Wardner (1987)

Developer: Toaplan
Publisher: Visco Corporation, Mentrix Software, Taito
Platforms: Family Computer Disk System, Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Genres: Platform
Rating: 3.0 of 5, 7 player ratings

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A classic arcade-style platformer where a plucky hero battles monsters across five levels to rescue a kidnapped friend from an evil wizard.

classicfantasyretroactionarcade-styleold-schoollighthearted

About

In Wardner, you take on the roll of a short, chubby guy whose name I am not aware of. The game starts when you and a girl are approached by a wizard promising a "fantasia" of sorts. You follow the wizard, and he kidnaps the girl, commenting that she will make a nice gift for Mr. Wardner. We can't have that, can we?On your quest to save your friend, you have to travel across 5 levels, to reach the evil Mr. Wardner. You will have to destroy monsters, jump over and duck under various traps, and collect gold and orbs to help you with your journey.You have a weapon meter on the bottom of the screen, which shows your current weapon, and weapon power (1 to 8). All weapons use the same power, so if you change weapons, you won't lose the power. The power, rather than making your weapon stronger, lets you fire it faster.

Screenshots

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More by Toaplan

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.