Dragonfire (video game)
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| Dragonfire | |
|---|---|
 Intellivision box art | |
| Developer(s) | Imagic |
| Publisher(s) | Imagic |
| Designer(s) | Bob Smith[1] |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, VIC-20, Intellivision, TRS-80 Color Computer, Apple II |
| Release | May 21, 1982: 2600 1982: Intellivision 1983: VIC, Spectrum 1984: Apple, C64, ColecoVision, CoCo |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players alternating turns |
Dragonfire is a 1982 video game written by Bob Smith and published by Imagic.[1] The player grabs treasure guarded by a dragon while avoiding fireballs. It was originally released for the Atari 2600 then ported to the Intellivision, VIC-20, Commodore 64, Apple II, ZX Spectrum, ColecoVision, and TRS-80 Color Computer.
The game's source code was put into the public domain by developer Bob Smith on May 24, 2003.[2]
Gameplay
[edit]
Each level of Dragonfire has two stages. The first stage is a side view of the character trying to cross a drawbridge to reach a castle. To traverse the bridge, the player must duck under high fireballs and jump over low fireballs. Upon success, the second stage begins, which has a more top-down point of view. The player guides the character around the room collecting treasure and dodging fireballs spewed by a dragon that patrols the bottom of the screen. Collecting every piece of treasure opens a door to the next level.
A single hit from a fireball in either stage takes one of the player's seven initial lives. In each level, the character and fireballs get progressively faster.
Reception
[edit]Electronic Games in 1983 described Dragonfire as "especially useful as an introduction to fantasy gaming for younger players — while still having enough thrills to please the rest".[3] The game would go on to receive a Certificate of Merit in the category of "1984 Best Videogame Audio-Visual Effects (Less than 16K ROM)" at the 5th annual Arkie Awards.[4]: 42
References
[edit]- ^ a b Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
- ^ Dragonfire_source
- ^ "The Players Guide to Fantasy Games". Electronic Games. June 1983. p. 47. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (January 1984). "Arcade Alley: The Arcade Awards, Part 1". Video. 7 (10). Reese Communications: 40–42. ISSN 0147-8907.
External links
[edit]- Dragonfire at Atari Mania
- The Atari 2600 version of Dragonfire can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
- 1983 Dragonfire TV commercial
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- 1982 video games
- Action games
- Atari 2600 games
- ColecoVision games
- Imagic games
- Intellivision games
- Multiplayer and single-player video games
- Public-domain software with source code
- TRS-80 Color Computer games
- VIC-20 games
- Video games about dragons
- Video games developed in the United States
- Video games set in castles
- Action game stubs