Rings of Medusa

Last updated
Rings of Medusa
Rings of Medusa cover.jpg
Developer(s) Starbyte Software
Publisher(s) Starbyte Software
General Admission Software (R.O.M. Gold)
Designer(s) Tilmann Bubeck
Programmer(s) Tilmann Bubeck
Artist(s) Thorsten Zimmermann
Composer(s) Jochen Hippel
SeriesRings of Medusa
Platform(s) Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS
Release 1989, 1994 (Gold)
Genre(s) Real-time strategy, RPG
Mode(s) Single-player

Rings of Medusa is a fantasy-themed video game developed and published by Starbyte Software for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS in 1989. The game is a hybrid of role-playing, strategy, and trading genres. It received mixed reviews.

Contents

The game was followed by a sequel, The Return of Medusa in 1991, and an enhanced remake, R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa, in 1994.

Gameplay

The game centers around the quest of Prince Cirion of Morenor attempting to save the kingdom from an evil spell of the demonworld queen Medusa who has split his country and forced him into exile. Cirion must find five magic rings, scattered around the country, to summon the witch for a final showdown.

The rings can be found by conquering cities, digging for treasure and a sea fight. The player must gain enough money to finance a strong army. To achieve this, the protagonist Cirion trades in goods between towns, where he is subject to bandit attacks (scouts increase view range to enable avoiding them). On the map the player may also dig for treasures, conquer cities and install troops to defend that town, and later cross the large ocean and visit other islands.

Within the game, the player controls directly only the squadron that Cirion is with, whereas the other troops use a defense plan chosen previously. When the player visits a city, a control screen appears, with options to sell and buy wares, gamble in the casino, gather information on temples and recruit troops.

Reception

Rings of Medusa received mixed reviews, including the same highly positive score of 85% in both Amiga Computing [1] and ACE . [2] Other ratings included 80% from Power Play, [3] [4] 71% from Zzap!64 , [5] 51/60 from ASM, [6] and 44% from The Games Machine . [7] Computer Gaming World approved of the game's graphics, but criticized the interface and gameplay as clumsy, needlessly difficult, and unrealistic. [8]

Legacy

In the sequel, The Return of Medusa , it is revealed that the vanquishing of Medusa is not done as she has just escaped 300 years into the future, so Cirion follows her there to defeat once for all. It is a first-person-point-of-view role-playing game.

A remake titled R.O.M. Gold: Rings of Medusa was developed by Starbyte Software and published by General Admission Software for the Amiga and PC DOS in 1994. In comparison with the original version, the game features enhanced graphics and sound, as well as an improved interface. R.O.M. Gold received generally positive scores, including 79% from both Amiga Games and Amiga Joker, [9] [10] and 71% from Power Play. [11]

Another remake was announced by the original game's creator and artist Torsten Zimmermann. [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Chaos Strikes Back</i> 1989 video game

Chaos Strikes Back is an expansion and sequel to Dungeon Master, the earlier 3D role-playing video game. Chaos Strikes Back was released in 1989 and is also available on several platforms. It uses the same engine as Dungeon Master, with new graphics and a new, far more challenging, dungeon.

<i>Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood</i> 1991 video game

Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood is a graphic adventure game designed by Christy Marx and published by Sierra On-Line in 1991. It is the second and final part of the Conquests series, which begins with Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail. It features VGA graphics and Sierra's standard icon-driven interface first seen in King's Quest V.

<i>A Prehistoric Tale</i> 1990 video game

A Prehistoric Tale is a platform video game developed by The Lost Boys and published by Thalion Software. It was released for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1990.

<i>A-10 Tank Killer</i> 1989 video game

A-10 Tank Killer is a 1989 combat flight simulation video game for DOS developed and published by Dynamix. An Amiga version was released in 1990. The game features an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. Following the success of Red Baron, version 1.5 was released in 1991 which included Gulf War missions and improved graphics and sounds. Several mission packs were sold separately. A sequel published by Sierra, Silent Thunder: A-10 Tank Killer II, was released in 1996.

<i>Gold Rush!</i> 1988 video game

Gold Rush! is a graphic adventure video game designed by Doug and Ken MacNeill and originally released by Sierra On-Line in 1988.

<i>Trailblazer</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Trailblazer is a racing video game developed by Mr. Chip Software and published by Gremlin Graphics for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 16 and Plus/4 in 1986. It was ported to the Amiga and Atari ST.

<i>Badlands</i> (1989 video game) 1989 arcade game

Badlands is a 1989 arcade video game published by Atari Games. It was ported by Domark under the Tengen label to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The game is a re-themed version of Atari's previous racing games Super Sprint and Championship Sprint with the addition of vehicular combat. Badlands is set in the aftermath of a nuclear war and races around abandoned wastelands with many hazards. Three gun-equipped cars race around a track to win prizes.

<i>Sanxion</i> 1986 video game

Sanxion is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Stavros Fasoulas for the Commodore 64 and published in 1986 by Thalamus Ltd. It was the first game released by Thalamus. A ZX Spectrum port followed in 1989. Fasoulas also wrote Delta and Quedex.

<i>Centurion: Defender of Rome</i> Video game

Centurion: Defender of Rome is a turn-based strategy video game with real-time battle sequences, designed by Kellyn Beck and Bits of Magic and published by Electronic Arts. Originally released for MS-DOS in 1990, the game was later ported to the Amiga and the Sega Genesis in 1991. Centurion shares much of the concept and feel with Beck's earlier game Defender of the Crown (1987).

<i>Barbarian</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

Barbarian is a 1987 platform game by Psygnosis. It was first developed for the Atari ST, and was ported to the Amiga, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. The Amiga port was released in 1987; the others were released in 1988. The cover artwork is by fantasy artist Roger Dean.

<i>Black Gold</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Black Gold is a business simulation game released in 1989 by reLINE Software.

<i>World Tour Golf</i> 1986 video game

World Tour Golf is a 1986 video game by Evan and Nicky Robinson, Paul Reiche III and published by Electronic Arts for Commodore 64, Amiga, Apple IIGS, and DOS.

<i>Toki</i> (video game) 1989 video game

Toki is a run and gun platform game released in arcades in Japan in 1989 by TAD Corporation. It was published in North America by Fabtek. Designed by Akira Sakuma, the game has tongue-in-cheek humor mixed with the action. The player controls an enchanted ape who must battle hordes of jungle monsters with energy balls from his mouth. The ultimate goal is to destroy the evil wizard who cast a spell on the title protagonist; thereby transforming him from an ape back into a human, and rescuing the kidnapped princess. The game was ported to several video game consoles and home computers.

<i>Mines of Titan</i> 1989 video game

Mines of Titan is a single-player role-playing video game, developed by Westwood Associates, and released by Infocom in 1989 for Apple II, Commodore 64 and MS-DOS.

<i>Street Sports Basketball</i> 1987 video game

Street Sports Basketball is a 1987 computer basketball game for the IBM PC, Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Apple II, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. It was developed by Epyx and published by U.S. Gold.

<i>Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus</i> 1992 video game

Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus is the second game in the Elvira series of horror adventure/role-playing video games. It was developed by Horror Soft and published by Accolade in 1992. The game is a sequel to 1990's Elvira: Mistress of the Dark. It was followed by Waxworks, which can be considered its spiritual sequel.

<i>The Return of Medusa</i> 1991 video game

The Return of Medusa, also known as The Return of Medusa: Rings of Medusa II, is a 1991 role-playing video game and strategy video game hybrid developed by X-Ample and published by Starbyte Software for Amiga, Atari ST and PC DOS as a sequel to the 1989 game Rings of Medusa. A planned Commodore 64 version was cancelled.

<i>Projectyle</i> 1990 video game

Projectyle is a sports video game originally released in 1990 for the Amiga and Atari ST.

Vermeer is a series of strategy and business simulation video games launched in 1987 by Ariolasoft. It contained three individual games between the original launch and 2004: Vermeer (1987), Vermeer: Die Kunst zu erben (1997), and Vermeer: The Great Art Race (2004).

<i>Zeppelin</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Zeppelin is a video game developed by German studio Ikarion and published by MicroProse for the Amiga and MS-DOS compatible operating systems in 1994.

References

  1. Amiga Computing Vol 2 No 12 (May 1990).
  2. ACE 31 (April 1990).
  3. "Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Powerplay best of 1990". Kultpower.de. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  4. "Die Powerplay und ASM Fan Site". Kultpower.de. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  5. "ZZap!64 Magazine Issue 061". Archive.org. May 1990. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  6. ASM 3/1990.
  7. "The Games Machine Issue 30". Archive.org. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  8. Seacat, Douglas (June 1990). "Rings of Medusa". Computer Gaming World. No. 72. pp. 43, 59. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  9. "DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!". Kultboy.com. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  10. "Rings of Medusa Gold review from Amiga Joker (Oct 1994) - Amiga Magazine Rack". Amr.abime.net. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  11. "DIE Kult-Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!". Kultboy.com. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  12. "RoM". Rings of Medusa. Retrieved 2016-06-27.