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The Orb is missing! Dare you enter the swamplands to find it?

Long ago, in the far off land of Altoris, lived a peace-loving nation ruled by the good and gracious King Garath. Surrounding the golden boundaries of the land, were the foul-smelling swamps and dense woods of the hobgoblins.

Despite constant attack from the foul countries, in the form of ghosts, ghoulies and hobgoblins, Altoris was kept perpetually safe under the mighty Golden Orb, which kept a watch over the borders and stopped any underworld invasions before they started.

However, one fell day, the Orb was stolen, leaving the fair land of Altoris to the clutches of the dark powers. Summoned before your father King Garath you, as his only son Zanock, have been charged with the mission to go out into the swamplands and recover the Orb, before darkness envelopes Altoris forever.

Ok, so what are a few ghosts to a hardened hero? Quite a lot when they can kill with a touch. Venturing out into the darkened atmosphere of the ghost realm, there are veritable hordes of supernatural beasties to contend with if you want to find the orb.

Watch out for the ghosts and hobgoblins, who will steal away your strength at a touch. More horrible still are the skeletal remains of long dead creatures, armed to the teeth with razor sharp daggers and axes, not mention the phant bowmen, secreted among the trees, with endless supplies of arrows.

Still undaunted? You'll need to be if you want to go adventuring through the various levels of the swamplands. As you seek out clues to lead you to the orb, keep your eyes peeled for power-ups, to help you ward off the evil threats.

Glowing daggers are few and far between but, pick one up and you'll find the strength returning to your weapon arm. If you can't find the dagger, just pick up as much treasure as you can for similar results.

Starting off, you can only enter into close arm combat. Find the glowing arrow, however, and you'll find your attacking range greatly increased. Very handy indeed when the action starts hotting up in the later screens.

An even greater boost would be to gain an extra life. Believe me, you'll need all the help you can get if you want to survive, so keep a look out for the glowing skulls hidden in the undergrowth. Three of these and you should find your playing power greatly enhanced.

Hobgoblin is an excellent adventure offering, totally original with plenty of action to keep you going at all times. To find the orb, you will need to be quick and very, very cunning.

The evil hordes are no novices, so master the moves and do your best to save the land of Altoris. Marvellous graphics, atmospheric backdrops and some superb sound effects make this adventure a must for serious gamesters.