Zzap


Beyond The Ice Palace
By Encore
Commodore 64/128

 
Published in Zzap #61

Beyond The Ice Palace

The eternal conflict between good and evil continues beyond the ice palace with dark spirits destroying the homes of peasants. A hero is obviously required, and a magical arrow is fired aloft by the spirits of the forest. Whoever finds it will have the power to banish evil from the kingdom.

You're the long-haired guy with a knack for swordplay who sets off to find the arrow. Of course, the evil spirits are determined to stop you and your quest is fraught with danger... such as winged demons, bouncing goblins, swirling dragons, lots of platforms and ladders plus fast-moving lifts. By running over weapons such as knives, swords and firebombs you can swap them for your current weapon. Pressing 'space' calls into action a spirit which moves around destroying baddies in a rather leisurely way.

The game's graphics and sonics are all quite nice, if not exceptional, while gameplay is obviously inspired by Ghosts 'N Goblins. This all promises a very playable game, which is delivered in part, flawed only by a high difficulty level. This was the main complaint in issue 40's review where the game earned 78%. Since then, graphics standards have improved, while the toughness seems too random to be really enjoyable. One for the Ghosts 'N Goblins fan who wants a challenge, without too much originality.