Wizards and Warriors
Encyclopedia
Wizards & Warriors is a platforming video game
developed by UK-based company Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES). It was published by Acclaim
and released in North America in December 1987 and in Europe on January 7, 1990. It was also released in Japan by Jaleco
on July 15, 1988 under the title . In the game, players control Kuros, the "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur", as he sets out in the Kingdom of Elrond to defeat the evil wizard Malkil, who holds the princess captive in Castle IronSpire, located deep within Elrond's forests. During the game, players make their way through forests, tunnels, and caves, battling hoards of enemies and collecting treasure, magical items, and additional weaponry to get past the obstacles and hazards that lie in their path. It was Rare's second game released for the NES, after Slalom
.
Wizards & Warriors was featured in early video gaming magazines such as Nintendo Fun Club News, Nintendo Power
, and VideoGames & Computer Entertainment in 1988 and 1989. The main characters Kuros and Malkil would make appearances in the animated series The Power Team (part of the TV video game reviewing show Video Power
) and Captain N: The Game Master
. The game would also be novelized for the Worlds of Power
series of NES game adaptations, created by Seth Godin
. It received general praise for its graphics, sound, difficulty, and arcade-style gameplay. Criticisms include the presence of unlimited continue
s, which allow players to restart the game right where they previously left off while retaining all items that were collected before. Retro Gamer
called Wizards & Warriors "a unique experience for NES gamers in 1987, and technically well ahead of other games for the console at the time".
was one of his students. However, the aging Malkil has gone mad and has started using his magic for evil. As a result, Malkil has captured the princess and holds her prisoner in Castle IronSpire, deep within the forests of Elrond. The game's protagonist, the brave knight Kuros, is summoned to venture through the forests of Elrond. He is armed with the legendary Brightsword, a sword that is powerful enough to beat demons, insects, undead, and the other creatures which have fallen under Malkil's spell. With the sword, he ventures out through the forests of Elrond and the various caves and underground tunnels and to Castle IronSpire, where he must defeat Malkil and rescue the princess.
in which players control Kuros as he makes his way through the forests of Elrond to Castle IronSpire, where he must defeat Malkil and rescue the princess. After starting the game, the map is briefly shown for players to look at; afterwards, gameplay starts. Starting in the Elrond forest, players must explore the trees - both on top and inside - to find items and to make it into the caves and tunnels. There, players start collecting the various magical items and treasure; they must make their way through caves filled with ice as well as lava. Afterwards, players fight through a second set of forests before arriving at Castle IronSpire, in which the player must go over the castle in order to enter it. The castle consists of a series of mazes in which players must use keys to open doors and possibly find other damsels which can be rescued. At the end lies the final confrontation with the wizard Malkil.
Players use the control pad to move horizontally and to crouch. Kuros can attack enemies by using his Brightsword or with other weapons and magic. He can also attack enemies while in the air or while standing by simply holding the sword in position. The objective of the game is to collect the various weapons and magic as well as the gems and treasure along the way; players use these items to make it past the enemies and other obstacles and hazards. Players collect gems in order to "bribe" the creature who guards the entrance to the next level; if players do not have enough gems, they cannot progress to the next level. At the end of each level is a boss creature which has been empowered by Malkil's black magic. Bosses have an "Enemy's Black Magic Power" meter which shows how difficult the boss is, how many hits are required to defeat it, and what type of weaponry needs to be used. Kuros has a life meter
which decreases as time passes and when he sustains damage from enemies. Players loses a life when Kuros' life meter runs out, but upon restarting they keep all the items they have obtained up to that point. The game ends
when all three lives have been lost, but players have the choice to continue
and restart at the level in which they lost their last life; upon continuing, players keep all their items obtained up to that point, but their score goes back to zero. Along the way, players can replenish Kuros' life meter by collecting pieces of meat scattered throughout the levels.
Along the way, players pick up many items which will help Kuros along his way. Acorns, torches, and treasure chests contain objects for players to collect. Chests are color-coded and require a key of that matching color to open the chest; the same color-coded keys are used to open doors of matching colors. Some weapons and magic items are replaced once the player collects a new item, but others remain throughout the course of the game. Items include the following: "Boots of Force" which can kick open chests and doors; magical potions which temporarily grant Kuros invulnerability, extra speed, or extra jumping ability; gems to help bribe the end-of-level guardian; a shield to protect from enemy attacks; the "Potion of Levitation" which allows Kuros to float upwards; the "Dagger of Throwing" and the "Battle Axe of Agor" which are thrown at enemies and return back like a boomerang
; the "Feather of Feather Fall" which slows Kuros' falling speed; the "Wand of Wonder" and "Staff of Power" which shoot out balls of ice and fire, respectively; the "Cloak of Darkness" which makes Kuros invisible to enemies; the "Boots of Lava Walk" which allows Kuros to walk on the lava; "Exploding Eggs" which destroys all on-screen enemies; "Alarm Clocks" which stops all enemies for a brief period; and knife and axe upgrades. Other valuable treasures increase the player's score and include coins, orbs, chalices, and entire hoards of treasure. Rescuing the damsels in the levels also increase the player's score.
. It was released by Acclaim
in North American in December 1987; it would later be released by the same company in Europe on January 7, 1990. It was released in Japan by Jaleco
under the title Densetsu no Kishi Elrond on July 15, 1988. The game would be Rare's second NES release, after Slalom
. The game's soundtrack was composed by video game composer David Wise.
Wizards & Warriors was reviewed in Nintendo Fun Club News – the precursor to Nintendo Power
– in which a brief overview of the gameplay was given. The game would be featured again in Nintendo Powers November–December 1989 issue, where it was chosen as the best game to use with the NES Advantage
controller, saying that the joystick would allow players to concentrate on other strategic gameplay elements. In 1989, Wizards & Warriors was nominated by the magazine for "Best Graphics & Sound" and "Best Character" (Kuros) for its "Nintendo Power Awards '88", but it did not win in either category. It also received coverage in a 1989 issue of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment. The reviewer lauded the game's challenge and need for problem solving – more particular the need to use different items aside from the Brightsword in order to defeat some enemies and progress in the game, and the need to find hidden rooms where required items are located. However, he noted that the high level of difficulty is offset by the ability to continue at exactly the same spot in which the player left off. Overall, the reviewer praised Wizards & Warriors for its "excellent graphics and sound", arcade-style gameplay, and overall challenge. German magazine Power Play praised the game's good graphics, sound and extras, but criticized it for "stale gameplay".
In a retrospective of the entire Wizards & Warriors series, UK-based magazine Retro Gamer
gave a positive review of the first title, saying that "Kuros's first adventure was a unique experience for NES gamers in 1987, and techincally well ahead of other games for the console at the time." The review said that the game, while a platformer, placed much emphasis on finding treasure and items. The review said that most gamers found fault in relatively easy difficulty level, most symbolized by its unlimited continues in which players can continue at the point right where they left off. According to the retrospective, in 1988, Rare showed Wizards & Warriors to Zippo Games, who was touring Rare and their NES library. Rare asked them to develop a sequel to the game, which would become Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II
. In another retrospective of Rare as part of the company's 25th anniversary, GamePro
looked back on the game, calling it "unique at the time" due to the unlimited amount of continues players received.
Wizards & Warriors has received scant coverage from modern video gaming websites. Video gaming website GamesRadar
named the opening theme for the game as "Game music of the day", noting that the theme "suggests, from the moment you turn on the game, that knights, wizards, goblins and who knows what else are about to collide in a battle so epic it's destined for a Frazetta
painting." JC Fletcher from Joystiq
called the game "a simple action-platformer about a guy in thick armor who kicks open treasure chests in order to bribe knights". He also notes the variety of good and bad items such as the "Staff of Power" which inflicts much damage to enemies and conversely the "Cloak of Darkness", which he says "makes Kuros invisible to you but not to enemies". He said that the game has an arcade feel, with unlimited continues, a high-score list, name entry for high scores, and good music. IGN
listed Wizards & Warriors at #56 on its "Top 100 NES Games" list, reviewer Sam Claiborn said that the game was inspired by Dungeons & Dragons
-type RPGs, but it went further in incorporating action platforming elements along with more traditional RPG elements. Columnist and comedy writer Seanbaby
humorously criticized the game for items that did not work as intended, including the "Cloak of Darkness" and the "Boots of Lava Walk".
as a standalone handheld game by Acclaim in September 1989, as part of a series of handheld ports by the company which also included WWF WrestleMania Challenge
, Knight Rider
, 1943: The Battle of Midway
, and Rocky
. Kuros and his nemesis Malkil were featured – along with the titular characters from Kwirk
and BigFoot
, Tyrone from Arch Rivals
, and characters from NARC
– in the 1990 animated series The Power Team, part of the video game reviewing show Video Power
. Malkil appeared in an episode of Captain N: The Game Master
called "Nightmare on Mother Brain's Street" where the world of the game was referred to as "Excalibur" and not Elrond.
Wizards & Warriors was one of the eight games that were novelized for the Worlds of Power
series of NES game adaptations, published by Scholastic Corporation; the novelization was written by the series' creator Seth Godin
, under the pseudonym "F. X. Nine". The book was the only one in the series in which no effort was made to edit out the protagonist's weapons on the cover. However, on the cover, Kuros' loincloth was airbrushed on both sides in order to more completely conceal his underside - which is more visible on the cover of the game itself. The novelization is about a boy named Matthew who is having trouble using his imagination for a creative writing class, when he accidentally brings his father's knight figurine to life. He is then spirited away to the land of Elrond to help Kuros defeat Malkil. As with the other books in the series in which nobody actually "died", all of the creatures that they killed were made from the lives of the people of Elrond, and whenever a creature was slain, a person was returned to their normal state. Further in the novel, the two save Kuros sister in the pink caves. While Matthew was invulnerable at the start of the mission, as the two drew closer to the evil wizard, he becomes more vulnerable to the attacks of Malkil's villains.
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...
developed by UK-based company Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES). It was published by Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
and released in North America in December 1987 and in Europe on January 7, 1990. It was also released in Japan by Jaleco
Jaleco
is a Japanese video game publisher and developer established in 2006.The original Jaleco Ltd was founded in 1974. In 2006, it decided to become a pure holding company by renaming itself Jaleco Holding and splitting its video game operations into a newly created subsdiary that took its former name...
on July 15, 1988 under the title . In the game, players control Kuros, the "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur", as he sets out in the Kingdom of Elrond to defeat the evil wizard Malkil, who holds the princess captive in Castle IronSpire, located deep within Elrond's forests. During the game, players make their way through forests, tunnels, and caves, battling hoards of enemies and collecting treasure, magical items, and additional weaponry to get past the obstacles and hazards that lie in their path. It was Rare's second game released for the NES, after Slalom
Slalom (video game)
Slalom is a skiing video game made by UK-based video game company Rare. It was first released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Vs. System in 1986. It was then released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987...
.
Wizards & Warriors was featured in early video gaming magazines such as Nintendo Fun Club News, Nintendo Power
Nintendo 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...
, and VideoGames & Computer Entertainment in 1988 and 1989. The main characters Kuros and Malkil would make appearances in the animated series The Power Team (part of the TV video game reviewing show Video Power
Video Power
Video Power is an American television series that aired in two different formats from 1990-1992 in syndication. Both formats revolved around video games, and actor Stivi Paskoski presided over both series playing video game master Johnny Arcade.Allen J...
) and Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
. The game would also be novelized for the Worlds of Power
Worlds of Power
The Worlds of Power books are a series of novelizations of video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System released in the early 1990s. The series was created by Seth Godin and is characterized by the fact that they are mostly "male-oriented titles," that take creative liberties with their source...
series of NES game adaptations, created by Seth Godin
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is an American entrepreneur, author and public speaker. Godin popularized the topic of permission marketing.-Background:...
. It received general praise for its graphics, sound, difficulty, and arcade-style gameplay. Criticisms include the presence of unlimited continue
Continue (video gaming)
Continue is a common term in video games for the option to continue the game after all of the player's lives have been lost, rather than ending the game and restarting from the very beginning.-Arcade games:...
s, which allow players to restart the game right where they previously left off while retaining all items that were collected before. Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
called Wizards & Warriors "a unique experience for NES gamers in 1987, and technically well ahead of other games for the console at the time".
Plot
Wizards & Warriors pits the story's hero Kuros, the "Knight Warrior of the Books of Excalibur", against the main antagonist, the evil wizard Malkil. He was considered one of the greatest wizards in the land, such that MerlinMerlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
was one of his students. However, the aging Malkil has gone mad and has started using his magic for evil. As a result, Malkil has captured the princess and holds her prisoner in Castle IronSpire, deep within the forests of Elrond. The game's protagonist, the brave knight Kuros, is summoned to venture through the forests of Elrond. He is armed with the legendary Brightsword, a sword that is powerful enough to beat demons, insects, undead, and the other creatures which have fallen under Malkil's spell. With the sword, he ventures out through the forests of Elrond and the various caves and underground tunnels and to Castle IronSpire, where he must defeat Malkil and rescue the princess.
Gameplay
Wizards & Warriors is a platformerPlatform 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...
in which players control Kuros as he makes his way through the forests of Elrond to Castle IronSpire, where he must defeat Malkil and rescue the princess. After starting the game, the map is briefly shown for players to look at; afterwards, gameplay starts. Starting in the Elrond forest, players must explore the trees - both on top and inside - to find items and to make it into the caves and tunnels. There, players start collecting the various magical items and treasure; they must make their way through caves filled with ice as well as lava. Afterwards, players fight through a second set of forests before arriving at Castle IronSpire, in which the player must go over the castle in order to enter it. The castle consists of a series of mazes in which players must use keys to open doors and possibly find other damsels which can be rescued. At the end lies the final confrontation with the wizard Malkil.
Players use the control pad to move horizontally and to crouch. Kuros can attack enemies by using his Brightsword or with other weapons and magic. He can also attack enemies while in the air or while standing by simply holding the sword in position. The objective of the game is to collect the various weapons and magic as well as the gems and treasure along the way; players use these items to make it past the enemies and other obstacles and hazards. Players collect gems in order to "bribe" the creature who guards the entrance to the next level; if players do not have enough gems, they cannot progress to the next level. At the end of each level is a boss creature which has been empowered by Malkil's black magic. Bosses have an "Enemy's Black Magic Power" meter which shows how difficult the boss is, how many hits are required to defeat it, and what type of weaponry needs to be used. Kuros has a life meter
Health (gaming)
Health is a game mechanic used in role-playing, computer and video games to give value to characters, enemies, NPCs, and related objects. This value can either be numerical, semi-numerical as in hit/health points, or arbitrary as in a life bar....
which decreases as time passes and when he sustains damage from enemies. Players loses a life when Kuros' life meter runs out, but upon restarting they keep all the items they have obtained up to that point. The game ends
Game over
Game Over is a message in video games which signals that the game has ended, often due to a negative outcome - although the phrase sometimes follows the end credits after successful completion of a game...
when all three lives have been lost, but players have the choice to continue
Continue (video gaming)
Continue is a common term in video games for the option to continue the game after all of the player's lives have been lost, rather than ending the game and restarting from the very beginning.-Arcade games:...
and restart at the level in which they lost their last life; upon continuing, players keep all their items obtained up to that point, but their score goes back to zero. Along the way, players can replenish Kuros' life meter by collecting pieces of meat scattered throughout the levels.
Along the way, players pick up many items which will help Kuros along his way. Acorns, torches, and treasure chests contain objects for players to collect. Chests are color-coded and require a key of that matching color to open the chest; the same color-coded keys are used to open doors of matching colors. Some weapons and magic items are replaced once the player collects a new item, but others remain throughout the course of the game. Items include the following: "Boots of Force" which can kick open chests and doors; magical potions which temporarily grant Kuros invulnerability, extra speed, or extra jumping ability; gems to help bribe the end-of-level guardian; a shield to protect from enemy attacks; the "Potion of Levitation" which allows Kuros to float upwards; the "Dagger of Throwing" and the "Battle Axe of Agor" which are thrown at enemies and return back like a boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
; the "Feather of Feather Fall" which slows Kuros' falling speed; the "Wand of Wonder" and "Staff of Power" which shoot out balls of ice and fire, respectively; the "Cloak of Darkness" which makes Kuros invisible to enemies; the "Boots of Lava Walk" which allows Kuros to walk on the lava; "Exploding Eggs" which destroys all on-screen enemies; "Alarm Clocks" which stops all enemies for a brief period; and knife and axe upgrades. Other valuable treasures increase the player's score and include coins, orbs, chalices, and entire hoards of treasure. Rescuing the damsels in the levels also increase the player's score.
Development and reception
Wizards & Warriors was developed by UK-based video game company Rare for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. It was released by Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
in North American in December 1987; it would later be released by the same company in Europe on January 7, 1990. It was released in Japan by Jaleco
Jaleco
is a Japanese video game publisher and developer established in 2006.The original Jaleco Ltd was founded in 1974. In 2006, it decided to become a pure holding company by renaming itself Jaleco Holding and splitting its video game operations into a newly created subsdiary that took its former name...
under the title Densetsu no Kishi Elrond on July 15, 1988. The game would be Rare's second NES release, after Slalom
Slalom (video game)
Slalom is a skiing video game made by UK-based video game company Rare. It was first released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Vs. System in 1986. It was then released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987...
. The game's soundtrack was composed by video game composer David Wise.
Wizards & Warriors was reviewed in Nintendo Fun Club News – the precursor to Nintendo Power
Nintendo 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...
– in which a brief overview of the gameplay was given. The game would be featured again in Nintendo Powers November–December 1989 issue, where it was chosen as the best game to use with the NES Advantage
NES Advantage
The NES Advantage is an arcade style controller released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The device is meant to rest on a flat surface at a comfortable level, such as a tabletop or the floor, with the player seated behind it...
controller, saying that the joystick would allow players to concentrate on other strategic gameplay elements. In 1989, Wizards & Warriors was nominated by the magazine for "Best Graphics & Sound" and "Best Character" (Kuros) for its "Nintendo Power Awards '88", but it did not win in either category. It also received coverage in a 1989 issue of VideoGames & Computer Entertainment. The reviewer lauded the game's challenge and need for problem solving – more particular the need to use different items aside from the Brightsword in order to defeat some enemies and progress in the game, and the need to find hidden rooms where required items are located. However, he noted that the high level of difficulty is offset by the ability to continue at exactly the same spot in which the player left off. Overall, the reviewer praised Wizards & Warriors for its "excellent graphics and sound", arcade-style gameplay, and overall challenge. German magazine Power Play praised the game's good graphics, sound and extras, but criticized it for "stale gameplay".
In a retrospective of the entire Wizards & Warriors series, UK-based magazine Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
gave a positive review of the first title, saying that "Kuros's first adventure was a unique experience for NES gamers in 1987, and techincally well ahead of other games for the console at the time." The review said that the game, while a platformer, placed much emphasis on finding treasure and items. The review said that most gamers found fault in relatively easy difficulty level, most symbolized by its unlimited continues in which players can continue at the point right where they left off. According to the retrospective, in 1988, Rare showed Wizards & Warriors to Zippo Games, who was touring Rare and their NES library. Rare asked them to develop a sequel to the game, which would become Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II
Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II
Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II is a platforming adventure video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by UK-based company Zippo Games for Rare. it was published by Acclaim and released in North America in December 1989 and in Europe on March 27, 1991. It is the sequel to...
. In another retrospective of Rare as part of the company's 25th anniversary, GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
looked back on the game, calling it "unique at the time" due to the unlimited amount of continues players received.
Wizards & Warriors has received scant coverage from modern video gaming websites. Video gaming website GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
named the opening theme for the game as "Game music of the day", noting that the theme "suggests, from the moment you turn on the game, that knights, wizards, goblins and who knows what else are about to collide in a battle so epic it's destined for a Frazetta
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
painting." JC Fletcher from Joystiq
Joystiq
Joystiq is a video gaming blog founded in June 2004 that has since become one of the most successful sites within the Weblogs, Inc. family of weblogs. It is the centerpiece of WIN's own network of video gaming blogs, which also includes a blog dealing specifically with the popular MMORPG World of...
called the game "a simple action-platformer about a guy in thick armor who kicks open treasure chests in order to bribe knights". He also notes the variety of good and bad items such as the "Staff of Power" which inflicts much damage to enemies and conversely the "Cloak of Darkness", which he says "makes Kuros invisible to you but not to enemies". He said that the game has an arcade feel, with unlimited continues, a high-score list, name entry for high scores, and good music. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
listed Wizards & Warriors at #56 on its "Top 100 NES Games" list, reviewer Sam Claiborn said that the game was inspired by Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
-type RPGs, but it went further in incorporating action platforming elements along with more traditional RPG elements. Columnist and comedy writer Seanbaby
Seanbaby
Sean Patrick Reiley , better known as Seanbaby, is an American writer best known for his comedy website and frequent contributions to video game media outlets Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1UP.com. He is also a regular contributor to the humor website Cracked.com...
humorously criticized the game for items that did not work as intended, including the "Cloak of Darkness" and the "Boots of Lava Walk".
Other media
Wizards & Warriors was portedPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
as a standalone handheld game by Acclaim in September 1989, as part of a series of handheld ports by the company which also included WWF WrestleMania Challenge
WWF WrestleMania Challenge
WWF WrestleMania Challenge is a professional wrestling video game based on the World Wrestling Federation, released in 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System by LJN....
, Knight Rider
Knight Rider (video game)
Knight Rider is a 1989 video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that is very loosely based on the television show of the same name.-Mission Mode:...
, 1943: The Battle of Midway
1943: The Battle of Midway
1943: The Battle of Midway, known in Japan as , is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game released by Capcom in June .-Gameplay: The game is set in the Pacific theater of World War II, off the coast of the Midway Atoll...
, and Rocky
Rocky (1987 video game)
Rocky was the first video game to based on the popular series of Rocky movies. The player must train Rocky Balboa before each fight to improve his skills...
. Kuros and his nemesis Malkil were featured – along with the titular characters from Kwirk
Kwirk
Kwirk, known in Japan as , is an action/puzzle video game first developed and published by Atlus in Japan on November 24, for the original Game Boy. The same port was later published in North America in March 1990 by Acclaim Entertainment...
and BigFoot
BigFoot (video game)
BigFoot was a racing game released in July 1990 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was developed by Beam Software and published by Acclaim. The game was advertised by the legendary monster truck of the same name in the cartoon segment of the 1990 television show, Video Power, titled The...
, Tyrone from Arch Rivals
Arch Rivals
Arch Rivals is a basketball arcade game created by Midway in 1989. The game billed itself as "A Basket Brawl." It was also included on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube and Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition for the PC...
, and characters from NARC
NARC (video game)
NARC is originally a 1988 arcade game designed by Eugene Jarvis for Williams Electronics and programmed by George Petro. It was one of the first ultra-violent video games and a frequent target of parental criticism of the arcade game industry. The object is to arrest and kill drug offenders,...
– in the 1990 animated series The Power Team, part of the video game reviewing show Video Power
Video Power
Video Power is an American television series that aired in two different formats from 1990-1992 in syndication. Both formats revolved around video games, and actor Stivi Paskoski presided over both series playing video game master Johnny Arcade.Allen J...
. Malkil appeared in an episode of Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master
Captain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
called "Nightmare on Mother Brain's Street" where the world of the game was referred to as "Excalibur" and not Elrond.
Wizards & Warriors was one of the eight games that were novelized for the Worlds of Power
Worlds of Power
The Worlds of Power books are a series of novelizations of video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System released in the early 1990s. The series was created by Seth Godin and is characterized by the fact that they are mostly "male-oriented titles," that take creative liberties with their source...
series of NES game adaptations, published by Scholastic Corporation; the novelization was written by the series' creator Seth Godin
Seth Godin
Seth Godin is an American entrepreneur, author and public speaker. Godin popularized the topic of permission marketing.-Background:...
, under the pseudonym "F. X. Nine". The book was the only one in the series in which no effort was made to edit out the protagonist's weapons on the cover. However, on the cover, Kuros' loincloth was airbrushed on both sides in order to more completely conceal his underside - which is more visible on the cover of the game itself. The novelization is about a boy named Matthew who is having trouble using his imagination for a creative writing class, when he accidentally brings his father's knight figurine to life. He is then spirited away to the land of Elrond to help Kuros defeat Malkil. As with the other books in the series in which nobody actually "died", all of the creatures that they killed were made from the lives of the people of Elrond, and whenever a creature was slain, a person was returned to their normal state. Further in the novel, the two save Kuros sister in the pink caves. While Matthew was invulnerable at the start of the mission, as the two drew closer to the evil wizard, he becomes more vulnerable to the attacks of Malkil's villains.
External links
- Wizards & Warriors 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...
- Review at RetroGarden.co.uk
- Review at The Video Game CriticThe Video Game CriticThe Video Game Critic is a website focused on video-game reviews and run by David Mrozek. It was established in 1999, and is known for featuring comprehensive reviews on many early gaming platforms.-History:...
- Review at The Gamer's Journal
- Music from Wizards & Warriors at OverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMixOverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs with new technology and software, as well as by various traditional means...