Lionheart (video game)
Lionheart is a computer game for the Commodore Amiga. It was published in 1993 by Thailon software. The project team consisted of Erik Simon, the programmers Erwin Kloibhofer and Michael Bittner, and from Henk Nieborg (graphics) and Matthias Steinwachs ( music). Became famous for the award-winning game by the fact that were deliberately omitted a copy to alert the public to the problem of black copies. In 1994 Lionheart was republished in German language. 2008, a freeware remake was released.
Action
Valdyn, also called Lionheart, is the hero of the game and a mixture of man and cat. He received this nickname because of his courage by the holy jewel of the kingdom, which is displayed once a year to the people, to prove the divinity of the king. When this is taken away from the villain of the game, Norka, three days before the festival, the person sitting in the dungeons of the king Valdyn is tasked with retrieving the Jewel. In addition to the gem Valdyn must procure an antidote for his transformed in the attack in stone girlfriend Ilene, that grows only in the country Norkas.
Levels
There are the difficulty levels Normal, Hard ( difficult) and Lionhard (very difficult) available. According to the game manual " mode for sissies " is not provided. In addition to difficult to shred opponents the more difficult modes also provide for other ways to cross the level. As a bonus elements, the game looks energy crystals ( 100 pieces off another life point -free) and drinks (regeneration of life points), life spheres ( extra lives ) and Swords ( higher impact force) before.
The game consists of seven worlds with a total of 13 levels, where there is a secret world with an additional level in which the amulet is to ilenes liberation. The first two worlds are divided into levels, which are joined by cavities. The first level in world 4 is traversed riding a lizard, World 5 is traversed flying and is therefore played as a horizontally -scrolling shoot 'em up. Within each level there are again hidden bonus sections.
- World 1 - The Swamp (3 levels )
- World 2 - The City (3 levels )
- World 3 - The Volcano
- Secret levels under the volcano
- World 4 - The Floating Ship (2 levels )
- World 5 - The Dragons Flight
- World 6 - Norkas Castle
- World 7 - Norka
Depending on whether the next victory over Norka also the amulet is found, the game displays two different end credits.
Reviews
Lionheart was praised without exception by the press, especially for graphics. This provides for switching between video modes for the Amiga and provides parallax scrolling in multiple directions. In better-equipped computers additional effects were visible. Among other things, the game received an Amiga Joker hit, and a hit ASM.
Background
Thailon Software announced before release of the game, it would appear without copy protection. The background was that Amiga games increasingly came at the time of the appearance of Lionheart in the call to no longer be lucrative compared to other platforms. The reason for this the piracy scene has been identified. Thailon made more releases for the Amiga of the achieved sales of games and Lionheart Ambermoon dependent. Should the game be sold in sufficient quantities, Thailon would not produce games for the Amiga more.
In a later interview Erik Simon described the software piracy as a major reason for the insolvency Thalions. Henk Nieborg speaks against high sales figures and makes his and Erwin Kloibhofers change at Psygnosis responsible for ensuring that Lionheart 2 was never programmed.
Trivia
- In the game Amber Moon, also from Thailon software, there is a cameo of Valdyn.