Commodore User


Indiana Jones In The Lost Kingdom

Publisher: Mindscape International Inc
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Commodore User #18

Indiana Jones In The Lost Kingdom

Raiders Of The Lost Ark is a dream licence for a software house to base a computer game on. It has everything. A super hero, non-stop action, a highly developed plot with lots of twists and turns, but above all it's big. Very big.

This game is not based on Raiders, or Temple Of Doom but is, instead, a completely original challenge game with deliberately obscure instructions.

I found this a little frustrating and stumbled from screen to screen for ages, not knowing what was going on. Luckily I had a cheat-sheet from US Gold. This does not come with the game so don't lose this review-strategy guide.

Indiana Jones In The Lost Kingdom

Objective of Screen 1: Transfer the colour of the yellow, red, and blue balls on the left of the screen to the white balls on the right. To absorb the colours Indy simply has to make contact with each ball, cross back across the caverns using the lifts, and ward off the bats with his walking stick.

Objective of Screen 2: Indy has to rearrange the numbers on this screen. The numbers on the bottom of the screen must be made to match up with the numbers going from top to bottom on the left of the screen.

Objective of Screen 3: Another number challenge - this time you must complete a sequence of nine numbers in groups of three. When the ball is in the correct position, it will turn black on the left of the screen. When all three balls have turned black, you can go onto the next set of three.

Indiana Jones In The Lost Kingdom

Objective of Screen 4: This is the most difficult of the colour-changing screens. All the coloured balls on the right of the screen must be turned white. The colour is obtained from the diamonds on the ledges. When Indy touches these with his cane the cane turns blue. He must now touch the blue ball with his cane, being careful not to let any part of his body make contact with any of the coloured balls.

Objective of Screen 5: Most arcade-like of the six challenges, the fifth screen has you trying to get past the multi-headed medusa creature and then hack through the wall at the right of room one. You are now in the Bell Room. Tap the bell with your cane to activate the lift which takes you up to the next bell.

The bell will reappear on the floor and open a segment of the "door" between room two and three. You must strike the upper bell six times to get the door open completely. Room three is more of the same though trickier. More bells and an extra elevator.

Indiana Jones In The Lost Kingdom

Objective of Screen 6: Another arcade challenge here in a ledge-hopping, artefact-collecting final screen. You have to collect five chalices. Each time you collect one you have to go back to your starting position to make the next chalice appear.

Conclusion. I wasn't completely bowled over by Indiana Jones. In fairness to Mindscape, it has to be said that trying to recreate the thrills induced the films on a computer is like Sinclair C5 against a Ferrari.

The game does have some strong points though - the combination of mathematical puzzles and arcade gameplay is original, and Indiana Jones is recognisably the character from the film - even if he is a little small. Complete Indy nuts won't be able to resist this one - but if you want a real super hero game I'd choose Conan.