Dragon Ball: Dragon Dai-Hikyō

Dragon Ball: The Great Unexplored Dragon Region
	Dragon Ball: The Great Unexplored Dragon Region Title Screen
ドラゴンボール　ドラゴン大秘境; Doragon Bōru　Doragon Dai-Hikyō
ドラゴンボール　ドラゴン大秘境; Doragon Bōru　Doragon Dai-Hikyō
Release Date	27 September 1986 (JP)
Genre	Action
	v · d · e

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Dragon Ball: The Great Unexplored Dragon Region is the Dragon Ball franchise's first console video game. Players directly control Son Goku across seven stages in search of the Dragon Balls in an overhead, vertically-scrolling action/shooter-style game, with the occasional one-on-one side-view battle against the Turtle Hermit.

The game is notable for pre-dating Shueisha's longstanding relationship with Bandai for home console video game releases (which began later that same year with Dragon Ball: The Mystery of Shenlong), instead releasing with Epoch on the company's Super Cassette Vision console.

Packaging

The Great Unexplored Dragon Region came packaged in a box containing the game cartridge and a small instruction manual.

Spread of the Dragon Ball: Dragon Dai-Hikyō video game box, manual, and cartridge
Spread of the Epoch Super Cassette Vision console with Dragon Ball: Dragon Dai-Hikyō

The game's box and instruction manual describe the overall story and premise of the game:

ある山奥に住む無邪気でやたら強い孫悟空は、ブルマの頼みて謎のトラゴンボールを探す旅にてることになった。悟空かゆく、岩山、草原、海原、都市なと7つのコースには、それそれの球が隠されている。次々と襲いかかる敵を、かめはめ波、如意棒てやっつける! 危機また危機!! そして、7つのトラコンホールか揃ったとき。ついに神龍があらわれる! 一体何か起こるのか!?
The innocent and incredibly strong Son Goku, who lives deep in the mountains, sets out on a journey at Bulma's request to find the mysterious Dragon Balls. Seven different stages await Goku, including mountains, rocky cliffs, grasslands, the ocean, and cities, each concealing a different ball. Defeats the enemies that attack one after another with his Kamehameha and Nyoibō! It's crisis after crisis!! And when all seven Dragon Balls are gathered... Shenlong finally appears! What will happen?!

The game's instruction manual adds additional context:

このゲームは主人公悟空が、筋斗雲にのって7つの大秘境を駆けめぐり秘境の奥にある敵要塞から、それぞれのドラゴンボールを探しだすのが目的です。途中、亀仙人がでてきて、修業を受けることができます。修業に合格すると････････････!?
In this game, Goku rides atop Kinto'un traveling through seven great hidden realms, with the goal of finding the Dragon Balls hidden deep within enemy fortress at the end of each one. Along the way, the Turtle Hermit appears, and you can undergo his training. And if you pass his training...?!

Gameplay

Gameplay takes place in an overhead, vertically-scrolling view with the player having direct control over Goku flying atop Kinto'un, with two possible attack options: swiping Nyoibō (somewhat wildly!) in front (with some minor attack frames to the side-front area), as well as firing a Kamehameha, which takes the form of a small, propelled blast attack.

Players start with five energy points (representing the ability to take five hits from enemies) and three overall lives (representing the number of turns available to play).

At certain points, the game may switch to a one-on-one side-view battle against the Turtle Hermit, in which a separate amount of 20 hit points are available to the player.

Sample overhead gameplay from the first stage
Goku squares off against the Turtle Hermit in a side view

Game Modes

The Great Unexplored Dragon Region is a one- or two-player game with its sole gameplay mode being its main story. In two-player mode, each player takes turns following the complete loss of energy. This repeats until both players lose all remaining lives.

Player 1 start screen
Player 2 start screen

Characters

Playable:

Son Goku

Support:

Large Enemies:

Big Fish
Pilaf Machine
Pilaf
Bear Bandit
Toninjinka
Sergeant Metallic
Master Sergeant Murasaki
Oolong's transformation as a bat
Oolong's transformation as a robot
Turtle Hermit^[b]

Small Enemies/Obstacles:

Bat
Baby Gamera
Shuriken
Red Ribbon Army Airplane
Mushroom
Bird
Knife
Axe
Rocket

Stages

The Great Unexplored Dragon Region features seven unique stages, each with an ending area where you must destroy objects to discover the respective hidden Dragon Ball.

Stage 1: An introductory stage with flying bat enemies and a jumping fish
Stage 2: Features more flying enemies, knives, and Pilaf
Stage 3: Features more flying enemies and Toninjinka
Stage 4: Features knives, robots, and the bandit bear
Stage 5: Features additional repeat enemies and Sergeant Metallic
Stage 6: Features additional repeat enemies
Stage 7: Features additional repeat enemies and Murasaki

Codes & Secrets

TBD

Releases

TBD

Domestic Media Coverage

TBD

Legacy

TBD

Game Credits

No credits are provided within the game itself (or within the game's manual), other than the main screen copyright info of (with the latter-most likely referring to "Bird Studio" followed by "Shueisha" and "Fuji Television"):

©BS/S.F.T

External Links

YouTube
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SFFxsqC4XM

Random Game Log (チラ裏げーむ録)

Hardcore Gaming 101
- https://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonball-dragon-dai-hikyou/

Super Cassette Vision Information
- https://nicole.express/2024/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-super-cassette-vision.html

Notes

↑ Only seen in the game's ending sequence as panties fall down on Oolong.
↑ As an active opponent, the Turtle Hermit only appears for training side-missions, which do not otherwise impede the player's progress to take energy away from their main gameplay.

References

[1] Only seen in the game's ending sequence as panties fall down on Oolong.

[2] As an active opponent, the Turtle Hermit only appears for training side-missions, which do not otherwise impede the player's progress to take energy away from their main gameplay.

[a]

[b]