Defender of the Crown

Defender of the Crown is definitely one of those games that Cinemaware can be very proud of, and it is very commendable that they decided to release it as freeware, especially when the newer version (it came out in 2002) saw the light of the day. I guess it’s great promotion for the company and they have nothing to be ashamed of with the original, it’s still very enjoyable. You should however try the new game as well – I found it even better.

Defender of the Crown is een zeer afwisselend spel. Van alles komt op je af, onder andere taktiek, aktie en romantiek. Grafisch zit het bovendien schitterend in elkaar. Jammer dat het nogal traag loopt, zoals vele andere CD-I games.

The game was almost perfect. The blend of the three styles was superb, balancing the game very well. Some more subtle requirements, such as the necessity for high reputation and the need to fill your war chest required the player to engage into all three major activities.

I know the game sounds pretty simple, but I assure you that it is fun to play. It is easy enough, it can be learned immediately, but it's also pretty hard to finish. I especially recommend this game to younger gamers or those new to turn-based strategies.

This colorful role-playing adventure will present a good challenge for the experienced Power Player.

Defender of the Crown is quite enjoyable, with good graphical elements and diverse game play. This is the type of game that would appeal to any who like a modicum of civilization games, with a pinch of turn-based strategy, and a dash of combat.

The first time I played Defender of the Crown was on my Apple IIGS computer back in 1990. The graphics, sound, and gameplay were all extremely well put together back in those days. Crawfish managed to get everything that made the game so charming more than ten years ago into the Game Boy Advance system. The game is absolutely recommended, but it really is a shame that the developers didn't get link support in. The game just begs to be played against real opponents...but it's not to be. But at least the single player gameplay is deceptively addictive...just keep in mind that it requires more brain than gaming brawn.

In 1986, I swore this was one of the best games I would ever play. I feel like a better, happier man to discover, in the harsh light of 2002, I wasn't entirely wrong.

Considerable effort has been made to emulate the high quality graphics of the Amiga original with the result that most of the screens are virtually identical. The ST's in-game tunes are probably the best, if a touch tinny. A few omissions have been made, (Robin Hood no longer makes an appearance) but to make up for this, features like spying on other Lord's armies and rebels plotting mayhem throughout the land have been added. The Amiga's playability has been improved upon, making more of a wargame than the other versions. However, it still suffers from being too easy to get through.

The PC Defender is every bit as good as the original in terms of creating the illusion of participating in a film, but is not quite as playable as it is on the Commodore 64.

While the old-school Amiga, Apple II, and Atari versions of this game pretty much hit the nail smack-dab on the head in execution, the GBA version does an even better job in terms of managing your army, keeping the gameplay tight, and purporting detailed visuals. There are plenty of between-scenario illustrations and animations that help to give Defender of the Crown a polished look and the many instances of combat are set against varying and detailed backdrops. Aurally, the game seems to have all its ducks in a row, but it is hard not to notice the similarities between this title and the previous ports as far as the audio elements are concerned.

Like the alternative to earning treasure, Defender of the Crown makes it possible to avoid battles and still acquire additional factions of land. Whether attending a tournament or holding one for a mere five pieces of gold, players can joust for either fame or land. Upon charging at each other with a lance in hand, one opponent will end up dropping to the ground. The battle then ensues with a mace bout that spells the end for one and victory for another. Betting land against an opponent can be risky since there’s much more at stake, but is also quite rewarding if players are skilled enough for the challenge.

Defender of the Crown is an enjoyable and challenging game. There are number of paths to victory, but none are easy.

Nevertheless, Defender of the Crown is a fine addition to any strategy gamer’s library. While many of the modern games, such as Advance Wars, are better games, the mere fact that a straight port of a 15-year-old game can still compare to the newest titles on the market is a testament to the thoughtful design that Cinemaware created when the game first came out.

Metro3D, Crawfish, and Cinemaware deserve a great deal of credit for bringing such a beloved game out of retirement. Anyone who has played Defender of the Crown on the Commodore 64, Amiga, or NES will quickly fall in love with the GBA version. It's just too bad the developers didn't see fit to add any new gameplay features or a multiplayer mode.

DOTC was an interesting computer game that successfully paired beginner-level war gaming with some of the most vivid graphics around. The NES version, however, lacks the sharp visuals of the original and what we end up with is a slow-moving cart that will appeal to die-hard war-gamers only.

Wer sich schon immer wunderte, womit man vor Erfindung der Videospiele die Zeit vertrieben hat, weiß jetzt Bescheid: Eroberungen, Duelle und Raubzüge füllten den Arbeitstag gemütlich aus. Dank der originellen Spielidee ist man von Defender of the Crown zunächst sehr angetan. Die immer wiederkehrenden Actionteile nutzen sich aber rasch ab. Außerdem gibt es keinen Weg, um den Spielstand zu sichern. Für Einsteiger hat die Mischung aus Strategie und Action sicher ihren Reiz, aber fortgeschrittene Spieler werden sich zu schnell langweilen.

Die neue NES-Version ist zwar schwerer und spielerisch ein wenig erweitert worden, aber im Gegenzug rasselte die Qualität der Grafik gewaltig nach unten. Alles in allem ein gebremstes Vergnügen, dessen Spielprinzip Abnutzungserscheinungen zeigt.

Defender of the Crown är en klassiker. Det var ett bra spel när det släpptes första gången för drygt sex år sedan, men nu har det inte mycket att komma med längre. Spelet ger en nostalgikick för oss erfarna spelare, men inte mycket mer.

Kaum ein Spieleveteran, dem der Name Cinemaware kein Glänzen in die Augen zaubert. Warum der Entwickler aus seligen Amiga-Tagen so populär war, ist aus heutiger Sicht schwer nachzuvollziehen. Glänzte Defender of the Crown im Original noch mit überragenden Grafiken, kann die Neuauflage auf diesen Bonus nicht mehr zählen. So offenbart sich, wie wenig Spiel sich in dem einstigen Blender verbirgt.

Auweia, ein echter Rohrkrepierer: Die Neuauflage des Strategie-Action-Mix Defender of the Crown enthält die selben Fehler und Design-Dummheiten wie das Original von 1986. Als einer von vier Sachsen sollen Sie England von den Normannen säubern – was quasi unmöglich ist. Auf der Karte sehen Sie die Gebiete, die vom Gegner besetzt sind. Mit aus Steuereinnahmen rekrutierten Soldaten überfallen oder verteidigen Sie die Ländereien – komisch nur, dass die Computergegner immer fünfmal soviele Ritter in der selben Zeit anheuern können wie Sie. Der Versuch, sich das Leben mit Überfällen oder Turnieren zu erleichtern, endet in Frust. Das Mausgeklicke bei den Schwertkämpfen ist müßig, das Ausrichten der Lanze auf den Schild des Gegners beim Turnier vom Zufall bestimmt. Früher war noch die Grafik Motivation, heute machen Sie besser einen großen Bogen um das Spiel!