Xargon

Before archaeologist Malvineous Havershim could finish deciphering glyphs in a Madagascar ruin, a wave of gas knocked him out and dropped him into a fantasy realm ruled by Xargon. What follows is a side-scrolling trip through spike pits, lizard men, and flying robots where success relies far more on standing still and tapping a fire key than jumping around.

When standing still and firing lasers beats actual platforming

The standard flow of playing the 1993 MS-DOS game Xargon revolves around caution. As Malvineous, you start with a laser projectile that you can steer slightly up or down by holding down directional arrow keys while shooting. When enemies appear, whether they are trolls, huge spiders, or purple hoppers, the most effective tactic is to stop moving entirely and pump energy shots into them until they pop.

Unlike action platformers that demand quick reflexes and momentum, combat here actively punishes aggressive movement. Flying spherical drones called Xargbots and fast-moving lizards will crush your health bar if you charge into a room blind. Because your shots spawn one at a time without a dedicated character firing animation, every encounter becomes a deliberate test of patience where you clear off-screen targets before stepping forward.

How Allen Pilgrim upgraded the Jill engine for Xargon

Designed and programmed by Allen W. Pilgrim, Xargon was constructed using an upgraded version of the side-scrolling VGA technology originally created for Jill of the Jungle. Built with the Worx Toolkit, the engine allowed developer Epic MegaGames to put smooth-scrolling graphics and complex map layouts into shareware disk distributions without requiring top-end PC hardware.

The game sounded distinct on an old Sound Blaster setup thanks to CMF audio files played over standard FM synthesis. While it lacked recorded digital sound effects, Dan Froelich's musical track gave the three individual episodes, Beyond Reality, The Secret Chamber, and Xargon's Fury, a recognizable synth tone. The shareware model served the release well: on May 7, 1994, it hit #3 on the Los Angeles Times software sales list, trailing only Doom and Epic Pinball.

Potions, pool balls, and store runs in Xargon

Level progression relies on exploring branching paths, picking up door keys, and raiding the local shop. Throughout each zone, you collect green emeralds that act as currency. At any point during a stage, you can open the store interface to buy health hearts, temporary invincibility, or weapon upgrades like rapid-fire lasers and throwable fireballs.

The stages are packed with secret areas, destructible gift boxes, and unexpected items that give you a reason to keep looking around:

• Beating hearts and scattered fruit restore missing health units.
• Red potions temporarily turn Malvineous into a flying bee until he collects a floating crown.
• Hidden bonus points drop when you gather four pool balls that spell out "EPIC" in exact sequential order.
• Spike pits, pools of acid, and mechanical mashers instantly kill an careless player.

Where the mechanics miss the mark against rivals

While magazine reviews at the time recommended the action game to fans of Bio Menace and Duke Nukem, contemporary reviews were less generous. Game critics pointed out that the gunplay feels floating and lack weight. Because your shots magically materialze ahead of your sprite without recoil or body movement, combat lacks the punch found in direct competitors from the same period.

When placed next to fast-paced platformers like Jazz Jackrabbit, the slow movement speed and passive combat loops make the game feel rigid. Success comes down to baiting enemy routines rather than mastering movement mechanics. In 2008, Allen Pilgrim officially released the full trilogy along with its original Borland Turbo C source code as freeware, allowing fans and programmers to examine how the system was put together.

Take on the Blue Builders right in your web page

The combat loop feels clumsy, but shopping for weapon upgrades mid-level gives the game its own identity. Odd visual touches, like turning into a laser-firing bee, give it a personality that plain clones never quite matched.

You can play Xargon online free in your browser right now with no setup needed. Jump straight into Madagascar's weirdest ancient ruins, dodge the laser drones, and remember to buy rapid fire early if you want to make it through the second episode in one piece.