Rygar Arcade Review — Pure 80s Power Fantasy in Action
2🕹 Game Name: Rygar
📛 Alternate Names: Warrior of Argus (Japan)
📅 Release Date: September 1986
🔫 Genre: Side-Scrolling Action Platformer
👨 🏻 💻 Developers: Tecmo
👨 🏻 💻 Publishers: Tecmo
🔢 Max Players: 2 (alternating turns)
⁉ Cooperative: No
🕹 Game Introduction:
Rygar is a high-energy, side-scrolling action arcade classic where you wield a devastating weapon known as the Diskarmor. You play as the resurrected hero tasked with defeating evil forces that have corrupted the mythical realm of Argool.
🕹 Game Description:
A blend of intense action and platforming, Rygar drops you into a fantasy world overrun by monsters. With ancient powers and a unique chained shield weapon, you traverse rugged terrain and airborne enemies alike. This is ancient mythology through a rock-n-roll lens of arcade combat.
🎴 Game Play:
👉 🏻 The player controls Rygar with an 8-way joystick and two buttons: Jump and Attack.
👉 🏻 Use the Diskarmor — a spiked yo-yo-like weapon — to strike enemies from a distance.
👉 🏻 Collect power-ups to increase attack range, strength, and player health.
👉 🏻 Defeat waves of creatures, climb platforms, and clear obstacles across horizontal and vertical stages.
👉 🏻 No continues — it’s all or nothing with one credit unless modified.
👉 🏻 Various environments keep gameplay fresh: forests, caves, castles, and skies.
👉 🏻 Enemies respawn quickly, forcing constant movement and awareness.
📕 Background & History:
Developed and released by Tecmo in 1986, Rygar was originally titled Warrior of Argus in Japan. The arcade version focused on fast-paced side-scrolling action, distinct from the later NES version which leaned into RPG elements. It was designed to challenge seasoned players and became a fixture in late-80s arcades.
🐣 Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter Eggs:
👉 🏻 A common high-score trick is to farm enemies just before boss rooms.
👉 🏻 Jumping and attacking in rhythm can lock enemies in knockback loops.
👉 🏻 Standing at specific screen edges can despawn certain enemy projectiles.
👉 🏻 There’s a bug that occasionally causes enemy AI to freeze mid-jump on cliffs.
🐱 💻 Hacks:
👉 🏻 MAME versions include cheats for invincibility, max power-ups, and unlimited lives.
👉 🏻 Bootleg boards of Rygar existed with sped-up gameplay and re-mapped controls for joystick-only cabinets.
🎉 Trivia:
👉 🏻 Rygar was one of the first games to feature a chained projectile weapon as your main tool.
👉 🏻 The NES version is vastly different — more of a Metroidvania experience.
👉 🏻 The Diskarmor weapon was so iconic, it inspired weapons in later games like God of War.
👉 🏻 The arcade version never had a true ending screen — the game loops infinitely.
👉 🏻 Despite limited voice or cutscenes, the game had a strong mythological atmosphere.
👓 Lonster's Review:
Rygar may not talk much, but that chained Diskarmor does plenty of talking. The controls are tight, the challenge is real, and the creature design is straight fire. Every screen feels like a boss fight in disguise. It's brutal, beautiful, and totally arcade-core.
🌟 Legacy:
Rygar paved the way for myth-inspired arcade action and was later reimagined on consoles with deeper story elements. The arcade version holds a special place as a pure action testpiece, remembered for its weapon design and relentless difficulty. It also kept Tecmo on the arcade map.
✨ Cultural Impact:
Its chained shield mechanic was unlike anything at the time and inspired later game developers to rethink ranged melee combat. Rygar helped solidify mythological themes in arcade games and continues to be referenced in retro compilations and gaming retrospectives.
💭 Lonster's Final Thoughts:
If you’re into classic power-fantasy with edge-of-your-seat action, Rygar is your jam. It doesn’t waste time. You’re fighting within seconds, and that weapon? Still unmatched. This one’s a must-play for any real arcade beast.
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