Draconus

Two connected worlds, one above ground bathed in light and another below it buried in darkness — and in the middle a hero who has to run through both to survive. Draconus, from 1988, is one of those European eight-bit platformers that doesn't spare the player and offers all the stronger a sense of satisfaction after every stretch conquered.

Draconus was published by the studio Zeppelin Games, a British developer and publisher known for producing affordable games for home computers. The title came out among other platforms for the Atari 8-bit and became one of the beloved classics of that platform. It is characterized by a structure of two mutually connected levels — a surface and an underground world — between which the player crosses while searching for the items needed.

The gameplay is a classic action platformer: you jump across platforms, dodge enemies, collect items that open up further paths, and try to survive in an environment that gives you nothing for free. The difficulty is high, which was a trait of many titles of the day — the game assumed you'd play it again and again, learning the layout and gradually improving.

It was precisely this difficulty that made Draconus an addictive affair. Every new stretch meant a challenge and every push further a reward. The graphical presentation was solid for an eight-bit machine, with colorful environments for both worlds that differed from each other in mood and hazards.

The Atari 8-bit had a strong community of players in Europe, and titles like Draconus contributed to its liveliness. The game never ranked among worldwide blockbusters, but among fans of the console it built a firm place and is still remembered as an honest, tough old-school platformer.

Why play: For a tough, addictive platformer with two connected worlds that will please anyone who enjoys old-school eight-bit challenges.