Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll (1987-)

• Developer: Culture Brain

• Publisher: Culture Brain

• Genre: Fighting | Role Playing

Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll for the NES is a martial arts-themed action and fighting game developed by Culture Brain and published by Culture Brain in 1987. The game is part of the Hiryu no Ken series, known in the West as Flying Dragon, and represents one of the earlier entries adapted for the NES audience. While it remained primarily an NES release in North America, the Hiryu no Ken series also had multiple installments on Famicom, Super Famicom, and other platforms in Japan, showcasing Culture Brain’s commitment to combining beat ’em up action with role-playing elements across their franchise.

The game’s story centers on martial arts tournaments and quests for the legendary Secret Scroll, with players taking control of a young martial artist who must defeat rival fighters to achieve mastery and uncover hidden secrets. The narrative is inspired by traditional martial arts lore and tournament-style competitions, common in Japanese fighting culture, blending elements of action, adventure, and strategy. Players progress through stages filled with enemies, traps, and boss fights, reflecting the thematic focus on skill, timing, and tactical decision-making typical of martial arts storytelling.

Gameplay features a mix of overhead exploration, side-scrolling combat, and one-on-one fighting segments. Players engage in battles using punches, kicks, special moves, and limited-use items while navigating environments that may contain hidden pathways and collectible objects. The NES version simplifies some of the mechanics found in Japanese releases but maintains strategic depth through the combination of exploration and tournament-style combat. The soundtrack features energetic, upbeat compositions that underscore action sequences and battles, while sound effects punctuate attacks, jumps, and enemy interactions, adding to the immersive martial arts atmosphere.

Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll builds on the Hiryu no Ken series but had no direct prequel on the NES, though it follows the broader series’ storyline and gameplay conventions. It later inspired sequels, including Flying Dragon 2: The Dragon’s Trap for Japanese consoles and subsequent Fighting Game entries in the franchise. Promotion highlighted its combination of action, martial arts skill, and role-playing elements, appealing to fans of combat games and Japanese anime-style martial arts. Reception was generally positive, with critics praising its engaging combat system, level design, and depth for an NES action game, though some noted that the controls could be challenging and the difficulty curve steep for casual players.

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