Sword of Sodan
Encyclopedia
Sword of Sodan is a hack and slash
video game released for the Amiga
in 1988 by Discovery Software and Apple Macintosh System 7
in 1993 by Bethesda Softworks
, with a scaled down port released for the Sega Genesis in 1990 by Electronic Arts
.
. Zoras, an evil necromancer, is plotting in his tower made of human bones, making a second attempt to take the reign over the land. His first attempt was defeated by Sodan.
Zoras then studied ancient parchments where he could experiment with long forgotten spells. He was soon able to conjure all kinds of nightmarish creatures. He spawned so many of them that they were marching through the land towards Lordan's castle
, leaving a path of death and destruction.
To protect his children, Lordan arranged for his young son Brodan and his twin sister Shardan to be taken away from the castle across the Cthol mountains to the farthest corner of the land. After Lordan lost to Zoras' legions and was killed, his children were raised by an old bitter man, who also trained them in the art of sword combat. Before they start their journey to defeat Zoras, the old man hands over to them the sword
of Sodan.
Armed with the mighty sword of Sodan, they fight their way to castle Craggamoor where they face the tyrannical Zoras. After Zoras was defeated by the children of Lordan, people accept them as the true rulers and saviors of the land.
Most of the levels consist of simply fighting your enemies with the sword, but sometimes also avoiding traps
or jumping over rolling barrels. There are also little puzzles to solve, like to feed an obscure ostrich like creature to avoid drowning in a trap later on.
Brodan or his twin sister Shardan are playable characters. Despite the physical appearance, there are no differences in gameplay between the two. The protagonist walks in a horizontally-scrolled world from left to right while defeating enemies. The player can wield their sword while standing or on their knees. Though equipped with a shield, the player is not able to use it. The shield was completely removed from the Sega Genesis version.
Before each level starts, a map shows the player's progress through the land to castle Craggamoor and scrolls give additional information about the current location. Once the player enters the castle Craggamoor they see a gloomy picture from outside view of the castle instead of the map.
The player starts the game by having five lives, an energy meter (which is reduced by every hit from enemies) and a hit strength level which can be increased by potions over time.
There are multiple types of potions. Some increase hit strength, some give an extra life, and others provide short-term invincibility or kill the current opponent immediately.
Sega Genesis Version:
The core of the gameplay mechanic is the same as on the Amiga version, but several changes were done. Enemies attack from both directions, while in the original Amiga version all enemies were on the right side. The protagonist now relies on a much more regular use of potions, which are also dropped more often.
Amiga Version:
The protagonist wields a sword through 11 different areas, five in the surrounding area of castle Craggamoore and six within the castle. The player starts at the city gate, progressing through the city streets, a forest, and a graveyard. Within castle Craggamoore, the player wanders through catacomb-like levels, which leads to the wizard's tower at the end.
The world is inhabited with 13 different enemies and a single supporting character, the ostrich
-like creature called "the animal" in the game.
Enemies:
Guards (with a Lance
), City guards (with an Axe
), a giant soldier (with a Club
), One-legged forest inhabitants wearing a mohawk
, Lizard/Scorpion creature, Zombies, a Fighter/Mage, bat-like creatures, flying cloud-like creature (which whom you feed "The Animal"), Wizards, grotesque creatures with wings at the end, and Necromancer Zoras.
Supporters:
The Animal
Sega Genesis Version:
The areas are reduced from eleven to eight. Some got completely cut (for example the forest area), while others were joined into one level. The areas were also altered in terms of spawning more enemies. There are only eight of the thirteen different enemies from the Amiga game, but spawned more often over different areas.
. The game was again ported in 1993 by Bethesda Softworks
to Apple Macintosh System 7
.
Original Amiga Credits :
Original Program by Søren Grønbech, Torben Larsen
Movement and Magic by Søren Grønbech
Illusions and Illustrations by Torben Larsen
Conjure and Compositions by Julian Lefay
was advertised and shown at the CES Expo
in 1989 by Visual Concepts
, Ltd. It was playable with a joystick and approximately 70% complete, only requiring a handful of levels to be added in and some bug stability issues worked out. Shortly thereafter, as progress continued, a three level self-playing demo was next released and shown in stores, which was virtually identical graphically and animation-wise to the Amiga version . At some point during development, a dispute between the Apple II programmer and Discovery Software caused an unexpected delay while a replacement programmer could be hired to take over the project. A new programmer was found and development eventually resumed. Despite these developments and appearing in magazine ads and on vendor's price lists, it was never released. Ports for Atari ST
and Commodore 64
were vaguely planned but never developed.
A sequel was developed but never released. A single screenshot however was shown in a magazine.
got mostly favorable reviews by the magazines, praising the graphics, especially the big detailed sprites, which were unusual at the time. The budget re-release in 1993 on the Amiga
however were met with negative reviews. Websites like I-Mockery.com or Somethingawful.com mock the Genesis version of the game for its bad graphics, small annoying sound effects, frustrating controls and difficult gameplay.
According to programmer Søren Grønbech homepage, Sword of Sodan on the Amiga was at the top 10 selling charts for more than six months and selling about 55.000 copies.
Due the violent nature of the game such as when enemies are beheaded or impaled by spears and spikes this game was indexed by the German BPjS/BPjM in 1989.
Amiga reviews in 1989:
If you buy one Amiga action game this year, this has got be it. - 9/10 - AUI Vol 2 No 10 (Oct 1988)
I was well pleased with Sword of Sodan. - 85% - Computer + Video Games 90 (Apr 1989)
If you're looking for a big game, they don't come any more impressive than this - 83% - CU Commodore User Amiga-64 (Mar 1989)
It's a shame then that the gameplay doesn't live up to the standards set by the aesthetics. - 62% - The One for 16-bit Games 6 (Mar 1989)
Computer Gaming World gave the game a positive review, praising the game's graphics and sound but noting the game is relatively short.
Amiga reviews in 1993 (budget re-release):
Pity, but the graphics have overtaken the gameplay. - 52% - Amiga Format 47 (June 1993)
Don't be swayed by the half-decent static screenshots, because Sword of Sodan is crap. - 34% - The One Amiga 56 (May 1993)
Great big fat and juicy graphics do not make a fun game. - 29% - Amiga Power 27 (Jul 1993)
Sega Genesis reviews:
Just walking around slashing things with your chopper is exceptionally monotonous after a couple of plays. - 57% - Computer + Video Games 112 (Mar 1991)
Even the first level requires mastery of the crappy controls, and the game is just too damn boring to warrant enough repeated attempts to get "good" at it. - -46 - somethingawful.com
Apple IIGS preview:
Visuals on the IIGS reach a boggling new high with Discovery Software's Sword of Sodan. It's another hack-and-slash action game but with hugh on-screen characters, remarkable graphic detail, and outstanding digitized sound effects. - A+ Magazine (April 1989)
Hack and slash
Hack and slash or hack and slay, abbreviated H&S or HnS, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat. "Hack and slash" was originally used to describe an aspect of pen-and-paper role-playing games , carrying over from there to MUDs, MMORPGs, and video games in general...
video game released for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
in 1988 by Discovery Software and Apple Macintosh System 7
System 7
System 7 is the name of a Macintosh operating system introduced in 1991.System 7 may also refer to:* System 7 , a British dance/ambient band* System 7 , 1991 album* IBM System/7, a 1970s computer system...
in 1993 by Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
, with a scaled down port released for the Sega Genesis in 1990 by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
.
Story
The background story is set in a fictional medieval like time where Lordan is the ruler of the northern kingdomMonarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
. Zoras, an evil necromancer, is plotting in his tower made of human bones, making a second attempt to take the reign over the land. His first attempt was defeated by Sodan.
Zoras then studied ancient parchments where he could experiment with long forgotten spells. He was soon able to conjure all kinds of nightmarish creatures. He spawned so many of them that they were marching through the land towards Lordan's castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, leaving a path of death and destruction.
To protect his children, Lordan arranged for his young son Brodan and his twin sister Shardan to be taken away from the castle across the Cthol mountains to the farthest corner of the land. After Lordan lost to Zoras' legions and was killed, his children were raised by an old bitter man, who also trained them in the art of sword combat. Before they start their journey to defeat Zoras, the old man hands over to them the sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
of Sodan.
Armed with the mighty sword of Sodan, they fight their way to castle Craggamoor where they face the tyrannical Zoras. After Zoras was defeated by the children of Lordan, people accept them as the true rulers and saviors of the land.
Gameplay
Amiga Version:Most of the levels consist of simply fighting your enemies with the sword, but sometimes also avoiding traps
Trap (tactic)
A trap is a device intended to catch an intruder or prey. "Trap" may also refer to the tactic of catching or harming an adversary. Conversely it may also mean a hindrance for change, being caught in a trap.-Device:*Animal trapping*Bird trapping...
or jumping over rolling barrels. There are also little puzzles to solve, like to feed an obscure ostrich like creature to avoid drowning in a trap later on.
Brodan or his twin sister Shardan are playable characters. Despite the physical appearance, there are no differences in gameplay between the two. The protagonist walks in a horizontally-scrolled world from left to right while defeating enemies. The player can wield their sword while standing or on their knees. Though equipped with a shield, the player is not able to use it. The shield was completely removed from the Sega Genesis version.
Before each level starts, a map shows the player's progress through the land to castle Craggamoor and scrolls give additional information about the current location. Once the player enters the castle Craggamoor they see a gloomy picture from outside view of the castle instead of the map.
The player starts the game by having five lives, an energy meter (which is reduced by every hit from enemies) and a hit strength level which can be increased by potions over time.
There are multiple types of potions. Some increase hit strength, some give an extra life, and others provide short-term invincibility or kill the current opponent immediately.
Sega Genesis Version:
The core of the gameplay mechanic is the same as on the Amiga version, but several changes were done. Enemies attack from both directions, while in the original Amiga version all enemies were on the right side. The protagonist now relies on a much more regular use of potions, which are also dropped more often.
World & Foes
The protagonist wields a sword through 11 different areas, five in the surrounding area of castle Craggamoore and six within the castle. The player starts at the city gate, progressing through the city streets, a forest, and a graveyard. Within castle Craggamoore, the player wanders through catacomb-like levels, which leads to the wizard's tower at the end.
The world is inhabited with 13 different enemies and a single supporting character, the ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
-like creature called "the animal" in the game.
Enemies:
Guards (with a Lance
Lance
A Lance is a pole weapon or spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior. The lance is longer, stout and heavier than an infantry spear, and unsuited for throwing, or for rapid thrusting. Lances did not have tips designed to intentionally break off or bend, unlike many throwing weapons of the...
), City guards (with an Axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
), a giant soldier (with a Club
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
), One-legged forest inhabitants wearing a mohawk
Mohawk hairstyle
The mohawk is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair...
, Lizard/Scorpion creature, Zombies, a Fighter/Mage, bat-like creatures, flying cloud-like creature (which whom you feed "The Animal"), Wizards, grotesque creatures with wings at the end, and Necromancer Zoras.
Supporters:
The Animal
Sega Genesis Version:
The areas are reduced from eleven to eight. Some got completely cut (for example the forest area), while others were joined into one level. The areas were also altered in terms of spawning more enemies. There are only eight of the thirteen different enemies from the Amiga game, but spawned more often over different areas.
Development
Sword of Sodan was created by a group of three Danish engineers from Discovery Software. Two years later the people of Innerprise Software created a scaled-down port of the game for the Sega Genesis, which differs in reduced graphics and sound quality, and also notable changes in overall gameplay. The Genesis port was published by Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. The game was again ported in 1993 by Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks
Bethesda Softworks, LLC, is an American video game company. A subsidiary of ZeniMax Media, the company was originally based in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually moved to their current location in Rockville, Maryland...
to Apple Macintosh System 7
System 7
System 7 is the name of a Macintosh operating system introduced in 1991.System 7 may also refer to:* System 7 , a British dance/ambient band* System 7 , 1991 album* IBM System/7, a 1970s computer system...
.
Original Amiga Credits :
Original Program by Søren Grønbech, Torben Larsen
Movement and Magic by Søren Grønbech
Illusions and Illustrations by Torben Larsen
Conjure and Compositions by Julian Lefay
Julian Lefay
Julian Lefay, sometimes referred to affectionately as the "Father of The Elder Scrolls", joined Bethesda Softworks shortly after the company's creation in 1987...
Unreleased port and sequel
A partially-completed port for the Apple IIGSApple IIGS
The Apple , the fifth and most powerful model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The "GS" in the name stands for Graphics and Sound, referring to its enhanced graphics and sound capabilities, both of which greatly surpassed previous models of the line...
was advertised and shown at the CES Expo
Consumer Electronics Show
The International Consumer Electronics Show is a major technology-related trade show held each January in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Not open to the public, the Consumer Electronics Association-sponsored show typically hosts previews of products and new...
in 1989 by Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts
Visual Concepts is a California-based video game developer best known for developing Sega Sports' 2K series of sports games. After the success of the series, they were picked up by Sega and became a wholly owned studio with Sega, usually termed a first-party developer...
, Ltd. It was playable with a joystick and approximately 70% complete, only requiring a handful of levels to be added in and some bug stability issues worked out. Shortly thereafter, as progress continued, a three level self-playing demo was next released and shown in stores, which was virtually identical graphically and animation-wise to the Amiga version . At some point during development, a dispute between the Apple II programmer and Discovery Software caused an unexpected delay while a replacement programmer could be hired to take over the project. A new programmer was found and development eventually resumed. Despite these developments and appearing in magazine ads and on vendor's price lists, it was never released. Ports for Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
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...
were vaguely planned but never developed.
A sequel was developed but never released. A single screenshot however was shown in a magazine.
Reception
The original release in 1988 for the AmigaAmiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
got mostly favorable reviews by the magazines, praising the graphics, especially the big detailed sprites, which were unusual at the time. The budget re-release in 1993 on the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
however were met with negative reviews. Websites like I-Mockery.com or Somethingawful.com mock the Genesis version of the game for its bad graphics, small annoying sound effects, frustrating controls and difficult gameplay.
According to programmer Søren Grønbech homepage, Sword of Sodan on the Amiga was at the top 10 selling charts for more than six months and selling about 55.000 copies.
Due the violent nature of the game such as when enemies are beheaded or impaled by spears and spikes this game was indexed by the German BPjS/BPjM in 1989.
Amiga reviews in 1989:
If you buy one Amiga action game this year, this has got be it. - 9/10 - AUI Vol 2 No 10 (Oct 1988)
I was well pleased with Sword of Sodan. - 85% - Computer + Video Games 90 (Apr 1989)
If you're looking for a big game, they don't come any more impressive than this - 83% - CU Commodore User Amiga-64 (Mar 1989)
It's a shame then that the gameplay doesn't live up to the standards set by the aesthetics. - 62% - The One for 16-bit Games 6 (Mar 1989)
Computer Gaming World gave the game a positive review, praising the game's graphics and sound but noting the game is relatively short.
Amiga reviews in 1993 (budget re-release):
Pity, but the graphics have overtaken the gameplay. - 52% - Amiga Format 47 (June 1993)
Don't be swayed by the half-decent static screenshots, because Sword of Sodan is crap. - 34% - The One Amiga 56 (May 1993)
Great big fat and juicy graphics do not make a fun game. - 29% - Amiga Power 27 (Jul 1993)
Sega Genesis reviews:
Just walking around slashing things with your chopper is exceptionally monotonous after a couple of plays. - 57% - Computer + Video Games 112 (Mar 1991)
Even the first level requires mastery of the crappy controls, and the game is just too damn boring to warrant enough repeated attempts to get "good" at it. - -46 - somethingawful.com
Apple IIGS preview:
Visuals on the IIGS reach a boggling new high with Discovery Software's Sword of Sodan. It's another hack-and-slash action game but with hugh on-screen characters, remarkable graphic detail, and outstanding digitized sound effects. - A+ Magazine (April 1989)