“Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes I & II” (Working Title) Hands-On: Auto-Battle Eases Leveling in This Nostalgic RPG [TGS2026]

The “Tokyo Game Show 2026” was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture for five days, from September 17 to 21, 2026 (on the 21st, the on-site event was canceled, and only a live-streamed event took place). This year’s game show was once again a huge success, featuring a wide variety of exhibits and events.

At the Edia booth, a playable demo of *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Heroes I & II (tentative title)* was featured. Visitors could play *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Heroes*, a title based on the PC Engine version released in 1991 and adapted for modern consoles.As additional features, voice acting has been added to certain events, and players can now save, load, and rewind the game from anywhere via the game menu.

In this article, we bring you a hands-on report on *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Hero*, one of the titles included in *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Hero I & II (tentative title)*!

An RPG with a Classic Start

The story of *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Hero* follows the protagonist, Prince Serios, as he sets out on his journey, fights battles, and forms bonds with his companions.Having lost his father, the former king, Serios grew up on a small island. Eventually, he learns the truth behind his father’s death, the identity of the killer, and the terrifying entity that awaits him at the end of his journey, as his epic adventure continues.

This is a classic-style RPG where you advance the story by gathering information in towns and triggering events. You level up by defeating enemies and progress through the story by defeating bosses that await you in dungeons and other locations. Along the way, you’ll gain reliable allies, and with a party of up to four, you’ll face off against powerful foes.

Of course, among the party members, some excel at weapon-based attacks while others specialize in magic, resulting in vastly different combat styles. The story’s introduction is truly classic, and the purpose of Serios’s journey is easy to grasp. However, as the story progresses, there are some surprising twists that lead directly into the sequel, *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Hero II*.

I played this game on the Nintendo Switch. The graphics are optimized for the current console and easy on the eyes, and the event scenes feature full voice acting, making for a truly lavish experience.

The Real Thrill Is Auto-Battle

Combat is turn-based and command-driven. One of the distinctive features of *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Hero* is its auto-battle system. As the name suggests, this system handles battles automatically, providing significant support in a game where leveling up is crucial.

Auto-battle also offers several customizable options; you can set each character’s behavior—such as whether to automatically heal or use attack spells, healing spells, or items during battle.

HP and MP are fully restored upon leveling up, and thanks to the encounter system, it’s not difficult to earn experience points and money almost hands-free—as long as you configure the settings properly. I was able to enjoy auto-battle comfortably in this version as well.

Combined with the easy-to-read UI, movement and combat feel comfortable even in the Nintendo Switch 2’s Handheld Mode. While saving has never been an issue in this series, the ability to save and load instantly in this version further enhances convenience.

Playing *Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes* this time around allowed me to fully savor the nostalgia of the PC Engine version. I’m thrilled to be able to experience the game’s charm—including voice-acted events and auto-battle—just as it was, on modern consoles.

Furthermore, the full version also includes *Dragon Slayer: Legend of the Hero II*. A classic yet surprising world awaits, so if you’re interested, you should definitely give it a try!