Amagon (1988). Play online

Summary

Amagon, the NES title from Aicom also known in Japan as Totsuzen! Machoman, is a side‑scrolling platform shooter. You wield a rapid‑fire rifle against waves of mechanised enemies as you race through colourful stages. Collecting the Mega‑Key lets you transform into Megagon, a larger version with a health meter that adds one hit point for every 5,000 points you’ve earned. The score‑linked health makes every point count.

In Megagon form the rifle disappears, replaced by a crushing punch that deals eight times the normal damage and never runs out of ammo. You can also spend a hit point to fire a broad energy blast from his chest, dealing sixteen‑fold damage and hitting multiple foes at once. Reviews were uneven: Allgame awarded only two out of five stars, and Just Games Retro slammed it with a 40 % rating, while Game Freaks 365 unusually praised it at 78 %. The game remains a curiosity for collectors rather than a celebrated classic.

Storyline

Amagon puts you in the shoes of a U.S. Marine whose plane goes down on a hostile island. The rescue ship lies on the opposite shore, so you must trek across the terrain, battling a variety of monsters until you finally confront a boss modeled after the legendary Flatwoods Monster. The Japanese release tells a slightly different tale: the protagonist is a scientist called Jackson who ingests the experimental drug Macho Max and transforms into a “Macho‑Man” version of himself to fight the creatures of Monster Island. Both versions share the core goal of reaching the rescue vessel while clearing the island of its bizarre inhabitants.