Metacritic Games

Draglade (Nintendo DS)

In Draglade, it's not just about how hard you hit or fast you move, it's also how well you can groove. An innovative mix of music and fighting means you will have to use your rhythm as well as your reflexes if you want to overcome your foes and show everyone that you’re a Draglade master. In the world of Draglade, Grapping has become the world's premier spectator sport. Scientists will discover how to turn atmospheric Matter into energy. Soon thereafter, a means of harnessing this energy – G-Cons – will allow for the conversion of this power into a weapon called a "Glade". When a Glade hits something, the Glade emits a sound. Fighters and entertainers quickly realized the potential of Grapping, as the music generated by the clashing Glades in combat provided an experience that couldn't be matched in any other sport. In this world overcome by Grapping fever, four young indie Grappers – Hibito, Guy, Kyle, and Daichi – will strive to reach the ranks of the Major Grappers. [Atlus USA]

Atlus USA
Rhythm Action, Fighting
Players: 2
E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older)
Developer: Dimps Corporation
Released December 4, 2007

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

71 / 100

Critic Reviews

85 NintendoWorldReport
Draglade is a brilliant marriage of music and fighting.
85 Deeko
In the end, Draglade suffers from a severe identity crisis, yet still manages to provide a coherent and competent experience that is enjoyable to play.
80 GotNext
It's shallow, very easy, and tells a goofy story with all the sap of an after school special. That said, it's a very good kids' game, with some fresh ideas, and a unique blend of gameplay styles that make for a very appealing package.
79 NGamer UK
The controls are solid and satisfyingly straightforward. [Mar 2008, p.71]
78 Cheat Code Central
It's easy to get a little hung-up on the presentation, but Draglade is a good fighting game when you look deeper beneath the exterior trappings. The controls are tight, and the action blows by at a steady pace. Adding a touch of rhythm into the mix is a fresh and exciting idea.
78 GameZone
Draglade has a really unique premise that will keep players attention for a while, especially with the multiplayer aspects.
75 Gaming Nexus
It may look like it is based on a Japanese TV show, but I assure you that this game is not based on a licensed property. And maybe that's a good thing, because Draglade proves to be an interesting take on the fighting genre that perfectly fits the Nintendo DS' limited hardware.
75 Nintendo Power
The game offers a lot and it's all well-tuned. Just don't expect the publicized music element to be a big part of your playing experience. [Jan 2008, p.88]
70 n-Revolution Magazine UK
The combat system's not particularly deep and there's a fair bit of faffing around talking to people, but Draglade is a quirky, fun and accessible game that will appeal to anyone looking for a different approach to a standard fighter. [Issue#23, p.74]
70 IGN
The story mode can be played through with each character in just over two hours, the story is token "I want to be the very best." commonplace, and the characters did absolutely nothing to pull us in. What Draglade offers, however, is some solid battling centered around a unique beat-based combo system, allowing for a ton of customization and depth within a basic three-button fighter.
70 GamerNode
If you get Draglade expecting a nice mix of rhythm and fighting, you're in for some disappointment. Get it expecting a decent brawler with some simple controls, and you'll like it much more.
70 Gamer 2.0
So if you have some spare time on your hands, Draglade is worth picking up to get your fighting fix. Fighting based around beats is interesting but not enough to carry the game the way it’s supposed to. Mortal Kombat will probably be able to suit your fighting needs better, but Draglade is a decent addition to the DS’s fighting catalog.
70 Zentendo
Each character's story, however, is extremely short, lasting at about two-hours for an average player.
70 Pocket Gamer UK
Convincingly crossing dancing with beat-'em-up, Draglade is a fun, frenetic and hugely likeable DS B-movie.
70 AceGamez
Draglade is a big, brash and bombastic game that wears its influences proudly on its matter-manipulating sleeves, but also isn't afraid to try something a bit different.
68 Game Informer
The controls are responsive and the anime-styled graphics are crisp, but the campaign is short - even with multiple characters to select - and the combat is far too shallow to hold everything in Draglade together. [Feb 2008, p.102]
67 Official Nintendo Magazine UK
Good fun for a couple of hours, but then its lack of depth starts to show through. [June 2008, p.85]
65 GameSpot
Draglade's rhythm-based combat isn't as robust as it could be, but the story mode and competitive online play are still fun.
60 Gamestyle
There's a lack of scope to Draglade that makes repeated play-throughs an easy and unrewarding chore, something that a sequel should aim to address in the future.
60 Cubed3
Draglade screams of missed potential.
60 Modojo
Draglade won't change the way you game, and Atlus has released more memorable games than this in the past.
57 netjak
Within Draglade, there are several good ideas and the basic seeds of a solid fighting game. At its best, it plays like a stripped-down version of Jump Ultimate Stars.
50 GameShark
With four character story lines to complete, dozens of bullets to find, multiplayer modes and the ability to create custom beat combos, there’s a lot to do in Draglade, it’s just not all that exciting to actually do it.

CLOSE THIS WINDOW

©2008 CNET Networks Inc. All rights reserved.