TM QUfST1'USTfRS The Adventurer's Newsletter Vol. Ill,# 5 May, 1986 WIZARD'S CROWN: Fantasy at War There's only one reason to buy this game: icon depicts the party. In most shops and or (M)ake camp. In camp, priests can pray to conduct war game-style battles with markets you just get a menu or text for healing, rangers can use first aid, money spellcasters and sword-swingers instead of description, no fresh graphics. And the may be pooled or transfered, the game saved, tanks, half-tracks and infantry units. The graphics you do get look pretty lo-res from and other housekeeping chores attended to. graphics are dim, the animation is crude and this side of the screen. Outside the city Simple menus facilitate all actions. the sound effects are straight out of a box of gates you'll discover ruins and grasslands. There are three bizarre war game elements Kellog's Rice Crispies. Dungeons and the lengthy combat scenes are that seem out of place in a fantasy, even one However, Wizard's Crown does offer shown with an overhead view of the roorr.'s with tactical aspects: ratings for morale and unprecedented freedom in developing your layout and a horizontal view of characters, visibility -- and the fact that one of your characters by "spending" experience points to monsters and scenic elements such as trees or gang must be a point man who walks ahead improve the traits you want to concentrate tables. of the group to scout for ambushes. A point on, and some role-players may be intrigued SSI has grafted the command interface man? After seeing this, I grew concerned with this facet of the system. (You can from its war games onto this one: to move that one of my fighters might break down spend money at the training grounds for the in one of eight directions, you hit a key from with a case of Vietnam syndrome and start same purpose.) It also delivers an enormous 1-8. On the surface, your main commands shooting the others. range of traits -- 30 of them -- for your are to (S)earch the area, (C)heck a character Continued on page 2 characters, though I get the impression someone spent a few nights poring over a D & D manual. THE The goal -- don't tell me you've already BLACK CAULDRON guessed it -- is to find a wizard's crown, once Based on the Disney film, Cauldron begins effects are limited on the Apple. Of course, worn by the head of the Fellowship of outside a hut in the land of Prydain, with the graphics look crisper and more colorful Wizards who ruled this fantasy land. Then you directing the actions of a young boy on the IBM. you've got to return it to Kaitar the wizard in named Taran. Through Hen Wen, a psychic Because it is aimed at a young audience, the city of Arghan. The quest begins in chicken, you learn the Homed King is after the game has no parser. Jab a button on the Arghan's Crossed Swords Inn, where a crew the Black Cauldron, intent on using its joystick and a small window appears and of up to eight new characters can be created. magic power for evil ends. The enchanter offers three selections: look, use, and do. You can save time by using the pre-rolled Dallben, Taran's foster father, tells you to These are selected by highlighting one, then party on the disk. Any character can be hide Hen Wen so the Homed King can't use hitting another button. (Keyboard control is renamed and outfitted with one of 23 icons. her powers to locate the Cauldron. also available for these functions as well as Of course, the minute you get on the road for guiding Taran about.) Similar men us 1WO CLASSES IN ONE a winged fiend called a Gwythaint snatches facilitate saving and loading games, checking Qualification for the classes -- fighter, you both, drops you in a distant place and inventory, and other common actions. To thief riest, sorcerer and ranger -- is disappears with Hen Wen. You've got to "do" something, Taran must be standing next determined by intelligence, and a smart find the chicken, keep her from the villain, to the appropriate item, such as a door. Brief character can hold down two jobs. With and locate the Cauldron before he does. The text at the bottom of the screen tells you intelligence of 10, a new recruit could cast includes fairies, a princess, a wandering what's just happened. become a priest-ranger or a sorcerer-fighter, musician with a magic harp, a trio of The problems aren't overpowering, but for example. Two drawbacks to character witches and a furry creature, the Gurgi. after solving the game you can go back and creation: you can only save eight characters Disney's computer software team try to complete it another way -- mulliple and will need them all for a party, so you collaborated with Sierra on the game, which solutions make this adventure more can't have reserves. And new characters start displays the same bright, detailed graphics replayable than most. And it's tricky enough without any money, eliminating the popular and subtle pastels seen in Sierra's other 128K that some adults in the crowd will enjoy the "dummy" scam for generating a lot of money adventures. Stored on both sides of three game. Various random events occur without slaying a single ore. disks, there are 73 3-D locations to explore, throughout the story, so you'll really have to Skill abilities vary according to class. and access time isn't bad considering the pay attention to score all 230 points. A That's why the manual says half the people complexity of the graphics being retrieved. general map of Prydain, showing the Horned in your party should have two professions. It uses the animated, joystick-controlled King's castle, the hut, and other landmarks, In a game with such emphasis on Class system from the King's Quest series. Taran may help you get your bearings. types, I was confounded to find that nowhere can walk behind trees, swim streams, and Cauldron is a perfect outing for young does it display the class of your characters. move around much more entertainingly than adventurers, a satisfying one for older gamers To keep track of which one is the priest and the animated figures in Rings of Zilfin. who want to lean back in the chair instead of which is the thief, you must give them Sometimes an entire scene is animated, and hunching over the keyboard. related names. The icons are helpful, but are it seems like you're watching a slick cartoon. only displayed in the dungeons or during This happens when the Gwythaint snatches Computer: Apple (128K), IBM PC & jr certain types of combat sequences. you and the chicken, for example. Six Planned Conversions: Amiga, ST In the town, you'll see uninspired visuals animated arcade sequences are included. Skill Level: Novice shown from an aerial view; a two-character You'll hear eight melodies; other sound Price: $39.95 WIZARD'S CROWN ADVENTURE HOTLINE Continued from page 1 Bard's Tale II should see Ultima V a lot sooner, maybe by Characters with the proper skills can arm next summer. (Origin's latest is Ogre, a themselves with an arsenal of swords, Better hurry and finish off Mangar -- Bard's tactical war game based on the Steve Jackson crossbows and 23 other weapons. Each Tale II is around the comer. The Arch board game.) Questron II is a reality, but sorcerer knows all 22 spells from the start, Mage's Tale (a tentative title) will be easier SSI says they're not sure the authors will but won't have enough power to cast the in the early stages, because so many people give it to them. strongest ones early in the game. Priests can complained that the first part of the original count on six prayers for healing and other game was too tough. It will be released Infocom's Next Game functions; they have no combat prayers. simultaneously for Apple and Commodore Trinity will be the first Infocom story to When you run into a pack of monsters, a machines this fall. BT is expected to go recreate historical events in authentic text screen announces "thief' or "thugs" and "gold" with 100,000 sales. A pair of ACS locations: atomic bomb tests in Siberia, asks if you want to use the quick combat author Stuart Smith's classics, Ali Baba and New Mexico, a South Pacific island, and system. Do so and an all-text screen shows Return of Heracles , are being spruced up for even outer space. You play a tourist the party's status and amount of damage each release on the same disk under the name Age vacationing in London on the eve of nuclear member has suffered; you can always pause of Adventure (Apple and C-64/128). Look war. After escaping into a world of magic, to study it. Hit and spell points are not for this in September. EA is also doing a you must travel through time to visit all the shown. (Wounds are of two types, injury summertime graphic adventure. And test sites in an effort to change history and and bleeding; these may be normal or serious Amnesia, their premier all-text adventure, stop the bomb. Brian Moriarty, who wrote in nature.) If allowed to use magic, you should be out by July at the latest Apple Wishbringer, says "magical things can can't decide which spells are cast And you first, then Commodore.