Games Computing
1st September 1984
Publisher: English
Machine: Atari 400/800/600XL/800XL/130XE
Published in Games Computing #9
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (English)
In this one player game you take the part of Robin Hood whose aim is to find the villagers' bags of taxes in Sherwood Forest, while avoiding the evil Sheriff's men. To help him he has an inexhaustible supply of arrows.
Initially, I had trouble loading the game, as the instructions tell you to wind an inch past the leader tape. After fiddling about with a ruler for a while, I discovered it would load when cued exactly to the first tone.
Upon loading, the screen displays the centre of a rather small Sherwood Forest, with a section at the bottom showing score, high-score, lives left, and level. There is also a medieval-sounding tune.
After selecting the level, the 'start' key or fire-button starts play. Your joystick controls the all-green Robin Hood on a scrolling scenery with its boundaries marked by the Major Oak at one end and a castle with a drawbridge at the other. Placed along the bumpy landscape are several things that just about pass as trees, a few small wooden-framed villagers' huts and the Olde Boar pub, which virtually takes up a whole screen (I'm glad to say they've got their priorities right!).
To gain points you must collect a certain number of bags of silver, according to the level, and take them to the Major Oak, being careful not to get hit by the arrows of the Sheriff's army. If you encounter one of these men you can kill him by firing an arrow and get more points. To avoid enemy arrows you can hide behind bumps in the ground or climb up trees or the wooden parts of buildings. Beware, though, if you fall too far, off a tree or building, you lose a life.
At each level however you have the chance to gain a life. This is where Maid Marian comes in. A kiss from her gives you the extra life, as long as you can get to her. She's held at the Sheriff's castle, so you will have to climb a ladder to reach her. By the way, she's immortal. I've tried to shoot her and it's impossible!
The Adventures Of Robin Hood is an original, enjoyable and fairly addictive game. The graphics are adequate, but sound is not very convincing. The arrows sounded rocket assisted! A 32K version on side B with perhaps a bigger forest and a moving drawbridge would have been welcomed, but as it is, it is well worth getting.