Play Rygar Online

I first played Rygar on the NES back in 1987, a game Tecmo put out that felt a little different from a lot of other platformers at the time. It wasn't just about running and jumping; it had this quiet, exploratory vibe that pulled you into its world. You could tell they were trying something more ambitious, even if the hardware limited how far they could go.

You control a warrior armed with a unique weapon called the Diskarmor, which is part shield, part flail. Your goal is to rescue the princess and defeat Ligar, but getting there means navigating a mix of side-scrolling areas and top-down map sections. You're constantly backtracking to use new items you find, like a grappling hook or special boots, to reach previously inaccessible ledges and doors. The pacing is slow and methodical, and the difficulty can be unforgiving, with some brutal enemy placements. It feels like a thoughtful, sometimes frustrating puzzle dressed in action game clothing.