Darby The Dragon
Darby The Dragon PC CD-ROM kid cartoon wizard spells adventure game! SEALED CASE
Children
Windows
Broderbund
1996
CD
$118.99
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DARBY THE DRAGON
Darby the Dragon invites young players on a charming, interactive adventure across the enchanting kingdom of Dragondale. When a wayward wish shrinks Princess Sparkle, Darby the Dragon Prince must gather special items and enlist help from colorful characters to break the magic spell. The story blends gentle problem-solving with memorable characters, lively music, and plenty of opportunities for exploration.
Key features:
Engaging storyline: A whimsical narrative about friendship, cooperation, and undoing a magical mishap keeps children invested from start to finish.
Point-and-click simplicity: Intuitive controls with a green hand cursor for interactives and a clear arrow for exits make the game accessible to pre-school and early-school players.
Interactive storytelling: In-game storybooks are read aloud with highlighted words, sound effects, and expressive voice acting to reinforce reading skills and comprehension.
Helpful hints and friendly characters: Numerous NPCs offer guidance, anecdotes, and in-game assistance to prevent frustration and encourage continued play.
Varied mini-games and activities: Includes The Mask Maker's Booth, Amanda's Amazing Puppet Theatre, picture-composing screens, and a color-recognition challenge to diversify gameplay and build skills.
Inventory-based puzzles: Automatic item collection and spoken inventory clues help children learn to combine items and solve multi-step tasks.
Educational themes: Emphasizes cooperation, problem-solving, listening skills, and following directions in a playful context.
Charming presentation: Bright, colorful graphics (retro 256-color palette), cheerful sing-along snippets, and excellent voice work create a delightful atmosphere.
Gameplay experience: The quest to locate the wizard and collect three essential ingredients offers a balanced mix of exploration, character interactions, and puzzles. Each friendly character often requires a small favor in exchange for help, encouraging memory and attention to story details. Animated elements—such as minstrels, fairies, posters, and chess pieces—add delight and reward curiosity.
Age suitability and replay value: Designed primarily for pre-school and early-school children, the game provides several hours of engaging play on an initial run and invites repeat sessions through discovery and exploration. Replayability could be enhanced if ingredient combinations varied between playthroughs, but the current design still delivers an enjoyable, approachable experience for young audiences.
Extra notes: The game’s retro visuals and lively audio give it a nostalgic charm. Inclusion of optional text captions for songs and dialogue would further support early readers and sing-along participation.
Conclusion: Darby the Dragon offers a friendly, accessible adventure ideal for introducing young children to interactive storytelling and puzzle-solving. The combination of a heartwarming plot, easy-to-use controls, and a variety of mini-activities makes it a standout choice for family-friendly gameplay and early learning entertainment.
For Windows (32-bit Systems) [*Please review compatibility/platform sections in 'What You Get']
Darby the Dragon invites young players on a charming, interactive adventure across the enchanting kingdom of Dragondale. When a wayward wish shrinks Princess Sparkle, Darby the Dragon Prince must gather special items and enlist help from colorful characters to break the magic spell. The story blends gentle problem-solving with memorable characters, lively music, and plenty of opportunities for exploration.
Key features:
Engaging storyline: A whimsical narrative about friendship, cooperation, and undoing a magical mishap keeps children invested from start to finish.
Point-and-click simplicity: Intuitive controls with a green hand cursor for interactives and a clear arrow for exits make the game accessible to pre-school and early-school players.
Interactive storytelling: In-game storybooks are read aloud with highlighted words, sound effects, and expressive voice acting to reinforce reading skills and comprehension.
Helpful hints and friendly characters: Numerous NPCs offer guidance, anecdotes, and in-game assistance to prevent frustration and encourage continued play.
Varied mini-games and activities: Includes The Mask Maker's Booth, Amanda's Amazing Puppet Theatre, picture-composing screens, and a color-recognition challenge to diversify gameplay and build skills.
Inventory-based puzzles: Automatic item collection and spoken inventory clues help children learn to combine items and solve multi-step tasks.
Educational themes: Emphasizes cooperation, problem-solving, listening skills, and following directions in a playful context.
Charming presentation: Bright, colorful graphics (retro 256-color palette), cheerful sing-along snippets, and excellent voice work create a delightful atmosphere.
Gameplay experience: The quest to locate the wizard and collect three essential ingredients offers a balanced mix of exploration, character interactions, and puzzles. Each friendly character often requires a small favor in exchange for help, encouraging memory and attention to story details. Animated elements—such as minstrels, fairies, posters, and chess pieces—add delight and reward curiosity.
Age suitability and replay value: Designed primarily for pre-school and early-school children, the game provides several hours of engaging play on an initial run and invites repeat sessions through discovery and exploration. Replayability could be enhanced if ingredient combinations varied between playthroughs, but the current design still delivers an enjoyable, approachable experience for young audiences.
Extra notes: The game’s retro visuals and lively audio give it a nostalgic charm. Inclusion of optional text captions for songs and dialogue would further support early readers and sing-along participation.
Conclusion: Darby the Dragon offers a friendly, accessible adventure ideal for introducing young children to interactive storytelling and puzzle-solving. The combination of a heartwarming plot, easy-to-use controls, and a variety of mini-activities makes it a standout choice for family-friendly gameplay and early learning entertainment.
For Windows (32-bit Systems) [*Please review compatibility/platform sections in 'What You Get']
WHAT YOU GET:
This item is for the original media, and includes only the media (ie. CD, floppy ...) UNLESS specifically stated above and/or in the title. If more than just the media is included, it will state which items are (ie. box, manual, etc ). Items that come in a sleeve refer to a generic CD sleeve (typically white) and will be sent with shipping protection to avoid damage during transit. If available, we will also send the front and/or back CD inserts if in stock. If these are important to you, please message us to verify we have them available to send. Please do not assume items are included other than what's stated. Again, ask questions PRIOR to purchasing if you have any concerns.
IMAGES:
All images/pictures are stock photos and are for reference only, mainly to show the type of game you will be getting. Please read "WHAT YOU GET" for what is included with the media. Screenshots may vary based on your own computer system, video card, monitor, etc.
COMPATIBILITY:
Computers are like people, each one is different. Unlike console games, a computer game may install and work flawlessly on one system but may need adjustments on another. This is due to a variety of factors, mainly the OS platform running, video card you have, drivers, protection software installed, etc. Many times manufacturers release updates to games to fix bugs and add enhancements. We would be happy to help get the game going on your computer, but ultimately compatibility issues are the responsibility of the buyer. We suggest going to Google and searching for the name of the game along with the words "system requirements" to determine if your system is suitable. Ultimately, we are not responsible for software compatibility problems or publisher's errors.
PLATFORM:
Stated within the auction is what platform the game will work on (ie. Windows, Mac, Linux...) This is a generic statement and specific platform versions (ie. XP, Vista...) will have to be researched by the buyer. Games that came out PRIOR to XP or higher will not specifically state they will work on that release, but only because they came out before those versions were made. Many, if not most, will work on XP or higher with a few quick adjustments. We provide instructions with all items purchased on how to do this adjustment using the Program Compatibility Wizard. If we find out that an item will definately not work on a specific version, we will state it. For DOS games, you may need to play it with a free DOSbox program if the Program Compatibility Wizard does not work.
64-Bit Windows OS Systems:
For 64-bit Operating Systems, older games most likely will NOT work due to 64-bit systems not being able to run 16-bit programming code (most games prior to 2000). For DOS games, you may need to play it with a free DOSbox program.
Macintosh Systems:
For Macintosh programs, most older games will need to be run in Classic Environment if you have a MAC OS X 10.0 - 10.4 version. Please research Google on how to do this, or send us a message for information prior to purchasing. If your MAC OS system doesn't support Classic Environment (ie. MAC OS X 10.5 or Higher OR Intel Macs), you will have to try running it using the free program called SheepShaver, but compatibility is not ensured. Please research prior to purchasing or ask questions.
MEDIA FORMAT:
Please verify you have the required hardware in order to use the specified media (ie. CD, DVD, floppy drives, etc.) If the item comes as a floppy disc, make sure you have either the needed 3.5" floppy drive or the bigger and older 5.25" floppy drive.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SMOOTH PURCHASE:
Ask questions PRIOR to purchasing an order to avoid any confusion.
Be patient if there are problems during installation or gameplay. Typically someone else has
already ran into that problem and has listed a solution online. Contact us and we will do our best to help.
Be sure to update your video card drivers and search for updates to the game from the manufacturer.
This item is for the original media, and includes only the media (ie. CD, floppy ...) UNLESS specifically stated above and/or in the title. If more than just the media is included, it will state which items are (ie. box, manual, etc ). Items that come in a sleeve refer to a generic CD sleeve (typically white) and will be sent with shipping protection to avoid damage during transit. If available, we will also send the front and/or back CD inserts if in stock. If these are important to you, please message us to verify we have them available to send. Please do not assume items are included other than what's stated. Again, ask questions PRIOR to purchasing if you have any concerns.
IMAGES:
All images/pictures are stock photos and are for reference only, mainly to show the type of game you will be getting. Please read "WHAT YOU GET" for what is included with the media. Screenshots may vary based on your own computer system, video card, monitor, etc.
COMPATIBILITY:
Computers are like people, each one is different. Unlike console games, a computer game may install and work flawlessly on one system but may need adjustments on another. This is due to a variety of factors, mainly the OS platform running, video card you have, drivers, protection software installed, etc. Many times manufacturers release updates to games to fix bugs and add enhancements. We would be happy to help get the game going on your computer, but ultimately compatibility issues are the responsibility of the buyer. We suggest going to Google and searching for the name of the game along with the words "system requirements" to determine if your system is suitable. Ultimately, we are not responsible for software compatibility problems or publisher's errors.
PLATFORM:
Stated within the auction is what platform the game will work on (ie. Windows, Mac, Linux...) This is a generic statement and specific platform versions (ie. XP, Vista...) will have to be researched by the buyer. Games that came out PRIOR to XP or higher will not specifically state they will work on that release, but only because they came out before those versions were made. Many, if not most, will work on XP or higher with a few quick adjustments. We provide instructions with all items purchased on how to do this adjustment using the Program Compatibility Wizard. If we find out that an item will definately not work on a specific version, we will state it. For DOS games, you may need to play it with a free DOSbox program if the Program Compatibility Wizard does not work.
64-Bit Windows OS Systems:
For 64-bit Operating Systems, older games most likely will NOT work due to 64-bit systems not being able to run 16-bit programming code (most games prior to 2000). For DOS games, you may need to play it with a free DOSbox program.
Macintosh Systems:
For Macintosh programs, most older games will need to be run in Classic Environment if you have a MAC OS X 10.0 - 10.4 version. Please research Google on how to do this, or send us a message for information prior to purchasing. If your MAC OS system doesn't support Classic Environment (ie. MAC OS X 10.5 or Higher OR Intel Macs), you will have to try running it using the free program called SheepShaver, but compatibility is not ensured. Please research prior to purchasing or ask questions.
MEDIA FORMAT:
Please verify you have the required hardware in order to use the specified media (ie. CD, DVD, floppy drives, etc.) If the item comes as a floppy disc, make sure you have either the needed 3.5" floppy drive or the bigger and older 5.25" floppy drive.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SMOOTH PURCHASE:
SHIPPING:
We typically ship all items out within 1-2 business days after payment is received. In regards to the stated shipping and handling, remember that these costs include more than just postage.
International buyers please email/chat with us to determine if you are eligible for shipping of a specific product. If you are, then international buyers not shipping to an address within the U.S. can expect their orders to take anywhere from 5 days to 4 weeks to be received, depending on how fast/well USPS is moving. Additionally, international orders typically have to go through governmental customs, which can delay the arrival process. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to buying. Customs fees are normally charged by the shipping company or collected when you pick the item up. These fees are not additional shipping charges.
We typically ship all items out within 1-2 business days after payment is received. In regards to the stated shipping and handling, remember that these costs include more than just postage.
International buyers please email/chat with us to determine if you are eligible for shipping of a specific product. If you are, then international buyers not shipping to an address within the U.S. can expect their orders to take anywhere from 5 days to 4 weeks to be received, depending on how fast/well USPS is moving. Additionally, international orders typically have to go through governmental customs, which can delay the arrival process. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to buying. Customs fees are normally charged by the shipping company or collected when you pick the item up. These fees are not additional shipping charges.
