Amiga

Hero Quest

Where Gremlin has succeeded is in taking all the elements from the board game and convincingly turned them into a highly playable computer game. The control method easily lends itself to multi-player games, while still managing to remain interesting enough for the single player - a rare feat indeed. Hopefully Hero Quest will pave the way for more Games Workshop conversions as the system Gremlin has employed could quite easily lend itself to other games of this ilk. Providing the quality stays this high (and the presentation is tidied up) they should all be just as successful.

Hero Quest is not a fast-moving action game. Fans of the board game will enjoy this computerised incarnation. Newcomers to the game will rise to the challenge and everybody will appreciate the easy-to-use icon system. The computer version doesn't include the same maps as found in the board game. Therefore, all would-be heroes will be able to compete at the same level. With some 14 quests in all, Hero Quest represents excellent value for money.

It's an excellent RPG trainer, especially for younger heroes. Extremely friendly and highly playable, low level fantasy bash. The first seven quests are too easy, just like the board-game. Graphics and sound capture that authentic Hero Quest feel. The best board-game conversion to date.

There's nothing to fault the gameplay for, and the game moves in a logical fashion. A sense of atmosphere is hard to get in a game like this but somehow Gremlin have pulled it off. My main quibble is that once a mission is completed, lost energy is not restored. The only other fault I can find is the lack of interest for solitary players. The difficulty of the scenarios assumes at least a couple of players, so those playing on their own might find it some what frustrating. Still, Gremlin must be congratulated for a job well done.

From the smart introduction screens to the main menu, Hero Quest is technically superb. The loading times are fast, copy protection is short and simple (simply look up a badge in the manual), and the fourteen quests on one disk are certainly value for money. Sadly, you really have to be a big fan of boardgames to fully enjoy this one. Hero Quest really isn't a computer game; rather it's a boardgame on your computer.

On the whole, Hero Quest is a nice and simple game. It may not be suited for RPG-freaks. But beginners and fans of the board game will like it because it imitates the original version almost perfectly! And the multiplayer option is especially well done because the characters don't have to play all the missions together, but can go their own ways partly.

Einsteiger auf der Suche nach einem leicht erlernbaren Fantasy-Game dürfen also getrost mal einen Versuch mit Hero Quest wagen. Rollenspiel-Profis hingegen sind hier hoffnungslos unterfordert – ihnen bleibt ein weiteres Mal die bittere Erkenntnis, daß ein tolles Brettspiel nicht unbedingt ein ebenso tolles Computerspiel abgibt.

Als Brettspiel ist Hero Quest faszinierend und unkompliziert zugleich; viel konnte Gremlin bei der Umsetzung des einfachen Spielprinzips also nicht falsch machen. Trotzdem ist die ganze Sache recht mager ausgefallen: die Monster rühren sich kaum, gelangweilt marschiert man durch die meist leeren Räume und Gänge. Das Münzgewürfle hätten sich die Macher sparen sollen: Auf dem Computer lassen sich im Gegensatz zum Brettspiel bekanntlich verschiedene Züge gleichzeitig ausführen. Umsetzung hin, Umsetzung her: Bei Hero Quest hätte sich Gremlin etwas mehr von der Brettvorlage lösen und dafür auf 16-Bit-Technologie zurückgreifen sollen.