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Game Information > Panzer Dragoon
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Team Andromeda
Systems: Sega Saturn and PC
Genre: Rail Shooter
Year of Release: 1995
Order in Series: First Game
Panzer Dragoon was one of the earliest titles for the Sega Saturn, and it quickly showed what sort of things Sega's new 32-bit system was going to be capable of; the game itself was a Shoot-'Em-Up that cast the player as a dragon rider, flying over fantastical landscapes and battling equally unique foes.
Several aspects set Panzer Dragoon apart from similar games that had gone before it though, most notably the way that it used the third dimension; while previous Rail Shooters such as Space Harrier and Star Fox simply had the player facing forwards as they moved through a 3D world, Panzer Dragoon allowed the player to turn and look all about them, and shoot down enemies approaching from all directions. The nature of the world in which the game took place was impressive in of itself, too; unlike the fairly unimaginative settings of most early 3D games, the post-apocalyptic Panzer Dragoon world was a place of haunting atmosphere. The enemy designs for the various bio-mechanical creatures and airships were surprisingly original and artistic, and the overall effect was a kind of surreal wonder that has continued throughout the series.
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Storyline Info
Order in Storyline: Second Story
Time of Game Events: Imperial Year 89
Main Character's Name: Kyle Fluge
Long ago, the planet was reduced to a wasteland by wars fought with terrible destructive technologies. Now, thousands of years later, the survivors are forced to live in a barren world overrun by monsters of all shapes and sizes: creatures that are the genetically engineered weapons of the distant past. The ruins of the "Ancient Age" still litter the landscape, holding within them the keys to the god-like technologies of old.
Eventually, a human civilisation emerged that began to exploit these forgotten technologies. With fleets of flying battleships constructed from ancient antigravity engines, this civilisation spread across the face of the world with an iron fist; it came to be known only as "the Empire".
In time, the Empire discovers one of the ultimate monuments of the Ancient Age: an immense structure known as a Tower, which houses an unimaginable potential for destruction. However, as the Imperials set about trying to breathe life into the ancient monolith so that they can use it for their own ends, a mysterious dragon emerges from the shadows of the past to make sure that the Tower is never revived...
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NTSC-J Version
Notes:
While most Japanese Saturn games have the front insert of their case doubling as an instruction manual, Panzer Dragoon comes with its instructions printed on one side of a fold-out poster; the other side features artwork of Kyle and the Blue Dragon.
The artwork on the Japanese packaging was created by a French artist named Jean Giraud, who is also known as Moebius; you can read more about him and his involvement with Panzer Dragoon here.
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NTSC Version
Notes:
Oddly enough, the NTSC packaging doesn't have the real Panzer Dragoon logo on it: it simply has the words "Panzer Dragoon" written in the Hoffmann font, coloured gold and with a shadow effect added.
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PAL Version
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Panzer Dragoon I & II Box Set (NTSC-J)
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Place of Origin: Japan
Date of Release: 13th of December, 1996
System: Sega Saturn
Box - front
Box - back
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Notes:
This is simply the first two Panzer Dragoon games packaged in a nice cardboard box; they still have their individual cases with instructions and spine cards, and seem indistinguishable from the original Japanese releases.
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PC Conversion (1996 European Release)
Notes:
This is the older "big box" edition of the PC game that went on sale in Europe. The external packaging actually consists of a large blue cardboard case bearing the "Sega PC" logo (not shown above) that slots into the outer sleeve; a normal CD case containing the disc just goes inside all this.
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PC Conversion (1997 Japanese Release)
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Place of Origin: Japan
Date of Release: 14th of March, 1997
System: PC
[Sorry, no scans;
image from Sega of Japan's website.]
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Notes:
At the time of writing, Sega of Japan's webpage for this product can still be found here.
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PC Conversion (1997 US Release)
Notes:
It looks like Sega of America based the packaging for this edition on their Saturn packaging, as the real Panzer Dragoon logo isn't used here either.
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PC Conversion (1999 UK Release)
Notes:
The logo on the UK packaging seems to be the Panzer Dragoon II Zwei logo, but with the "II" and "Zwei" edited off.
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PC Conversion (2001 UK Release)
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PC Conversion (2005 European Release)
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Summaries by Lance Way, March 2005. The product images in this section are all original scans and photographs, which are of course freely available for your own private use, but please ask us beforehand if you'd like to use them for your own website or online project. The release dates on these pages are primarily referenced from GameFAQs and Panzer Dragoon Academy.
Back to the Game Information Section
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Destroy the mutant stealing habits; it is the village's code. The Will of the Ancients is an unofficial fansite that is in no way supported or associated with SEGA or Smilebit. Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon II Zwei, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Panzer Dragoon Orta and all other official Panzer Dragoon content is © SEGA, 1995-2003. Everything else on this website was made or written by Solo Wing Dragon unless otherwise noted. Please ask me first before using any content on this website for fan or commercial purposes.
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