Flying Dragon may not have the best graphics, sound, or gameplay, but what it does have is a whole lot of options. So many options, in fact, that what each different setting does isn't automatically clear.
You can choose between two distinct modes of play. SD mode is a mode targeted for younger players featuring pint-size 3D fighters, while virtual mode features normal-size 3D fighters and moves. Both settings have various modes like tournament, training, and versus. One significant difference between the two modes besides gameplay and visuals is that SD mode has an RPG side to it, where you compete for items that will allow you to learn new moves.
One major feature the game has that hasn't been seen since Culture Brain's last fighting game, Ultimate Fighter for the SNES, is the mind's-eye feature. This mind's eye rewards you for attacking one portion of your opponent's body. If repeated attacks land in one spot, a little purple light will appear over the tender spot. If you can strike this fatigued part of your opponent, the damage inflicted will be greater than usual.
The control is supersimple. There's one punch button, one kick button, a special move button, a block button, and two sidestepping buttons. You can customize the control of the game however you like, but the fact remains that the game has little to it. This may be good if you're in the market for an easy fighting game, but experienced fighting-game players will see how shallow Flying Dragon's play depth is after only a few matches. Even on the secret superhard difficulty setting, the AI is pretty poor. Most of the time it can't even figure out that it should dodge fireballs instead of just taking them.
Visually, Flying Dragon is kind of boring. All of the fighters are relatively plain looking, and the camera view doesn't change. The backgrounds are flat and aren't all that interesting. The game also has that trademark blurry look that a lot of third-party N64 games have. The sound and music are pretty bad. None of the songs stands out, and a few of them just sound out of tune.
Flying Dragon isn't a bad fighting game, but it does little to differentiate itself from the pack. It lacks interesting characters, doesn't have any unique moves, and the sound and graphics don't help. There are plenty of other fighting games worth checking out before you resort to this one.
