The Lost City of Atlantis

About

The Lost City of Atlantis is a side-scrolling platformer that drops you in the role of Raghim, a bare-chested adventurer with a straightforward problem: he needs to gather seven crystals per level to unlock exits guarded by a reptilian wizard. The journey spans four sublevels each in Greece, Egypt, and Atlantis, where you’ll scavenge pearls to buy weapons, fight monsters, and dodge hazards like jellyfish. Early progress is tough without gear, forcing you to explore for currency and carefully manage health. Each Temple is a glowing landmark where pearls convert to ammo, but weapons vary in effectiveness, some enemies demand creative tactics. The levels mix environmental puzzles with combat, balancing resource management and action. What stands out is the game’s no-nonsense approach to progression. Starting with nothing but your wits, you learn to prioritize pearls over health items early, creating a tense rhythm of earning, spending, and surviving. The shareware version only includes Greece, but it still captures the grind of collecting crystals and outsmarting obstacles. Released in 1995, it runs on DOS with pixelated charm, and while its mechanics feel dated, the core loop of exploration and incremental power-ups holds up. Community forums note its quirky premise, naked hero, lizard wizards, but some players call it a hidden gem for retro platforming fans.

Storyline

The story behind the game features Raghim, a Phoenician merchant who wants to travel and be successful but didn't really know how to go about it. Then, one day in a Greek market, a lizard gave him a map into Atlantis and set him on his travels. He starts the game naked and defenceless. His task in each level is to collect seven crystals and give them to the wizard lizard who will then let him leave the level. Of course there are monsters to avoid/overcome so Raghim must collect pearls which can be traded for weapons and should he get hurt there are 'life jars' and food to be collected.