There are only a few games worth mentioning when it comes to the Saturn, at least that’s the common...you know what, I’ve been relying on this “I don’t really know how to introduce this game, but since it was a port to a handheld from a console game, maybe I can talk about the original game and hopefully no one will notice me slacking off” gimmick waaaaaaay too much on many of these reviews this summer. Especially in regards to Game Gear games. Considering the fact that this is the last Game Gear review I’m writing for the summer (not to mention the last Game Gear review POSTED this summer), maybe I should just cut the crap. Or not.

Panzer Dragoon was a popular Saturn game. So, SEGA decided to do what it did in the heydays of the Genesis: create a portable version of it for the Game Gear. That’s pretty much the story of this game.Judging by the fact that this game has stages from both of the Saturn games, not to mention a lack of any cut scenes whatsoever, I think it’s safe to assume that this game doesn’t really have any canon-based storyline, whatsoever. It was pretty much made for the same reason that the various Genesis ports/sequels were made: simply for the sake of cashing in on a game that made it big on another of Sega’s consoles.

Let me just get this off my chest: if you’re expecting this game to be anything like the Panzer Dragoon games on the Saturn, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Of course, if those are your expectations, then you must either have no knowledge of the limitations of portables at this point or are just simply an idiot. To be honest, this game’s engine actually reminds me of another Sega game from awhile back: Space Harrier.

There are a few differences though. While Space Harrier simply involved shooting in a certain direction, PDM adds a cursor system to increase the accuracy of players’ aim. There are two manners of firing: tap once to shot a shot in the direction, but holding it down allows players to lock-on to various targets and releasing it fires off on all locked-on targets. Obviously, the lock-on style is far more reliable, but the standard firing method allows for faster shots. Boss battles, on the other hand, are a different story. While the shooting controls remain unchanged, the actual view of the screen turns from a straightforward view to one at the dragon’s side. Another (albeit minor) change to the gameplay comes about through the form of a dragon select ability, from the beginning of the game. There are three different dragons: the black (the smallest), blue, and red (the largest). Each dragon has its own strengths and flaws.

Suffice to say, this modified SH engine works well with the Panzer Dragoon game series. Granted, a more original engine custom made to the Saturn games’ engine would’ve been a better choice, but all things considered, this isn’t that bad of a game.

The graphics are also reminiscent of those found in Space Harrier. The game world has that pseudo-3D look first pioneered by Sega back in their 80’s arcade games. Granted, by 1996, the look was getting a bit old, but at least they pulled off the look well. One thing to note would have to be the camera shift between the regular stages and boss battles. Sure, it’s just a 90 degree turn, but all things considered, the Game Gear’s aged hardware somehow pulls it off fairly smoothly, albeit slowly. There are also some still images of 3D imagery, at certain points, but as with other pseudo-3D GG games (Sonic Blast and Baku Baku come to mind), it doesn’t hold up well, though it is better than those aforementioned examples. The menus look nice as well. I don’t know why I’m saying this at this point, but I figured I should mention it.

The sound, on the other hand, isn’t as well handled. Sure, the music seems to draw from the ambient atmosphere of the Saturn games. Obviously, due to the Game Gear’s inferior sound card, the feeling isn’t transmitted very well. On the other hand, I never really liked the ambient tracks of the original games anyway. Sound effects are average, though they don’t really stand out at all.

As for replay, there’s not really that much. There’s only one mode, with only four stages, and three different playable dragons. That’s really about it for the game. I guess there’s a silver lining in this though: couple the limited number of stages with the game’s password system, and you has got an easy-to-use stage select system that gives the game some pick-up-and-playability. In the end, this game’s probably one of the last worthwhile games released for the Game Gear, in spite of its minor flaws.