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Imogen (video game)
Encyclopedia
Imogen is a computer game released in 1986, originally only for the BBC Micro
. It was written by Michael St Aubyn and published by Micro Power
. It was reissued as the lead game of Superior Software
/ Acornsoft
's Play It Again Sam 5 compilation in 1988 when it was also converted for the Acorn Electron
. It is a platform game
featuring puzzles.
to save his town from another dragon. He is placed into a dungeon within a mountain
and in order to escape he must utilize magic and puzzle-solving abilities he was previously aware of as his former self. The upshot is that he will only be free once he is back to his old, sane self and no longer a danger to the townsfolk.
The game features sixteen levels which are played in a random order. To complete a level, Imogen needs to obtain a crystal
which will warp him to the next level or, after all sixteen have been completed, to the outside world, thus completing the game. The crystals are always placed somewhere inaccessible at the outset of the level, and obtaining the crystals requires some lateral thinking
on behalf of the player.
Imogen himself is able to transform into three different forms, each with an ability unavailable to the other two;
Each level requires transforming back and forth between the forms to complete it. While it is impossible for the player to actually die during the game, the number of transformations is limited to 150, and using them all before the game is complete renders it unwinnable.
remake for PC which is highly faithful to the original.
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
. It was written by Michael St Aubyn and published by Micro Power
Micro Power
Micro Power was a British company established in the early 1980s, best known as a video game publisher but they also produced and sold many types of computer hardware and software through their Leeds...
. It was reissued as the lead game of Superior Software
Superior Software
Superior Software is a video game publisher. It was established in 1982 by Richard Hanson and John Dyson, two graduates of the University of Leeds, England...
/ Acornsoft
Acornsoft
Acornsoft was the software arm of Acorn Computers Ltd, and a major publisher of software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. As well as games, they also produced a large number of educational titles, extra computer languages and business and utility packages - these included ROM-based word...
's Play It Again Sam 5 compilation in 1988 when it was also converted for the Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
. It is a platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
featuring puzzles.
Gameplay
The player takes the role of a wizard named Imogen who, according to the backstory, lost his mind and forgot his identity as a result of transforming himself into a dragonDragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
to save his town from another dragon. He is placed into a dungeon within a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
and in order to escape he must utilize magic and puzzle-solving abilities he was previously aware of as his former self. The upshot is that he will only be free once he is back to his old, sane self and no longer a danger to the townsfolk.
The game features sixteen levels which are played in a random order. To complete a level, Imogen needs to obtain a crystal
Crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituent atoms, molecules, or ions are arranged in an orderly repeating pattern extending in all three spatial dimensions. The scientific study of crystals and crystal formation is known as crystallography...
which will warp him to the next level or, after all sixteen have been completed, to the outside world, thus completing the game. The crystals are always placed somewhere inaccessible at the outset of the level, and obtaining the crystals requires some lateral thinking
Lateral thinking
Lateral thinking is solving problems through an indirect and creative approach, using reasoning that is not immediately obvious and involving ideas that may not be obtainable by using only traditional step-by-step logic...
on behalf of the player.
Imogen himself is able to transform into three different forms, each with an ability unavailable to the other two;
- His natural form as a human wizard, which can use various objects he picks up along the way (which are as varied as a revolverRevolverA revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, watering canWatering canA watering can is a portable container, usually with a handle and a spout, used to water plants by hand. It has existed since at least the 17th century and has since been improved. It is used for many other uses too, as it is a fairly versatile tool....
and tulip bulbTulipThe tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, which comprises 109 species and belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends from as far west as Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Iran to the Northwest of China. The tulip's centre of...
.) - A catCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
, which can leap long distances - A monkeyMonkeyA monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, which can climb ropes - A birdBirdBirds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
, which can fly (available only in one particular level)
Each level requires transforming back and forth between the forms to complete it. While it is impossible for the player to actually die during the game, the number of transformations is limited to 150, and using them all before the game is complete renders it unwinnable.
Remake
In 2003 Ovine by Design created a freewareFreeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
remake for PC which is highly faithful to the original.