Previous Next

Karl Marx owed a lot to Robin Hood. You might not realize this but socio-political reform in the 12th century was a major issue. Robin was arguably the first Lenninist-Marxist political leader espousing some really rather radical ideas on the redistribution of wealth - robbing from the rich to give to the poor and all that.

But legend has chosen to play down Robin as the socialist champion of the downtrodden working classes (probably because his ideas never really took off and lots of the poor just kept getting arrested for handling stolen goods). Instead the popular image of Robin these days is that of an outlawed aristocrat who was a dab hand with the old arrows, hung out with a load of overweight Merry Men in Sherwood Forest and fought against the evil rule of King John and his not-at-all-nice henchman the Sheriff of Nottingham (or, at least, that's what it says on the back of the bar menu at the Jolly Archer).

Anyway, who wants to play a game about a political reformer? It's not by chance that we've never seen Emily Pankhurst Vote Quest on the C64. Nah, swashbuckling romantic heroes make for much better computer game protagonists.

Robin Hood: Legend Quest is a huge, sprawling platform shoot-'em-up (or whatever the equivalent "'em-up" is when you're dealing with arrows). The entire game is set inside Nottingham Castle where the Sheriff has Mad Marian held captive. You play Robin and the legendary quest of the title is - you've guessed it - to free the Hood's favourite squeeze. But while you're in there, you might as well take the opportunity to swipe as much swag as you can as well - it is your trade, after all.

And you're on your own. The Merry Men are conspicuous by their absence (probably all too fat to get through those slitty windows). And there are hordes of the Sheriff's thugs out to get you. Luckily, they've been recruited from one step down the evolutionary chain, the motor neurons controlling their legs don't seem to have evolved properly, so they're rooted to the spot and fire arrows from their fists (honest!).

Other life-depleting nasties lurking about the place include some strange little troll thingies (who are so short that your arrows fly over their heads), fire-spitting gargoyles, red hot lava and bats. Luckily, you start the quest with three lives and three chances per life. While most of the nasties just nick your chances if they hit you, collision with the heavier things or falling into the lava means instant loss of life.

To search the castle you have to locate keys the open the locked doors and trapdoors. And you won't find them under the doormat - they're invariably hidden miles from the doors they open. And I do mean miles. Because, y'see, the game is vast. We're talking hugely, humungously enormously vast. In fact, it redefines the meaning of vast. In years to come people will sit back, after 20 course meals and say, "That was a real Legend Quest of a feast!" It's so amazingly... [Get on with it! - Ed] The backgrounds also look superb and sprites are generally impressive, though Robin's cheesey grin and mincing walk are hardly befitting a hero of his stature.

But the game has one basic flaw. It's damned hard! Without a cheat of some sort you might as well give up. It's not impossible, but it's not varied or exciting enough to reward the effort you need to put in. A muddy control system which makes leaping about trickier than seems fair doesn't help matters. Neither does the fact that you can find yourself stuck in rooms from which there's no escape - you can't backtrack to find the key you've obviously missed!

Legend Quest is intensely irritating. It's a case of, "don't get mad, get madder". But there's a lot that's impressive in the game if you persevere (or if you've got an AR cartridge and you POKE 23501,173 for infinite chances). Otherwise it's a bit like trying to explain the plot of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

There are some very tight gaps that the robbin' Robin has to squeeze through at various points in the game. The only way he can do it is to take a few steps back, then run up to the gap and duck down just before he reaches it.

This way he'll slide through. The longer the gap he has to get through, the longer you need to make the run-up. Similarly, some ledges that seem too high for Robin to jump on to can be reached if you take a running jump.

Graphics 88%
Apart from a dead poncey Robin, this game looks absolutely gorgeous.

Sound 49%
The effects are a bit sparse but they can be useful. Awful intro music.

Playability 75%
Dead good fun at first though the control system takes time to master.

Lastability 43%
There's not enough variety to keep you going back for more.

Overall 73%