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The year is 1149, and following the untimely death of the monarch, England has been cast into a titanic struggle for kingship. You are one of the six knights vying for the empty throne, using all your skills of leadership, jousting and swordplay to gain an advantage over your rivals.

You and your loyal army raid castles, conduct seges, invade territories and hold tournaments in the hope of bringing about the fall of your enemies. First, you must raise an army, buy catapults and master the strategies required to successfully conquer lands, whilst defending your own. Your have another advantage in the guise of Robin Hood, who comes to your aid up to three times per game, usually by using his cunning skills in reducing the amount of enemies you face in one given confrontation.

To win the game and become King, you also plan attack strategies and command your troops in the heat of battle. But be warned, only the best will claim the crown.

Mass combat is the most important aspect of Defender Of The Crown. First, buy your troops - you choose from regular foot-soldiers, or fabbo knights, (costing eight times as much)! Choosing a territory to invade is your next task. After a quick march around the country, your troops reach the castle walls, where they bring out their catapults in order to gain entrance.

The greater the damage your car engine causes, the easier the final battle with the remaining guards!

Raiding your opponents' castles is easy. It's just a matter of strolling in and killing every guard in the place single-handedly, with a dazzling display of swordplay.

If you recruit Robin Hood to help you, the matter is made even simpler, as he disposes of some of the guards for you.

Every so often, the opportunity to rescue a distressed damsel arises. Accomplishing this task reaps double rewards. Firstly, you receive financial benefit from the pleased parents, and also a gain in leadership as your subjects are more likely to obey your commands now you're hitched to a foxy (and influential) chick!

While Defender Of The Crown is quite good fun to play, you leave it wanting more. The arcade-style screens are neat and the strategy part is simple enough to let a facts 'n figures dumbo like me enjoy it without getting bogged down, but there's just not enough to keep you entertained.

The game is fairly challenging, but again, not really enough to make it good value for money. With the benefit of some additions like extra arcade sequences and a more complex strategy element, this could have been really good.

As it stands, it's a fairly enjoyable, but ultimately unsatisfying game.

Defender Of The Crown was one of Cinemaware's early releases, and although it was graphically spectacular, the playability was somewhat lacking. I'm sorry to say that little has been done to rectify this problem.

Although the basic premise of the game is a good one, the realisation is disappointing. It's as if Cinemaware were never sure whether to put the emphasis on arcade skills or strategy. As a result, the arcade sections are slow and have too few moves, and the strategy element is too simplistic and random.

Overall, a good idea, but badly executed and rounded off with dull graphics and sound.

Presentation 69%
Great, with plenty of intermissions and static presentation screens.

Graphics 64%
Generally average, with reasonable sprites and mediocre backgrounds.

Sound 67%
Uninspiring tunes and effects.

Playability 62%
The simplistic nature of the game makes it easy to get into...

Lastability 51%
...and that's the problem. There just isn't enough to keep you entertained for long.

Overall 59%
An interesting and original cartridge which sadly doesn't offer enough to make it worthwhile.