Software:Camelot Warriors
| Camelot Warriors | |
|---|---|
 Cover art illustrated by Alfonso Azpiri | |
| Developer(s) | Dinamic Software, Opera Soft |
| Platform(s) | MSX, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 |
| Release | 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Camelot Warriors is a platform game published in 1986 for the MSX, ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, later ported to the Commodore 64.[1] It was developed in Spain during the so-called Golden Age of Spanish software.[2][3] The MSX, Spectrum and Amstrad versions were produced by Dinamic Software, while the Commodore 64 port was developed by Opera Soft.[4][5] The game was originally distributed in the United Kingdom by Ariolasoft and subsequently by Mastertronic.[6]
Plot
"Terrible omens threatened the world after the appearance of strange objects in the land of Camelot: the Voice from Another World, the Mirror of Wisdom, the Elixir of Life and the Fire that does not burn. All of them were elements related to the twentieth century and carried disastrous consequences for a space and time that did not belong to them. The bravest knight of Camelot was entrusted with the mission of finding these objects across the world (the forests, the lake, the caves and the castle) and deliver them to the guardians of each territory, as only they had the power to destroy them." [7][8]
Gameplay
The player controls a medieval knight armed with sword and armour. The only available actions are attacking with the sword and jumping. Attacks are limited to a certain height and can only be performed while standing, which makes eliminating some enemies difficult.[9][10]
Jumping is slow and imprecise, and the slightest contact with an enemy is fatal. Despite offering ten lives (five in the Amstrad CPC version), Camelot Warriors is considered a challenging platformer.[11]
To complete the game, the player must collect four key items — the Voice from Another World, the Mirror of Wisdom, the Elixir of Life and the Fire that does not burn. Each must be delivered to a hidden guardian, who then grants a new ability, such as transforming the knight into a frog to cross water (losing the sword attack but gaining a greatly improved jump).[12]
Development and release
The game was designed and programmed by Víctor Ruiz with Florentino Pertejo. It was published by Dinamic Software in Spain in 1986 and ported to various 8-bit systems.[13][14]
The Commodore 64 version was developed by Opera Soft. In the United Kingdom, Camelot Warriors was released on cassette by Ariolasoft and later, as a budget title, by Mastertronic.[15][16]
Reception
Contemporary reviews highlighted the colourful and detailed graphics on 8-bit machines, especially the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions.[17][18]
Retrospectively, Camelot Warriors has been recognised as one of Dinamic's most iconic early games and a representative example of Spain's 1980s home computer boom.[19]
Legacy
Camelot Warriors has since been preserved in emulation and online archives. It inspired remakes and fan projects for modern platforms such as PC and GP2X.[20]
External links
- Camelot Warriors at World of Spectrum
- Camelot Warriors at CPC-Power
- Camelot Warriors at Lemon64
- Retrovisión and versions of the game (Spanish)
- Camelot Warriors review (Spanish)
See also
- Matter of Britain
References
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors". World of Spectrum (archive entry). https://worldofspectrum.net/item/0000794/.
- ↑ Portalo-Calero, Francisco (2009). "Bugaboo, un hito en la Historia del Software Español". Universidad de Extremadura. http://www.bugabootheflea.com/bugaboo.pdf.
- ↑ Esteve, Jaume (2012). Ocho Quilates: Una historia de la Edad de Oro del software español. Star-T Magazine Books.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors releases and development credits". MobyGames. https://www.mobygames.com/game/14335/camelot-warriors/releases/.
- ↑ "First original game by Opera Soft: Camelot Warriors on C64". MobyGames. https://www.mobygames.com/company/1471/opera-soft-sa/.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors – Publisher(s)". World of Spectrum. https://worldofspectrum.net/item/0000794/.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors (1986) description". Internet Archive (from MobyGames). https://archive.org/details/Camelot_Warriors_1986_Dinamic_Software_es.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors official description". MobyGames. https://www.mobygames.com/game/14335/camelot-warriors/.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors – ZX Spectrum gameplay review". Retrovía (VGJunk). https://retrovania-vgjunk.blogspot.com/2014/08/camelot-warriors-zx-spectrum.html.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors (Commodore 64) review". Everygamegoing – Commodore User. https://www.everygamegoing.com/larticle/camelot-warriors-000/53182.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors – ZX Spectrum entry (difficulty remarks)". Spectrum Computing. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/794/ZX-Spectrum/Camelot_Warriors.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors manual (Amstrad CPC) – scenario description". Device Report / GamesDatabase. https://device.report/m/40b5296930acef4bca606d0c9ac833faceafe97e62ffc82de5b15d4bab5b4cc0.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors – ZX Spectrum general info". Spectrum Computing. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/794/ZX-Spectrum/Camelot_Warriors.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors credits on MobyGames". MobyGames. https://www.mobygames.com/game/14335/camelot-warriors/.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors – C64 credits and release details". Lemon64. https://www.lemon64.com/game/camelot-warriors.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors release history". Spectrum Computing. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/794/ZX-Spectrum/Camelot_Warriors.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors review". Crash (25). February 1986.
- ↑ "Camelot Warriors review". Your Spectrum (23). 1986.
- ↑ Fernández, Jaime (2019). La Edad de Oro del Software Español. Game Press.
- ↑ Remake of Camelot Warriors at Retrocompo
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