Hercules (1984 video game)
Encyclopedia
Hercules is a platforming video game
first published for the Commodore 64
by Interdisc in 1984. It was later reissued by Alpha Omega/The Power House (part of CRL Group) and ported to a number of other home computers.
and must complete the Twelve Deathly Labours of Hercules. The game takes the form of many early platform games in that the player must jump from platform to platform and climb ropes in order to move across the screen from a fixed starting point to the goal while avoiding deadly enemies. The main twist in this game is that the platforms are not as they seem when the level begins. Some platforms will turn to fire when walked on (and so kill the player), others cannot be seen until walked on (so will appear out of thin air). There is no way of knowing which platforms will change when starting out so the player must use trial and error and memory to work out the correct path. This is made more difficult by the fact that the levels are not played in sequence. The game can begin with any one of eleven of the twelve labours (the twelfth is always kept until the end) and then every time the player dies or completes a labour, a different random labour begins. There are fifty screens in total.
in 1986 and the Acorn Electron
, BBC Micro
and Commodore 16
/Plus/4
in 1987. The Power House release featured an audio track by H.E.X. on the cassette after the game data.
gave a very positive review of the C64 version in 1986. Despite criticising the graphics and sound, the game won high praise for being tricky, fast paced and addictive. The review concluded: "Don't judge a book by its cover - beneath the awful exterior lies a superb platform game" and awarded a score of 92%.
The Spectrum port received a much less positive reception. Reviews were at best mixed. All reviews criticise the 'awful' graphics and sound. Your Sinclair
awarded the game 3/10 with the author claiming he had given up on the game in frustration. Sinclair User
found the game similarly 'unfair' with 'unspeakably bad' graphics but said it had some 'neat twists' awarding an overall score of 2/5. ZX Computing was more positive, giving a rating of 'good'. Although acknowledging the 'dreadful' presentation and 'unplayable' key sequence, the reviewer claimed the game "proves the point that you don't have to have great graphics for it to be addictive".
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...
first published for 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...
by Interdisc in 1984. It was later reissued by Alpha Omega/The Power House (part of CRL Group) and ported to a number of other home computers.
Gameplay
The player takes the role of HerculesHercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
and must complete the Twelve Deathly Labours of Hercules. The game takes the form of many early platform games in that the player must jump from platform to platform and climb ropes in order to move across the screen from a fixed starting point to the goal while avoiding deadly enemies. The main twist in this game is that the platforms are not as they seem when the level begins. Some platforms will turn to fire when walked on (and so kill the player), others cannot be seen until walked on (so will appear out of thin air). There is no way of knowing which platforms will change when starting out so the player must use trial and error and memory to work out the correct path. This is made more difficult by the fact that the levels are not played in sequence. The game can begin with any one of eleven of the twelve labours (the twelfth is always kept until the end) and then every time the player dies or completes a labour, a different random labour begins. There are fifty screens in total.
Release
The original C64 version was first released in 1984 by the short-lived publisher Interdisc. This version was not reviewed in the gaming press and went largely ignored. It was later picked up by Alpha Omega (part of the CRL Group) and reissued in 1986 (at the £4.99 price point) when it was reviewed for the first time. In late 1986, Alpha Omega became The Power House selling at the lower budget price point of £1.99. The game was then ported and released by The Power House for the ZX SpectrumZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
in 1986 and the Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
, BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
and Commodore 16
Commodore 16
The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
/Plus/4
Commodore Plus/4
The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
in 1987. The Power House release featured an audio track by H.E.X. on the cassette after the game data.
Critical reaction
Zzap!64Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
gave a very positive review of the C64 version in 1986. Despite criticising the graphics and sound, the game won high praise for being tricky, fast paced and addictive. The review concluded: "Don't judge a book by its cover - beneath the awful exterior lies a superb platform game" and awarded a score of 92%.
The Spectrum port received a much less positive reception. Reviews were at best mixed. All reviews criticise the 'awful' graphics and sound. Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
awarded the game 3/10 with the author claiming he had given up on the game in frustration. Sinclair User
Sinclair User
Sinclair User, often abbreviated SU, was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum...
found the game similarly 'unfair' with 'unspeakably bad' graphics but said it had some 'neat twists' awarding an overall score of 2/5. ZX Computing was more positive, giving a rating of 'good'. Although acknowledging the 'dreadful' presentation and 'unplayable' key sequence, the reviewer claimed the game "proves the point that you don't have to have great graphics for it to be addictive".