1994 · Arcade · Platformer

Xargon

The basic goal of Xargon is to advance through the map by completing levels. To finish a level, the player must find and reach the exit, which is found by traversing throughout the level.

Released: 15 January 1994
Platforms: MS-DOS
Genres: Arcade Platformer
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Side view
Themes: Action
Country: United States
Composers: Dan Froelich

About

Xargon: The Mystery of the Blue Builders is a video game trilogy created by Allen W. Pilgrim and produced by Epic MegaGames for DOS. The game is a side-scrolling platform game. The main character, Malvineous Havershim, must journey through strange landscapes as he seeks to destroy the evil Xargon.

›Story

Your goal is to guide Malvineous Havershim, an archeologist, through dangerous lands filled with hazardous enemies. You must find three power objects in each volume and use their magical powers if you ever hope to get out alive! In volume 1 you must find and destroy one of Xargon's main reactors. In volume 2 you must find the "Secret Chamber" here Tinia's Lyre is hidden. In volume three you confront the powerful and evil Xargon himself.

Keywords

robots
overworld
pixel art
talking animals
climbing
platform exclusive
underwater gameplay
mayan
male protagonist

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The basic goal of Xargon is to advance through the map by completing levels. To finish a level, the player must find and reach the exit, which is found by traversing throughout the level.

Initially, Malvineous is armed with a "laser bullet", allowing only one shot on-screen at a time which can be controlled by pressing up or down, causing the laser bullet to advance slightly upwards or downwards. Other weapons include more laser bolts, which allow Malvineous to shoot more often, rapid fire, rocks which can be thrown more strategically, and powerful fireballs which destroy every enemy in their path.

Story

Malvineous Havershim is an archaeologist studying strange ruins in Madagascar. The ruins were built by an unknown ancient culture known as the 'Blue Builders'. While attempting to translate the glyphs on the walls of one Blue Builder structure, a strange gas is emitted, and Malvineous loses consciousness. Malvineous has a dream-encounter with a talking eagle named Silvertongue, who gives him cryptic warnings. He awakes in a strange land, the area in which the game takes place.

Development

Xargon, produced and released by Epic MegaGames 1993, was programmed and designed by Allen W. Pilgrim. The graphics were created by Joe Hitchens, who also contributed to Epic Pinball and Jill of the Jungle. Volume One: Beyond Reality was released as shareware, but Volume Two: The Secret Chamber and Volume Three: Xargon's Fury had to be purchased commercially. The game was a contemporary of such games as Id Software's Commander Keen and Apogee Software's Duke Nukem II.

Allen Pilgrim declared the registered version freeware and released the source code on August 4, 2008. Following that, ports with SDL to new platforms and mobile devices like the Pandora were created.

Reception

Xargon was ranked #3 out of the Los Angeles Times top five games on May 7, 1994, after just four months on the market, behind Doom and Epic Pinball and above Duke Nukem 2. It remained for three weeks.

The game was reviewed in 1994 in Dragon #204 by Sandy Petersen in the "Eye of the Monitor" column. Petersen gave the game 2 out of 5 stars. Computer Gaming World in July 1994 said that Xargon: Beyond Reality "is an attractive, high energy" game that was better than Jill of the Jungle, and recommended it to fans of the latter, Bio Menace, or Duke Nukem.