Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll offers a blend of side-scrolling beat ’em up action and one-on-one tournament duels, creating a varied experience that keeps players on their toes. In the main stages, you guide Ryohi through horizontally scrolling levels packed with enemy grunts, environmental hazards, and miniboss encounters. The controls are straightforward, with dedicated button inputs for punches, kicks, and special kung-fu moves that you gradually unlock as you progress.

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The miniboss battles punctuate the action by turning the screen black and spotlighting a focused one-on-one fight. Defeat these foes to collect essential items that feed into a sequential power-up system. Each collectible moves you closer to acquiring the key that opens the level’s exit, ensuring that you can’t simply rush forward—you must engage with every challenge to advance.

When Ryohi enters the World Tournament of Contact Sports, the gameplay shifts to one-on-one duels. Here, timing and precision become crucial. You must land strikes on a flashing target area on your opponent’s body while actively defending your own marked zone. This mechanic adds tension and variety, requiring a different approach than the arcade-style beat ’em up segments.

The difficulty curve is well-measured: early levels serve as a tutorial for your kung-fu arsenal, while later stages introduce faster enemies, tighter corridors, and more aggressive minibosses. The one-on-one duels also ramp up in complexity, forcing you to master both attack patterns and defensive maneuvers. Overall, the gameplay remains engaging from start to finish.

Graphics

On the NES hardware, Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll showcases vibrant, colorful backdrops that range from tranquil temple courtyards to stark desert arenas. Each stage is distinct, helping to convey the journey from Shorinji’s hidden training grounds to the international tournament stages. Though the hardware is limited, the designers make good use of color contrast and simple parallax effects to create depth.

Character sprites for Ryohi and his foes are well-defined, with fluid animations for punches, kicks, and special moves. The minibosses stand out with unique designs—ranging from masked ninjas to burly martial artists—which adds personality to each encounter. In duel mode, the close-up portraits and animated health bars heighten the intensity of the fight.

Enemy variety is bolstered by clever palette swaps and minor costume adjustments, preventing repetition from becoming too noticeable. Decorative elements like fluttering banners, cascading waterfalls, and temple lanterns help reinforce the game’s martial-arts atmosphere. On occasion you may notice minor flicker or slowdown when many sprites appear, but it rarely disrupts the flow of combat.

Cutscenes and title screens feature stylized artwork that captures the mystique of the Secret Scroll. The title sequence shows Ryohi performing a signature flying-dragon stance, foreshadowing the special techniques you’ll unlock. While the graphics don’t push the NES to its absolute limits, they serve the game’s pacing and theme very effectively.

Story

The narrative begins with Grand Master Juan’s dramatic theft of the Secret Scrolls of Hiryu-no-Ken, the ultimate kung-fu stance said to make the practitioner resemble a flying dragon. After his defeat, Juan entrusts the last remaining scroll to his promising student, Ryohi, and charges him with a mission to restore balance by recovering the stolen artifacts.

Ryohi travels to Shorinji Monastery, where Gengai, the wise bishop of Shorinji, instructs and mentors him for six years. These training montages are briefly recounted in interstitial text sequences, giving weight to Ryohi’s mastery of martial arts and building anticipation for his upcoming trials.

When the Tusk Soldiers—ruthless enemies of Shorinji—issue a challenge letter announcing the “World Tournament of Contact Sports,” Ryohi sees his chance. Gengai reveals that the Tusk Soldiers were responsible for robbing Juan, so reclaiming the scrolls and restoring the honor of Shorinji become Ryohi’s intertwined goals.

The story unfolds through short cutscenes and dialogue boxes before and after key battles, providing context without overstaying its welcome. While the plot adheres to classic martial-arts tropes, it’s delivered with cinematic flair and a clear sense of purpose that drives you from one stage to the next.

Overall Experience

Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll strikes a satisfying balance between arcade-style beat ’em up stages and tense one-on-one duels. The dual gameplay modes prevent monotony and reward players who invest time in mastering both broad combat and precise target-based fighting. Controls remain responsive throughout, and the difficulty curve encourages skill progression rather than punishing trial-and-error.

Visually, the game leverages the NES’s palette to deliver colorful environments and expressive character sprites, immersing you in its martial-arts world. Occasional slowdown during heavy onslaughts is forgivable, as the overall presentation remains polished and coherent—from the animated cutscenes to the atmospheric stage backdrops.

The narrative provides a clear motivation for progression, weaving together themes of honor, mastery, and revenge. While not groundbreaking, the story is engaging enough to keep players invested in Ryohi’s quest for the secret scrolls. Interactions with NPCs and the progression of the World Tournament serve as effective milestones that underscore Ryohi’s growth.

For fans of retro kung-fu games, Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll delivers a robust package of action, style, and challenge. Its combination of side-scrolling brawls and strategic duels, supported by appealing graphics and a straightforward yet motivating storyline, makes it a standout title for collectors and newcomers alike.

Retro Replay Score

6.1/10