Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior Longplay (ZX Spectrum 128K) [QHD]

Описание: Game Info
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Developer: Palace Software
Publisher: Palace Software
Year of Release: 1987

Game Review & Impressions
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I've always had a soft spot for this Conan-inspired homage, playing many an hour of the C64 and Amiga versions back in the day, but I wanted to see how other versions compared to the C64.

Despite the typically garish colour palette, the ZX Spectrum port is pretty decent. It plays pretty much identically to the C64, although it really suffers for the lack of decent music during the actual gameplay. The splats and beeps really pale into insignificance against Richard Joseph's grandiose SID composition for the old breadbin, and the Spectrum also lacks the fountain of blood when chopping off an opponent's head.

Speaking of head chopping, it's really quite difficult to land a flying neck chop in this version. The CPU player is pretty good at avoiding the move, and you'll more than likely take damage if you persist in trying.

In the Spectrum's favour, the sprites are more detailed than their C64 counterparts, and the bad guys actually wear helmets and what appear to be torcs or medallions around their necks, differentiating themselves from the player. Given the colour clash issues with the Speccy, I guess the designers couldn't rely on colour, but this is still a neat touch.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, princess Marian has been captured and imprisoned by the evil sorcerer Draxx. An unnamed barbarian travels the lands, doing battle with Draxx's minions on a quest to free the princess. These encounters are all one-on-one fights to the death. Defeat each opponent by reducing their health to zero, or by lopping off their head with a well timed flying neck chop.

This is one of the greatest and most iconic games for the old 8-bit home computers, and arguably Palace Software's most famous release.

Chapters
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TBC