Commodore User


The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Categories: Review: Software
Publisher: Phoenix
Machine: Commodore 64

 
Published in Commodore User #11

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

This package contains two tapes, labelled 'Action' and 'Adventure'. In the Action game you control a little cloaked figure chasing about the screen trying to prevent a broom from dropping its buckets of water into your walled dam (which runs up the right side of the screen).

Nudging the broom with your little man causes the buckets to disappear and the broom to seek more water from a well. Occasionally brushes will scoot across to steal bricks from the dam, reducing its height. These can also be repelled at a nudge.

If the dam eventually overflows, you lose one of your three lives. Surviving the time limit, however, reveals the password necessary to enter the Adventure. Clues to help you are displayed after each of three subsequent levels; each level has an identical screen display as the first but provides more brooms to contend with. Within each level, the brooms do speed up considerably, and the action can become quite hectic.

Eventually, though, I found running around the same simple scenario rather repetitive... and in the end rather boring.

Loading the second tape revealed a well-presented text-only Adventure, covering at least 70 different locations in and around a rather unusual castle. Passing through the myriad of rooms you come across a number of spells; each each be entered into your Spell Book and used at your leisure. Ultimately you should reach the Wizard's throne armed with the spells capable of stopping those infernal brooms.

Most of the spells are essential to your progress, which is hindered by such delightful characters as an Egyptian mummy, a fire-breathing dragon, and even Ol' Nick himself.

I found this an interesting Adventure, fun to play, and rather addictive. Unfortunately though, it's yet another program the experienced Adventurer would do well to forget.

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