Transylvania (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Transylvania was the name of a trilogy of computer games released for several home computer
s of the 1980s. The games were graphic
adventure game
s created by Antonio Antiochia and produced by the now defunct Penguin Software
.
, Commodore 64
and Commodore 128
. It was later re-released for the Apple Macintosh in 1984, then the Amiga
, Atari ST
and DOS
in 1985. It had the user on a quest to rescue Princess Sabrina from a countryside filled with a werewolf
, a vampire
, a prankster goblin
, a witch and even an alien
space ship. The game had a time limit (dictated to the player by a note encountered early on that reads, "Sabrina dies at dawn"), as the Princess was trapped in a coffin
in the castle
tower. The game's usage of hand-drawn graphics, while simple by today's standards, were part of a trend where once entirely text adventure games started to use computer graphics to show the game's environment. To this day, it remains the most popular title in the trilogy.
An iPhone version of Transylvania [I] was released on October 30th, 2009 under the name "Transylvania Adventure". The iPhone version features a touch-friendly user interface, sounds, and vintage "retro" graphics.
) and the heir to the throne, Prince Erik.
and DOS. It used VGA graphics (DOS version), more complex puzzle
s and a larger vocabulary
. The game also had some digital voices
and many of the puzzles involved references to ancient mythology
. In this game the player had to vanquish an evil
king
.
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
s of the 1980s. The games were graphic
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
adventure game
Adventure game
An adventure game is a video game in which the player assumes the role of protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and puzzle-solving instead of physical challenge. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media such as literature and film,...
s created by Antonio Antiochia and produced by the now defunct Penguin Software
Penguin Software
Penguin Software was a video game publisher from Geneva, Illinois that produced graphics software and games for the Apple II, Macintosh, IBM, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari 8-bit, and Atari ST computers...
.
Transylvania I
Released in 1982 this game was released for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit familyAtari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
, 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...
and Commodore 128
Commodore 128
The Commodore 128 home/personal computer was the last 8-bit machine commercially released by Commodore Business Machines...
. It was later re-released for the Apple Macintosh in 1984, then 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...
, 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 DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
in 1985. It had the user on a quest to rescue Princess Sabrina from a countryside filled with a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
, a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
, a prankster goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
, a witch and even an alien
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
space ship. The game had a time limit (dictated to the player by a note encountered early on that reads, "Sabrina dies at dawn"), as the Princess was trapped in a coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
in the 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...
tower. The game's usage of hand-drawn graphics, while simple by today's standards, were part of a trend where once entirely text adventure games started to use computer graphics to show the game's environment. To this day, it remains the most popular title in the trilogy.
An iPhone version of Transylvania [I] was released on October 30th, 2009 under the name "Transylvania Adventure". The iPhone version features a touch-friendly user interface, sounds, and vintage "retro" graphics.
Transylvania II
Released in 1985 under the title The Crimson Crown, this sequel was released on the same platforms as its predecessor. The game tasked the player with a quest to defeat a magical vampire with the assistance of Princess Sabrina (who is now a fledgling magicianMagician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
) and the heir to the throne, Prince Erik.
Transylvania III
Released in 1989 under the title Transylvania III: Vanquish The Night, this game was released for 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...
and DOS. It used VGA graphics (DOS version), more complex puzzle
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
s and a larger vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
. The game also had some digital voices
Digital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
and many of the puzzles involved references to ancient mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. In this game the player had to vanquish an evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
.