Just to be clear, the dragon transformation was not a permanent one, the idea is that there a temporally transformation that required energy to use.
So you would have enjoyed Jade on her default form most of the time, if you wished to.
Also to the comment: "I realize there was probably supposed to be much more to the single enemy in the game other than just being unthreatening fodder, but throwing around crowds of those things into the air is still kinda fun in a primitive way. "
No that was intentonal, they were always meant to be that unthreatening.