Stormbringer (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Stormbringer is a computer game written by David Jones
and released in 1987 by Mastertronic
on the Mastertronic Added Dimension label. It was originally released on the ZX Spectrum
, Commodore 64
, Amstrad CPC
and MSX
. A version for the Atari ST
was published in 1988. It is the fourth and final game in the Magic Knight
series. The in-game music is by David Whittaker.
. However, there has been an accident whilst travelling back and there are now two Magic Knights - the other being "Off-White Knight", the dreaded Stormbringer (so called because of his storm cloud which he plans to use to destroy Magic Knight).
Magic Knight cannot kill Off-White Knight without destroying himself in the process. His only option is to find Off-White Knight and merge with him.
and Knight Tyme
(1986).
Magic Knight again has a limited amount of strength which is used up performing actions and moving from screen to screen as well as being sapped by various enemies such as the Stormbringer's storm cloud and spinning axes and balls that bounce around some rooms and should be avoided. The need for the player to keep a close eye on Magic Knight's strength and avoid enemies means that Stormbringers gameplay is closer to the arcade adventure feel of Spellbound rather than the much more pure graphic adventure feel of Knight Tyme.
As with the previous two Magic Knight games, there are numerous characters with whom Magic Knight can interact and have help him. Magic Knight's spellcasting abilities are also important for solving the game's puzzles including the "merge" spell to be used when he finds Off-White Knight.
David Jones (programmer)
David Jones is a former freelance computer game programmer who was prolific in the mid-to-late 1980s. He is best known for the creation of the cult computer game character Magic Knight in his 1985 game Finders Keepers for the Mastertronic budget label and released on the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC,...
and released in 1987 by Mastertronic
Mastertronic
Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were distributed in mid-1984. At its peak the label was the dominant software publisher in the UK, a position achieved by selling cassette-based software at the £1.99...
on the Mastertronic Added Dimension label. It was originally released on the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, 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...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
. A version for the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
was published in 1988. It is the fourth and final game in the Magic Knight
Magic Knight
Magic Knight is a computer game character created by freelance programmer David Jones in his 1985 game Finders Keepers for the Mastertronic budget label. Finders Keepers is a flip-screen platform game released on the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64...
series. The in-game music is by David Whittaker.
Plot
Magic Knight finally returns home, having obtained a second-hand time-machine from the Tyme Guardians at the end of Knight TymeKnight Tyme
Knight Tyme is a computer game released for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and MSX compatibles in 1986. It was published by Mastertronic as part of their Mastertronic Added Dimension label....
. However, there has been an accident whilst travelling back and there are now two Magic Knights - the other being "Off-White Knight", the dreaded Stormbringer (so called because of his storm cloud which he plans to use to destroy Magic Knight).
Magic Knight cannot kill Off-White Knight without destroying himself in the process. His only option is to find Off-White Knight and merge with him.
Gameplay
Gameplay takes the form of a graphic adventure, with commands being inputted via the "Windimation" window system, in the style of the previous two games, SpellboundSpellbound (computer game)
Spellbound is a computer game that was designed and programmed by David Jones with music by Rob Hubbard and released in 1985 for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC home computers...
and Knight Tyme
Knight Tyme
Knight Tyme is a computer game released for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and MSX compatibles in 1986. It was published by Mastertronic as part of their Mastertronic Added Dimension label....
(1986).
Magic Knight again has a limited amount of strength which is used up performing actions and moving from screen to screen as well as being sapped by various enemies such as the Stormbringer's storm cloud and spinning axes and balls that bounce around some rooms and should be avoided. The need for the player to keep a close eye on Magic Knight's strength and avoid enemies means that Stormbringers gameplay is closer to the arcade adventure feel of Spellbound rather than the much more pure graphic adventure feel of Knight Tyme.
As with the previous two Magic Knight games, there are numerous characters with whom Magic Knight can interact and have help him. Magic Knight's spellcasting abilities are also important for solving the game's puzzles including the "merge" spell to be used when he finds Off-White Knight.