Starcraft

Adventure Land

Adventure Land

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1984

Adventure Land was an update of the text-only Adventureland. It had many additional features including: Hi-Res graphics, Text-to-Speech hardware support, upper- and lowercase support for display (but not for input). Gameplay was very similar to the original. You still used the same one or two word commands to move about and manipulate objects. The RETURN key toggled back and forth between graphics and text. The objective of the game is to collect all the treasures. There are all sorts of places to explore above and below ground. You have to outwit and escape many creatures during your quest including a dragon, a bear, and a hive of bees.

Alien Rain

Alien Rain

Apple II - Released - 1980

Alien Rain (also called Apple Galaxian) is a clone of the arcade game Galaxian. It is a shoot-'em-up where a formation of aliens attack your starfighter at the bottom of the screen. The alien peel off from the group, singly or in formation and attack you, the pattern depending on what type of alien it is. Once all aliens are killed, you move to a new level, indicated by a flag at the bottom. The game was released for the Apple II as Alien Rain

Alien Typhoon

Alien Typhoon

Apple II - Released - 1981

Alien Typhoon is an enhanced version of Apple Galaxian (Alien Rain),with more aliens on screen. In essence it is a variant of the arcade game Galaxian. It is a shoot-'em-up where a formation of alien ships attack your lone starship at the bottom of the screen. The aliens peel off from the formation and attack you in different patterns, depending on the color of the ship. The two ships at the top are the motherships and they bring an escort of two red aliens with them to guard them, but if you can shoot the escort and then the mothership, you'll score lots of points.

Cranston Manor

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1983

Cranston Manor is the fourth game in On-Line System's Hi-Res Adventures series, along with Mystery House, The Wizard and the Princess, and Mission Asteroid. In the game, you must invade a mansion that was occupied by a late millionaire and steal the sixteen treasures that lie in it. You perform actions in the game by only typing a one- or two-word command (e.g. "west", "get shovel", etc.), and you can save the game at any point in the game by inserting a disk and pressing a letter. Cranston Manor was based on the original text adventure, The Cranston Manor Adventure, by Larry Ledden.

Funhouse Mystery

Funhouse Mystery

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1985

Funhouse Mystery is a text-adventure game originally written and coded by Scott Adams and published by Adventure International in 1979. The NEC PC-88 version was released in 1985 by StarCraft for the Japanese audiences, though the game still supports English commands. You are a secret agent tasked to retrieve some secret plans that have been stolen and hidden somewhere inside a fun house. Once inside it, you have to solve several puzzles, such as navigate through a maze, a shooting gallery, a merry-go-round, and charm a friendly mermaid. Main differences from the original western releases are: -The game parser won't recognize some commands that work on the original version; - Graphics; - Some objects such as the flashlight and the secret plans are different but they serve the same purpose. - The map layout is somewhat different.

Galaxy Wars

Galaxy Wars

Apple II - Released - April 27, 1980

Galaxy Wars is a 1-player space-themed arcade game for the Apple II. The player controls a small rocket ship which can move slowly horizontally on the bottom of the screen. On the top of the screen are a number of alien saucers which rain laser blasts upon the player. In between these combatants lies a rapidly moving asteroid field that can block fire. If the player destroys all enemy vessels, they advance to a more difficult stage. The goal is to maximize score, and points are awarded for destroying alien ships. The player has 3 rockets, and it's game over when all are lost. An enhanced version called Super Galaxy Wars was also released.

Golden Mountain

Golden Mountain

Apple II - Released - 1980

Golden Mountain is a 1-player versus computer low-res strategy game for the Apple II. A large house stands atop a mountain of precious jewels. The player and their opponent play as miners, taking turns picking precious stones from the pile. The more valuable the gemstone, the more luck that is needed to remove it without causing the entire mountain to come crashing down. The player is awarded points for the number and quality of blocks mined. If the piece which holds the house aloft becomes unstable, the entire house will come crashing down the mountain. Ultimately, the player who destroys the house, loses the game.

Kyu Ryu Tou

Kyu Ryu Tou

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

Las Vegas

Las Vegas

Sharp X1 - Released - 1987

Las Vegas is a Japan-exclusive graphical variant of Softporn Adventure, and hence can be seen as an earlier version of Leisure Suit Larry, which was released a few months later. The gameplay is, by and large, identical to the original text-only version, with the exception of a few adjustments made to the monetary system and a few commands handled slightly differently. Like before, the player types text commands consisting of combinations of verbs and objects. The game recognizes both Japanese and English inputs. The major difference is the inclusion of graphics. Each location is represented by an anime-style image. With the exception of flashing lights and alike, there is no animation, though a few actions lead to separate zoomed-in scenes appearing on top of the main image. The game's visuals are sexually more explicit than Leisure Suit Larry. For example, the hooker is partially nude, and there are also visible obscene drawings on the bathroom walls.

Lefty Mouse

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

Might and Magic: Book II

Might and Magic: Book II

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - January 22, 1993

Not to be confused with Might and Magic II by Iguana Entertainment / Elite Systems, this port of the Apple II game features different graphics, traditional music, and easier gameplay mechanics. Released exclusively in Japan, Might and Magic: Book II was developed by Starcraft Inc and distributed by LOZC G. Amusements. An English fan translation was released in 2018.

Mission Asteroid

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1983

In this game, you play an astronaut who is asked by Mission Control to send a rocket up to an asteroid and blow it up before it reaches Earth. The trouble is: you will be unable to find the asteroid without a flight plan. This early adventure game is very short, and, in order to accomplish the task, the game requires you to enter one- or two-word commands to perform various actions. The game may be saved to a floppy disk at any point in the game.

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1984

A spy infiltration story inspired by the famous movie. The stage is a fully mechanized nuclear reactor center. A mechanic is trying to commit suicide by setting a time bomb in the reactor. Main character Jim Phelps needs to prevent that from happening by finding his way in the maze-like building.

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1984

This is adventure #3 in Scott Adam's text adventure series. It takes place in a nuclear power plant. You must race against time to fulfill your mission or the reactor may be doomed. You use one or two word commands to move around and manipulate objects.

Mystery House (StarCraft)

Mystery House (StarCraft)

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1983

Mystery House is a monochrome interactive fiction adventure game that places the player in a Victorian mansion with seven other people. As the player explores the mansion, he discovers that there is a killer murdering each guest one by one. The objective of the game is to figure out who the murderer is before the murderer finds the hero. Players explore and manipulate objects by typing in one or two-word phrases such as "north" or "get knife". In Japan, several different adventure games under the title Mystery House were released. In 1982, MicroCabin released Mystery House, which was unrelated to (but inspired by) the On-Line Systems game of the same name. The following year, the Japanese company StarCraft released an enhanced remake of On-Line Systems' Mystery House with more realistic artwork and depiction of blood. This version is the one ported by StarCraft.

Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus

Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus

Sharp X68000 - Released - 1989

Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus is the third chapter of the Phantasie trilogy. This time, the Dark Lord Nikademus has set his evil sights on conquering - not only an island - but the entire world. He must be stopped, and you've chosen to undertake this difficult and dangerous quest. The basic gameplay in this game is quite similar to the system implemented in part one and part two, with several additions and enhancements. Some weapons and spells have been added. During combat, you can move each character to the front, middle, or back of the party. It's also possible to aim your spells at different ranks of the enemy. Wounds are specified by body location and extent of injury.

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

Microsoft MSX2 - Released - January 30, 1991

After the evil Nikademus was defeated, the land of Scandor enjoyed a time period of peace, which lasted twenty years. However, when a ship sent to the Skull Island disappeared without trace, Scandor's inhabitants realized a new threat was rising... Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes is the fourth entry in the RPG series Phantasie, and the only one that was released exclusively for Japanese computers. Gameplay-wise and visually, the game is very similar to the previous installments. The player creates a party of adventurers (up to six active combatants, including the series' trademark "random creatures", such as ogres, minotaurs, lizardmen, etc.), which then roams the top-down world-map, descending into dungeons, and fighting randomly appearing enemies in turn-based combat. Battles allow specific commands such as "Thrust", "Parry", "Throw", etc., and - similarly to the third game - placement of the characters in rows on the battle screen.

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1990

After the evil Nikademus was defeated, the land of Scandor enjoyed a time period of peace, which lasted twenty years. However, when a ship sent to the Skull Island disappeared without trace, Scandor's inhabitants realized a new threat was rising... Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes is the fourth entry in the RPG series Phantasie, and the only one that was released exclusively for Japanese computers. Gameplay-wise and visually, the game is very similar to the previous installments. The player creates a party of adventurers (up to six active combatants, including the series' trademark "random creatures", such as ogres, minotaurs, lizardmen, etc.), which then roams the top-down world-map, descending into dungeons, and fighting randomly appearing enemies in turn-based combat. Battles allow specific commands such as "Thrust", "Parry", "Throw", etc., and - similarly to the third game - placement of the characters in rows on the battle screen. A new feature is the possibility to choose parents for the characters the player creates. They can both belong to the same race, or produce an offspring in a mixed marriage - which, naturally, influences the newborn's parameters, affinities, etc. Theoretically, it is possible to create a party that consists entirely of children born to troll fathers and gnoll mothers; however, these "random creatures" (unlike the privileged races such as humans, dwarves, and elves) can only be either thieves or fighters.

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

NEC PC-9801 - Released - September 14, 1990

After the evil Nikademus was defeated, the land of Scandor enjoyed a time period of peace, which lasted twenty years. However, when a ship sent to the Skull Island disappeared without trace, Scandor's inhabitants realized a new threat was rising... Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes is the fourth entry in the RPG series Phantasie, and the only one that was released exclusively for Japanese computers. Gameplay-wise and visually, the game is very similar to the previous installments. The player creates a party of adventurers (up to six active combatants, including the series' trademark "random creatures", such as ogres, minotaurs, lizardmen, etc.), which then roams the top-down world-map, descending into dungeons, and fighting randomly appearing enemies in turn-based combat. Battles allow specific commands such as "Thrust", "Parry", "Throw", etc., and - similarly to the third game - placement of the characters in rows on the battle screen. A new feature is the possibility to choose parents for the characters the player creates. They can both belong to the same race, or produce an offspring in a mixed marriage - which, naturally, influences the newborn's parameters, affinities, etc. Theoretically, it is possible to create a party that consists entirely of children born to troll fathers and gnoll mothers; however, these "random creatures" (unlike the privileged races such as humans, dwarves, and elves) can only be either thieves or fighters.

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes

Sharp X68000 - Released - March 28, 1991

After the evil Nikademus was defeated, the land of Scandor enjoyed a time period of peace, which lasted twenty years. However, when a ship sent to the Skull Island disappeared without trace, Scandor's inhabitants realized a new threat was rising... Phantasie IV: The Birth of Heroes is the fourth entry in the RPG series Phantasie, and the only one that was released exclusively for Japanese computers. Gameplay-wise and visually, the game is very similar to the previous installments. The player creates a party of adventurers (up to six active combatants, including the series' trademark "random creatures", such as ogres, minotaurs, lizardmen, etc.), which then roams the top-down world-map, descending into dungeons, and fighting randomly appearing enemies in turn-based combat. Battles allow specific commands such as "Thrust", "Parry", "Throw", etc., and - similarly to the third game - placement of the characters in rows on the battle screen. A new feature is the possibility to choose parents for the characters the player creates. They can both belong to the same race, or produce an offspring in a mixed marriage - which, naturally, influences the newborn's parameters, affinities, etc. Theoretically, it is possible to create a party that consists entirely of children born to troll fathers and gnoll mothers; however, these "random creatures" (unlike the privileged races such as humans, dwarves, and elves) can only be either thieves or fighters.

Puckman

Puckman

Apple II - Released - 1981

Puckman is a 1981 unlicensed Pac-Man clone for the Apple II. Released approximately a year after the initial arcade version of Pac-Man, the player controls a small character who must move about a maze munching dots. All graphics are tilted 90 degrees. Four ghosts constantly harass the player, but if they eat one of the four power pellets located in each corner of the screen, the ghosts temporarily become vulnerable, and can be eaten by the player. The player must much all dots to advance to a more difficult level. The player starts with 3 lives, and if all are lost, it's game over.

Rhyme Star

Rhyme Star

NEC PC-9801 - Released - November 11, 1994

Rogue Alliance

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1989

Rogue Alliance (called Realms of Darkness outside Japan) combines traditional RPG gameplay (party, stats, and combat system) with some elements borrowed from text adventures. Assemble a party of one to eight characters and go on quests to gain power and riches and magical items by defeating monsters. The game consists of many scenarios, each requiring several hours of playing to be completed. Move around in the realms using your keyboard or joystick or both. Travel and explore cities, dungeons, caverns and other types of dwellings. and talk to city inhabitants. Creating characters requires that you determine their traits and abilities which are defined as six attributes: Wisdom, Intelligence, Agility, Strength, Vitality and Luck. Choose their profession or class. Your choices are Fighter, Sorcerer, Priest, Thief, Champion, Knight, Barbarian or Friar. Finally, decide what race they will be, Gnome, Dwarf, Elf or Human. Once that is done, choose the sex and type your characters name. Once you have assembled your party, your adventure can begin. Certain situations require the player to type very detailed, context-specific commands (such as for example "shout") in order to solve a puzzle or otherwise advance in the game. This feature gives Rogue Alliance a flavor of an adventure game. The player can also split the party in two and control both while exploring different locations.

Sherwood Forest

Sherwood Forest

NEC PC-9801 - Released - June 1, 1984

Sherwood Forest is an graphic adventure game with a text parser. You play Robin Hood and your goal is to marry Maid Marion. The regular Robin Hood cast makes an appearance: Little John, Friar Tuck, the Merry Men, and Sheriff of Nottingham. Your travels take you through forests, up mountains, into caves, and you even get to fly in an albeit unconventional way.

Shoumakyou no Densetsu

Shoumakyou no Densetsu

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

Main character is caught by the enemy and starts in prison. He needs to break free and explore Japanese castle to find five pieces of the mystery mirror within time limit.

Sky Blazer

Sky Blazer

Commodore VIC-20 - Released - 1983

Star Blazer (Sky Blazer on the VIC-20) is a side-scrolling shooter similar in style to Konami's Super Cobra. You are a fighter pilot on several hazardous missions. In each level you have to fulfill one mission like bomb the radar, destroy the tank etc. The scenery as buildings and warehouses and airborne objects as jets and rockets can all destroy your jet. Your fighter jet is armed with a limited supply of bullets for a on board machine gun and with bombs, also with limited supply. Bombs can only be dropped from very low altitude. Furthermore, your jet has a limited amount of fuel which can be refueled by picking up a parachute dropped out of another plane.

Star Blazer

Star Blazer

Atari 800 - Released - 1983

Star Blazer is a side-scrolling shooter similar in style to Konami's Super Cobra. You are a fighter pilot on several hazardous missions. In each level you have to fulfill one mission like bomb the radar, destroy the tank etc. The scenery as buildings and warehouses and airborne objects as jets and rockets can all destroy your jet. Your fighter jet is armed with a limited supply of bullets for a on board machine gun and with bombs, also with limited supply. Bombs can only be dropped from very low altitude. Furthermore, your jet has a limited amount of fuel which can be refueled by picking up a parachute dropped out of another plane.

Star Blazer

Star Blazer

Apple II - Released - February 2, 1982

Star Blazer is a side-scrolling shooter similar in style to Konami's Super Cobra. You are a fighter pilot on several hazardous missions. In each level you have to fulfill one mission like bomb the radar, destroy the tank etc. The scenery as buildings and warehouses and airborne objects as jets and rockets can all destroy your jet. Your fighter jet is armed with a limited supply of bullets for a on board machine gun and with bombs, also with limited supply. Bombs can only be dropped from very low altitude. Furthermore, your jet has a limited amount of fuel which can be refueled by picking up a parachute dropped out of another plane.

Star Blazer

Star Blazer

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1982

Star Blazer is a side-scrolling shooter similar in style to Konami's Super Cobra. You are a fighter pilot on several hazardous missions. In each level you have to fulfill one mission like bomb the radar, destroy the tank etc. The scenery as buildings and warehouses and airborne objects as jets and rockets can all destroy your jet. Your fighter jet is armed with a limited supply of bullets for a on board machine gun and with bombs, also with limited supply. Bombs can only be dropped from very low altitude. Furthermore, your jet has a limited amount of fuel which can be refueled by picking up a parachute dropped out of another plane.

Starfire

Starfire

NEC PC-9801 - Released - October 14, 1994

You start the game as a member of a mercenary squad piloting Motor Shells, infantry mechs deployed from space. The squad is under contract by the government and stationed onboard the battleship Dragonet, tasked with various dirty jobs like subduing colonial uprisings and cleaning up orbital bio factories that have gone out of control. Inevitably events unfold that leave you as the only one who can prevent a mysterious invader from taking control of the galaxy. Starcraft Inc. is mainly known for porting numerous popular western games from DOS to Japanese home computer systems like PC-98 and FM Towns. Starfire is one of their few original games, but uses an engine taken from the Might & Magic series of games they translated and ported to PC-98 in the early 90's. It retains the 3D first person dungeon crawler navigation and sprite based graphics, but the classic RPG encounters are replaced with a simple real time action-based combat where you shoot the enemies as they appear on screen. Instead of levels and experience points you increase your combat stats through upgrades from engineers and doctors. Killing enemies provide you with credits to spend at item shops and arms dealers. Eventually you gain access to a space ship, which enables you to travel the galaxy. That also means running into hostile space ships that you will have to fend off in simple space battles. To unravel the plot you have to visit the various systems and their space stations and talk with the characters that live on them, eliminating space pirates and alien forces along the way.

The Blade of Blackpoole

NEC PC-9801 - Released - January 1, 1984

The Blade of Blackpoole is an illustrated text adventure with a medieval fantasy setting. Starting with only a pocket full of gold coins, the player's task is to recover the magical sword Myraglym, last seen near the lake at Blackpoole. On the way to the goal, there will be large forests, tricky swamps, a dangerous maze and high cliffs. Deadly creatures also abound, including a talking carnivorous plant, an aggressive lizardman and a hungry water beast. Some helpful characters may also be in the area. The game consists of around 60 locations, each with its own picture. Many of the characters in the game will pose riddles whose answer gives the clue on what they require so they help the player. The parser understands complex commands (i.e. not just verb+noun). There is an inventory limit, forcing the player to consider which items to take and which to leave or to drop once they are no longer needed. The game tracks the score up to a maximum of 500 points. A HELP command is available, which gives more or less obtuse hints on the current situation. Ten different games can be saved to disk.

The Quest

The Quest

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1984

A dragon is terrorizing the kingdom of Balema, and King Galt send his champion, named Gorn, to solve the problem. The player takes the role of a nameless advisor, who has to help the strong, but not very intelligent Gorn to get rid of the dragon and save his homeland. The Quest was one of the first graphic adventures that incorporated full sentence parsing. Unlike most other adventures, the commands the player inputs do not refer to the playable character. Rather, as the playable character, the player gives those commands to Gorn. Instead of just entering short verb commands, the player is able to type relatively complex instructions, that have to be understood by Gorn in order to perform the necessary action.

The Quest

The Quest

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1984

A dragon is terrorizing the kingdom of Balema, and King Galt send his champion, named Gorn, to solve the problem. The player takes the role of a nameless advisor, who has to help the strong, but not very intelligent Gorn to get rid of the dragon and save his homeland. The Quest was one of the first graphic adventures that incorporated full sentence parsing. Unlike most other adventures, the commands the player inputs do not refer to the playable character. Rather, as the playable character, the player gives those commands to Gorn. Instead of just entering short verb commands, the player is able to type relatively complex instructions, that have to be understood by Gorn in order to perform the necessary action.

Transylvania II

Transylvania II

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1986

In Transylvania we rescued Princess Sabrina, and met Crown Prince Erik. They return upon news of the King John the Good’s death, and learn the crown has vanished. The Vampire Lord Drakul tries to uncover its secrets to become King, and threatens its land. As their guide, they accompany you on their journey to reclaim the crown an amulet of immense power and rid the land of the Vampire. Certain tasks require their unique abilities, Princess Sabrina understands magic and Crown Prince Erik can use items that rightfully belongs to the heir of the throne, among other roles. Some places seem familiar, and others are new. Recognizable ancient tree stump and the new mysterious Wizard’s castle to underground caverns. Encounter unusual characters and creatures that roam these parts - a friendly Griffin or the wicked Witch to curious Trolls, who like shiny objects. Whenever the Sage appears speak to him, and listen to his words of wisdom. Travelers are advised to know how to answer their riddles.

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Sharp X68000 - Released - June 16, 1990

This game is based on the pen & paper RPG Tunnels & Trolls. After a four hundred year long war, humans and monsters finally signed a peace treaty, and harmony returned to the Dragon Land - but not for long. The leader of the monsters, the mysterious Lerotra'hh, declared the peace contract was invalid. Monsters began to attack human settlements once again. The only one who can save the humans is the mighty wizard Khazan. Unfortunately, Khazan was imprisoned in his exile. This is where a group of brave adventurers enters the picture, determined to rescue Khazan and defeat the evil. The party explores the world of Crusaders of Khazan from a top-down perspective, roaming wilderness areas, visiting towns, talking to people, receiving quests, and descending into dungeons. Battles take place on a top-down battle screen, on which characters can move freely and attack enemies in turn-based style. The game features point-and-click interface with multiple windows.

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

MS-DOS - Released - 1990

This game is based on the pen & paper RPG Tunnels & Trolls. After a four hundred year long war, humans and monsters finally signed a peace treaty, and harmony returned to the Dragon Land - but not for long. The leader of the monsters, the mysterious Lerotra'hh, declared the peace contract was invalid. Monsters began to attack human settlements once again. The only one who can save the humans is the mighty wizard Khazan. Unfortunately, Khazan was imprisoned in his exile. This is where a group of brave adventurers enters the picture, determined to rescue Khazan and defeat the evil. The party explores the world of Crusaders of Khazan from a top-down perspective, roaming wilderness areas, visiting towns, talking to people, receiving quests, and descending into dungeons. Battles take place on a top-down battle screen, on which characters can move freely and attack enemies in turn-based style. The game features point-and-click interface with multiple windows.

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Fujitsu FM Towns Marty - Released - 1990

This game is based on the pen & paper RPG Tunnels & Trolls. After a four hundred year long war, humans and monsters finally signed a peace treaty, and harmony returned to the Dragon Land - but not for long. The leader of the monsters, the mysterious Lerotra'hh, declared the peace contract was invalid. Monsters began to attack human settlements once again. The only one who can save the humans is the mighty wizard Khazan. Unfortunately, Khazan was imprisoned in his exile. This is where a group of brave adventurers enters the picture, determined to rescue Khazan and defeat the evil. The party explores the world of Crusaders of Khazan from a top-down perspective, roaming wilderness areas, visiting towns, talking to people, receiving quests, and descending into dungeons. Battles take place on a top-down battle screen, on which characters can move freely and attack enemies in turn-based style. The game features point-and-click interface with multiple windows.

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

NEC PC-9801 - Released - March 9, 1990

This game is based on the pen & paper RPG Tunnels & Trolls. After a four hundred year long war, humans and monsters finally signed a peace treaty, and harmony returned to the Dragon Land - but not for long. The leader of the monsters, the mysterious Lerotra'hh, declared the peace contract was invalid. Monsters began to attack human settlements once again. The only one who can save the humans is the mighty wizard Khazan. Unfortunately, Khazan was imprisoned in his exile. This is where a group of brave adventurers enters the picture, determined to rescue Khazan and defeat the evil. The party explores the world of Crusaders of Khazan from a top-down perspective, roaming wilderness areas, visiting towns, talking to people, receiving quests, and descending into dungeons. Battles take place on a top-down battle screen, on which characters can move freely and attack enemies in turn-based style. The game features point-and-click interface with multiple windows.

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1990

This game is based on the pen & paper RPG Tunnels & Trolls. After a four hundred year long war, humans and monsters finally signed a peace treaty, and harmony returned to the Dragon Land - but not for long. The leader of the monsters, the mysterious Lerotra'hh, declared the peace contract was invalid. Monsters began to attack human settlements once again. The only one who can save the humans is the mighty wizard Khazan. Unfortunately, Khazan was imprisoned in his exile. This is where a group of brave adventurers enters the picture, determined to rescue Khazan and defeat the evil. The party explores the world of Crusaders of Khazan from a top-down perspective, roaming wilderness areas, visiting towns, talking to people, receiving quests, and descending into dungeons. Battles take place on a top-down battle screen, on which characters can move freely and attack enemies in turn-based style. The game features point-and-click interface with multiple windows.

Ulysses

Ulysses

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1983

Ulysses is an adventure game where you play the part of Ulysses in ancient Greece. The king has given you the task of finding the golden fleece, a legendary treasure which is protected by the gods. You begin your quest in a small town, and will need to travel to several far away lands to find the fleece. Many characters from ancient mythology will be encountered along the way, including King Neptune, the Sirens, Cyclops, and others. You need to find a way past them as well as the many obstacles on sea and land if you are to be successful. Along the bottom of the screen is a text parser which accepts two word commands to interact with the game, and at the top (covering most of the screen) are graphics depicting your current situation. If needed, the graphics can temporarily be cleared to see some of the most recent commands entered.

Ulysses and the Golden Fleece

Ulysses and the Golden Fleece

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1983

Ulysses and the Golden Fleece is an adventure game where you play the part of Ulysses in ancient Greece. The king has given you the task of finding the golden fleece, a legendary treasure which is protected by the gods. You begin your quest in a small town, and will need to travel to several far away lands to find the fleece. Many characters from ancient mythology will be encountered along the way, including King Neptune, the Sirens, Cyclops, and others. You need to find a way past them as well as the many obstacles on sea and land if you are to be successful. Along the bottom of the screen is a text parser which accepts two word commands to interact with the game, and at the top (covering most of the screen) are graphics depicting your current situation. If needed, the graphics can temporarily be cleared to see some of the most recent commands entered.

Voodoo Castle

NEC PC-9801 - Released - 1984

This is the enhanced version of the original all-text Scott Adams Adventure, Voodoo Castle. Additions to the original game include illustrations for each location, and support for the VOTRAX voice synthesizer. Otherwise the game remains essentially the same as the original.

Wizard and Princess

Wizard and Princess

Fujitsu FM-7 - Released - 1983

King George's daughter Priscilla has been kidnapped by an evil wizard named Harlin, who holds her in his castle. The King offers half of his kingdom to anyone who would venture into the faraway mountain land, enter the castle, defeat Harlin, and bring back the princess. Only one adventurer is brave enough to accept this challenge. The Wizard and the Princess is a text adventure with graphics. The game's environments are composed of still shots viewed from first-person perspective. The player types combinations of verbs and objects to interact with the game world, move between locations, solve puzzles, and advance the story.

Wizard and Princess

Wizard and Princess

NEC PC-8801 - Released - 1983

King George's daughter Priscilla has been kidnapped by an evil wizard named Harlin, who holds her in his castle. The King offers half of his kingdom to anyone who would venture into the faraway mountain land, enter the castle, defeat Harlin, and bring back the princess. Only one adventurer is brave enough to accept this challenge. Wizard and Princess is a text adventure with graphics. The game's environments are composed of still shots viewed from first-person perspective. The player types combinations of verbs and objects to interact with the game world, move between locations, solve puzzles, and advance the story.

Yubiwa Monogatari Dai-1-kan: Tabi no Nakama

Yubiwa Monogatari Dai-1-kan: Tabi no Nakama

NEC PC-9801 - Released - October 30, 1991

Many years ago, the dark lord Sauron forged the One Ring to control the races of the Middle Earth. He was defeated by the human prince Isildur, who took the ring to himself. But such was the evil power of the ring that it brought misfortune to whoever dared to bear it, corrupting their souls. Eventually, the ring ended up by Frodo Baggins, a peaceful hobbit who was unaware of his possession's true nature. Realizing that the only way to be free of the ring's power would be to destroy it, the wizard Gandalf tells Frodo to carry it to Sauron's land, Mordor, and throw it into the lava rivers of the Orodruin volcano, thus saving Middle Earth from destruction. J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I is a fantasy role-playing game based on The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the Lord of the Rings book trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. The events of the game follow those depicted in the book rather closely, though a few characters and occurrences are not present, and many quests have been added. Characters belonging to various races and nations join Frodo on his quest; these include key figures from the book as well as several characters unique to the game. The game is rather open-ended, allowing the player to roam vast top-down environments and undertake side missions in addition to the main storyline, which must be followed in order to complete the game. Combat takes place in the same area as exploration, and is turn-based. The player has full control over the actions of the characters in the party. These characters can also be swapped, equipped with weapons and armor, and use various skills (individual and shared), such as sneaking, perception (to find hidden items), unique "words of power", and others. Unlike the vast majority of role-playing games, there are no experience points or character levels in the game. Player-controlled party becomes stronger by obtaining better equipment and items, learning new abilities, and recruiting stronger characters that would help the weak hobbits to survive encounters with Nazguls and other dangerous creatures. There are optional ways to access major locations, and much of the combat in the game can be avoided.

Scroll to Top