Dwagons

1992 Imagitec

Platform: Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and PC

Dwagons is a game which is not too dissimilar in style to the classic Pengo, with the concept of being able to push blocks. The blocks come in various different forms, which provide tricks and traps throughout. Joystick magazine described the game as a title that combines arcade, strategy and adventure. dwagons shot5 The graphics early on looked pretty good, showcasing a 2.5D view, and blocks could stack up too, with the characters being able to jump up onto them and give an extra level of depth to the game. The two main characters if you hadn’t guessed already, are dragons – or Dwagons, as the title suggests, going by the name of Snort and Snail. The story goes that Lord Flame has kidnapped their brother Snarf, and taken the magic talisman that has protected their country of Dwagonia for centuries. The game is divided into six worlds in total (we assume made up of multiple levels), and takes you from the lands of Dwagonia, all the way to the Aztech temples, passing through jungles, mountains and an ice palace, before eventually ending up at the home of Lord Flame for one final battle. Each level (or “table” as Joystick suggests) is represented as a static screen, where you must solve puzzles and find the appropriate strategies to be able to move onto the next. Each room consists of a series of blocks with different functions. The characters can use objects such as boats to cross areas of water, and metal boats for lava. There are levers and push buttons which can be used to open up areas and platforms to allow you to move around cut off areas. dwagons shot 640 There are also teleportation blocks and stairs that allow you to move around and change floors in the game. Some tiles could be trapped, and make your player fall to a floor further below. Enemies come in various shapes and sizes, with ice creatures throwing snowballs and some guardians trying to push you into the lava for example. Features within the game would include magic spells, sticky floors, enemy generators and more to liven up each of the rooms in the game. Fire rooms are dangerous, and mushrooms can grow within mud and fill up the entire room, making it hard to maneuver. Although mentioned in various magazines in news snippets, and with a larger feature in Joystick magazine, the game was never to surface and little else is known at present. Why was it cancelled, and how far did it get? Could anything of it be saved? If you know anything more about this title – please do get in touch. With thanks to Karl Kuras for the heads up, Abandonware Magazines for some of the scans and Archive.org for some of the scans.

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