Defender of the Crown

I have very fond memories of this game, this was the first ever game I played on the Amiga. I remember playing it on my brothers Amiga 500. WOW!! The graphics of this game were unbelievable, also the sound!! I was used to playing on Speccies & C-64's.
Nothing could prepare me for what was going to happen over the next 10 years. I was hooked to the Amiga.
I still sing the theme tune today!!
The thing I liked about this game was, all the elements that went into playing the game, there was a jousting section, a catapult section, a battle section, the list went on!!
You played it more and more to see which girl you got when you rescued them from their captor.
I just loved this game!! I'm still playing this game today.

I've heard that they're also making a remake of this game, hopefully they'll keep to the lines of the original, hopefully they won't spoil it.
Check it out:-
www.cinemaware.com

Zeewolf

[Tim Janssen]

I agree, Defender of the Crown (DotC) definitely is a great game -Especially for 1986.

Last week I was testing ancient games on my Amiga 500 and discovered this gem. It was the first time I saw this game realtime on any Amiga (shock, horror!).
It would have mad a big difference if I had seen this game on the Amiga back in 1986. Pity I was still impressed with the 'amazing' graphics and sounds of my second-hand Vic20.

Cinemaware really know how to add atmosphere to games. Hopefully they will continue this tradition on the next gen computers and consoles.

I remember Defender of the Crown for different reasons.

I was working at Minerva Software (fixing their programmers shite paint program on the Archimedes called Gamme Paint) and I nicked this from their shop (like every other game that came in).

Was excellent at the time. Those animations still make me laugh now.

Was the first game I sat down for a long time and played.

I've played the original PC version...sounds like a speccy...beep beep beep LOL

I also remember this game, I am a huge Cinemaware enthusiast, I do believe they heavily influenced the way games were to look, play, feel and be enjoyed on the Amiga computers.

I also remember the opening sequence of 'The Three Stooges', it had a spin-off where the 3 characters walked onto the 'DotC' main screen!!, hilarious even today!

Long live Cinemaware!

I look forward to Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown!

[Burge]

Another Defender of the Crown thread. I love 'em! This game could never receive enough recognition.

[Amiga1992]

To give this thread a whirl, I will make you discuss... Isn't DotC just really great graphics and stuff over a boring, repetitive structure? Most people went *GASP* at the graphics, but what else was there in the game to stick to it?

Discuss

(PS I'm not saying I dont like the game, I'm nitpicking it a bit to see what you have to say about it )

[CodyJarrett]

Yes, I think we are in the realms of nostagia here. DoTC was probably one of the first Amiga games that alot of people played. Now they are driven more by fond memories of a time gone by, than if the game has much playability or not.

Amiga Power:
Graphical adventure that looks fantastic but lacks gameplay. Battling for Medieval Britain is involved and packed with atmosphere.
2/5*

Hey Cody...

'Yes, I think we are in the realms of nostagia here '

Well the Title of the Thread might just have given this away!!

Sorry, couldn't resist that one!

[CodyJarrett]

Hey, you are ruining my cool image!

[Twistin'Ghost]

I don't think DotC lacks gameplay, it's just that it is surpassed by the lovely presentation. Mind you, the gameplay isn't groundbreaking, addictive, (insert fav adjective here) like so many other games that we wax nostalgic about, but it wasn't below average, which AP's 2/5 score suggests. In addition to the several game genres that are mixed into the game, it still flows like an interactive movie which gives it interesting segues. There's no harm in a game looking nice and having a striking presentation.

[CodyJarrett]

Yes, we are not talking about great presentation and complete lack of gameplay at the same level as something like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace...

[Amiga1992]

DotC is a REAL game, unlike Dragon's Lair and shit of such ilk.

The thing is that the game was the first one many saw on the Amiga and nostalgia might blind you a bit I tried the C64 version the first, and I was gobsmacked by its quality, however I remember that I finished it without a lot of effort (and I'm not known for being the usual 'game-finisher', I'm just OK at games but I never cheat), and after that, I never played it again. No replay value whatsoever methinks, unless you want to see again the shadows casted at the castle's wall in the fencing sequence

The music made me boot it again as well. great piece of synthesized music.

Amigon's!...

I think we all agree on one thing that Cinemaware did, I mean before they appeared on the scene, which gaming programmers were treating games like movie productions?

It's all to common in today's gaming scene that producers of games are always telling us how big the productions are, well Cinemaware were at the forefront of this, others followed such as Psygnosis with their Beast series, or Blood money!?

They all have Cinemaware to thank, I know some of you are going to say that this pioneered the 'lovely graphics, presentation etc' but no game play, sure and I would also to an extent agree, we can never repeat the awe of the programmers who created classics in their own bedrooms late in the evening - we just won't see that again!

I for one, loved the fact that when I bought Cinemaware 'generally' I knew I was getting a beautifully created piece of software which had as much thought put into it to make it not only a fair game, but pushed the limits of visuals and technology at the time!

I have almost every Cinemaware title for the amiga, perfectly boxed, and even now, the packaging, extras, disk labels etc., are excellent, you'd think that they were made last week!!

Presentation - 10/10
Gameplay - 5/10
Sound - 9/10
Longevity - 8/10

It's nostalgic - YES!!, but there can't be a person who thinks Amiga and doesn't at least think fondly of one Cinemaware title, I still hum the Rocket Ranger tune from time to time!!

Daaa, Da, Da, DaDaDa...

Oh, Dragon's Lair & Space Ace...

Yuk!

[Twistin'Ghost]

Another interesting aspect of Cinemaware is that I don't think there is a single title they ever made that I can say I don't like. Sure, some are better than others...much better, even. But none of them are BAD.

Psygnosis is probably one of the most discussed labels when looking back on the golden Amiga era, because they just sorta go together, ya know. But God knows they have released titles that were among the worst rubbish to ever disgrace the Amiga. Everybody's Top 10 list of the worst Amiga games of all time have at least a HANDFUL of Psygnosis titles on there. You could fill a Top 10 list with bad Psygnosis games (even if all the boxes were nice!) Anybody ever play their miserable game "Arena"? Yeesh! I digress...

But every Cinemaware game is worth owning an original of. As if that weren't enough, they also packaged them nicely. I can't speak for the budget releases, and I'm certainly not referring to the Spotlight releases that they licensed for US release, but the actual games Cinemaware developed.

And "It Came From The Desert" will always be one of my all-time fav games.

[CodyJarrett]

Wings was the top Cinemaware game of all time. It was more of an arcade game than Knights Of The Sky, but together they form the only WW1 flight sims that you need.

[Amiga1992]

NOw that you mention thsi movie-like thing..... Can we blame Cinemaware for teh current load of bollocks trying to be games, which say tehy are 'cool' because they are 'movie-like'? Should we blame Microsoft's VP for saying that games should be more like movies, or should we blame Cinemaware?

At least we all know Cinemaware made REAL games with a movie feel to them...

[Ian]

... Those of you who want to "Enjoy" the full experience of DotC, you should download the Atari ST version, and the WinSTon emulator to play it on.

It's completely playable, unlike the emulated Amiga version (No recuein' the birds, an offence punishable with death)

Also the ST version had much better jousting, ie it wasn't a complete lottery if you win or not, there is "some" skill involed. Enhanced GFX aside, the ST version of this game is strangely better than the Amiga version, I know I couldn't believe it either, but sadly it is

@IanCharge: I don't know what you mean when you say that the emulated Amiga version of DotC is not completely playable - I've played it lots lately, and finished it a couple of times. No need to use an Atari ST emu (yikes! ). Concerning the 'birds': it IS possible to rescue them - and I got the pics to prove that! Aaah, those lovely maidens ...


Removed screenshot

[Ian]

To the many versions I have found, or you are using a real Amiga, as when I try to save the Ladies (ooh, aah) the characters just run in the castle (When attepting a rescue) and just die at the first sign of trouble, it's exactly the same with DotC 2 the fight scenes in the castles are uncontrolable (Well at least in my experience)

And before you say I must be crap at the game, I completed it countless times on my real Amiga back in the old days.

PS. I notice you didn't say anything about the jousting, so at least that bit must be true.

I stand by my original post anyway, the emulated ST version is MORE playable than the emulated Amiga version, even if you can save the "Birds" as you say ...... Have you EVER enjoyed the jousting section of the Amiga game emulated or otherwise??? If we're being truthful here the answer must be no.