Dragonfire is a 1982 video game written by Bob Smith and published by Imagic. 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.
Gameplay
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
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”. 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.
References
External links
- The Atari 2600 version of Dragonfire can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
- 1983 Dragonfire TV commercial
Gamer24h Editor's Take
Having closely reviewed Dragonfire, the Gamer24h editorial team considers it one of the most noteworthy titles of recent times. The visionary approach of developer Imagic, combined with the expertise of publisher Imagic, has resulted in an exceptionally refined product. Its innovative take on the Action genre offers a breath of fresh air for fans of the category. In short, an outstanding and immersive gaming experience awaits genre fans — we highly recommend giving it a shot!