Lionheart (Jump 'n' Run)
| Lionheart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lionheart Logo (Title Screen) | |
| Studio | Thalion software |
| Publisher | Thalion software |
| Senior Developer | Erik Simon, Erwin Kloibhofer, Michael Bittner, Henk Nieborg, Matthias Steinwachs |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1993 |
| platform | Amiga |
| genre | Jump 'n' run |
| Subject | Fantasy |
| Game mode | Single player |
| control | joystick |
| medium | 4 disks |
| language | English |
| copy protection | none |
Lionheart is a computer game for the Commodore Amiga . It was released by Thalion Software in 1993 . The project team consisted of Erik Simon, the programmers Erwin Kloibhofer and Michael Bittner, as well as Henk Nieborg (graphics) and Matthias Steinwachs (music). The game, which has won several awards, gained notoriety by deliberately avoiding copy protection in order to make the public aware of the problem of black copies .
action
Valdyn, also known as Lionheart, is the hero of the game and a cross between a human and a big cat . He received this nickname because of his courage after the kingdom's sacred jewel, which is shown to the people once a year to prove the king's divinity. When this is stolen by the villain of the game, Norka, three days before the festival, the Valdyn, who is sitting in the dungeons of the king, is tasked with getting the jewel back. In addition to the jewel, Valdyn also has to find an antidote for his friend Ilène, who was turned to stone during the attack and which only grows in the land of Norkas.
Levels
The difficulty levels normal, hard (difficult) and lionhard (very difficult) are available. According to the instructions for the game, a "mode for sissies" is not provided. In addition to enemies that are more difficult to destroy, the more difficult modes also provide other ways of traversing the levels. As bonus elements, the game provides energy crystals (100 pieces unlock an additional life point) and potions (regeneration of life points), life balls (extra life) and swords (higher impact).
The game consists of seven worlds with a total of 13 levels, with a secret world with an additional level in which the amulet for Ilène's liberation is located. The first two worlds are divided into levels that are connected by caves. The first level in world 4 is crossed riding a lizard, world 5 is crossed flying and is thus played as a horizontally scrolling shoot 'em up . There are hidden bonus sections within the individual levels.
- World 1 - The Swamp (3 Levels)
- World 2 - The City (3 Levels)
- World 3 - The volcano
- Secret level under the volcano
- World 4 - The floating ship (2 levels)
- World 5 - The kite flight
- World 6 - Norka's Castle
- World 7 - Norka
Depending on whether the amulet is found in addition to the victory over Norka, the game shows two different credits.
Reviews
Lionheart has received unanimous praise from the trade press, especially for the graphics. This provides for switching between the Amiga's graphic modes and offers parallax scrolling in several directions. Additional effects became visible on better equipped computers. Among other things, the game received an Amiga Joker hit and an ASM hit.
background
Thalion Software announced before the game was released that it would be released without copy protection. The background was that at the time Lionheart was released, Amiga games were increasingly gaining the reputation of being no longer lucrative compared to other platforms. The pirate scene was identified as the reason for this. Thalion made further publications for the Amiga dependent on the achieved sales figures of the games Lionheart and Ambermoon . Should the game not be sold in sufficient numbers, Thalion would no longer produce games for the Amiga.
In a later interview Erik Simon described the piracy as a major reason for insolvency Thalions. Henk Nieborg, on the other hand, speaks of high sales figures and blames his and Erwin Kloibhofer's switch to Psygnosis for the fact that Lionheart 2 was never programmed.
Trivia
- In the game Ambermoon , also by Thalion Software, there is a cameo by Valdyn.
- In the game Cedric and the lost scepter from Alcatraz there is a statue of Valdyn in the city.
Web links
- Lionheart at MobyGames (English)
- Lionheart on the Thalion web shrine
- All reviews of Lionheart on the fansite The Thalion Source
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Instructions for Lionheart, page 18
- ↑ a b Amiga Joker 01/1993, page 17f
- ↑ a b Powerplay 02/1993, pages 14f
- ↑ a b Description of the levels ( Memento of the original from August 14, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . On: Thalion Source. Queryed on March 21, 2010
- ↑ Current Software Markt 03/1993, page 22f
- ↑ Interview with Erik Simon on Thalion Source ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Lionheart on the homepage of Henk Nieborg ( Memento of the original from March 10, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Queried on March 21, 2010
