Karnov (1987). Play Free Online

Summary

Karnov, Data East’s flamboyant fire‑breathing strongman, burst onto the arcade scene as the company’s mascot. The hero—Jinborov Karnovski, an unnamed Soviet Central Asian strong‑man—charges through nine wildly themed stages, from sword‑wielding monks to dinosaur‑fanged djinn and ostrich‑riding skeletons, hunting map fragments for a legendary treasure. Collecting red orbs upgrades his fireball volley to three projectiles, and every level culminates in a memorable boss fight, ending with the Wizard who guards the final map piece.
The game cracked the top of Japanese arcade charts, ranking fourth among table units in February 1987, and topped 250,000 copies sold by late 1989. Critics praised its off‑beat twist on platforming, with CGW’s Bill Kunkel and Dragon magazine’s reviewers awarding near‑perfect scores.
After Data East folded in 2003, former staff at Paon rescued Karnov’s rights alongside other classics. The brawny mascot later popped up as a foe or boss in titles like Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja and Fighter’s History, even earning a playable cameo in Karnov’s Revenge, cementing his lasting charm among retro fans.

Storyline

Karnov, the fire‑breathing ex‑circus strongman, is the hero of the arcade classic Karnov. He journeys through nine distinct stages, each guarded by bizarre foes such as sword‑wielding monks, dinosaurs, djinn, hopping fish‑men, gargoyles, tree monsters, will‑o‑wisps, rock creatures, centipede women, and even ostrich‑riding skeleton warriors.
After clearing a level, Karnov defeats one or more bosses to earn a fragment of a treasure map. Collecting all nine pieces reveals the location of the ultimate treasure, but the final fragment is protected by a powerful adversary known only as The Wizard. Defeating The Wizard completes Karnov’s quest and secures the coveted prize.

Edited by Maya Carter