Defender of the Crown
Reviewed by Jack Bladel
Originally released on a variety of computer platforms, Defender
of the Crown (DotC) was successfully ported to the NES console by
Konami's Ultra series. Thank goodness, because it is one of the most
unique and enjoyable games ever released for the NES. Although it
isn't the greatest hybrid game ever made (that honor goes to Sid Meier's
Pirates!), it is truly outstanding in almost every respect. You must play
the role of a Saxon lord in medieval England. Your goal: To fend off rival
Saxons and defeat the Norman Lords, thus uniting England under one
ruler. Meanwhile, the crown itself is missing! Fortunately, the legendary
Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest is available to help you (3 times) in your
task of uniting the realm and recovering the crown.
Graphics: 5 out of 5
The company responsible for the original DotC (Apple, Commodore, and
IBM PC versions) was appropriately named Cinemaware. Like all of their
games, DotC has outstanding graphics, especially in the "cut-scenes"
that resemble scenes from a Hollywood motion-picture. This was a
decade before the explosion of the CDROM, so keep in mind that this
was really a magnificent achievement for the day.
Music and Sound: 4 out of 5
Excellent overall. A rousing score dominates the soundtrack. Sound
effects (especially the launching catapult!) are quite effective in
general. My only complaint is that the action sequence music can get
repetitive and is a little too much on the perky side -- if you changed
a few notes, you'd be listening to the famous incidental music of the
Peanuts cartoons.
Game Challenge: 3 out of 5
This depends on whether or not you can handle both the action and
strategy elements with equal finesse. Most will have more trouble with
one than the other, and so DotC will probably present you with a reasonable
level of challenge no matter what your particular skills. Also, there are 4
Saxon lords with different RPG stats, so you can always pick a more
"difficult" character for yourself to play.
Game Play-Fun: 5 out of 5
DotC is truly a pleasure to play. It integrates very different elements
(strategy, action, role-playing) into a fairly coherent whole, and so the
whole is greater than sum of the parts. I'm a big fan of medieval history,
so I may enjoy the setting more than many gamers will. Even so, there is
just enough swashbuckling and romance thrown into the mix that even
those who sleep in history class will probably get a kick out of this.
Frustration
You won't encounter as much frustration as with the typical platformer
when it comes to the action sequences, although they can be a bit tricky
at times. The main frustrations come from the iffy controls in the jousting
sequences (which is a VERY VERY BAD thing should you hit your opponent's
horse...essentially the game is over for you, you disgraceful lout!) and
from the fact that you can't save your progress.
Replayability: 5 out of 5
DotC shines when it comes to replayability. With 4 different Saxon lord
characters to play with and numerous possible approaches to victory,
no two games are ever going to play out exactly alike. Also, the wide
variety of mini-game sequences keeps things fresh.
Save/Password Feature
One of the few serious drawbacks to DotC is that it has no battery backup
for saving games, and there is no password feature or any other way to
resume your progress. Admittedly, DotC is on the short side for a strategy
game, but it is still quite long compared with other Nintendo games, and
therefore it really does need a save game mechanism.
Overall: 4 out of 5
Don't be fooled by the fact that I only give DotC 4 out of 5 stars. This isn't
just a good game, it is a GREAT game. You might not be up to the particular
style of play it offers, and it really should have a save game system.
Nevertheless, it is one of the crown jewels of my collection and it should
be in yours, too.