The date: March 31, 1989, the game: Shadowgate!
Shadowgate is a 1987 video game originally for the Mac and the most popular in the MacVenture series. It was also released in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, where it garnered mild success.
"The player must solve a series of puzzles throughout the castle in order to proceed to the Warlock Lord's chamber. Due to the castle's perilous nature, at least one lit torch must be in the player's possession at all times; if the torch is extinguished, the player soon stumbles, breaking his neck and must continue from a saved game (the area in which they died on game consoles). Since there are only a finite number of torches to be found throughout the game, this effectively acts as a time limit to proceedings."
Shadowgate has a special place in my heart, so much so that I even purchased it for my Compaq Ipaq years later (although I never really played it all that much on the Ipaq). What makes the game so great?
It's a thinking mans game, you've got to be very careful or you end up dead. It's not simply "free roam" but very careful planned steps. Many items can be moved, picked up, organized, combined in some cases and utilized in the most odd fashion.
The most recent game that reminds me of classic Shadowgate would be Myst. It had the environment, the creative puzzles and the foot stomping frustration.
"The game is notorious for its many opportunities of death, including being burned by a dragon's breath, attacked by a cyclops, sucked into outer space through a broken mirror, dissolved by acidous slime and mauled by a wolf-woman, eaten by sharks, not to mention suicide. In fact, virtually any action taken by the player which is not the correct solution to a puzzle will result in a fatality."
Initially you feel invincible until that first torch fails and you're neck snaps - clumsy little guy, isn't he?
Another classic for the history books. Also loved DeJa Vu, a detective game with the same concepts and design.
Derrick
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