Video games - Defender of the Crown

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	Video games - Defender of the Crown

Defender of the Crown is a strategy computer game by Cinemaware, and designed by Kellyn Beck. It was originally released for the Commodore Amiga in 1986. In 1987 it was ported to DOS, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and finally, the Apple IIGS in 1988. With its release on the Amiga, Defender of the Crown set a new standard for graphic quality in home computer games.

Overview

It is the Middle Ages, the King of England is dead and different factions are fighting over control of territories. To make matters worse, the king's crown has disappeared.

The player assumes the role of a Saxon and tries to fight off the Norman hordes and wrestle for control of England. Eventually, the player must fight for control of all territories, even those controlled by other Saxons. The player must amass armies and fight for control of opponents' castles. The player may engage enemy armies in battle, loot or lay siege to opposing castles. From time to time the player may attempt to rescue a damsel in distress and can appeal for help from the mythical bandit Robin Hood.

The game's strategy boils down to a war of attrition as the player tries to amass larger armies than his opponents and manages to attack their territories at the right time.

However, the high-quality graphics are what really made this game a blockbuster. Never before the release of this game had such detailed, colorful and realistic graphics been seen on a home computer. The art direction by James D. Sachs set this game apart from the others fighting for shelf space. The music by Jim Cuomo is also notable.

Ports

The ports of the game, notably to the PC and the NES, resulted in an enormous loss in graphic and audio quality due to those systems' inferior abilities compared to the Amiga. But these ports featured more in-depth strategic elements compared to the original version. The Apple IIGS, Atari ST and Commodore 64 versions were ported with much greater success and much of the audio and graphics nearly rivaled the quality of the original Amiga version.

The following screenshots demonstrate the differences between the versions, showing the tournament scene:

All ports:

Amiga
Amstrad CPC
Atari ST
Apple IIGS
Commodore 64
Game Boy Advance
Nintendo Entertainment System
Macintosh
PC CGA (4 color) and EGA (16 color)
ZX Spectrum

Unfinished

Defender of the Crown was one of Cinemaware's first titles. Due to financial strains, Cinemaware decided to release the initial version without all the features originally planned for because of their need for revenue. Some features were partially implemented, but were removed so the game could be shipped. Some additional features completed but never seen in the shipped game including flaming fireballs (launched via the catapult), more locations (more varied castles to attack) and more in-depth strategy. Some of these features were implemented in the ports of the game.

Jim Sachs, the primary artist for the game, showcased some of these features on the Amiga during interviews after the release of the game.

Legacy

After a string of successful games and game series, Cinemaware eventually went bankrupt (apparently, the owner's propensity for feature creep delayed release of some key titles, leading to a disruption of much-needed revenue). In 2000, however, the founders of the company, Lars Fuhrken-Batista and Sean Vesce, regrouped and restarted the company, naming a remake of Defender of the Crown for modern PCs as one of the reformed company's first projects.

The new version, titled Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 (September 30), Xbox (October 6) and Windows (October 15).

Cinemaware has also embarked upon creating "Digitally Remastered Versions" of some of their classic games. The "Digitally Remastered" version of Defender of the Crown for Windows and the Macintosh is available in Europe and should be available in the US soon.

The Danish band Press Play on Tape remixed the theme music of the game, replacing the instrumental tune with proper medieval-sounding lyrics.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Defender of the Crown ]

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