Source: Advanced Computer Entertainment – Issue Number 29 – February 1990
- Tag Archives gaming
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Lord of the Rings, Vol. 1 (DOS)
Lord of the Rings, Vol. 1 is a computer fantasy role playing game based on the first volume of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. This game was originally released by Interplay in 1990 though there was a later CD edition released as well. It was available on DOS based PCs, the Amiga, FM Towns, and PC-98 (the latter two being platforms available in Japan).
I have mixed feelings about RPGs based on books. If I’ve never read the book, then I guess it doesn’t really matter. However, in the case of Lord of the Rings, I had read the books before the game existed. This affects your game experience because not only are you already familiar with the world, but with the specific story. However, the good news is that the game does add other significant side quests that aren’t in the books so you won’t be familiar with everything even if you have read the books.
This game is played from a top down perspective and combat is turn based. This is very open ended game and you can roam wherever you want and complete various quests. Of course the main quest has to also be followed at some point in order to complete the game. This is my personal favorite style of RPG. It is reminiscent of the Gold Box AD&D games as well as other popular computer RPGs of the time.
This game generally got positive reviews at the time it was released. The open ended nature and additional quests means that there is a little something for everyone here. The main storyline is largely intact from the book if that’s what you are looking for but there are also different quests and various ways to get there. Whether you’ve read the books or not, this should be an enjoyable game if you like RPGs of this style.
The special edition CD-ROM version that came a long a couple of years later enhances the game somewhat. The most important thing it adds is an automapping feature. While I really like a lot of old school RPGs, I always found the ones that make you do your own mapping a bit more tedious than I would like so this is a welcome enhancement. It also adds a soundtrack and cutscenes from the 1978 Lord of the Rings cartoon. I don’t care much about the cutscenes but the soundtrack is nice.
If you do want to give this game a try, you’ll have to find an original copy or one of the re-releases that came along a few years later. There was the above mentioned special edition that was also packaged with The Two Towers as well as a Interplay 10 year anniversary collection that included this game. Both of these were released in 1993 and I don’t think there have been any subsequent releases.
Screen shots above are from the DOS version of the game. The ad at the top features the box art which was done by the Brothers Hildebrandt.
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NFL Blitz (Nintendo 64)
The field used to be a bit more varied when it came to football video games. These days, it seems like Madden is the only thing anybody plays. NFL Blitz is another series of football games that was first introduced as an arcade game in 1997. It was also ported to a few home platforms, including the Nintendo 64, the following year.
NFL Blitz was definitely more of an arcade style game vs. being a strict simulation of the game. For instance, there were only seven players per side instead of eleven and each player could typically perform a number of rolls. It wasn’t unusual, for instance, for a wide receiver to also pass the ball. There are no timeouts (though the clock stops after every play) and extra points are automatic but can be randomly missed on occasion. Also, a lot of things that would be penalties in a real NFL game are not penalties in NFL Blitz. Late hits, pass interference, and things that would normally be considered unsportsmanlike conduct are all just fine in this game.
These differences mostly serve to create a more fast paced and exciting game. This would have been especially important in an arcade setting where a true simulation would just take too long. Those that are dead set on a more accurate simulation of the game might not find this one satisfying but it is still a fun football-like game.
NFL Blitz was a popular game on the Nintendo 64. Despite the liberties taken with realism (or maybe because of them) it is still a blast to play. Back in the day, most football games took quite a few liberties. Street Sports Football, Tecmo Bowl, and Cyberball are a few of my favorites that come to mind. None of them approached the realism of a modern day Madden (and most didn’t try). It never stopped them from being fun.
Like Madden, NFL Blitz was a series of games of which this was only the first. In addition to the Nintendo 64, the first game was also available on the PlayStation, Windows, and Game Boy Color. I think that the Nintendo 64 version was the most popular though. Perhaps because fewer football games were available on that system. It also tended to get higher review scores that the PlayStation and Windows versions though they all seem to have been well regarded. NFL Blitz 2000 and NFL Blitz 2001 were sequels that were also released on the Nintendo 64. There were also later sequels but these were released on newer systems.
If you are a fan of football video games then this one is worth checking out even if you prefer your games with a bit more realism. Unfortunately, I’m not aware of any re-releases so you’ll have to track down an original version for the system of your choice or make do with emulation. I suspect that the use of NFL licenses means that this game will never be re-released.
Screenshots above are all from the Nintendo 64 version of the game.