Gorgon is a clone of the arcade video game Defender, a horizontally scrolling shooter, for the Apple II. It was programmed by Nasir Gebelli and published by Sirius Software in June 1981.
Gameplay
In Gorgon, the player flies a spaceship across a side-scrolling landscape while protecting civilians on the ground from aliens that drop down from the top of the screen to try to carry them off.
The game uses keyboard controls, with the A, Z, and left/right arrow keys for movement and the space bar for firing.
Development
The graphics were drawn with Sirius’s own E-Z Draw software (1980).
Reception
By June 1982, Gorgon had sold 23,000 copies, making it one of the best-selling computer games at the time. Bill Kunkel of Electronic Games called the game “another winner from ace designer Nasir” and “fine home version” of Defender, only criticizing the Apple II’s lack of joystick support at the time. BYTE stated that Gorgon “is well programmed and much more enjoyable than the arcade version [and] should provide many hours of enjoyment …
Rest assured that you Nasir Gebelli fans will not be disappointed by this one!”
Gamer24h Editor's Take
Put under the Gamer24h team's microscope, Gorgon raises the bar considerably with both its storytelling and technical polish. Thanks to Sirius Software's meticulous craftsmanship and Sirius Software's strong presentation, the high production quality is evident in every moment of the game. Masterfully blending Scrolling shooter mechanics with modern standards, the game's fluid gameplay makes hours fly by unnoticed. In short, an outstanding and immersive gaming experience awaits genre fans — we highly recommend giving it a shot!