The heralds lift their banner-adorned trumpets for a fanfare. The Normans have kidnapped a Saxon lady! Will our hero stage a rescue? Of course he will. This time, he approaches the castle in the shelter of the night. There is some fencing in a dark courtyard, lit only by flickering torches.
Never before were such skin tones seen on a computer screen. In a rush of gratitude, she throws herself into the hero's arms. He takes her to his castle. During the weeks that follow, gratitude turns to love.
Finally, when the civil war has been won, the crown has been
returned, the hero is crowned King and The End
appears on
the screen, the player triumphantly turns around to the onlooker
and says, now, tell me, do you have anything to compare on your
[insert any other platform here]?
And the onlooker, of course, did not. Defender of the Crown was an Amiga game. And back in 1986, it could have been done only on the Amiga. Of course it was still ported to most of the platforms of the day. But in one way or other, these ports were inferior.
The Atari ST and Apple IIGS were probably closest to the original.
I know the game sounds pretty simple, but I assure you that it is fun to play. It is easy enough, it can be learned immediately, but it's also pretty hard to finish. I especially recommend this game to younger gamers or those new to turn-based strategies.
If there is any criticism that can be levelled against this excellent game, it is that the action elements are sometimes too difficult—jousting experienced opponents can be a chore, as can the side-scrolling sword fights that take place during the raid or maiden rescue. Aside from this minor complaint, Defender of The Crown is one of the most atmospheric and truly cinematic games you'll likely find. As with all other Cinemaware games, beautifully drawn intermissions and cutscenes are included. This is the rarer EGA version of the game released by Mirrorsoft which puts it on par with the Commodore 64 version, with vibrant graphics and the same gameplay that we all know and love. Two thumbs up!
This is a very early Amiga game, one that many retailers used to show off the system. For the time the hand drawn graphics are beautiful. This is one of my favorite all time games. The gameplay is nowhere near what we have today, but it is a must play for everyone who owns an Amiga it will run on. One problem with the game is that once you beat it, it will probably just get shelved, it doesn't have enough elements to keep up its re-playability.
After a few plays, DEFENDER OF THE CROWN II becomes quite dull. It's never boring to look at, but it just gets too repetitive. There are various ways to try and make it more interesting through different option screens but, inevitably, it still gets boring to play.
![[Defender of the Crown: Game Boy Advance screenshot]](http://www.lauppert.ws/images2/dotc-gba.jpg)
In 2002, recently resurrected Cinemaware re-released Defender
of the Crown in a digitally remastered
version for Windows
and Game Boy Advance. Reviewers reactions
were mixed, many deplored the lack of a multiplayer option.
With its easily whipped arcade sequences, utter lack of strategic depth, and painfully unrewarding still-screen ending sequence, Defender of the Crown provides an experience about as vacuous as the cheesy flicks that inspired Cinemaware's birth.
Judging from the various message boards scattered throughout the Internet, Defender of the Crown has a large and loyal following. If you're one of its many supporters, then the GBA version will be a welcome addition to your game library. It plays just as well as the game you've been enjoying for years, looks better, and it's portable.
Even though the graphics are 16 (!) years old, they still look great on the GBA. Sound isn’t the best, but it is decent enough as to not detract from the game. Some of the action sequences are difficult until you figure them out, such as the jousting competition. I had a very tough time with the competition until I finally figured out how to get points (it always helps to read the manual). I was then winning the competitions in no time.
