Dragonstomper

Dragonstomper
Developer(s)	Starpath
Publisher(s)	Starpath[1]
Designer(s)	Stephen Landrum
Platform(s)	Atari 2600
Release	Late 1982 or early 1983
Genre(s)	Role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player

Dragonstomper is a video game developed by Stephen Landrum for the Atari Video Computer System (later renamed Atari 2600)^[2] and released by Starpath. The game follows the adventures of a dragon hunter who is given a quest by the king to defeat a dragon and reclaim a magical amulet that was stolen. The player makes their way over the countryside, vanquishing various adversaries and gaining gold and experience. After achieving enough strength, the player can enter a shop in an oppressed village where equipment can be purchased, soldiers hired, and special scrolls obtained to defeat the dragon in its lair.

Stating that he wanted to make a "real fantasy role-playing game", Landrum began developing the game under the title of Excalibur.^[3] The game required use of the Starpath Supercharger, which connected to the Atari 2600 in order for it to read a cassette tape. The device also increased the RAM capabilities of the Atari 2600 exponentially, allowing for more complex games or graphics for the system. Upon the game's release, it received praise from gaming publications such as Electronic Games and Computer and Video Games with critics commenting on the game's depth and comparing its quality to home computer games of the period; Games listed it among the best games of 1983. Retrospective reviews included Chris Cavanaugh writing for the online database AllGame calling the game "woefully overlooked", and Ed Lin of Forbes praising the game for its graphics, use of music, and multiple ways to solve problems.^[4][5]