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PUBLISHER: Imagic RELEASED: 1984 PROGRAM: Dave Ross FORMAT: Disk

Dragonfire for the Apple II computer has the unique distinction of being the only Imagic game released for the Apple II series of computers. Most people probably don't even know about the game, since it was released on the B-side of the Commodore 64 release, which is itself quite rare. The Apple computers weren't well-known for having a lot of visual muscle, but this Apple II release of Dragonfire holds up quite well against many of the other version of the game and proves that the Apple II line of computers were a more than adequate platform for Imagic's games. In Dragonfire, you take on the role of the king's servant. Dragons have take control of the castle and are now hording the king's treasures. It's up to you to infiltrate the castle and take back the king's many valuables. You'll have to cross the castle's drawbridge while ducking and dodging the fireballs tossed your way by the dragons. You'll also have to deal with the moving section of the drawbridge as well. Once inside the castle, you'll then enter the king's treasure room where you'll have to run around gathering up the many treasures lying around the floor which won't be easy with the dragons breathing an almost constant barrage of fireballs at you. The visuals in this Apple II version of Dragonfire are quite colorful and detailed and will be immediately noticeable to anyone familiar with the Apple II's trademark use of pink and green colors in most of its games. This version even has the archer who fires arrows down at you as you cross the drawrbidge and the troll who chases you around the treasure room with his sword. The control is also very well done and the game even throws in a unique challenge in the treasure room in which poison darts will fire out at you if you come near the exit door before you've gathered up all of the treasures in the room. This Apple II game might be known as the forgotten version of Dragonfire, but it's still an extremely solid and playable version of the game.

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