Amagon
A side-scrolling NES action game about a stranded Marine.
Amagon, released in Japan as *Totsuzen! Machoman* (突然! マッチョマン, meaning "Suddenly! Machoman"), is a side-scrolling platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Aicom. The player controls Amagon, a Marine whose plane crashes on an island, stranding him. His rescue ship lies on the opposite side, forcing him to travel across the island on foot. The original Japanese version shares the same premise: the protagonist is a Marine named Amagon, with no mention of a scientist or a drug called 'Macho Max' in the Japanese manual.
Gameplay involves Amagon shooting enemies with his rifle. By collecting and activating a Mega-Key, he transforms into a larger, stronger version named Megagon. As Megagon, he gains one hit point for every 5,000 points scored as Amagon (while Amagon dies from a single hit). Megagon cannot use the machine gun but instead punches, dealing eight times the damage with unlimited ammo. He can also fire chest energy waves at the cost of one hit point each; these waves are broader than machine gun shots, do 16 times the damage, and can hit multiple enemies at once.
Reception varied. Allgame gave it 2 out of 5 stars. Just Games Retro awarded a 40% (F) in an April 5, 2007 review, while Game Freaks 365 gave it 78% (B+) in a 2005 overview.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Amagon
- Developer
- Aicom Corporation
- Publisher
- Vic Tokai Corporation / American Sammy
- Composer
- Kiyoshi Yokoyama / Dōta Andō
- Designer
- Tokuhiro Takemori / Hiroshi Kazama
- Released
- JP · December 2, 1988 · NA · April 1989
- Genre
- 2D action platformer
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- NES
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In both the international and Japanese versions, players control Amagon, a Marine whose plane crashes on an island, leaving him to cross it on foot to reach his rescue ship. The Japanese manual describes the protagonist as a Marine named Amagon, with no mention of a scientist or a drug called 'Macho Max'.
Reader's Guide
Amagon is a side-scrolling platform action game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Aicom. Its significance lies in its transformation mechanic: by collecting and activating the Mega-Key, Amagon becomes Megagon, a larger, stronger form. Megagon gains one hit point for every 5,000 points scored as Amagon, whereas a single hit kills Amagon. Megagon cannot use the machine gun but has a punch dealing eight times the damage, and can fire energy waves from his chest at the cost of one hit point each, dealing 16 times the damage and hitting multiple enemies. Reception varied: Allgame gave it 2 out of 5 stars, Just Games Retro assigned 40% (F) in an April 5, 2007 review, and Game Freaks 365 gave 78% (B+) in a 2005 overview. The game's legacy is modest, remembered primarily for its transformation system and divergent regional storylines.
Did You Know?
- The Japanese title translates to 'Suddenly! Machoman'.
- Amagon transforms into Megagon by collecting and activating the Mega-Key.
- Megagon's chest energy waves do 16 times the damage of the machine gun and can hit multiple enemies.
- The Japanese version's protagonist is a Marine named Amagon, not a scientist named Jackson.
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