Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | |
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![]() North American cover art | |
Developer(s) | Sculptured Software (NES) Bits Studios (GB) |
Publisher(s) | |
Programmer(s) | Peter Ward, Ken Moore, Ken Grand (NES) Andy Rogers (Game Boy) |
Artist(s) | Les Pardew, Kelly Kofoed, Mike Lott, Lance Thornblad, Clark Sorenson (NES) Jon Baker (Game Boy) |
Composer(s) | Paul Webb (NES) David Whittaker (Game Boy) |
Platform(s) | NES/Game Boy |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Historic action adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a console game released in 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy developed by Sculptured Software, Inc. and Bits Studios, respectively, and published by Virgin Games, Inc. Versions for Master System and Game Gear were also announced but cancelled. [2] It was based on the film of the same name.
The game was featured as the cover game for the July 1991 issue of Nintendo Power magazine, [3] but this issue was notorious for the fact that the game was not released until 4 months after the issue was released. [4]
The game features several modes of gameplay. The standard adventuring mode depicts the action from an overhead perspective as the player guides Robin through the environment, battling enemies. A second mode uses one-on-one duels, depicting the action from the side and features different controls that allows the player-controlled character to jump as well as attack and guard. The third mode, a melee mode, features action taking place from an extreme overhead perspective, allowing for the depiction of large-scale battles between large forces. This mode typically ensues when a large number of Robin's merry men and enemy soldiers clash. During a horse racing sequence, there is another mode, a blend of the overhead and side perspectives, as the horse must be guided to jump over debris and ultimately beat the competitor.
The game also has a loose equipping system, where nearly any object can be held as a weapon. When Duncan first joins Robin's band, he comes brandishing a chicken leg for attack.
The game opens in an Arab prison in Jerusalem. Robin Hood is in prison along with Peter Dubois and Azeem. Robin must free both of them and then they must make their escape. Peter is mortally wounded in the escape process, but Robin and Azeem escape to England.
Upon arrival in England, Robin finds that his father has been murdered and that the Sheriff of Nottingham is ruling England oppressively in the absence of King Richard. Maid Marian tells Robin that there are rumours that men are hiding out in Sherwood Forest from the sheriff and tells him to go there, seek them out and join them.
Once Robin joins the camp in Sherwood, it becomes Robin Hood's home base for the remainder of the game. He continually leaves camp to undertake various missions. Upon completing each mission, Robin must return to camp to find out what mission to undertake next. Eventually, Robin Hood takes his last mission to get rid of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Once Robin defeats the Sheriff, the game is won and concludes with a wedding of Robin Hood and Maid Marian, which is interrupted by King Richard, who has just returned to England. Richard gives Marian away and she and Robin are married.
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Publication | Score |
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AllGame | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Power Unlimited | 83% (GB) [6] |
Power Unlimited gave the Game Boy version a score of 83% commenting: "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is, of course, based on the movie, but not as bad as many other such games. On the contrary: it is very exciting and adventurous! It is a pity that the figures in the game do not look very nice". [6]
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American action adventure film based on the English folk tale of Robin Hood and loosely set in the 12th century. Directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Pen Densham and John Watson, the film stars Kevin Costner as Robin Hood, Morgan Freeman as Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlett, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian, and Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Sir Guy of Gisbourne is a character from the Robin Hood legends of English folklore. He first appears in "Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne", where he is an assassin who attempts to kill Robin Hood but is killed by him. In later depictions, he has become a romantic rival to Robin Hood for Maid Marian's love.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. The film was produced and directed by Mel Brooks, co-written by Brooks, Evan Chandler, and J. David Shapiro based on a story by Chandler and Shapiro, and stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut. It includes frequent comedic references to previous Robin Hood films, particularly Prince of Thieves, and the 1938 Errol Flynn adaptation The Adventures of Robin Hood. Brooks himself had previously created the short-lived sitcom When Things Were Rotten in the mid-1970s, which also spoofed the Robin Hood legend.
Maid Marian is the heroine of the Robin Hood legend in English folklore, often taken to be his lover. She is not mentioned in the early, medieval versions of the legend, but was the subject of at least two plays by 1600. Her history and circumstances are obscure, but she commanded high respect in Robin’s circle for her courage and independence as well as her beauty and loyalty. For this reason, she is celebrated by feminist commentators as one of the early strong female characters in English literature.
Robin Hood is a 1973 American animated musical adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, it is based on the English folktale "Robin Hood". Taking place in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, the story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John, and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John, and Robin Hood wins the hand of Maid Marian. The film features the voices of Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Peter Ustinov, Pat Buttram, Monica Evans, Terry-Thomas, Roger Miller, and Carole Shelley.
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.
Will Scarlet is a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He is present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son.
Princess of Thieves is a 2001 romantic adventure television film starring Keira Knightley, produced by Granada Entertainment USA; it premiered on ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney in the United States in 2001.
"Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow" is an English folk song, part of the Robin Hood canon. It features an archery competition for a golden arrow that has long appeared in Robin Hood tales, but it is the oldest recorded one where Robin's disguise prevents his detection.
Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood is a 2002 stealth-based real-time tactics video game developed by Spellbound Entertainment. It is similar to games such as Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive and the Commandos series. In the game, the player controls up to five characters in a setting based on the stories of the protagonist, Robin Hood. The player can also control Robin Hood's Merry Men, including Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Will Stutely, and Maid Marian. Robin and his crew must evade the cruel Sheriff of Nottingham and his henchmen and stop the machinations of the vile usurper to England's throne, Prince John. However, Robin must avoid killing enemies as much as possible, or he will not be able to recruit as many new Merry Men.
Robin Hood is a 1991 British adventure film directed by John Irvin, executive produced by John McTiernan, and starring Patrick Bergin, Uma Thurman, Jürgen Prochnow, Jeroen Krabbé, and Edward Fox. Although originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States and South America, the film instead premiered on television, on the Fox network in those territories a month before the release of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It was released in cinemas in several countries in Europe and elsewhere, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
The folkloric hero Robin Hood has appeared many times, in many different variations, in popular modern works.
The Merry Men are the group of outlaws who follow Robin Hood in English literature and folklore. The group appears in the earliest ballads about Robin Hood and remains popular in modern adaptations.
The Sheriff of Nottingham is the main antagonist in the legend of Robin Hood. He is generally depicted as an unjust tyrant who mistreats the local people of Nottinghamshire, subjecting them to unaffordable taxes. Robin Hood fights against him, stealing from the rich, and the Sheriff, in order to give to the poor; it is this characteristic for which Robin Hood is best known. The Sheriff is considered the archenemy of Robin Hood, as he is the most recurring enemy of the well-known outlaw.
Friar Tuck is one of the Merry Men, the band of heroic outlaws in the folklore of Robin Hood.
Robin Hood is a fictional character appearing in media published by DC Comics, based on the legendary character of the same name. The character debuted in New Adventure Comics vol. 1 #23, and was created by Sven Elven.
Lady of the Forest: A Novel of Sherwood is a 1992 historical fiction novel by American author Jennifer Roberson. A re-telling of the Robin Hood legend from the perspective of twelve characters associated with the legend, the story centers around English noblewoman Lady Marian FitzWalter's encounters with Lord Robert of Locksley and his scheming rival the Sheriff of Nottingham amid the backdrop of Prince John's schemes – he aims to increase his own wealth and power at the expense of post-Conquest England and his brother, King Richard.
Robin Hood is a fictional character in Walt Disney Animation Studios' animated feature film Robin Hood (1973). Robin Hood is voiced by Shakespearean and Tony Award winning actor Brian Bedford. The film is based on the legends of Robin Hood and Reynard the fox, a 12th-century Alsatian fairy tale character, but uses anthropomorphic animals rather than people; in Robin's case being a red fox. The story follows the adventures of Robin Hood, Little John and the inhabitants of Nottingham as they fight against the excessive taxation of Prince John, and Robin Hood wins the hand of Maid Marian.