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Firelord (video game)
Encyclopedia
Firelord is an action-adventure game
released in 1986
for ZX Spectrum
, Amstrad CPC
and Commodore 64
by Hewson Consultants
.
Galaheart has a constantly depleting energy level which is sapped further by contact with the apparitions and which can be restored by collecting food, "trading energy" which is depleted during trading and can be restored by collecting trading tokens and weapon energy which is depleted by firing and can be restored by collecting small crystals. Galaheart has an initial allocation of lives which can be lost by running out of energy, colliding with a fireball or being executed after being caught stealing. Extra lives can be found scattered throughout the kingdom. Most collectible items are of a fixed type, but some cycle through the available options allowing the player with careful timing to collect the powerup most needed at the time.
When the game ends (either through successfully returning the Firestone or losing all the lives) the player is ranked in a pseudo-medieaval ranking from serf
through various English titles of nobility up to the ultimate accolade of "Firelord". In order to achieve the highest ranking, the player must successfully steal the Firestone rather than trading the four charms for it, however it is only possible to steal the Firestone if the player has the four charms available to trade to begin with as with any other attempted theft.
Action-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
released in 1986
1986 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
for ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
by Hewson Consultants
Hewson Consultants
Hewson Consultants were one of the smaller software companies which produced games for home computers in the mid 1980s. They had a reputation for high quality games which continually pushed the boundaries of what the computers were capable of and can be compared favourably with other...
.
Plot
The player controls the knight Sir Galaheart, who must explore the cursed kingdom of Torot on a quest to recover the four charms of eternal youth. The Evil Queen has tricked the Dragon into parting with the sacred Firestone and used it to curse the kingdom with ghostly apparitions and deadly fireballs, and will only relinquish it in exchange for the four charms.The path wove deeper through the forest, beckoning Sir Galaheart further into the flickering shadows! A voice spoke out in the dimming gloom: "My son, you have returned to this land of Torot to discover its hidden secrets. You must seek out the sacred firestone and return it to the Dragon's safekeeping. Galaheart trembled with fear as he recalled how the Evil Queen had seized the Firestone, and used its power to curse the land with fire and ghostly apparitions, that drifted the streets in ghastly imitation of the once happy inhabitants. At one time the people had roamed freely, but now they cowered in their homes. Her price for the release of the stone was for some brave warrior to win for her the four charms of eternal youth." The brave knight sank to his knees, overpowered by fear and foreboding. "Fear not", said the voice, "for the answer lies within the Kingdom. Use the enchanted crystals and fail not!" Sir Galaheart was alone. A feeling of mystery filled the forest. The very air breathed the secrets of this haunted land.
Gameplay
Galaheart is initially defenceless and must quickly find an enchanted crystal in order to defend himself against the cursed apparitions the Evil Queen has flooded the kingdom with. He must then explore the kingdom, destroying apparitions and looking for clues to the location of the four charms. Galaheart can trade with various inhabitants for spells, information and items or attempt to steal them - being caught attempting to steal during trading leads to a "trial" in which the player has to attempt to stop on "innocent" rather than "guilty" with three successively faster alternating arrows. Items can only be stolen if the player has sufficient items to trade for them in the first place. Extra enchanted crystals can be found scattered around the kingdom and the player can use these as initial trading items.Galaheart has a constantly depleting energy level which is sapped further by contact with the apparitions and which can be restored by collecting food, "trading energy" which is depleted during trading and can be restored by collecting trading tokens and weapon energy which is depleted by firing and can be restored by collecting small crystals. Galaheart has an initial allocation of lives which can be lost by running out of energy, colliding with a fireball or being executed after being caught stealing. Extra lives can be found scattered throughout the kingdom. Most collectible items are of a fixed type, but some cycle through the available options allowing the player with careful timing to collect the powerup most needed at the time.
When the game ends (either through successfully returning the Firestone or losing all the lives) the player is ranked in a pseudo-medieaval ranking from serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
through various English titles of nobility up to the ultimate accolade of "Firelord". In order to achieve the highest ranking, the player must successfully steal the Firestone rather than trading the four charms for it, however it is only possible to steal the Firestone if the player has the four charms available to trade to begin with as with any other attempted theft.
External links
- Firelord at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Firelord at Everything2Everything2Everything2, Everything2, or E2 for short is a collaborative Web-based community consisting of a database of interlinked user-submitted written material. E2 is moderated for quality, but has no formal policy on subject matter...
- Firelord resources at World of SpectrumWorld of SpectrumWorld of Spectrum is a website devoted to cataloging and archiving material for the ZX Spectrum home computer popular in the 1980s, and has been officially endorsed by Amstrad which holds the rights to the ZX Spectrum brand...