18 min read

Rise of the Dragon

Last updated: January 10, 2026

Overview

Rise of the Dragon is a cyberpunk graphic adventure game developed by Dynamix and published by Sierra On-Line in 1990.1 Set in a dystopian Los Angeles in the year 2053, the game follows former police detective William “Blade” Hunter as he investigates the apparent overdose death of the mayor’s daughter, Chandra Vincenzi.2 The game was designed by Jeff Tunnell, who would later become famous for creating The Incredible Machine series, and represents Dynamix’s first venture into purely graphical adventure games after their acquisition by Sierra.3

The game was highly ambitious for its time, featuring a “Blade Runner”-esque vision of a crime-ridden future city with comic book-style cutscenes and digitized graphics.4 Rise of the Dragon distinguished itself from other adventure games of the era by relying less on traditional inventory puzzles and more on specific choices made by the player, with an internal clock that required strategic planning.5 The game earned significant critical acclaim upon release, winning Computer Gaming World’s Special Award for Artistic Achievement in 1991.6

Often described as “basically the playable version of an issue of Heavy Metal magazine minus the gratuitous sex and gore,” the game combined mature themes with innovative gameplay mechanics that were ahead of their time.7 Despite its initial success, Rise of the Dragon has become largely forgotten in modern discussions of classic adventure games, though it remains fondly remembered by those who experienced it during its original release.8

Story Summary

The year is 2053, and Los Angeles has plunged headlong into the Age of Decay.11 The once-great city is now overrun by crime, pollution, poverty, drugs, and prostitution.12 Against this bleak backdrop, the mayor’s rebellious daughter Chandra Vincenzi is found dead and horribly mutated after experimenting with a new designer drug called MTZ.2 The authorities are baffled by the mysterious substance that caused her gruesome transformation, and the mayor turns to unconventional means to find answers.

Enter William “Blade” Hunter, a former L.A. police detective whose unorthodox methods forced him into early retirement.13 Despite his checkered past with law enforcement, Blade is approached by Mayor Vincenzi, who tells him: “Your low regard for property rights and callous disregard of accepted operation procedure which served you poorly as a police officer make you an ideal candidate for this job.”14 The investigation must remain strictly unofficial, but the stakes couldn’t be higher—the mayor believes a much larger threat looms over the fourteen million residents of Los Angeles.

As Blade delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a sinister conspiracy involving an oriental cult led by the mysterious Deng Hwang.15 The MTZ drug is revealed to be part of a much more dangerous plot, with Deng Hwang planning to use the substance to transform himself into a powerful dragon creature and take over the city.16 The investigation takes Blade through the seedy underbelly of future Los Angeles—from underground nightclubs like the Pleasure Dome to the headquarters of Deng Hwang Enterprises—as he races against time to prevent catastrophe.

Throughout his investigation, Blade must navigate complex relationships, including maintaining his romance with girlfriend Karyn Sommers, whose help proves crucial to completing his mission.17 The story draws heavily from film noir and cyberpunk influences, particularly Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and the novels of William Gibson, creating a mature narrative that was unusual for adventure games of the era.18

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

Rise of the Dragon utilizes a first-person perspective with a point-and-click interface that was considered innovative for its time.19 The game employs a smart cursor that changes shape to indicate different interaction possibilities, allowing players to examine, manipulate, and interact with objects and characters in the environment.20 The drag-and-drop interface was praised for being intuitive, with graphic novel-style cutscenes advancing the narrative.4

The game came packaged with a comic book that continues where the introduction leaves off, providing additional context for the story.7 Players could use a Vid-Phone answering machine with pictures to receive messages and communicate with other characters.21 The interface shared similarities with other Dynamix adventure games like Heart of China and The Adventures of Willy Beamish, all built on the same DGDS engine.3

Structure and Progression

Unlike most adventure games of the time, Rise of the Dragon operates in a living environment where events happen whether the player is present or not.20 The game features an internal clock that updates every five seconds, with each of Blade’s actions consuming a certain amount of time.22 Some game events will only occur at particular times, requiring players to plan their movements strategically.

Blade’s day typically begins at noon and ends at 1 AM when he must return home to sleep.23 The game spans multiple in-game days, with time-sensitive events creating genuine tension and consequence for player decisions. The game features over 85 detail-packed locations across various areas of futuristic Los Angeles.21

Key Locations:

  • Blade’s Apartment: The starting location and home base
  • City Hall: Where Blade receives his assignment from the Mayor
  • The Warehouse: A location connected to the drug trade
  • The Pleasure Dome: An underground nightclub
  • Chen Lu’s Apartment: Home of an informant
  • Johnny Qwong’s Residence: Another key character location
  • The Reservoir: Site of important discoveries
  • Deng Hwang Enterprises: The antagonist’s headquarters24

Puzzles and Mechanics

Rise of the Dragon features multiple-choice dialogues as a primary gameplay mechanism, with character relationships significantly impacting game progression.5 The characters have personalities and remember what the player said or did to them, creating a dynamic where poor choices can have lasting consequences.9 A wrong choice can often lead to a premature end of the adventure, making the game notably challenging.25

The game includes two side-scrolling arcade sequences and an aim-and-shoot scene that differ from traditional adventure gameplay.20 These action sequences have been criticized for having stiff controls and being difficult to complete, though the game offers a mercy option: if killed five times in a row, players are asked if they want to skip the arcade sequence.26 Some puzzles have multiple possible solutions, adding replay value.22

One of the game’s most unforgiving mechanics involves Blade’s relationship with his girlfriend Karyn. If the player stands her up for a date, the game ends immediately, as Karyn’s help is crucial to completion.17 This and similar design choices have led some players to describe the game as “INSANELY frustrating,” with practically every puzzle requiring failure several times to understand what needs to be done.27

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Rise of the Dragon received widespread critical acclaim upon release, with reviewers praising its ambitious scope and mature storytelling. Dragon magazine awarded the game a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, noting its exceptional presentation.28 The Games Machine Italy gave it an outstanding 99/100, one of the highest scores in the publication’s history.29

European gaming magazines were particularly enthusiastic. Datormagazin awarded the game 96%30, while French publication Joystick gave it 94%.30 The One for Amiga Games rated it 92%, with the DOS version receiving 89% from the same publication.30 Génération 4 awarded scores of 91% and 90% across different issues.30 Amiga Format gave it 86%, with reviewer Trenton Webb praising the atmosphere.30

Computer Gaming World specifically recognized the game’s visual achievements, stating that “Rise of the Dragon more effectively depicted a cyberpunk atmosphere than other games.”3 Jim Trunzo of White Wolf magazine wrote that “Rise of the Dragon mesmerizes the gamer, drawing him into the story within the first half hour of play.”1

Not all reviews were uniformly positive. Amiga Power’s Jonathan Davies awarded 79%, describing the game as “not quite a first-rate cinemathingumy game, but definitely up there with the best of the second rate ones.”21 Davies also called the game “startlingly unoriginal” while acknowledging it “somehow manages to come out of it looking like a pretty impressive game.”21 The Amiga version without a hard disk received a notably lower score of 29% from Amiga Joker, jumping to 74% when played with a hard disk.30

Modern Assessment

Retrospective assessments have been more mixed, acknowledging the game’s historical importance while noting how it has aged. Computer Games Strategy Plus described it as “an underrated classic […] way ahead of its time, doing the whole Blade Runner-esque/comic-book influenced future world before everyone else picked up on it.”31 Hardcore Gaming 101 suggests thinking of it “as a disposable if enjoyable pulp detective novel and it’s a quick, enjoyable playthrough,” while noting “it’s aged worse than either of the other two Dynamix adventure games.”23

Modern critics have also addressed problematic elements. Jimmy Maher of The Digital Antiquarian observed that “Rise of the Dragon and Heart of China had combined smart design sensibilities with dodgy writing.”32 Reader comments on retrospectives have noted racist stereotypes that were less apparent to players at the time but are more obvious from a modern perspective.32

Aggregate Scores:

  • MobyGames: 77% (14 ratings)7
  • IMDB: 8.3/10 (71 ratings)9
  • GOG.com: 3.9/5 (12 reviews)33
  • MyAbandonware: 4.46/534
  • Adventure Gamers: 2.5/5 stars35
  • Abandonware DOS: 4.06/5 (106 votes)36
  • Lemon Amiga: 8.08/1020
  • OldGames.sk: 74%37

Development

Origins

Rise of the Dragon was originally conceived in the summer of 1988, but the project was shelved due to technical limitations of the time.13 The concept was revived after Dynamix’s acquisition by Sierra On-Line in 1990, which provided the resources and distribution network needed to realize the ambitious vision.38 The game represented an experiment by Dynamix to expand beyond their established expertise in action and flight simulator games into the adventure genre that Sierra dominated.38

The development team drew heavy inspiration from Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and the cyberpunk novels of William Gibson.18 The main character’s name, William “Blade” Hunter, serves as a direct tribute to the film, and his clothing was designed to resemble Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard character.16 The game also incorporated elements reminiscent of Big Trouble in Little China, particularly in its Chinese mythology elements and the final boss’s dragon transformation.23

Production

Development required an estimated 11,000 man-hours to complete.13 The production utilized photography, lighting facilities, color scanning, and image processing to create game assets.3 The graphics were illustrated traditionally on canvas by artists including Robert Caracol from Dark Horse Comics and then digitized, a technique that gave the game its distinctive visual style.7 Art direction was handled by Randy Dersham, who oversaw the hand-painted backgrounds that were scanned and layered with digitized elements.13

The game was coded in Turbo C++ and built using the Dynamix Game Development System (DGDS), which would later be used for Heart of China and The Adventures of Willy Beamish.3 The final product contained over 105 scenes, 12,500 individual animations, and 26,000 pieces of text.3

Development Credits:9

  • Game Design: Jeff Tunnell, Jerry Luttrell, David Selle
  • Art Direction: Randy Dersham
  • Character Art: Robert Caracol
  • Additional Design: Kevin Ryan

Technical Achievements

The DGDS engine represented a significant technical achievement, enabling cinematic storytelling techniques that were ahead of their time. The game featured 256-color VGA graphics at 320x200 resolution, with a separate 16-color EGA version also available.39 The engine’s ability to handle complex branching narratives and real-time events was innovative for 1990.

The game supported multiple sound systems including AdLib, Sound Blaster, Roland MT-32, PC speaker, PS/1 Audio, and Tandy DAC.29 This wide audio compatibility ensured players could experience the atmospheric soundtrack regardless of their hardware configuration.

Technical Specifications

DOS VGA Version:39

  • Resolution: 320x200, 256 colors
  • Audio: AdLib, Sound Blaster, Roland MT-32, PC speaker
  • Minimum CPU: Intel 8088
  • Recommended CPU: Intel 286 8 MHz
  • RAM: 640 KB minimum, 1 MB recommended
  • Video Modes: CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA

DOS EGA Version:39

  • Resolution: 320x200, 16 colors
  • Media: 3.5” and 5.25” floppy disks

Amiga Version:21

  • Media: 10 disks
  • RAM: At least 1 MB, preferably Chip RAM
  • Storage: Approximately 8 MB on hard drive
  • Note: Hard drive described as “absolute must”

Sega CD Version:3

  • Colors: 64 on-screen (reduced from DOS)
  • Audio: CD-quality music, full voice acting
  • Rating: MA-17 (Videogame Rating Council)

Cut Content

The Sega CD version underwent content modifications due to its MA-17 rating from the Videogame Rating Council. A French kiss scene and implied sexual encounter between Blade and Karyn were removed from this version.16 The Sega CD port also cut animated background elements present in the original DOS release.23 Additionally, the nightclub dancer was depicted more conservatively in the Sega CD version compared to the DOS original.7

Version History

VersionDatePlatformNotes
1.0Q4 1990DOSInitial VGA/EGA release1
1.01991AmigaEuropean release10
1.0September 1991MacintoshMac OS port1
1.0September 25, 1992Mega CDJapanese release with Japanese voice acting10
1.01993Sega CDNorth American release with English voice acting10
WindowsNovember 8, 2017Windows (DOSBox)Digital re-release by Activision10

DGDS Engine Versions:3 The game was built using the Dynamix Game Development System (DGDS), the first title to utilize this proprietary engine. The same engine was subsequently used for Heart of China (1991) and The Adventures of Willy Beamish (1991).

Technical Issues

The game is notorious for its unforgiving design that can create unwinnable situations. Players can lock themselves out of their apartment by forgetting the card key, or permanently alienate Karyn through poor dialogue choices, making the game impossible to complete.23 The arcade sequences have been criticized for “abysmal” stiff controls where enemy shots are “impossible to dodge.”23

Other potential game-ending scenarios include: forgetting to put on clothes before leaving the apartment (resulting in arrest for public indecency), falling down a hole near the apartment, getting beaten up by bouncers at the club, or getting electrocuted in the sewers.40 The game’s propensity for unexpected deaths led to the universal advice: “Save often, my friends!”33

Easter Eggs and Trivia

  • David Wolf Cameo: The protagonist from Dynamix’s earlier game David Wolf: Secret Agent can be spotted as a patron outside the Pleasure Dome nightclub.3
  • FU BAR: A patron in the game is named “FU BAR,” a play on the computing term FUBAR (Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition).5
  • Alt-M Easter Egg: Pressing Alt-M during gameplay switches off the music.21
  • Blade Runner References: Beyond the protagonist’s name, numerous visual and narrative elements pay homage to Ridley Scott’s 1982 film.37
  • Fortune Cookie Code: A fortune cookie found in the game contains a color sequence that serves as a puzzle solution.24
  • Death Scenes: The death scenes were considered so well-crafted that some players “remember trying different ways to die just to see them all.”34

Multiple Endings

Rise of the Dragon features multiple possible endings based on player choices throughout the game.12 The game’s branching narrative and relationship tracking system mean that how Blade interacts with characters like Karyn, The Jake, and Chen Lu affects the available outcomes. Players must successfully maintain their relationship with Karyn while navigating the investigation to achieve the best ending and prevent Deng Hwang’s takeover of Los Angeles.

Voice Cast

The Sega CD version added full voice acting, making it the definitive version for many players.41

CharacterVoice Actor
William “Blade” HunterCam Clarke3
Karyn SommersTress MacNeille3
CandiTress MacNeille3
JenniTress MacNeille3
Deng HwangJim Ward3
The SnakeJim Ward3
Mayor VincenziJim Ward3
Additional VoicesDavid Platshon9

Cam Clarke, who voiced Blade, was already well-known for voicing Leonardo and Rocksteady in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.13 The voice actors were praised for doing “a really good job,” with one reviewer noting “the addition of this element more than makes the Sega CD version my favorite version overall.”41

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Rise of the Dragon was well-received commercially, helping establish Dynamix as a versatile developer capable of creating compelling adventure games alongside their flight simulators and action titles.38 The game’s success led to Sierra continuing to publish Dynamix’s adventure output, including Heart of China and The Adventures of Willy Beamish.

Awards

  • 1991 Special Award for Artistic Achievement – Computer Gaming World6
  • Named one of 50 best computer games – PC Format (1991)3
  • Sierra Award Winner (1992)5
  • Ranked 83rd best game of all time – Computer Gaming World (1996)8

Collections

The game was re-released digitally on GOG.com and through Activision in 2017, running via DOSBox emulation on modern Windows systems.33 The GOG.com version includes the original DOS release in its 256-color VGA form.

Fan Projects

A fan project to create a 3D remake of Rise of the Dragon using the Unreal 4 engine was developed, demonstrating the game’s enduring cult following.12 The game was added to ScummVM’s testing pipeline in October 2024, with the emulation project noting its unique combination of “classic point-and-click adventure style with platforming arcade sequences.”42

  • Comic Book: Included with the original game release, continuing the story from where the introduction ends7
  • Game Manual: Comprehensive documentation detailing gameplay mechanics and the game world20

Critical Perspective

Rise of the Dragon occupies an interesting position in adventure gaming history as a technically ambitious title that successfully blended multiple genres but was ultimately overshadowed by its contemporaries. While Sierra’s mainline adventure series like King’s Quest and Space Quest dominated the conversation, Dynamix’s cyberpunk vision offered a more mature, atmospheric alternative that appealed to players seeking adult-oriented content.

The game’s influence can be seen in later cyberpunk adventures and the general acceptance of mature themes in the adventure genre. However, as The Digital Antiquarian noted, the game combined “smart design sensibilities with dodgy writing,” and elements that seemed edgy in 1990 have aged poorly.32 The game is perhaps best appreciated as a time capsule of early 90s adventure design—ambitious, atmospheric, and not quite able to deliver on all its promises, but genuinely innovative in its real-time world simulation and consequence-driven narrative. As one retrospective put it: “Rise of the Dragon is one of my all-time favorite games. If you haven’t played it, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.”7

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

Download / Preservation

Manuals & Extras

Series Continuity

Rise of the Dragon was the first game to use the Dynamix Game Development System (DGDS), establishing a template for narrative-driven adventures that would be refined in subsequent titles.12 While marketed with the subtitle “A Blade Hunter Mystery” on the Sega CD version—implying a potential series—no sequel was ever produced despite hints in the game suggesting further adventures.23 The DGDS engine and design philosophy continued in Dynamix’s other adventure titles, creating an informal trilogy of mature graphic adventures.

References

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia – Rise of the Dragon – release dates, awards, critical reception, development history ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  2. Grokipedia – Rise of the Dragon – plot summary, setting, gameplay overview ↩ ↩2

  3. Dynamix Fandom Wiki – technical specs, development details, credits, awards ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18

  4. David Barr Kirtley Retrospective – gameplay criticism, Blade Runner influence ↩ ↩2

  5. MobyGames – Rise of the Dragon – gameplay mechanics, technical details, trivia ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  6. Sierra Chest – Rise of the Dragon – awards, version history, gameplay details ↩ ↩2

  7. MobyGames Reviews – user reviews, technical analysis, ratings ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  8. Adventure Games Podcast Retrospective – awards, historical significance ↩ ↩2

  9. IMDB – Rise of the Dragon – credits, cast, ratings ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  10. MobyGames Releases – platform release dates, publishers ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  11. Neoseeker Walkthrough – story quotes, setting ↩

  12. Sierra Chest General – gameplay features, endings, fan projects ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  13. Retro365 Blog – development history, credits, technical details ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  14. TV Tropes – Rise of the Dragon – plot quotes, tropes analysis ↩

  15. Sierra Gamers – plot description ↩

  16. Sierra Fandom Wiki – version differences, trivia, ratings ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  17. Sierra Chest Walkthrough – gameplay mechanics, relationship system ↩ ↩2

  18. OldGames.sk – influences, setting description ↩ ↩2

  19. PCGamingWiki – technical specifications, system requirements ↩

  20. Lemon Amiga Manual – interface description, gameplay mechanics ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  21. Amiga Power Review – review score, technical requirements, Easter eggs ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  22. ClassicReload – time mechanics, puzzle solutions ↩ ↩2

  23. Hardcore Gaming 101 – retrospective analysis, bugs, cut content ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  24. Adventure Gamers Walkthrough – locations, characters, mechanics ↩ ↩2

  25. KHInsider Soundtrack – gameplay description ↩

  26. Sierra Help Walkthrough – arcade sequences, gameplay tips ↩

  27. David Barr Kirtley – difficulty criticism ↩

  28. Dragon Magazine Review – 5/5 rating ↩

  29. UVList – The Games Machine Italy score, technical specs ↩ ↩2

  30. Amiga Magazine Reviews Archive – contemporary European review scores ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  31. Computer Games Strategy Plus – retrospective assessment ↩

  32. The Digital Antiquarian – critical analysis, development context ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  33. GOG.com – user reviews, system requirements ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  34. MyAbandonware – user reviews, rating ↩ ↩2

  35. Adventure Gamers – review score ↩

  36. Abandonware DOS – rating, basic info ↩

  37. OldGames.sk – rating, Blade Runner influence ↩ ↩2

  38. Sierra Fandom – Dynamix – company history, Sierra acquisition ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  39. PCGamingWiki – resolution, system requirements, video modes ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  40. GameFAQs Sega CD Walkthrough – death scenarios ↩

  41. GameFAQs PC Walkthrough – voice acting praise, version comparison ↩ ↩2

  42. ScummVM News – engine support, gameplay description ↩

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