Hero's Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero

The Good
The fact that you could build your character up, collect cash and buy potions, daggers and armor. The RPG aspect left the other sierra quests of the time in the dust.

Catchy sound track!!

best commands: cast flame throw dagger run! -> make sure you not to heavy else you run on the spot and get munched

I also enjoyed the fact that you could press ctrl-a to "ask about" and other such short cuts which made getting the info you require so much easier.

I spent hours and days just going into the forests taking out Goblins and Brigands to get their cash. The fact that there are three story lines with different paths makes it a game you can play over and over again.

The Bad
Nothing, it was the best game I had on my XT and looked awesome in monochrome, and cga emulation because of textures, almost a disappointment when I first saw it in 16 color ega :-)

The Bottom Line
If you enjoyed early quests games but want just a little bit more than just points. This game introduced RPG skills allowing you to name your character build up stats and then export them later. Also has a very interesting storyline that leads into the next quest which makes you want the sequel

The Good
While I was still growing up, there were two major game companies that people around at the time would have been familiar with: Sierra and Origin. The former focused on creating top-notch adventures, while the latter dealt with role-playing games. So when Sierra decided to create a game that mixes these two genres together, it was unheard of back then.

The player controls an unnamed character who enters the town of Spielburg which is overrun by brigands; and to make matters worse, a witch known as Baba Yaga has cast a spell on the baron's daughter which has transformed her into their leader. At the start of the game, you choose one of three character classes: Fighter, Magic User, and Thief, and assign different traits to him. You have limited points to do this, so the player needs to decide wisely.

What I like about Hero's Quest is the way you can fight certain types of enemies including monsters, goblins, and brigands; and the way you can search their fallen bodies for coins to spend on restring your health and magic points. And the more you fight these monster, the more easier you can win. There are two very useful commands when you deal with these monsters. The "escape" commands lets you get away from those monsters, if you don't want to reduce your health or stamina points; while the command "Run" is useful for running across the screen in two seconds, therefore bypassing any monster.

Each character class influence what you do and the locations you are able to visit. For instance, if you are a fighter, you can't duel with Erasmus nor can you break into houses . You can however, as one class, be able to develop traits from another class. This way you won't have to replay the game with another class.

The graphics are the most colorful in any Sierra game. There are forests that are worth exploring, and the monsters are well drawn. (The Cheetaur must be the scariest monster I've seen in the game!) The music blends in well with your surroundings, as well as any situations you are in. The sound effects are atmospheric as well.

When you die, you see the usual Sierra dialog box with the Restore, Restart, and Quit options, with hints on how to overcome the situation instead of the usual humorous message which appears in brief within the title bar. I like this, as it is an unusual take of the normal death dialog box.

There are funny things you can do in this game. For instance, picking up a lot of rocks on the ground will result in your character walking like an old man. Also, making him run and slowing the game down will result in jerky movement.

Other things that I enjoy about the game: You can spend as long as you like in the game and the same things happen each passing day (It's like Groundhog Day!). You can save your character stats at the end of the game, and use these in Quest For Glory II, so that you don't have to build your character up again. Actually, this is recommended since you have thirty days to complete the game.

The Bad
I didn't like the way sometimes when you need to be somewhere in the forest where you have to deal with monsters. You get close to where you need to go, only to face a monster, and you have to load up one of your saved games. I remember loading up my game about five times then having to face a Cheetaur.

The Bottom Line
Up until now, I refused to play any game in the QFG series because I thought that it would be very difficult to complete. A bit of adventuring and fighting monsters and searching them for treasure just appealed to me. Yes, it is an adventure/role-playing game hybrid, so you get to select a class and assign certain stats to him. What you are able to do in the game depends on the class you selected. The debut in the series contains amazing graphics and great sounds, and the game can be replayed with a different class. Those who like adventures and role-playing games and anyone who is a Sierra lover should play this game, even if it means spending more time on it than other games.

The Good
The game is great mix of RPG and adventure. Its well drawn and has good animation for its time. The Quest for Glory series is one of the funniest I have ever played and this is no exception. The combat system is simple and fun, and the story carries you along. With three uniques character options the game is very replayable.

The Bad
Beside a few moments when there was nothing going on in the story, as in most adventure games, I didn't dislike anything about it.

The Bottom Line
If you're looking for a good RPG or adventure game look no further, Quest for Glory is what you want. Hero's Quest: So You Want To Be A Hero? is the best place to start.