Rolan's Curse
Encyclopedia
Rolan's Curse is an action adventure video game
developed by Sammy and released for the Game Boy
in 1990
. It is the first game in the Rolan's Curse franchise.
Zelda adventure series, the player goes from screen to screen and defeats enemies with a sword while finding items from monsters and treasure chests. The player is allowed two items at a time: one weapon and one sub-item; picking up a different weapon or sub will switch out the current one. The character starts with a sword but can find a fire wand that deals ranged attacks at the sacrifice of attack power. Other items include a hammer for breaking down barriers and a potion for restoring all health. The player can also pick up another of the currently equipped weapon to gain a temporary boost to attack power, or an armor jacket to raise defense temporarily. These temporary boosts return to normal after a level is beaten. More permanent power-ups come in the form of strength gloves and heart containers, which upgrade attack and defense respectively.
The game can also be played with another player if the two individuals link their Game Boys together while the game is inserted.
required to continue the game upon power-off. The crystal bracelet can be charged by holding down the "A" button and releasing for a similar attack to the wand's. The "SELECT" button is unused.
, extending the play field beyond the current view. When the player walks to the edge of the screen, the view adjusts to next set of tiles that represent a new area.
Because of the sprite
limitations of the hardware, Rolan's Curse artists opted for a Japanese SD
approach to the style.
system that can be viewed from the menu and executed when the player picks "CONTINUE" from the title screen. The game updates the current password every time a new item is in inventory, a new upgrade has been found, and when the next level's map is reached.
gave Rolan's Curse a 78/100 score.
While many players found the game to be fun, likening it to the Zelda series, a common complaint is the quest's brevity. The game only features three full levels, plus a smaller final boss level.
in 1992, entitled, Rolan's Curse II
.
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
developed by Sammy and released for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in 1990
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
. It is the first game in the Rolan's Curse franchise.
Story
Once the people of Rolan were terrorized by the evil ruler King Barius before he was imprisoned in a castle deep within the forest. When the king many years later was released he immediately unleashed legions of regenerating monsters on the citizens of the land. Now a hero (or two if you play it in multiplayer) is needed to defeat him and his minions.Gameplay
The game is shown in an overhead perspective. Like Nintendo'sNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
Zelda adventure series, the player goes from screen to screen and defeats enemies with a sword while finding items from monsters and treasure chests. The player is allowed two items at a time: one weapon and one sub-item; picking up a different weapon or sub will switch out the current one. The character starts with a sword but can find a fire wand that deals ranged attacks at the sacrifice of attack power. Other items include a hammer for breaking down barriers and a potion for restoring all health. The player can also pick up another of the currently equipped weapon to gain a temporary boost to attack power, or an armor jacket to raise defense temporarily. These temporary boosts return to normal after a level is beaten. More permanent power-ups come in the form of strength gloves and heart containers, which upgrade attack and defense respectively.
The game can also be played with another player if the two individuals link their Game Boys together while the game is inserted.
Controls
Rolan's Curse uses the Game Boy's directional pad for cardinal movement, while the "B" and "A" buttons are used to activate the first and second item slots respectively. The "START" button calls up the stats menu where the player can see how strong they are; as well as the passwordPassword (video games)
In many video games of the 8-bit and, to a lesser extent, 16-bit eras , after a level was beaten and/or when all continues were used, the game would display a password, that when entered in the game would allow the player to return to this part in the game...
required to continue the game upon power-off. The crystal bracelet can be charged by holding down the "A" button and releasing for a similar attack to the wand's. The "SELECT" button is unused.
Graphics
The game's visuals are built with graphic tilesTile engine
A tile engine is a computer graphics technique which generates a larger graphic from re-using a number of smaller graphics to save RAM and increase real-time rendering performance.-Basic tile map history:...
, extending the play field beyond the current view. When the player walks to the edge of the screen, the view adjusts to next set of tiles that represent a new area.
Because of the sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
limitations of the hardware, Rolan's Curse artists opted for a Japanese SD
Super deformed
Super deformed or SD is a specific style of Japanese caricature where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby, with stubby limbs and oversized heads, to make them resemble small children...
approach to the style.
Save system
The Rolan's Curse cartridge has no internal save battery. The game relies on a passwordPassword (video games)
In many video games of the 8-bit and, to a lesser extent, 16-bit eras , after a level was beaten and/or when all continues were used, the game would display a password, that when entered in the game would allow the player to return to this part in the game...
system that can be viewed from the menu and executed when the player picks "CONTINUE" from the title screen. The game updates the current password every time a new item is in inventory, a new upgrade has been found, and when the next level's map is reached.
Reception
Nintendo PowerNintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
gave Rolan's Curse a 78/100 score.
While many players found the game to be fun, likening it to the Zelda series, a common complaint is the quest's brevity. The game only features three full levels, plus a smaller final boss level.
Sequels
Sammy released a follow up to Rolan's Curse for the Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in 1992, entitled, Rolan's Curse II
Rolan's Curse II
Rolan's Curse II is a video game developed by American Sammy and released for the Game Boy in 1992. It is the second and final game in the Rolan's Curse franchise.-Story:...
.