| Rygar | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Tecmo |
| Publisher(s) | Tecmo |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Sharp X68000, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, NES, Sega Master System, Atari Lynx, Mobile Phone, Virtual Console |
| Release date(s) | Arcade version 1986 X68000 version
1987 NES version
|
| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | 2 players, separate turns |
| Rating(s) | |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | CPU: 2 × Zilog Z80 (@ 4.00 MHz) Sound: Yamaha YM3812 FM (@ 4.0 MHz), Oki MSM5205 (@ 384 kHz) |
| Display | Raster resolution: 256×224 (Horizontal) Palette Colors: 1024 |
Rygar is a video game created by Tecmo in 1986 and originally released for arcades in Japan as Argus no Senshi (アルゴスの戦士 Arugosu no Senshi, lit. "Warrior of Argos"). It is a scrolling platform game where the player assumes the role as the "Legendary Warrior", battling through a hostile landscape. The main feature of gameplay is using a weapon called the "Diskarmor", a shield with a long chain attached to it.
Contents |
The arcade game begins with the following introduction:
4.5 billion years have passed since Earth's creation. Many dominators have ruled in all their glory, but time was their greatest enemy and it defeated their reign. And now a new dominator's reign begins...
Information gleaned from console manuals reveals that the evil being Ligar has taken over the land of Argool, and Rygar, a dead warrior who has risen from his grave, must use his Diskarmor, along with a variety of other weapons, to stop him. In console versions clues and limited dialogue are given in the form of large, sage like men encountered in stone green temples throughout the game.
In the Japanese original, references to "Ligar" and "Rygar" are one and the same because the Roman syllables "Li" and "Ry" come from the same Japanese character. In this version, the hero is only referred to as "The Legendary Warrior", while both "Rygar" and "Ligar" refer to the main villain.
The game was ported to the Sharp X68000, Commodore 64, Sega Master System (Japan only; as Argos No Jūjiken), Spectrum 48K, Amstrad 6128 and the Atari Lynx. It was also included in a compilation of games called Tecmo Classic Arcade for the Xbox. The arcade version has also been re-released on the Wii Virtual Console.
The Atari Lynx version closely followed the arcade version. However, the layout of some rounds was different, and there were only 23 rounds.
Rygar (アルゴスの戦士 はちゃめちゃ大進撃 Arugosu no Senshi Hachamecha Daishingeki) is a fantasy-themed action-adventure platform game with action RPG elements developed by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System.[2] It was released on April 14, 1987, in Japan for the Family Computer as Argos no Senshi and later that year in the United States for the NES. A European release came in 1990.
The player sends the title character (who did not have a proper name in the Japanese version) through a number of fantastic settings with the ultimate goal of defeating the evil King Ligar in order to restore peace to the realm of Argool[3] (Argos in the Japanese version). To accomplish this goal, Rygar/the Warrior must visit five Indora gods who present him with essential items needed for completion of the game. Each of the Indora gods is located in a different realm, and is almost always guarded by a boss. The player can choose the order in which some stages are played, but since certain items are required to reach new areas, choices are somewhat limited. After playing through the five major realms of the game, he must journey to King Ligar's flying castle for the final confrontation.
"Ligar" (the final boss) can also be romanized as Rygar because in Japanese there is no distinction between "l" and "r," but the name is written with the syllable ra (ラ) in katakana. The central player character is only known as senshi (the Warrior) in the Japanese version.
The main character, his weapon, and much of the enemies remain the same, but the gameplay of the NES version is quite different. While the arcade version is more of a standard side-scrolling action title, the NES Rygar is an open-ended action-adventure game like Metroid (see Metroidvania), which was also released at the time. At the beginning of the game, Rygar has access to some of the worlds, but as the game progresses, new areas open up as the result of finding items such as the grappling hook, crossbow, and wind pulley, which let him cross previously impossible obstacles.
The NES version of Rygar was also more of an action role-playing game. It was particularly notable for its permanent power-up mechanic, which at the time blurred the line between the power-ups used in action-adventures and the experience points used in RPGs.[2]
In November 2002 a new Rygar was released for the PlayStation 2. It features a transition to 3-D graphics and portions of the environment are destructible. It was released to generally positive reviews. On May 11, 2007, a Wii port was announced at Tecmo's "Nite Out 07" event. [4]