The Lost Vikings is a side-scrolling action game which was developed by Blizzard Entertainment (then known as Silicon & Synapse) and released in 1992 by publisher Interplay Entertainment.

The game is based around three Vikings, Erik the Swift , Baleog the Fierce and Olaf the Stout , who get kidnapped by an Extraterrestrial life for an inter-galactic zoo and become lost in various periods of time. The purpose of the game is to control the three characters (who all have separate abilities) in order to solve puzzles to escape and get back home.

The game was originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, then subsequently released for the Amiga, AmigaCD32 DOS, and Sega Megadrive (Sega Genesis in North America) systems the next year. Blizzard re-released the game for the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

= Abilities=

All three vikings have the ability to carry and use items, mainly keys (to open doors), food (to restore health) and bombs.

Erik can run faster than the other two, can jump, and can bash through some walls with his helmet. Baleog can kill enemies with his sword, or from a distance with his bow (and infinite supply of arrows). The bow can also be used to hit switches from a distance. Olaf can block enemies and their missiles with his shield, which doubles as a parachute.

= Sequel=

The game s sequel, The Lost Vikings II or Norse By Norsewest: Return of the Lost Vikings , features the original three characters plus two new playable characters, Fang the werewolf and Scorch the European dragon. The gameplay and storyline remain largely the same, though the pre-existing characters all have new or modified abilities.

Erik now has rocket boots, allowing him to double-jump, and cybernetic lungs, allowing him to swim. Baleog has a robotic arm, rather than his bow, which can grab things from a distance, as well as swing from special orbs. Olaf has the ability to shrink to miniature size, to slip through small spaces, and to fart, giving him some extra lift when parachuting with his shield.

Fang can run, jump, slash enemies with his fangs, and cling to walls, optionally jumping off them to get higher. Scorch can fly and breathe fire.

= Cameos =

The vikings have also shown up from time to time in other Blizzard games. Olaf can be unlocked as a hidden character in the 1993 game Rock N Roll Racing . They most recently appeared as Mob (computer gaming) in Blizzard s MMORPG World of Warcraft in the dungeon Uldaman.

Lost Vikings II contains some other links to World of Warcraft . In the Dark Ages period of time, Erik the Swift accidentally gets teleported to the Swamp of Sorrows, which is a region in World of Warcraft. Additionally, a recurring non-player character in Lost Vikings II is Little Timmy, who is a rarely appearing character in Stormwind City, another region of World of Warcraft.

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