Zeliard
Encyclopedia
Zeliard is a platform
-action RPG
video game developed for the NEC PC-8801
and published by Game Arts
in 1987 in Japan
, and re-published for MS-DOS
PCs in 1990 by Sierra Entertainment
in Europe
and North America
. In Zeliard, the player controls a knight
named Duke Garland, whose task is to save the Kingdom
of Zeliard by destroying the evil overlord Jashiin, and recovering the magic
jewels called Nine Tears of Esmesanti.
-based game. It supports 64-color MCGA
graphics
, with alternate running modes at 16-color EGA
, 4-color CGA
, or monochrome
graphics.
The game supports AdLib
and SoundBlaster for sound effect
s; for music, the game also supports the Roland MT-32
. Either a keyboard
or a joystick
can be used as input devices. The physical size of the game on disk is a bit less than 1 megabyte
.
Requirements: 512KB memory, 8086 processor or better
Monitor supported: MCGA, VGA, EGA, CGA, Tandy, Hercules, Monochrome
sound card supported: Roland MT-32, AdLib, SoundBlaster, PC speaker
Being an MS-DOS-based game written for older hardware, the game may need an emulator, such as DOSBox
, to run with all features enabled or at all on modern systems.
, called Jashiin (and self-dubbed as the Emperor of Chaos), emerges from a two-thousand year-old sleep to unleash his wrath upon the Kingdom of Zeliard. Justifying his actions as a revenge upon the ancient kings of Zeliard, Jashiin does so by causing a sand rain to continue for 115 days, turning the kingdom into desert; as well, he turns King Felishika's only daughter, princess Felicia, into stone.
The protagonist
and player-controlled character, Duke Garland, is sent by the spirits to aide Zeliard and save Felicia.
Duke Garland must recover the Nine Tears of Esmesanti, stolen by Jashiin from Felicia upon turning her to stone, for only they can reverse the enchantment. Subsequently, Duke Garland must also slay Jashiin. In order to do either, the player must pass through eight increasingly complex labyrinth
s, swarming with Jashiin's underlings. At the end of each Labyrinth, a boss dwells, holding one of the nine Tears; the final Tear is held by Jashiin himself.
Finally, Garland may find haven in various cities and outposts not yet conquered by Jashiin, in order to rest and purchase weaponry and equipment.
When in town, Garland can make use of any of the following facilities, provided they are present in that town:
Not all towns have all of these buildings, and certain towns may have additional, special-purpose buildings as well.
While in-town, Garland may also talk to the townfolk in hope of getting useful information for his quest
.
space of the game. When in a labyrinth, Garland will have to make good use of his sword, shield, special items, and magic spells, in order to slay countless creatures, and progress to the next boss or town.
The labyrinth area is divided into eight different sections, each with a unique appearance and containing unique monsters, and each having a different boss monster, guarding one of the Tears of Esmesanti jewels.
Labyrinths are further broken down into cave
rns. Moving from one cavern to another is done through doors (locked or unlocked), and keys must first be found to unlock locked doors.
Regular monsters inhabit each labyrinth, respawning each time Garland enters, leaves, moves from one cavern to another, or simply walks too far away from their spawn position. Boss monsters, on the other hand, do not respawn after being killed. The one exception to this is the semi-final boss, the personal bodyguard
of Jashiin. It only needs to be killed once to gain access to Jashiin, but if the player later dies or teleports out, the boss will need to be killed again.
When a monster is killed, it may drop an alma. Almas are valuable jewel-like creature souls which can be exchanged at banks for gold; as well, some NPCs
require a direct alma payment for a needed item. Almas come in three ratings, grayish red (worth 1 almas), grayish blue (worth 10 almas), and reddish white (worth 100 almas). Enemies in later parts of the game tend to drop more valuable almas, but later equipment is also more expensive.
Labyrinths also have hidden chests
and dugouts
, that may contain gold, almas, keys or recovery potions.
As well, later labyrinths in the game have hidden one-way air currents. Invisible to the player, they will involuntary carry Garland in their direction of flow. Some complex schemes of currents can be very difficult to outmaneuver, and reach the intended destination. However, currents may also provide a quick way to escape death, and using some hidden currents is required to progress in the game.
Garland can die by taking excessive damage from close contact with monsters, their projectiles, or the natural environment such as hidden spikes or excessive temperatures. There is no falling damage.
When dying, Garland will lose all his carried gold and half his carried almas, and be teleported back to the very first town in the game, having to go back to where he was before dying (which is usually easier than going there the first time, since the boss monsters are already dead, all the closed doors remain open, and special items acquired later in the game may be of use for quicker progression).
Many of these items are required in order to progress in the game, although some are optional, simply making progress easier.
Altogether, Duke Garland must make use of his entire arsenal, by passing through all the labyrinths, slaying all the boss guardians, and finally destroying Jashiin, putting an end to the villain
and recovering all the Nine Tears of Esmesanti, in order to save Princess Felicia.
with the name ZeliardFlash. Also with some improvements like better sound and music quality, and wide screen gameplay. ZeliardFlash has his own website with resources, and forum where people can discuss new improvements, and share their opinions.
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...
-action RPG
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
video game developed for the NEC PC-8801
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
and published by Game Arts
Game Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
in 1987 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and re-published for MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
PCs in 1990 by Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment
Sierra Entertainment Inc. was an American video-game developer and publisher founded in 1979 as On-Line Systems by Ken and Roberta Williams...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In Zeliard, the player controls a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
named Duke Garland, whose task is to save the Kingdom
Monarchy
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...
of Zeliard by destroying the evil overlord Jashiin, and recovering the magic
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
jewels called Nine Tears of Esmesanti.
Technical characteristics
The English language release of Zeliard is an MS-DOSMS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
-based game. It supports 64-color MCGA
MCGA
MCGA may refer to*IBM Multicolor Graphics Array*Maritime and Coastguard Agency, in the United Kingdom...
graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
, with alternate running modes at 16-color EGA
Enhanced Graphics Adapter
The Enhanced Graphics Adapter is the IBM PC computer display standard specification which is between CGA and VGA in terms of color and space resolution. Introduced in October 1984 by IBM shortly after its new PC/AT, EGA produces a display of 16 simultaneous colors from a palette of 64 at a...
, 4-color CGA
Color Graphics Adapter
The Color Graphics Adapter , originally also called the Color/Graphics Adapter or IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter, introduced in 1981, was IBM's first color graphics card, and the first color computer display standard for the IBM PC....
, or monochrome
Monochrome
Monochrome describes paintings, drawings, design, or photographs in one color or shades of one color. A monochromatic object or image has colors in shades of limited colors or hues. Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale or black-and-white...
graphics.
The game supports AdLib
AdLib
Ad Lib, Inc. was a manufacturer of sound cards and other computer equipment founded by Martin Prevel, a former professor of music and vice-dean of the music department at the Université Laval...
and SoundBlaster for sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s; for music, the game also supports the Roland MT-32
Roland MT-32
The Roland MT-32 Multi-Timbre Sound Module is a MIDI synthesizer module first released in 1987 by Roland Corporation. Along with its compatible modules, it established an early de-facto standard in computer music and was the first product in Roland's ミュージくん line of Desktop Music System packages...
. Either a keyboard
Computer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
or a joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
can be used as input devices. The physical size of the game on disk is a bit less than 1 megabyte
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
.
Requirements: 512KB memory, 8086 processor or better
Monitor supported: MCGA, VGA, EGA, CGA, Tandy, Hercules, Monochrome
sound card supported: Roland MT-32, AdLib, SoundBlaster, PC speaker
Being an MS-DOS-based game written for older hardware, the game may need an emulator, such as DOSBox
DOSBox
DOSBox is emulator software that emulates an IBM PC compatible computer running MS-DOS. It is intended especially for use with old PC games. DOSBox is free software....
, to run with all features enabled or at all on modern systems.
Plot
An ancient demonDemon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
, called Jashiin (and self-dubbed as the Emperor of Chaos), emerges from a two-thousand year-old sleep to unleash his wrath upon the Kingdom of Zeliard. Justifying his actions as a revenge upon the ancient kings of Zeliard, Jashiin does so by causing a sand rain to continue for 115 days, turning the kingdom into desert; as well, he turns King Felishika's only daughter, princess Felicia, into stone.
The protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
and player-controlled character, Duke Garland, is sent by the spirits to aide Zeliard and save Felicia.
Duke Garland must recover the Nine Tears of Esmesanti, stolen by Jashiin from Felicia upon turning her to stone, for only they can reverse the enchantment. Subsequently, Duke Garland must also slay Jashiin. In order to do either, the player must pass through eight increasingly complex labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
s, swarming with Jashiin's underlings. At the end of each Labyrinth, a boss dwells, holding one of the nine Tears; the final Tear is held by Jashiin himself.
Finally, Garland may find haven in various cities and outposts not yet conquered by Jashiin, in order to rest and purchase weaponry and equipment.
Gameplay
Zeliard is a fast-paced platform game. The gameplay can be divided into sections—in-town, and in-labyrinth.In-town
No combat takes place in towns. The one-time exception to this is an optional boss in a building in the town with the fire caverns. Towns usually exist on the borders of different labyrinths, although some are located in the middle, and one village is hidden.When in town, Garland can make use of any of the following facilities, provided they are present in that town:
- Bank: In the bank, Garland can store his gold coins, as well as exchange almasSoulA soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
captured from enemies for gold at varying exchange ratios.
- Weaponmaster: At the weapon store, Garland can buy new swords and shields, as well as repair a damaged shield.
- Magic: At the magic shop, Garland can buy various magic items, such as life-restoring potionPotionA potion is a consumable medicine or poison.In mythology and literature, a potion is usually made by a magician, sorcerer, dragon, fairy or witch and has magical properties. It might be used to heal, bewitch or poison people...
s, defensive aurasAura (paranormal)In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
, or back-to-town teleportsTeleportationTeleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
.
- Sage: The sage hut is the only place to save the game. In labyrinths, as well as in towns that do not have sages, saving is impossible. As well, the sage can increase Garland's maximum hitpoints, and teach him magic spells.
- Church/Inn: Both a church and an inn allow the character to restore his maximum hitpoints and spells. The church will do so for free, while the innkeeper will demand a fee.
Not all towns have all of these buildings, and certain towns may have additional, special-purpose buildings as well.
While in-town, Garland may also talk to the townfolk in hope of getting useful information for his quest
Quest
In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and...
.
Labyrinth
The labyrinths are the combatCombat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
space of the game. When in a labyrinth, Garland will have to make good use of his sword, shield, special items, and magic spells, in order to slay countless creatures, and progress to the next boss or town.
The labyrinth area is divided into eight different sections, each with a unique appearance and containing unique monsters, and each having a different boss monster, guarding one of the Tears of Esmesanti jewels.
Labyrinths are further broken down into cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
rns. Moving from one cavern to another is done through doors (locked or unlocked), and keys must first be found to unlock locked doors.
Regular monsters inhabit each labyrinth, respawning each time Garland enters, leaves, moves from one cavern to another, or simply walks too far away from their spawn position. Boss monsters, on the other hand, do not respawn after being killed. The one exception to this is the semi-final boss, the personal bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
of Jashiin. It only needs to be killed once to gain access to Jashiin, but if the player later dies or teleports out, the boss will need to be killed again.
When a monster is killed, it may drop an alma. Almas are valuable jewel-like creature souls which can be exchanged at banks for gold; as well, some NPCs
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
require a direct alma payment for a needed item. Almas come in three ratings, grayish red (worth 1 almas), grayish blue (worth 10 almas), and reddish white (worth 100 almas). Enemies in later parts of the game tend to drop more valuable almas, but later equipment is also more expensive.
Labyrinths also have hidden chests
Chest (furniture)
A chest is one of the oldest forms of furniture. It is typically a rectangular structure with four walls and a liftable lid, for storage. The interior space may be subdivided...
and dugouts
Dugout (shelter)
A dugout or dug-out, also known as a pithouse, pit-house, earth lodge, mud hut, is a shelter for humans or domesticated animals and livestock based on a hole or depression dug into the ground. These structures are one of the most ancient types of human housing known to archeologists...
, that may contain gold, almas, keys or recovery potions.
As well, later labyrinths in the game have hidden one-way air currents. Invisible to the player, they will involuntary carry Garland in their direction of flow. Some complex schemes of currents can be very difficult to outmaneuver, and reach the intended destination. However, currents may also provide a quick way to escape death, and using some hidden currents is required to progress in the game.
Garland can die by taking excessive damage from close contact with monsters, their projectiles, or the natural environment such as hidden spikes or excessive temperatures. There is no falling damage.
When dying, Garland will lose all his carried gold and half his carried almas, and be teleported back to the very first town in the game, having to go back to where he was before dying (which is usually easier than going there the first time, since the boss monsters are already dead, all the closed doors remain open, and special items acquired later in the game may be of use for quicker progression).
Equipment
Garland's equipment consists of the following:- Sword: The sword is used to deal the bulk of damage to the enemies. Later enemies will require more and more hits from the same sword to be killed. Better swords (which deal more damage and/or have further range) can be bought in later towns. The final sword, required to destroy Jashiin, can only be retrieved in the labyrinths.
- Shield: The shield is used to deflect frontal damage to Garland. Shields can be bought in towns, and better shields have more armor points and/or larger physical size. The shield becomes damaged from enemy attacks and can be repaired at towns. If the shield breaks it will disappear, and the player will have to buy a new one (which is much more expensive than repairing a shield).
- Crests: There are three different crests in the game, which can be recovered from the labyrinths or given as a reward by NPC's. Two crests are required for access to the next zone, and one for being able to buy a special sword.
- Keys: Keys are scattered around the labyrinths, and they are required to open closed doors. With one exception, all keys are the same, and can be used to open any one closed door (sometimes allowing alternate order of progression). The exception is the Lion's Head Key, which is required to open a special door, leading to the game's final Sword.
- Magic Items: Magic items can be bought in the magic shop, provided they are in stock. They all are one-time use in the labyrinth, and when used will cease to work once expired, or once Garland goes back to town. Different magic items will restore Garland's health, increase the damage of his sword, repair his shield, provide a defensive aura around him, teleport him back to town, or recover his magic spells.
- Magic Spells: Magic spells can be learned from the sage upon entering a new town. Further visits to sages will also increase the maximum capacity of existing spells. Spells are projectile combat weapons, and more advanced spells are stronger, faster, and/or have a longer/broader range.
- Clothing: There are four special shoes, and one special cape, which can be bought or found in the labyrinths. Different clothes, while worn, will allow the characters to do one of the following:
- Prevent slipping on ice
- Be immune to environmental spikes or flame traps
- Be able to climb slopes
- Be able to jump higher
- Survive the Inferno heat
Many of these items are required in order to progress in the game, although some are optional, simply making progress easier.
Altogether, Duke Garland must make use of his entire arsenal, by passing through all the labyrinths, slaying all the boss guardians, and finally destroying Jashiin, putting an end to the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
and recovering all the Nine Tears of Esmesanti, in order to save Princess Felicia.
ZeliardFlash
A project, started in September 2010, is to remake the full Zeliard game to FlashAdobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
with the name ZeliardFlash. Also with some improvements like better sound and music quality, and wide screen gameplay. ZeliardFlash has his own website with resources, and forum where people can discuss new improvements, and share their opinions.