Collection essentials #30: Dragonstomper (2600)


Another Starpath game gifted to me by Keith Messier. Dragonstomper is a rather obscure yet highly significant game, because it may have been the first RPG ever released for consoles! (Its actual release date is not known precisely)

Many old RPGs are not much fun to go back to at all in modern times, so you’d expect this one to feel borderline unplayable today. But surprisingly, that’s not the case! Sure, it’s never going to sniff any “favorite RPG” list of mine, but playing this game for the first time as an adult in the 2010s, I found myself getting invested and having a good time.

Unlike most RPGs, there’s not really any story to speak of here other than “big dragon bad, hero must kill dragon.” Starting a new game, you’re thrown right into the action. The game takes place in three phases. In the first, you’re basically going around fighting enemies in turn-based battles and checking out points of interest on the map looking for ways to increase your stats, earn money and find items. The cool part is that a lot of it is randomized every time you play, so each session is going to be a little different! That’s something I tend to really enjoy in games. Once you think you’re ready to move on, you have to get past a guard of a bridge by giving him money, a pass or a butt-kicking, and then you go to a shop where you can spend your money on a variety of things in preparation for the final challenge. Said challenge is a dungeon with a variety of hazards, with the big bad dragon waiting for you at the end! You can win the game by either defeating the dragon in a fight or by slipping by him and opening the door to the treasure with a key.

This game definitely does show its age, but the formula still works enough to be enjoyable today because the pace of gameplay is usually not too bad unlike many old RPGs, and the game doesn’t overstay its welcome either. I mentioned how the randomness can make the game fun, but it can also be a downside. When luck isn’t going your way, it can get frustrating and make the game feel more like a slog. Though for me, that can make it all the more satisfying when I finally have a run where I get super lucky and wind up super powerful.

Dragonstomper is a super impressive landmark title for the year 1982 and still is enjoyable today. To me, it makes the Starpath Supercharger (required to play cassette games) worth owning. A definite essential in the collection.

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