u/DesignerBicycle3480

My post is kind of rambling im terrible at getting to the point I'm so sorry. I am currently working on a game with a MegaMan style level progression. Don't have the full sorry down yet, but the main player will be a dragonshifter that can transform throughout the levels, and then be able to use the dragon powers from the defeated boss dragons. (10 levels to choose from, then a 5 stage linear gauntlet). Im planning of designing a mix of boss fights, puzzles, and platforming, with 10 collectable dragon tears per level.

Anyways, I'm conflicted on how the transformation in the levels should work. I'm wanting the dragon, to be around 3 times bigger, and fly, and stuff like that.
If I didn't care about that when designing at all, The player should probably transform into the dragon to fly around as much as possible. But that would trivialize so much of the game, because I want the human version of the player to be he used ever also. I want it to incentiveized/forced that isn't completely awkward or feels forced. I was originally thinking of having a dragon meter that depletes when it is used, but I really do not want the best option of the player to just wait to fill it up.

I'm a Nintendo fan, so an example of this type of thing type of thing that I feel is kind of lazy, is in super Mario world where yoshi is just forced to sit outside the castle. Or also Mario Sunshine where Fludd just gets taken away. Those levels are still fun, but it kind of removes immersion if that makes sense. A Nintendo game that I think that does this really well, is the kirby return to Dreamland on the wii, where the all the characters can litterally fly and skip most of the level, but there are the sections where they have to carry keys, and cannons, and stuff like that where they cannot fly when holding stuff. I never realized realized the intention of that was difficult platforming sections, even though it's functionally the same as fludd being taken away. One feels natural, and they other feels forced.