Digging Deep into the Origins of Platform Adventure Games: Aztec's Forgotten Innovations

This blog entry is part of a series covering games that are featured on my website about the Platform Adventure (aka Metroidvania) subgenre's history. It's a site created mainly as a quick reference guide for those looking for the next game to play or relevant and detailed info on earlier games in the subgenre for their other projects.

The pre-Metroid era (ca 1979-1986) of Platform Adventure games was a time of experimentation, when basic concepts of platformers and action adventure games themselves hadn't been fully established yet. For example, the first scrolling platformer, Jump Bug (1981), is a mostly auto-scrolling game while the first major scrolling platformer hits didn't release until 1985 (Super Mario Bros. and Ghosts 'n Goblins). The first proto Zelda-like Action Adventure games, meanwhile, are from 1980 and 1982 (Adventure and AD&D: Cloudy Mountain respectively).

As such, you tend to see some of what we now see as defining traits of this subgenre represented in various games, such as exploration-focused areas and permanent character upgrades, while others are missing. Or traits associated with other genres such as Rogue-likes or Point & Click Adventure games being combined with these traits and resulting in games that don't fit neatly into one category.

One such game is the PC game Aztec (Multi, 1982). Developed by Paul Stephenson and published by Datamost, it was first released for the Apple II computer. Now, something that was immediately noticeable about Aztec to me was the similarity in concept to Indiana Jones, which saw its first entry in 1981. Both the game and the movie series share a fascination with ancient ruins, treasure hunting, and traps waiting to spring on unsuspecting adventurers. They also share a certain disregard for historical accuracy: the game features anachronistic weapons like guns and dynamite found in boxes or piles of bones and debris, and a dinosaur and a stationary, giant octopus are featured among the enemies. Video games!

At its core, Aztec is a flip screen platformer that tasks players with exploring a large (for 1982) labyrinthine temple, filled with traps, enemies and basic puzzles, to find an ancient idol and try to make it out alive with it. Perhaps owing to the previously covered Superman (A2600, 1979) or some contemporary arcade game, players are encouraged to act quickly as the faster the goal is achieved, the more points they get. They also share a looping world, meaning the player ends up where they were if they keep moving horizontally.

What sets Aztec apart from other platformers of the time and brings it closer to platform adventure games is its non-linear structure and interconnected world as well as its tool gating, a first in a platformer context. Players explore a single maze level made up of single screen rooms, which is also quite big for the time. They have to explore to find new weapons, ammo and health (a handy inventory is included), but they also have to create new paths to progress using dynamite sticks. This is similar to Castle Wolfenstein from the previous year, but fleshed out to an impressive degree - one can destroy walls, floors, drop the dynamite to a floor below them, and even destroy stairs. Stairs that might be important for progression, so players have to be careful about placement (one can also use it for optional shortcuts if a room has too many enemies to deal with at the moment), but luckily the bottom floor of the maze is indestructible.

Another unique, if less relevant mechanic is the game's "fight mode" stance which allows for different moves, something later used in games like Prince of Persia, Usagi Yojimbo, and Little Big Adventure. Finally, the game also features a randomized world layout (a feature heavily associated with Rogue-likes), meaning every new playthrough will be a bit different, and the difficulty curve can also vary a lot between them. This game does let you save however. Aztec's gameplay structure and these other notable aspects were innovative for its time and it helped set the foundation for what would become the platform adventure subgenre, while putting the game in its own category at the same time.

So is it a "proper" platform adventure game? We're not quite there yet, but it's close. The dynamite sticks are actually a permanent tool in the sense that there is an unlimited supply if you find them in a box (at least in the Atari 8-bit version), meaning you can always go back for more if you run out. However, there's no movement ability gating or other tool gating, and you also start with 3 sticks of said dynamite so it is not a gained tool like the bombs and other tools in Metroid. The game is also much shorter than even the first Metroid, clocking in at around 30 minutes to an hour per playthrough, or even less if you happen to get an easier layout. Unlike previous games, it does feature the gameplay loop of encountering an obstacle, finding the tool or ability (which isn't just a key or equivalent) to remove it, then coming back and overcoming it to progress to the next room or area.

Despite its groundbreaking gameplay and surprising complexity, Aztec has largely been forgotten by modern players. The game's graphics and sound may not hold up to today's standards, and the controls in the original release are quite clunky, but its gameplay and design are still impressive and helped set a foundation for the subgenre. Aztec is a prime example of how a game can be ahead of its time without getting the recognition it might deserve. The Atari 8-bit version does control better, so check that one out if you're interested in trying it out.

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A few games and other media that may have influenced Aztec:

-Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981 movie): Aztec shares a similar theme with the Indiana Jones franchise, with its focus on exploring ancient ruins and collecting valuable artifacts. However, Aztec's gameplay is focuses on exploring a single maze and features only one type of puzzle, rather than a variety of action-packed set pieces, puzzles and riddles seen in the movie.

-Castle Wolfenstein (1981): Both Aztec and Castle Wolfenstein involve navigating a maze-like environment and collecting items along the way (including bombs that can destroy walls), ultimately escaping the maze with a key item in hand. However, Aztec's side view perspective, randomization and being able to also blow up floors and stairs sets it apart from Castle Wolfenstein, and the latter is also an early stealth game.

-Adventure (1980): Like Adventure, Aztec features an open world to explore and some tool gating. However, Aztec's platforming elements and combat in a side view perspective make it distinct and it is not as puzzle oriented.

-Rogue (1980): While Rogue and Aztec may not seem to have much in common on the surface, they both feature randomized worlds and the exploration of a single maze or dungeon.

A few games that may have been influenced by it:

-H.E.R.O. (1984): This one shares some similarities in terms of gameplay mechanics. For example, both games use a side view perspective and require the player to navigate through mazes and avoid traps, while also using a limited amount of bombs to remove obstacles. However, HERO is a level-based game that doesn't let you go back to previous levels, has no significant backtracking and you don't gain any new tools in it. It's also a flight-based game and not a platformer in the stricter sense.

-Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1984) and Below the Root (1984): I'll probably write a bit about both of these as they are a fairly significant evolutionary step during this period (influential or not), so I'll just mention them for now.

Impossible Mission II (1988): This game also requires the player to navigate through a series of interconnected rooms and seems to borrow the same bomb mechanic where the player can blow up floors. However, Impossible Mission II focuses on avoiding combat, using computer terminals to manipulate your environment, and unlocking doors with keycodes. Its room layouts are also quite different, making it more of a precision platformer.

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For a brief overview of the game's features, see its page on my Platform Adventure history website.