Mini Review: Dragon Hopper (Virtual Boy) - A Zelda-Like With Height, Heart, And A Spring In Its Step

Editor's note: Due to the low resolution and peculiarities of how screengrabs display for Virtual Boy games on NSO, all the screens here are Nintendo press shots.

When Nintendo pulled the plug on 1995’s Virtual Boy after roughly a year on the market, Dragon Hopper was one of its immediate casualties. Developed by Intelligent Systems, this ambitious and seemingly release-ready adventure had been heavily publicised as a flagship title for the fledgling system — but it would never reach shop shelves.

30 years later, its release via Nintendo Classics has finally given the renamed D-Hopper its long-delayed debut as a lovingly crafted Zelda-like whose layered vertical platforming and exploration were purpose-built for the Virtual Boy’s stereoscopic display.

Out of the gate, it makes a strong impression with a storybook-like opening introducing Dorin, an adorable dragon cast out of his kingdom after a sudden takeover. With the realm now in hostile hands, he sets out to locate four imprisoned elemental spirits whose powers may help him find his way home and reclaim what was taken from him.

Presented from a top-down perspective, much of its exploration and traversal unfolds vertically. With every hop, the ground appears to recede beneath Dorin, and higher platforms move naturally into view. Most of the time, you only discover the route ahead at the peak of a jump, when another ledge reveals itself above the scenery.

The Virtual Boy’s stereoscopic depth makes judging each jump remarkably intuitive, and an additional push of the jump button (the 'R' trigger) in mid-air slows Dorin’s descent with an additional flutter, allowing for more precise landings or attacks. Leaping upwards through stacked multi-storey dungeons quickly becomes second nature.

Each of the game’s five visually distinct stages functions like a compact dungeon with keys to track down and Star Medals to collect, culminating in the freeing of an elemental spirit and a unique boss battle. Rescuing one imbues Dorin with a new dragon transformation and a corresponding ability essential for forward progress. The heavier Earth Dragon form smashes through weakened floors and strikes multiple foes simultaneously, while the Water Dragon form freezes stretches of water to create new paths, making for a satisfying loop of exploration, finding new powers, and immediately putting them to use.

The Zelda similarities extend to the supporting systems. Dorin has a fairy companion who can cast magic spells, and his health is even measured in hearts. But D-Hopper’s vertical traversal ensures that, familiar as its inspirations may be, the experience of actually playing it feels unique.

Combat, though, can feel a little underdeveloped. Dorin can launch himself towards enemies or pounce from above, but fighting rarely develops much beyond lining up a jump and landing consecutive hits. Its most memorable boss battles make use of the game’s verticality by folding in platforming, with combat taking place at different elevations.

It is all pleasantly approachable throughout and never especially demanding, which makes its three-to-four-hour playthrough easy to settle into. Bolstered by a great chiptune soundtrack, expressive spritework, and dashes of quirky personality, Dragon Hopper is a polished adventure from the Virtual Boy vault that is a genuinely welcome addition to its library.