Line #26 VideoGame/Xargon


1	[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-Xargon2_6751.PNG]]
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3	''Xargon'' is a PlatformGame developed and published by Creator/EpicGames (Then Epic Megagames) in 1993 for MS-DOS. The game consists of three episodes, the first of which was released as ShareWare. The full game was released as [[FreewareGames Freeware]] in 2008.
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5	The player assumes the role of AdventurerArchaeologist Malvineous Havershim. While studying ancient ruins in Madagascar belonging to an [[{{Precursors}} unknown ancient culture]] known only as the Blue Builders, Havershim falls prey to a mysterious gas and wakes up later to find himself TrappedInAnotherWorld.
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7	In his dreams he is greeted by a [[TalkingAnimal talking eagle]] who informs him that the land he has entered is not a friendly one, and it is ruled over by a [[BigBad powerful and malevolent being]] known as [[TitleDrop Xargon.]] Havershim is [[ButThouMust thus thrust unwillingly]] into a quest to defeat Xargon, the only way he can ever go home.
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9	!! Xargon provides examples of:
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11	* AbnormalAmmo: Malvineous' default weapon is a laser that he shoots out of... well, his crotch. He doesn't seem to have an attack animation.
12	* AcidPool: In the [[EternalEngine factory]] levels.
13	* AllThereInTheManual: According to supplemental materials released with the game, the whole reason Xargon is on the island in the first place is that he was ''imprisoned'' there by the Blue Builders. Yep, they apparently decided the best place to put the EvilSorceror[=/=]MadScientist supervillain was on an island crawling with prospective {{Mooks}} ready to be recruited or [[SlaveMooks enslaved]], with all the resources he needed to construct weapons. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Nice going, guys]].
14	* {{Animorphism}}: Red potions turn Malvineous into a bee, granting him [[VideoGameFlight flight]], until he touches a [[TransformationTrinket crown]].
15	* AntagonistTitle: The game is named after the BigBad. The third episode, "Xargon's Fury," is similarly titled.
16	* AttackDrone: The Xargbots, flying spherical robots with a single eye and a laser cannon. Black ones go down in one hit, while chrome ones take two shots to kill.
17	* AttractMode: Featuring a preview of one level from each episode.
18	* BigCreepyCrawlies: Many enemies, including bees, centipedes, giant ladybugs, climbing beetles, leeches, and something resembling giant spiders.
19	* BiggerOnTheInside: Many enterable buildings are like this. It's particulary egregious in the third episode's "tribal village" level, where the huts are so big on the inside they don't even qualify as "huts" anymore - Malvineous has to use ''springs'' to reach the top.
20	* CharacterDevelopment: Surprisingly, Malvineous gets a little. He starts out as rather confused and unsure of what to do, but becomes a bit more confident and independent over time.
21	* CheckpointStarvation: You can only save on the world map, and dying has you restart from the beginning of a level. The final levels of each avert this, though, and let you restart in their respective [[BossRoom reactor/boss sections]].
22	* CoolBoat: In some [[UnderTheSea water levels,]] Malvineous can pilot a bathysphere-like submarine that can shoot lasers in two directions.
23	* DenialOfDiagonalAttack: your default weapon only shoots straight ahead. The boulder "power up" shoots diagonally upwards, and has problems hitting enemies straight in front of you. You can use the arrow keys to move your laser bullets up or down, but this is mainly useful for hitting small targets and doesn't have the range of diagonal movement that the boulder does. Fireballs only shoot straight ahead, but they [[InfinityPlusOneSword don't really need to move diagonally to kill everything]].
24	* DiscOneFinalDungeon: The factory castle at the end of the first episode.
25	* FlunkyBoss: Xargon, the FinalBoss, spawns snails that crawl towards you.
26	* GameBreakingBug: In the third episode, a glitch will occasionally prevent you from entering the castle where you get the Crown of Xarg and the final gate key. This also happens to be the last level before Xargon's castle, so you'd better hope you have a fairly recent save or you're screwed.
27	* TheGreatestStoryNeverTold: At the end of the game, Malvineous realizes that if he told anyone what happened, people would think [[GoMadFromTheIsolation he'd gone insane from spending time working on archaeology]]. He does, however, consider writing about his adventure as if it were fiction.
28	* InterchangeableAntimatterKeys: There are colored keys that open [[LockedDoor Locked Doors]] within the levels as well as gate keys that open gates on the world map. Both are consumed upon use.
29	* JumpPhysics: You can fully reverse the direction of a jump in mid-air.
30	* LavaPit: This being a platformer, these are common.
31	* [[LawOfOneHundred Law of 16]]: Picking up 16 fruits gives you an extra health point. (You have unlimited lives in this game.)
32	* LedgeBats: Climbing beetles push you off of vines, ropes, etc. The knockback also [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard ignores any active invincibility]].
33	* MacGuffin: Each episode has three "Power Objects" which you must collect. Most of them are only fleetingly referenced in Mal's journal, with the Sky Crystals, Dark Ring of Terror, Amulet of Blue Souls, and Tinia's Lyre being the only ones that Mal seems to do much of anything with besides comment on.
34	* MercyInvincibility: Averted (though you can stay inside the colliding enemy's hitbox without taking any additional damage). This makes [[BoobyTrap booby trapped boxes]] very dangerous, as each flame from the explosion has its own hitbox.
35	* OminousSavePrompt: Just before you enter [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Xargon's Castle]], a game message will warn you that this is your last chance to save before you enter, and "the only way out is through Xargon himself."
36	* OneHitPointWonder: Averted. Malvineous can take a [[MadeOfIron whopping five hits]] before he goes down.
37	* OrganDrops: There are centipedes that lose segments when shot that can be picked up for [[ScoringPoints points]].
38	* OurMonstersAreWeird: The first enemy you face is a walking torso with one big sharp tooth. It gets weirder from there, aside from the (occasional ill-tempered fish.
39	* OverworldNotToScale: Levels are entered from an overhead world map. It typically shows a linear path, but occasional branches appear.
40	* PowerUp: Several, including:
41	** Upgrades to your default laser allowing you to fire it more frequently
42	** [[MoreDakka Rapid fire]]
43	** Throwable, bouncing rocks -- nay, ''boulders'' ([[PowerUpLetDown not always good]] as they cannot be aimed)
44	** The ability to throw a limited amount of [[FireBalls Fireballs]] that plow through lines of enemies
45	** Temporary [[InvincibilityPowerUp Invincibility]]
46	** [[InASingleBound Shoes that let you jump higher]] (they can be ''stacked'' for insanely high jumps)
47	* ReactorBoss: Each episode ends with a reactor (except the final episode, where it guards the FinalBoss), spawning Xargbots nearby to attack you while you shoot at it until it explodes.
48	* RespawningEnemies: Xargbots sometimes respawn on regular levels as well.
49	* SchizoTech: Ancient artifacts, temples and caves with BambooTechnology... and killer robots, drones and EternalEngine-class factories (a couple of which are housed in medieval ''castles'').
50	* SorcerousOverlord: Xargon.
51	* SpikesOfDoom: These are pretty common too.
52	* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''VideoGame/JillOfTheJungle'', which this plays almost identically to. Epic even referred to this game as the sequel at one point!
53	* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Of varying strengths, uncoded for your inconvenience. Although most of them have [[FollowTheMoney pickups next to them indicating the path Malvineous will take when bouncing off]].
54	* SuperDrowningSkills: Stay out of the water!
55	* TalkingAnimal: The talking eagle shows up a few times over the course of the game to give Malvineous further information. He's the only friendly NPC in the game.
56	* TankTreadMecha: One of Xargon's standard mooks.
57	* AVillainNamedZrg: Xargon (pronounced Zargon).
58	* {{XtremeKoolLetterz}}/XMakesAnythingCool: Xargbots, Xibok, Xbats, etc. and Xargon himself, of course. There are also X:es plastered all over the walls, signs, etc. bordering on SigilSpam. There are also the X:es marking non-cave/-castle levels on the world map, but... it's a map.

Context VideoGame / Xargon