Players assume the role of an up and coming Dragonsage in Jaleco's dragon-breeding/combat simulation Dragonseeds. Using any PlayStation Memory Card, the game will generate a monster of your choice from data saved on that given card. The result is a dragon or monster that will need training and nurturing as your overall mission is to mold a fierce combat-ready critter!

There are a few different locations in The Dragonseed City including a clone lab, nursery, Bio Bank (a storage facility for multiple dragons), the public shop, a junk shop, Pablo's, the Memory Forest, training center, Battle Arena, and your apartment (a home away from home). New players or those looking for a new critter will need to pay the clone lab a visit; it is here where your dragon is created. Lab director Tomas will give you all the necessary information on life creation including DNA structures, segments, and keyword structures.

After you've finished cloning and creating your dragon, head on over to the nursery for some tender loving care. It is here where your baby dragon receives its attributes and basic training. Whichever attributes you choose (strength, wisdom) are the attributes your creature will excel in throughout the duration of its life.

When the training sequence is complete, it is time to take the baby home to your apartment. While at home, players can feed or rest their dragons, provide them with new weapons and items, view your accumulated combat trophies, and save game data. Game time may also be advanced three to six hours in advance, or zipped on through to the next morning. As your critter rests, its weight and strength will increase.

Once the dragon is ready to whoop some monster butt in combat arenas, its time to sign it up for the World Dragon Council's Battle Arena! The whole point of Dragonseeds is to raise your dragon so that it can reap in world fame and a slew of different awards. Your dragon can use a barrage of weapons and reflectors against his opponent in addition to moving and dodging firepower.

Weapons include three types of classifications: short blade, sword, and axe. Picking the right type for your dragon is important as larger axes do more damage, but decrease overall speed. Smaller weapons won't do as much damage, but your dragon will be able to avoid contact more efficiently.

Reflectors come in small, normal, or wide; they help reduce or block the effect of special attacks. Like the weapons classifications, each reflector will effect your dragon's speed -- the heavier ones slow him down, and the lighter ones keep him moving with a brisk pace. The larger the reflector, however, the more damage it will block or reflect; likewise, smaller reflectors only block a little amounts of special attack damage.

Win or lose, after the fight is over, players can visit the public or junk shops and spend their hard-earned money. The public shop has a variety of weapons, reflectors, and items. Be careful though -- the store manager doesn't keep the same items on the shelf day after day. You see something you want or need, you had better buy it immediately!

Additionally, the junk shop sells rare items including polish, iron and fastweed, vigor herbs, and a variety of jewels and rocks. Each item increases your dragon's effectiveness; fastweed makes it stronger while the jewels improve its special attack.

This gameplay repeats until your dragon is too old to fight anymore. On this sad day, it is time to release him into the Memory Forest where it will frolic freely and enjoy the remainder of its life. If so inclined, players may catch wild dragons in the forest. Though they may be stronger than any dragon you can raise, they cannot be entered into the Battle Arena as they're not sanctioned by the World Dragon Council.

Dragonseeds (Sony PlayStation 1, 1998)