Initial release date June 1981 Designer Nasir Gebelli Mode Single-player video game | Developer Sirius Software Publisher Sirius Software Platform Apple II | |
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Genre(s) Horizontally-scrolling shooter Similar Nasir Gebelli games, Shoot 'em up games | ||
Gorgon is a clone of the arcade game Defender, a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up, for the Apple II. It was programmed by Nasir Gebelli and published by Sirius Software in June 1981.
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Gameplay
In Gorgon, the player flies a spaceship across a side-scrolling landscape while protecting civilians on the ground from aliens that drop down from the top of the screen to try to carry them off.
Due to the Apple II lacking joystick support at the time, the game substitutes it with keyboard controls, with the direction keys for movement and the space bar for firing. It may be possible to use third-party joysticks, however.
Reception
By June 1982 Gorgon had sold 23,000 copies, making it one of the best-selling computer games at the time. Bill Kunkel of Electronic Games called the game "another winner from ace designer Nasir" and "fine home version" of Defender, only criticizing the Apple II's lack of joystick support at the time. BYTE stated that Gorgon "is well programmed and much more enjoyable than the arcade version [and] should provide many hours of enjoyment ... Rest assured that you Nasir Gebelli fans will not be disappointed by this one!"