Commodore User
1st February 1985
Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Datasoft
Machine: Commodore 64
Published in Commodore User #18
Conan
Arnold Schwarzenegger has recently been flexing his muscles - playing a robot in the new film Terminator - but for real Arnold fans he will always be Conan.
Conan's ex-Mr. Universe biceps first rippled on-screen when Arnold played the title role in the first film adaptation of the classic Marvel Comics character 'Conan The Barbarian'.
The film took more than a hundred million dollars at the box office and has recently been followed by a sequel in which he plays alongside Russell Harty-bashing Grace Jones in Conan The Destroyer.
It was only a matter of time until a software house did a Conan game. Now the time has come with Datasoft's second game in their Famous Names series - called simply Conan, with Schwarzenegger's muscles bulging menacingly on the cover of the disk.
In the computer game, Conan comes up against his most deadly rival - the evil Volta. The action takes place inside Volta's castle, filled with deadly traps.
Seven screens have to be completed, each filled with nasties like the fierce dragons, glowing flame monsters, giant floating eyeballs, electric spark creatures and lethal lepers. The aim on each screen is to find the gems, place them in gem holders, and find the key to unlock the door to the next level.
Just like Conan himself, you can walk, run, jump and fall from any height without injury - though you must be careful to avoid falling into pools of water, lava pits, fire pits, or the snake pit.
You are armed only with Conan's mighty sword which you can throw at your enemies to kill them and then catch again - boomerang-fashion on its return.
You begin the game with seven Conans and can earn an extra one for touching the bird on certain levels and for really high scores.
The game is basically a multi-screen platform game - though with the real flavour of Conan. Screen One (pictured above) is the beginning of the game. Our hero has to get to the top left-hand corner of the screen whilst dodging the bird. You must use the sword on this screen - if you don't get that bird at the very start of your climb you'll never make it to the top.
Screen Two introduces the first key - Conan has already claimed it in your picture - and the sharper eyed of you will be able to spot it in the bottom right-hand corner. This was the most realistic of the three screens I cracked - jumping from great heights is as far as I could get in this pre-production copy of the game given exclusively to Commodore User. Somehow you've got to get to the next level through the cavern in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. If any of you ever manage it I'd love to know how it's done.
I can recommend Conan. It's a well thought-out climbing game that does justice to the excellent films and comics.
Conan is the second game in the Datasoft Famous Faces series - the sequel to the highly successful Bruce Lee.
The game is being distributed in the UK by US Gold of Birmingham, and should be available in most leading software shops.
Other Reviews Of Conan For The Commodore 64
Conan (US Gold/Datasoft)
Seven screens of platform action
Conan (Datasoft)
A review