemies. During boss fights, the camera sometimes switches to the side of the dragon. The dragon has a health bar; depletion ends the game, but unlimited continues and a password feature allow progress to be resumed.
Development and release
The game was developed by Rit's, a Japanese developer founded in 1991. Artist Hiroshi Kajiyama worked on the pseudo-3D models, and Hitoshi Sakimoto adapted the soundtrack from Panzer Dragoon II Zwei. Sega handled the project without involvement from Team Andromeda, though series creator Yukio Futatsugi approved the cover art. It was published on November 22, 1996, as part of the Kid's Gear lineup, and its late release near the Game Gear's end makes it a rare collector's item.
Reception
Panzer Dragoon Mini was poorly received, with praise for its art style and boss designs but criticism of its pacing and lack of a plot. Famitsu's reviewers found it monotonous compared to Saturn entries and faulted its graphics. Retrospective opinions varied: Click! Konsole commended its visuals and simple gameplay, while Retro Game's Sébastien Péretti called it a shameful offshoot. 1Up.com's James Mielke described it as a dumbed-down shooter for kids. MeriStation's Ramón Méndez González deemed it a fun curiosity, citing its SD art style and simple controls. Retro Gamer's Darran Jones criticized its basic visuals and bland gameplay. Forbes' Ollie Barder labeled it and the R-Zone version as pretty terrible.
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