Spellbound (computer game)
| Spellbound | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | David Jones, Richard Darling, Rob Hubbard |
| Publisher(s) | Mastertronic (on the M.A.D. label) |
| Designer(s) | David Jones |
| Composer(s) | Rob Hubbard |
| Platform(s) | ZX Spectrum (separate 48K and 128K versions), Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari 800/XL/XE |
| Release | 1985, 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game, graphic adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
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 (also with Ed Hickman) home computers. Versions for the Commodore 64 (with Richard Darling) and the Atari 8-bit computers (with Adrian Sheppard) and an enhanced 128K Spectrum version with music and additional graphics were all released in 1986. It is the second game in the Magic Knight series and was published by Mastertronic as part of their Mastertronic Added Dimension label.
Magic Knight is transported to a castle with a collection of other characters and must rescue his friend Gimbal the wizard. Gimbal has become trapped by a self-inflicted "white-out" spell whilst trying to create a better-tasting rice pudding. Magic Knight must rescue Gimbal from his self-inflicted imprisonment and then ensure both she and the castle's other inhabitants are all returned to their correct time and place.
Unlike the previous game in the series, Finders Keepers, the game is less action-oriented and more of a graphic adventure although it still contains some platform game elements.
The player controls Magic Knight as he wanders around the castle. As well as the player character, the cast also contains various other characters who have found themselves there. Like Magic Knight, these characters move around (albeit off-screen, they are always static when on-screen) and can fall asleep and grow hungry. Magic Knight needs to look after and "maintain" these other characters (as well as himself) and this adds a further strategic element to gameplay.
Magic Knight interacts with his environment and other characters using a drop-down window system called "Windimation" full of commands such as "take object" and "talk to character". Because of this, much of the gameplay is quite similar to later graphic adventures such as The Secret of Monkey Island. Most of the games puzzles are solved by using objects in the correct place or giving objects to the correct character and then having them assist you. Another method of solving problems is to use Magic Knight's spellcasting abilities. Most of his spells require him to have collected certain objects first.
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