Conan: Hall of Volta
Encyclopedia
Conan: Hall of Volta is a 1984
action
/platform
computer game, designed by Eric Robinson and Eric Parker, and published by Datasoft
. It is based on the character Conan
created by Robert E. Howard
.
Released in 1984, this game's launch coincided with the debut of the sequel to the popular feature film
, 1984's Conan the Destroyer
. The game's box even featured a painting of Arnold Schwarzenegger
as the muscle-bound warrior with his new costume for Destroyer. Despite this attempted tie-in, the game has little to do with the movie series except for the fact that it features the Cimmerian
in the title role. This is due to having originally been designed without the Conan tie-in, as a boomerang throwing game titled Visigoth. One of the screenshots on the back of the packaging is from a prototype version, and shows a boomerang instead of a sword.
fortress. Conan is armed with 10 boomerang
sword
s. From time to time, Conan may be aided by an "Avian Ally" as he attempts to defeat Volta's sinister hordes, which included bat
s, scorpion
s, giant ant
s, fire-breathing dragon
s and floating eyeballs.
The game includes seven diverse levels requiring the player to navigate lava
pits, geyser
s, spike pits, and floating platforms. Along the way the player often needed to collect magic gems or keys in order to progress.
In the game, Conan doesn't simply jump, he somersault
s. If he falls, he launches into a full-scale dive
. These effects, along with the diverse levels, made this game popular.
Though seven levels is considered sparse by today's standards, since the game didn't include any facilities to save throughout the course of the game, the seven levels usually kept most players occupied for some time. The players needed to conquer each level anew while attempting to defeat Volta.
One original feature of the game's time was a close-up picture that would be shown upon the player's last death. For example, dying in the first level might show a close-up picture of a bat with the caption "bats in the belfry". Deaths in other levels would yield a picture of a hazard unique to that level.
to the Commodore 64
and Atari 400/800
. The Apple II original offers more control (thanks to its 2-button joystick), though lacks the soundtrack found in the ports.
1984 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
/platform
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
computer game, designed by Eric Robinson and Eric Parker, and published by Datasoft
Datasoft
Datasoft, Inc. was a video game developer and publisher founded in 1980 by Pat Ketchum. Based out of Chatsworth, California, Datasoft ported games from arcade systems to personal computers and acquired licenses for games from famous movies and TV shows....
. It is based on the character Conan
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
created by Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
.
Released in 1984, this game's launch coincided with the debut of the sequel to the popular feature film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, 1984's Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer
Conan the Destroyer is a 1984 American action fantasy film directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mako returning to resume their roles as Conan and Akiro the wizard, respectively. The cast also includes Grace Jones, Wilt Chamberlain, Tracey Walter and Olivia d'Abo. It is...
. The game's box even featured a painting of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
as the muscle-bound warrior with his new costume for Destroyer. Despite this attempted tie-in, the game has little to do with the movie series except for the fact that it features the Cimmerian
Cimmeria (Conan)
Cimmeria is a fictional land of barbarians in antediluvian earth and the homeland of Conan the Barbarian in the works of Robert E. Howard.-Fictional history:...
in the title role. This is due to having originally been designed without the Conan tie-in, as a boomerang throwing game titled Visigoth. One of the screenshots on the back of the packaging is from a prototype version, and shows a boomerang instead of a sword.
Description
The player controls Conan as he attacks the evil Volta in his castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
fortress. Conan is armed with 10 boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s. From time to time, Conan may be aided by an "Avian Ally" as he attempts to defeat Volta's sinister hordes, which included bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
s, giant ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, fire-breathing dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
s and floating eyeballs.
The game includes seven diverse levels requiring the player to navigate lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
pits, geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
s, spike pits, and floating platforms. Along the way the player often needed to collect magic gems or keys in order to progress.
In the game, Conan doesn't simply jump, he somersault
Somersault
A somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which a person does a full 360° flip, moving the feet over the head. A somersault can be performed either forwards, backwards, or sideways and can be executed in the air or on the ground...
s. If he falls, he launches into a full-scale dive
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
. These effects, along with the diverse levels, made this game popular.
Though seven levels is considered sparse by today's standards, since the game didn't include any facilities to save throughout the course of the game, the seven levels usually kept most players occupied for some time. The players needed to conquer each level anew while attempting to defeat Volta.
One original feature of the game's time was a close-up picture that would be shown upon the player's last death. For example, dying in the first level might show a close-up picture of a bat with the caption "bats in the belfry". Deaths in other levels would yield a picture of a hazard unique to that level.
Ports
This game was originally written for the Apple II and portedPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Atari 400/800
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
. The Apple II original offers more control (thanks to its 2-button joystick), though lacks the soundtrack found in the ports.