Panzer Dragoon Mini

Panzer Dragoon Mini is a Japanese exclusive title for the Sega Game Gear released in 1996.

Gameplay
Unlike most of the Panzer Dragoon titles, Panzer Dragoon Mini contains no true plot.

Players will select between Blue, Black and Red dragons before starting their game.

The gameplay is a simplified version of the Panzer Dragoon gameplay, with the camera angle changing automatically to face the opponent rather than manually.

Players can lock on to incoming enemies and unleash a barrage of projectiles to defeat them, as well as evade incoming projectiles. Enemy projectiles come in two varieties; an unbreakable rock which must be evaded or a yellow and black lava ball which can be destroyed with the players own projectiles.

Health is carried over between stages adding an element of challenge on the harder difficulties.

At the end of each level the player will take on a boss enemy. This eventually leads to the finale where the player must fight all the previous bosses in a row before fighting against the final boss of the game.

Trivia

 * This is the only time in the series the playable dragon does not have a rider.
 * This is also the only time in the series the artstyle leans to a more cartoony, child friendly look.
 * Panzer Dragoon Mini was mostly handled by the Sega of America team, despite the game being a Japan exclusive.
 * In 2015, series producer Yukio Futatsugi has said his involvement with this title boiled down to approving the box art and he'd love to get a hold of a copy of the title for his own.
 * Panzer Dragoon Mini was launched as part of the Kid's Gear line; a selection of Game Gear titles aimed at younger children all released in 1996. Others in the line included G-Sonic and Virtua Fighter Mini the latter of which is based on the Virtua Fighter anime series.