Difference between revisions of "Wizards & Warriors"

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[[Image:Wizards & Warriors - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|US cover.]]
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'''''Wizards & Warriors''''' is a trope-heavy [[fantasy]] [[platformer]] developed by [[Rare]] and published by [[Acclaim Entertainment]] for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] in December of 1987.
 +
 +
In the game, you play as Kuros, the bravest knight of the kingdom of Elrond, who embarks on a deadly journey to rescue the princess and five other maidens from the evil wizard Malkil.
 +
 +
==Personal==
 +
I had known of ''Wizards & Warriors'' since the end of the 1980s, but I never played it on an NES. When emulation became popular in the late 1990s, I tried it a couple times, but, unable to figure out the controls, I always died quickly, and lost interest in it. When I began reading the [[Wizards & Warriors (book)|unauthorized novelization]] of the game, I felt like I should play the game at least a little to see how accurate the book is, so, I watched the very beginning of a longplay and learned a bit more about how the mechanics work. After discovering that you are granted unlimited continues, I spent a couple days just grinding out the game and beat it on 2020-10-24. I did not find it very enjoyable, but, for when it came out, it was probably pretty impressive.
 +
 +
==Status==
 +
I own a cart signed by [[David Wise]] and have beat it.
 +
 
==Review==
 
==Review==
 +
{{Video Game Review|4|4|6|4|5|NES}}
 +
 +
{{Spoilers}}
 +
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
* Nice large background graphics.
+
* The game has pretty decent graphics for 1987. The multi-tile backgrounds are good, the large items look great, and Kuros's death animation is funny.
* I like Kuros's death animation.
+
* The manual is quite detailed and well-illustrated.
 +
* There are a fair amount of hidden treasure rooms and caches which help make a replay more interesting.
 +
* Having the player traverse the inside of a hallow tree was a creative idea.
  
 
===Bad===
 
===Bad===
* Because you enter doors simply by touching them, you will frequently accidentally enter them. Especially when you try to avoid the monsters that swarm you when you first enter the room.
 
 
* I don't care for the jump attack mechanic. Simply maneuvering your player so the sword touches an enemy, without actually having to attack, doesn't feel or look right. While this doesn't really hurt the game play, it hurts the immersion.
 
* I don't care for the jump attack mechanic. Simply maneuvering your player so the sword touches an enemy, without actually having to attack, doesn't feel or look right. While this doesn't really hurt the game play, it hurts the immersion.
* I don't like how you jumping occurs from holding down the jump button.
+
* The controls aren't as responsive as I'd like. This is most noticeable when fighting a boss where you have to constantly move back and forth on the screen while trying to hurl bolts at them. If you fire your shots too soon after changing direction, they be thrown in the direction you were going, not in the direction you just pressed.
* I don't like the roots in the trees where you are knocked back and forth with little control. If you want to obtain chests or diamonds, you must memorize the stage and have great reaction time. This is not fun, it's tedious. Thankfully, it's not very important.
+
* Because you enter doors simply by touching them, you will frequently accidentally enter them. Especially when you try to avoid the monsters that swarm you when you first enter the room. Requiring a button or D-pad press would have reduced this problem. The doors themselves look kind of silly for as small as they are.
* When you get a item from a chest, you're not allowed to refuse the item. If it's inferior than the one you're carrying, you'll still swap it out. This is really annoying because there is no way to know what item a chest may contain. So, if you don't want to get stuck with an inferior item, you must play the game, memorize where all the chests are and what items they contain, then play accordingly.
+
* I don't like how, if you hold down the jump button, you will jump again when you land. Several times throughout the game this caused me to jump in the wrong direction and fall.
* By giving the player unlimited continues and having them always respawn where they die, any player with enough determination will eventually beat the game. The only part where skill is necessary is in the boss battles.
+
* Although I like [[David Wise]]'s work, the soundtrack is pretty dull repetitive, although it does fit the game.
* The invincible blue skulls, which shoot out endless streams of bolts, are stupid.
+
* It would have been nice if, when you open a chest that will replace an item you have with one you don't want, you could refuse the item. Instead, you basically have to know what is in every chest in the game, which you can't tell until you open it at which point it's too late, and avoid the ones you don't want.
 +
* I don't like the roots in the trees where you are knocked back and forth with little control. If you want to obtain chests or diamonds, you must memorize the stage and have great reaction time. This is not fun, it's tedious. Thankfully, there really isn't anything that important in the areas with the roots.
 +
* The mostly-invincible blue hive skulls, which shoot out endless streams of insects, are stupid.
 +
* It would have been nice to see something unique about the game's story. Knight rescues the princess from an evil wizard is awfully tired.
 +
* The near-naked damsels you rescue are a bit much for the children this game targets, and you don't even rescue them to safety, you just cut the rope that holds them, and leave them alone in a monster-filled dungeon!
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
* The level design, with sparse platforms that result in frequent falling and having to redo climbing many times, is really obnoxious. This is especially annoying in the exterior of the castle where the platforms frequently disappear.
+
* By giving the player unlimited continues and having them always respawn right where they died, any player with enough determination will eventually beat the game. Once I realized I could just trudge my way through the game, I often absorbed hits and didn't bother to find hidden loot because I knew it didn't matter. Actually, you don't even really need to fight the monsters through most of the game. The only part where skill is necessary is in the boss battles, but you get infinite retries to beat them too. The only thing you gain by making it through the entire daunting game without needing to continue is a better score.
* In every stage, monsters swarm you in very erratic patterns constantly. They're both hard to hit and avoid, and there is almost never a time when you can relax. This does not a fun game make.
+
* The level design, with sparse platforms that result in very long falls which require you to replay large portions of the level when you miss (and you will miss a lot!), is really obnoxious. This is especially annoying in the exterior of the castle where the platforms frequently disappear and a drop is several screens down.
 +
* In every stage, monsters constantly swarm you in very erratic patterns. They're both hard to hit and hard to avoid, and there is almost never a time when you can relax. This does not a fun game make.
 +
 
 +
==Media==
 +
===Box Art===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - USA.jpg|The US and European cover has a hulking Kuros preparing to hack apart Malkil's minions as the wizard's mug is seen in the background. The composition is great, but it seems unfinished, and the hands holding the axe are a bit wrong. Also, Kuros doesn't look anything like this in the game. Still, the art is very effective.
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Japan.jpg|The Japanese cover more accurately depicts the game's more childish cartoon graphics, although, it's pretty amateur and plain.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
===Documentation===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - USA - Manual.pdf|US manual.
 +
Worlds of Power - Wizards and Warriors - Mass Market - USA - 1st Edition.jpg|[[Wizards & Warriors (book)|Novelization]].
 +
Nintendo Fun Club - 1988-06-01 - 08-09.jpg|''[[Nintendo Fun Club]]'', 1988-06 - Review.
 +
Nintendo Power - 1988-11 - 050-051.jpg|''[[Nintendo Power]]'', 1988-11 - Counselor's Corner.
 +
Official Nintendo Player's Guide - 157-158.jpg|Coming soon in ''[[The Official Nintendo Player's Guide]]''.
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
===Maps===
 +
<gallery>
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Mini Map.png|Mini map.
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 1.png|Stage 1 - Forest 1.
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 1 - Gray Door Tree.png|Stage 1 - Forest 1 (Gray Door Tree).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 1 - Blue Door Tree.png|Stage 1 - Forest 1 (Blue Door Tree).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 1 - Exit Tree.png|Stage 1 - Forest 1 (Exit Tree).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Ice Cave.png|Stage 2 - Ice Cave.
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Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Lava Cave - Part 1.png|Stage 3 - Lava Cave (Part 1).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Lava Cave - Part 2.png|Stage 3 - Lava Cave (Part 2).
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Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Purple Cave.png|Stage 4 - Purple Cave.
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 2 - Entrance Tree.png|Stage 5 - Forest 2 (Entrance Tree).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 2.png|Stage 5 - Forest 2.
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 2 - Red Door Tree.png|Stage 5 - Forest 2 (Red Door Tree).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Forest 2 - Pink Door Tree.png|Stage 5 - Forest 2 (Pink Door Tree).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Castle - Exterior.png|Stage 6 - Castle (Exterior).
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Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Castle - Tower Room.png|Stage 6 - Castle (Tower Room).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Castle - Interior - Gold Room.png|Stage 7 - Castle Interior (Gold Room).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Castle - Interior - Blue Room.png|Stage 7 - Castle Interior (Blue Room).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Castle - Dungeon - Green Room.png|Stage 8 - Castle Dungeon (Green Room).
 +
Wizards & Warriors - NES - Map - Castle - Dungeon - Malkil's Chamber.png|Stage 8 - Castle Dungeon (Malkil's Chamber).
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
===Videos===
 +
{{#ev:youtube|DS7Cm9Rdymw|256|inline|Longplay - USA.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|noWx8rziR1g|256|inline|Longplay - Japan.|frame}}
 +
{{#ev:youtube|X7tuSM1pRfo|256|inline|Tool-assisted Speedrun - USA (bypasses last couple levels).|frame}}
 +
 
 +
==Credits==
 +
The games doesn't have a credits screen, but it does have the initials of the developers in the high score table. Their specific roles are inferred from their other credits at the time.
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" |
 +
! Roles !! Staff
 +
|-
 +
| Programmer, Designer (Probably) || [[Mark Betteridge]]
 +
|-
 +
| Programmer, Designer (Probably) || [[Chris Stamper]]
 +
|-
 +
| Programmer, Designer (Probably) || [[Tim Stamper]]
 +
|-
 +
| Programmer (Probably) || [[Paul Proctor]]
 +
|-
 +
| Production (Probably) || [[Joel Hochberg]]
 +
|-
 +
| Artist (Probably) || [[Rachel Edwards]]
 +
|-
 +
| Quality Assurance (Probably) || [[Stephen Stamper]]
 +
|-
 +
| Music and Sound Effects || [[David Wise]] (uncredited)
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==Titles==
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
! Language !! Native !! Transliteration !! Translation
 +
|-
 +
| English || Wizards & Warriors || ||
 +
|-
 +
| Japanese || 伝説の騎士エルロンド || Densetsu no Kishi Eru Rondo || Legendary Knight El Rondo
 +
|}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
 +
{{Link|MobyGames|https://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/wizards-warriors-}}
 +
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizards_%26_Warriors}}
 
{{Link|StrategyWiki|https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Wizards_%26_Warriors}}
 
{{Link|StrategyWiki|https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Wizards_%26_Warriors}}
 +
{{Link|GameFAQs|https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/nes/587775-wizards-and-warriors}}
 +
{{Link|NESHacker|2=http://thealmightyguru.com/Games/Hacking/Wiki/index.php?title=Wizards_%26_Warriors}}
 +
{{Link|TVTropes|https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/WizardsAndWarriors}}
 +
{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Wizards_%26_Warriors}}
 +
 +
 +
[[Category: Games]]
 +
[[Category: Video Games]]
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[[Category: 1987 Video Games]]
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[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
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[[Category: Video Game Genre - Adventure]]
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[[Category: Video Game Genre - Beat 'Em Up]]
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[[Category: Video Game Genre - Platformer]]
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[[Category: Media Theme - Fantasy]]
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[[Category: NES Games]]
 +
[[Category: Trope - Damsel In Distress]]
 +
[[Category: Video Games I've Beaten]]
 +
[[Category: Video Games That Fail the Bechdel Test]]

Revision as of 12:20, 13 November 2020

US cover.

Wizards & Warriors is a trope-heavy fantasy platformer developed by Rare and published by Acclaim Entertainment for the NES in December of 1987.

In the game, you play as Kuros, the bravest knight of the kingdom of Elrond, who embarks on a deadly journey to rescue the princess and five other maidens from the evil wizard Malkil.

Personal

I had known of Wizards & Warriors since the end of the 1980s, but I never played it on an NES. When emulation became popular in the late 1990s, I tried it a couple times, but, unable to figure out the controls, I always died quickly, and lost interest in it. When I began reading the unauthorized novelization of the game, I felt like I should play the game at least a little to see how accurate the book is, so, I watched the very beginning of a longplay and learned a bit more about how the mechanics work. After discovering that you are granted unlimited continues, I spent a couple days just grinding out the game and beat it on 2020-10-24. I did not find it very enjoyable, but, for when it came out, it was probably pretty impressive.

Status

I own a cart signed by David Wise and have beat it.

Review

Video Game Review Icon - Enjoyment.png Video Game Review Icon - Control.png Video Game Review Icon - Appearance.png Video Game Review Icon - Sound.png Video Game Review Icon - Replayability.png
4 4 6 4 5

Best Version: NES

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game has pretty decent graphics for 1987. The multi-tile backgrounds are good, the large items look great, and Kuros's death animation is funny.
  • The manual is quite detailed and well-illustrated.
  • There are a fair amount of hidden treasure rooms and caches which help make a replay more interesting.
  • Having the player traverse the inside of a hallow tree was a creative idea.

Bad

  • I don't care for the jump attack mechanic. Simply maneuvering your player so the sword touches an enemy, without actually having to attack, doesn't feel or look right. While this doesn't really hurt the game play, it hurts the immersion.
  • The controls aren't as responsive as I'd like. This is most noticeable when fighting a boss where you have to constantly move back and forth on the screen while trying to hurl bolts at them. If you fire your shots too soon after changing direction, they be thrown in the direction you were going, not in the direction you just pressed.
  • Because you enter doors simply by touching them, you will frequently accidentally enter them. Especially when you try to avoid the monsters that swarm you when you first enter the room. Requiring a button or D-pad press would have reduced this problem. The doors themselves look kind of silly for as small as they are.
  • I don't like how, if you hold down the jump button, you will jump again when you land. Several times throughout the game this caused me to jump in the wrong direction and fall.
  • Although I like David Wise's work, the soundtrack is pretty dull repetitive, although it does fit the game.
  • It would have been nice if, when you open a chest that will replace an item you have with one you don't want, you could refuse the item. Instead, you basically have to know what is in every chest in the game, which you can't tell until you open it at which point it's too late, and avoid the ones you don't want.
  • I don't like the roots in the trees where you are knocked back and forth with little control. If you want to obtain chests or diamonds, you must memorize the stage and have great reaction time. This is not fun, it's tedious. Thankfully, there really isn't anything that important in the areas with the roots.
  • The mostly-invincible blue hive skulls, which shoot out endless streams of insects, are stupid.
  • It would have been nice to see something unique about the game's story. Knight rescues the princess from an evil wizard is awfully tired.
  • The near-naked damsels you rescue are a bit much for the children this game targets, and you don't even rescue them to safety, you just cut the rope that holds them, and leave them alone in a monster-filled dungeon!

Ugly

  • By giving the player unlimited continues and having them always respawn right where they died, any player with enough determination will eventually beat the game. Once I realized I could just trudge my way through the game, I often absorbed hits and didn't bother to find hidden loot because I knew it didn't matter. Actually, you don't even really need to fight the monsters through most of the game. The only part where skill is necessary is in the boss battles, but you get infinite retries to beat them too. The only thing you gain by making it through the entire daunting game without needing to continue is a better score.
  • The level design, with sparse platforms that result in very long falls which require you to replay large portions of the level when you miss (and you will miss a lot!), is really obnoxious. This is especially annoying in the exterior of the castle where the platforms frequently disappear and a drop is several screens down.
  • In every stage, monsters constantly swarm you in very erratic patterns. They're both hard to hit and hard to avoid, and there is almost never a time when you can relax. This does not a fun game make.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Videos

Longplay - USA.
Longplay - Japan.
Tool-assisted Speedrun - USA (bypasses last couple levels).

Credits

The games doesn't have a credits screen, but it does have the initials of the developers in the high score table. Their specific roles are inferred from their other credits at the time.

Roles Staff
Programmer, Designer (Probably) Mark Betteridge
Programmer, Designer (Probably) Chris Stamper
Programmer, Designer (Probably) Tim Stamper
Programmer (Probably) Paul Proctor
Production (Probably) Joel Hochberg
Artist (Probably) Rachel Edwards
Quality Assurance (Probably) Stephen Stamper
Music and Sound Effects David Wise (uncredited)

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Wizards & Warriors
Japanese 伝説の騎士エルロンド Densetsu no Kishi Eru Rondo Legendary Knight El Rondo

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-StrategyWiki.png  Link-GameFAQs.png  64x64px  Link-TVTropes.png  Link-TCRF.png