Forums > Find a game > Fantasy setting, DOS, obscure
hunterjwizzard on 12/24/2023 6:45 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
Hi folks,
I hope you like a challenge! This one is going to be tough. My dad(who was not a gamer) bought this CDrom game home from work when I was a kid and our home computer did not have a CDrom drive. I tried to play it a few times when I got my own computer years later but lacked the DOS-fu to make it happen. It sat on a shelf in my dad's office until I finally asked to keep it, and I still had it amidst my junk as recently as late 2022. I got heavily into retro-gaming in 2023 and now really want to play it, but the disk has up and vanished. And worse still, I can't remember the name. Following your posting guidelines, let's see what we can figure out:
When: I never actually got it to run. I know we had the disk in 1998 when I got my first computer, I believe it had been floating around my dad's office for several years before that. Definitely pre-dated windows.
What computer/console/operating system: it was on a CDrom and I could view files on the disk from windows file explorer. I THINK the disk jacket said MSdos and 286 as the minimum system requirements. I know from the case art it probably dated to the early 90s, but could have been a re-release of an even older floppy disk game. The game came in one of those plastic and cardboard jewel cases, you know the kind with the plastic insert to hold the disk itself but then cardboard around it instead of clear plastic.
Genre/Gameplay: I never actually got to play it. The setting was definitely something fantasy-esque.
View: never got it to run so not sure.
Setting: The cover art was of adventurers or possibly vikings. It may have had norse themes.
Graphics/Visual style: probably pixel art, there were some tiny screen shots on the back.
It was definitely NOT any well-known game like Ultima or Myst or Diablo. I'm quite certain if it were something noteworthy I'd have noticed on one of the last three times I found the disk. I seem to recall that the name started with a U. I had thought it might be Ultima, it wasn't. It may also have been an O, like Odenverse or something. Udenverse? None of these are real games.
I'm aware this is a huge long shot, but its been heavily eating at me. I moved earlier this year and lost MANY sentimental things. I've been wishing off and on to finally play this game for over 25 years now. Even if its bad, just getting to experience it would make me feel a little better.
hunterjwizzard on 12/24/2023 10:15 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
I've already gone through the database of every CDrom release from the beginning all the way to 1994 or so. I have a sneaking suspician this game was either a re-release under a different title, or some combination of extremely rare and extremely forgettable. The search douth continue, though.
Rwolf (23328) on 12/25/2023 2:11 AM · edited · Reply · Permalink · Report
The only Viking-related title I can recall starting with an 'O' right now is 'Odens Öga' which only was in Swedish and Norwegian, plus it came out in 1999 for Win95, so that is probably not it.
There is also an old fantasy game called Unreal: https://www.mobygames.com/game/16391/unreal/ While our covers are with floppies, but it could possibly have been republished much later on CD.
hunterjwizzard on 12/25/2023 3:51 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
That part I may be remembering incorrectly. The only bits I am 100% sure of are cardboard case, CDrom, and definitely fantasy.
Rwolf (23328) on 12/25/2023 7:16 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
The packaging varies for different releases of the same game, and it is not at all certain that your version is on file here. Somewhat better chances to find a game if it was released in a larger market, with English language etc. Oddball games seldom reach beyond the initial market, which may be small.
hunterjwizzard on 12/26/2023 2:54 AM · Reply · Permalink · Report
That's my worry.
I found a lot of neat things when I moved. Also lost a lot of things. Somewhat of a faustianbargain, that.
hunterjwizzard on 12/28/2023 1:32 AM · Reply · Permalink · Report
It seems the game I was searching for is "Celtic Tales: Balor of the Evil Eye". I did see it several times searching Moby Games, but a user on Reddit sent me to an eBay auction, and seeing a picture of the physical package jarred my memory. Turns out I even have the manual for it(which I actually know where is). I just could not find the disk.
Feels so good.
Rwolf (23328) on 12/28/2023 4:08 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
Good you could identify your game at last!
If you find the rest of the packaging, maybe we could please ask for some scans of the missing bits? We only have the front cover on file currently.
https://www.mobygames.com/game/1914/celtic-tales-balor-of-the-evil-eye/
hunterjwizzard on 12/28/2023 4:24 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
I got a little exuberant and ordered a copy of the jewel case version on eBay, so I will absolutely provide some high rez scans when it gets here. I've also got the manual right now, though a full scan of that can be found on Archive.org.
Do you only accept scans from users? The big box version of the game appears to be extremely rare(only 2 for sale on eBay priced at $300USD & $800USD respectively) but there are some high-quality pictures that can be pulled down.
hunterjwizzard on 1/6/2024 9:58 PM · Reply · Permalink · Report
Game arrived today, I gathered some high res images. How do I go about providing them?
Thanks!
Rwolf (23328) on 1/7/2024 12:52 AM · Reply · Permalink · Report
Nice!
First, which country your covers were released for, also check on the covers for publishers, and which year the covers have on them (e.g. if it's a later re-release). Go to the game page linked above, and use the green 'contribute' menu item top right, and then select to contribute 'cover art' in the next menu.
Make sure you images are straight & cropped to the edges of the covers - not sure what tools you have available, I use something called irfanview myself. The CD should be rotated so the text is readable.
Crate a new cover set, (or add to an existing one only if you are sure it is the same). Fill in the required information for the cover set e.g. countries valid for the release, package type 'jewel case' or 'keep case' or 'box' or similar depending on your item , and click/drag the images one by one to the submission window, and select what type of image each one is - front cover , media, back cover, manual, etc.
When all images are done, finish your submission with the button at the bottom, and hope for the best :-) It is normal to get the first submissions a bit wrong, so expect a WIP message with requests to change something after it has been looked a, don't worry I still get that sometimes.
Things that are interesting are e.g. tech-specs for a game, if we don't have this already, this is sometimes on the side of a box. A manual is only accepted on the front/back covers, not the inside - unless if used to corroborate credits or tech info not found otherwise.