| Introduction
When I first encountered Light and Shadow Productions
some years ago they planned to produce a series of games
exploiting classic movie themes. Everything I saw was
in early development and in addition to Robin Hood I
played Merlin, Dinosaur'us and the as yet unreleased
Gladiator. Titles like these don't generally do well
on the Gameboy as people have always tended to go for
more recognisable titles such as Nintendo favourites
(Mario, Warrio, etc) or movie tie-ins. So L&SP are
already at a disadvantage but will the gameplay shine
through or should you stick to what you know best?
GamePlay
Robin Hood is on a quest and it's your job to aid
him every step of the way and rescue Maid Marian. I
say 'quest' because this really is what this game feels
like, so If you need a title that's going to last you
more than a few hours this is it. You'll really feel
like you're on a journey here, some levels have puzzle
elements while others will simply require you to get
through without getting killed. Talking to people is
critical and most areas have you conversing with everyone
in order to rescue one of your men or find important
information. Actually getting around the villages isn't
always that easy as they can be a reasonable size and
also full of soldiers whose only orders are to stop
you.
Robin is armed only with a bow and arrow, although
arrows do have to be collected and used with caution.
It's sometimes easier to avoid enemies rather than fight
them so stealth is the name of the game here. After
you've been travelling around for some time you'll encounter
other outlaws such as Little John and Friar Tuck who'll
challenge you to a duel of some kind. Beat them and
they'll be your trusted friend and comrade, lose and
it's back to the start. Actually recruiting these other
'Merry Men' allows you to switch between them and utilize
their various skills so where Robin's combat abilities
are limited, John has a staff and the Friar can perform
magic. When you actually utilized these skills is up
to you to discover and you'll employ much trial and
error before you reach the end of the game.
The gamescreen is almost all play area which is essential
in a game of this nature although the inclusion of a
map of some type would have been a great help. The problem
is that you'll find yourself wandering around some villages,
looking for a certain shopkeeper, for ages completely
unaware you keep passing him. There's a bar at the bottom
detailing all your statistics such as score, lives,
health, gold and weapons which keeps everything very
neat. The password system is a combination of six numbers
or letters but before we all start complaining about
this, remember you won't even receive one unless you've
found the manuscript icon.
Control
Everything has been kept very simple here and most
of the features engage automatically. For example, if
you need to talk to a character you simply walk up to
them, items are collected by moving over them and used
in the same way. The only element of control you have
to think about is the 'B' button which locks your character
in a given direction and which is essential for most
battles. The 'select' button lets you move between characters
but the controls are the same for each and only the
way they use their weapon is different.
Graphics
The graphics throughout resemble a comic book style
and, although good, are never outstanding. Animation
too can be kept in its simplest form with the aerial
game perspective but nothing ever detracts from the
enjoyment of the game. One aspect that is a little confusing
is the shadows. These are indicated with solid areas
of black rather than shaded and for a while appear to
be holes and while avoiding them you can be bumping
into other dangers.
Sound & Music
The music is, surprisingly, quite good. Everything
has a medieval theme. The sound effects mostly consist
of arrows or other weapons hitting their targets and
whatever you hit will sound the same. As with all quality
GBC titles though, there's the option to switch them
off. The choice is yours.
Final Comments
This game is huge and you'll be playing it for quite
some time. It does get a little frustrating when you
get through a level without finding a manuscript but
this is a minor quibble and just means you have to explore
more. It's nice to see software houses taking risks
and L&SP should be applauded for making this move
and avoiding a big license. If you enjoy this type of
exploration/puzzle affair then this is probably worth
a go. If, on the other hand, it's fast and furious arcade
action you're after, look elsewhere.
|
Hardware
Reviews 
Game
Title
