Commodore User


Willow
By Mindscape International Inc
Amiga 500

 
Published in Commodore User #67

Willow

Take three heroes, add several dwarves, one evil queen and a dash of epic quest and you've got a blockbusting D&D movie, not to mention a potential game licence.

I could tell you the whole story but I'd probably get done under some copyright law, so I'll take the relevant stages.

The quest is to save a baby called Elora Danan, who has been born in the (presumably evil) queen's dungeons. You play the part of the Daikini Ehtna who has to save the child by escaping from the dungeons in the first stage presented via a 3D player perspective view. You use a pointer to click on the relevant [some text missing] exists in a room. Linger too long and the guards will catch you. Be careless and you could fall into a trap - definitely one for mapping this level.

Willow

The next stage finds our hero Willow in the woods trying to avoid the queen's troops, armed only with his wit and three acorns. It sounds useful but the acorns are magic (they turn troops to stone). Avoid blundering into pits or swamps and try to pick up any extra acorns en route.

When you're out of the woods and emerge at the crossroads, you'll find two cages, one containing your mate Madmartigan the other containing Death.

Then follows the intermediate stage where the once beautiful Fin Raziel is transformed into a hideous beast thing and can only be transformed back by selecting the right three icons, one at each stage. With thirteen to choose from, it's not too easy to get it wrong and she or you will end up looking even grimmer.

Willow

Afterwards come the ice caves which finds Madmartigan and Willow escaping frim the snow camp of the evil General Kael. Riding on a shield, utilised as a sled you have to negotiate the ice tunnels, otherwise it's kapowie.

Survived? Good, now you get to fight General Kael at the steps of the Queen's tower. Slash him to ribbons in a fit of swordsmanship that makes Zorro look like an amateur. Climb the tower then face the queen. The queen can only be destroyed by a spell, which you have to make up from nine out of the thirteen symbols, and all this before she culls Elora. Can you handle the pace?

Compared to the old Lucasfilm games on the C64 this doesn't quite come up to standard. The graphics are well put together but poorly executed, and the tune is a Bagpuss theme with an '88 remix, phew.

There will be quite a few people who will be turned on by the prospect of an arcade adventure like this, but I for one am not. But then if it's a puzzling, mappable, lasting challenge you're looking for, this could just be the one for you.

Mark Patterson