The articlegameplay, story, development, reception
Gameplay
Rygar is a side-scrolling platformer in which the basic gameplay sees the player character move left to right, with the player able to jump, duck, attack, and climb ropes. Rygar's only weapon is his Diskarmor, a razor-sharp spinning shield that can be thrown some distance whilst staying attached to him, similar to a yo-yo. Available attacks are a standard front-facing attack that can be used when Rygar is either standing up or ducking down, a curved overhead swing, and an airborne attack. It is also possible for Rygar to briefly stun enemies by jumping on them. There is no health in the game, and Rygar is immediately killed upon contact with an enemy (unless jumping on their head) or an enemy's projectile, or by falling from a platform.
There are five categories of items that the player can collect; bonus points, power-ups, extra lives, additional time, and screen bombs (destroys every enemy on the screen). These items can be found in stones that spawn from the earth and are occasionally dropped by defeated enemies. Power-ups boost the player's abilities, but they are not permanent and are lost when Rygar is killed. There are five different types of power-ups; Sun Power (a straight overhead attack to replace the standard circular attack), Crown Power (the ability to kill multiple enemies with one hit), Cross Power (temporary invincibility), Tiger Power (the ability to kill enemies by jumping on them), and Star Power (extension of the Diskarmor's range).
Story
The original arcade version of the game has no real plot beyond the opening text, which reads,
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...
Reception
Rygar received mixed reviews across its various platforms. Whilst the NES version was generally very well-received, both the original arcade game and its other ports received more criticism.
AllGame's Michael W. 5 out of 5, arguing, "it just doesn't quite hit the mark." He praised the graphics, enemy design, and controls, but was critical of the game's repetitive nature and high difficulty level, writing, "Rygar is a decent title, but it's decidedly less than captivating." IGN's Thomas M.
