Sabre Wulf (2004 video game)

Last updated

Sabre Wulf
Sabrewulfgbaboxart.jpg
Developer(s) Rare
Publisher(s) THQ
Composer(s) Robin Beanland
Platform(s) Game Boy Advance
Release2004 (2004)
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Sabre Wulf is a 2004 video game by Rare for the Game Boy Advance. The player controls the safari adventurer Sabreman, who runs and jumps between platforms to retrieve treasure guarded by the Sabre Wulf. The game is a remake of the 1984 action-adventure Sabre Wulf . Though remake's reviews were generally favourable, sales were lackluster. Reviewers noted the game's simplicity and shallow puzzles. While some found it fun and praised its character animations, reviewers considered its gameplay repetitive.

Contents

Gameplay

Sabre Wulf is a traditional platform game in which the player, as the safari adventurer Sabreman, runs and jumps between platforms to retrieve treasure guarded by the Sabre Wulf, who pursues Sabreman back to the start of the level. Sabreman last appeared in 1980s ZX Spectrum games including the original Sabre Wulf , in which he searched for pieces of an amulet used to tame the guardian Sabre Wulf. The 2004 revival extends this backstory, as the evil Dr. Dolittle-Goode steals the amulet and releases Sabre Wulf, who scares townspeople and steals treasure. As Sabreman, the player fights through eight worlds—each consisting of a sequence of platforming levels and culminating in a laboratory level—to retrieve an eighth of the amulet and return Sabre Wulf to captivity. [1] The player travels between levels using a village hub overworld [2] in which Sabreman can speak with inhabitants and prepare for the next raid. [3]

En route to the treasure, the player can also summon Sabreman's collectible creatures, who give the character special abilities needed to advance through the levels. For example, Sabreman use the bear's belly as a trampoline, the serpent as a platform, and an exploding creature as dynamite. The player can either find or purchase these creatures. The quicker the player reaches the level's object, the more valuable the treasure will be. For example, if the player delays, the gold treasure becomes silver or bronze. [4] When the player touches the treasure, Sabre Wulf begins to chase Sabreman, who must backtrack through the level to return the treasure to his tent without aid of the collectible creatures. [4] Since the wolf can outpace Sabreman, the player instead needs to recall both the structure of the map and outmaneuver the wolf. [1] If the wolf touches Sabreman, the player restarts from the beginning of the chase rather than the beginning of the level. [3] The game's difficulty does not increase evenly, and some consecutive levels will require the use of all collectible creatures while the next require none. [4] If the player completes a level with the gold treasure, a challenge mode version of the level unlocks with restrictions on time and helper creature selection. [1]

Sabre Wulf's humour is British and self-referential to the developer's history. [4] Some of Sabre Wulf's locations and characters reference games by Ultimate Play the Game, the company that preceded Rare. [3] The majority of the in-game speech is portrayed as murmurs similar to the characters in Banjo-Kazooie or Grabbed by the Ghoulies . Sabreman has several speech samples, such as "run for it" when Sabre Wulf starts to chase and "smashing" when finishing a level. [1] The player can save game progress in either of two save slots on the cartridge. [4]

Development

The title debuted at the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo. It uses a similar engine as used in the Banjo and Donkey Kong Country series. [4] Sabre Wulf is depicted in pre-rendered computer graphics, similar to the technique Rare used in earlier games, and has subtle lighting effects, as when Sabreman approaches a light source, but otherwise did not use the Game Boy Advance's hardware effects. [4]

The game originally included a working picture-in-picture mode for the player to track the wolf during the chase. The feature limited other features the team wanted to include and was removed. [5]

Reception

The game received "generally favourable" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [6] Despite its innovations and favourable reviews, sales were lackluster. [15]

Reviewers found the game simple, with shallow platforming puzzles and gameplay. [4] [1] [3] [9] Some found it fun, [4] [1] [2] [7] [12] while others did not. [8] Reviewers from both sides considered its gameplay repetitive [1] [8] [2] —as GamesTM put it: the player rehearses and memorizes short, basic levels for the fastest time. [11] The game's difficulty can widely vary between levels, [4] [12] and ramps up about a third into the game. [1] Some reviewers found the wolf to be a bad foil to Sabreman and easily outmaneuvered. [1] [8] To Sabre Wulf's credit, Eurogamer wrote, the game was accessible and absorbing, among the best platformers on the Game Boy Advance. [3] GamePro put Sabre Wulf in the lineage of Wario Ware in that its quick and otherwise mundane levels became interesting when paired with its varied creature puzzle and racing hooks. [9] NGC Magazine also appreciated the blend of strategic puzzle-platforming and making a fast escape. [13] Other reviewers were also drawn to the puzzle elements. [8] [14]

Sabre Wulf is oriented towards action, and IGN considered its few adventure elements of brief "busy-work wandering" and non-player character conversation weak. [4] Edge described these parts as "filler" and even considered the simple platforming "ultimately disposable" fun. [7] GameSpot felt that player creativity was constrained by the limited helper creature choices, [1] a game mechanic similar to that of The Lost Vikings . [7] Reviewers suggested that the game's jump controls could be tighter, [9] and collision detection more forgiving. [11] Two reviewers recommended the game for short play sessions, during downtime, [3] [2] and IGN appreciated that the game was longer in length than Rare's prior Game Boy Advance game, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge. [4]

Reviewers praised the game's character animations and designs, [4] [1] [3] but differed on the overall graphics, which many praised [3] [8] [14] [11] and others derided. [9] For instance, while Eurogamer considered uncommonly good for a Game Boy Advance game, [3] IGN deemed the visuals less impressive since Rare pioneered the style a decade earlier, [4] and GameZone wanted for more special effects. [12] GamePro found the graphics muddied on the Game Boy Advance, [9] while GameSpot only found the game muddy when enlarged for a big screen with the Game Boy Player. The website reported that Sabre Wulf's bright palette otherwise played fine on handheld. [1]

GamePro compared the soundtrack to a whimsical Braveheart, [9] and GameZone described the sound as "spectacular", especially the environmental sound effects and humorous character gibberish during dialogue. [12]

Sabre Wulf struggled with the double bind of not pleasing fans of the 1984 original and not enticing new fans to compete with brands such as Pokémon. [15] Of British outlets, GamesTM too wrote that Sabre Wulf did not match the legacy of its forebears [11] and Retro Gamer found the remake disappointing, [16] though Eurogamer figured that players familiar with the developer's history would at least appreciate the in-game references and nostalgia. [3] In the United States, IGN considered the game a "welcome throwback" to Rare's 1980s ingenuity but expected much of its British humour to be lost on players. [4] Play found the humour entertaining [14] and GameSpot thought that the British accent in Sabreman's sound effects perfectly fit his persona. [1] Others found the character sound effects humorous [9] [8] or grating. [14] At the time of the game's release, Eurogamer questioned the game's intended demographic and marketing strategy, [3] and GamesTM, in light of what it deemed repeatedly low quality releases, challenged the worth of Rare's acquisition. [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dr. Mario</i> 1990 video game

Dr. Mario is a 1990 puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom, and Game Boy. It was produced by Gunpei Yokoi and designed by Takahiro Harada. The soundtrack was composed by Hirokazu Tanaka.

<i>Kuru Kuru Kururin</i> 2001 video game

Kuru Kuru Kururin is a puzzle video game developed by Eighting and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance handheld video game console. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and in Europe and Australia on June 22 as a launch title. North America saw the title for the first time in February 2016, via the Wii U's Virtual Console service. Kuru Kuru Kururin is the first title in the Kururin series and was followed by two Japan-only sequels, Kururin Paradise and Kururin Squash!. The game was released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in February 2023.

<i>Yoshis Island</i> 1995 video game

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is a 1995 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Yoshi, a friendly dinosaur, on a quest to reunite baby Mario with his brother Luigi, who has been kidnapped by Kamek. As a Super Mario series platformer, Yoshi runs and jumps to reach the end of the level while solving puzzles and collecting items with Mario's help. The game has a hand-drawn aesthetic and was the first in the franchise to have Yoshi as its main character, where it introduces his signature flutter jump and egg spawning abilities.

<i>Donkey Kong 64</i> 1999 video game

Donkey Kong 64 is a 1999 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the only Donkey Kong game to feature 3D gameplay. As the gorilla Donkey Kong, the player explores themed levels to collect items and rescue his kidnapped family members from King K. Rool. The player completes minigames and puzzles as five playable Kong characters—each with their own special abilities—to receive bananas and other collectibles. In multiplayer modes, up to four players can compete in deathmatch and last man standing games.

Ashby Computers and Graphics Limited, trading as Ultimate Play the Game, was a British video game developer and publisher, founded in 1982, by ex-arcade video game developers Tim and Chris Stamper. Ultimate released a series of successful games for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, MSX and Commodore 64 computers from 1983 until 1987. Ultimate are perhaps best remembered for the big-selling titles Jetpac and Sabre Wulf, each of which sold over 300,000 copies in 1983 and 1984 respectively, and their groundbreaking series of isometric arcade adventures using a technique termed Filmation. Knight Lore, the first of the Filmation games, has been retrospectively described in the press as "seminal ... revolutionary" (GamesTM), "one of the most successful and influential games of all time" (X360), and "probably ... the greatest single advance in the history of computer games" (Edge).

<i>Wario World</i> 2003 video game

Wario World is a platform video game developed by Treasure and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. Part of the Wario series, it was released in Europe, North America and Australia in 2003 and Japan in 2004. The game's plot centers on Wario and his quest to regain his treasure and his castle from the evil gem, Black Jewel.

The Sabreman series of games was released by Ultimate Play the Game for the ZX Spectrum in the 1980s. Some of the instalments were also released on other popular home microcomputers, namely the Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, and MSX. The series stars Sabreman, who is depicted wearing khakis and a pith helmet.

<i>Mischief Makers</i> 1997 video game

Mischief Makers, released in Japan as Yuke-Yuke!! Trouble Makers, is a side-scrolling platform game developed for the Nintendo 64 gaming console by Treasure, and published in 1997 by Enix in Japan and by Nintendo internationally. The player assumes the role of Marina Liteyears, a robotic maid who journeys to rescue her creator, Professor Theo, from the emperor of Planet Clancer. The gameplay is displayed in 2.5D, based on grabbing, shaking, and throwing objects within five worlds and 52 levels.

<i>Sabre Wulf</i> 1984 video game

Sabre Wulf is an action-adventure game released by British video game developer Ultimate Play the Game for the ZX Spectrum home computer in 1984. The player navigates the pith-helmeted Sabreman through a 2D jungle maze while collecting amulet pieces to bypass the guardian at its exit. The player does not receive explicit guidance on how to play and is left to decipher the game's objectives through trial and error. Sabreman moves between the maze's 256 connected screens by touching the border where one screen ends and another begins. Each screen is filled with colourful flora, enemies that spawn at random, and occasional collectibles.

<i>Knight Lore</i> 1984 video game

Knight Lore is a 1984 action-adventure game developed and published by Ultimate Play the Game, and written by company founders Chris and Tim Stamper. The game is known for its use of isometric graphics, which it further popularized in video games. In Knight Lore, the player character Sabreman has forty days to collect objects throughout a castle and brew a cure to his werewolf curse. Each castle room is depicted in monochrome on its own screen and consists of blocks to climb, obstacles to avoid, and puzzles to solve.

<i>Banjo-Kazooie: Gruntys Revenge</i> 2003 platform game for Game Boy Advance

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge is a 2003 platform game by Rare for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance (GBA). It is the third instalment in the Banjo-Kazooie series and takes place between the events of the Nintendo 64 (N64) games Banjo-Kazooie (1998) and Banjo-Tooie (2000). In Grunty's Revenge, the evil witch Gruntilda travels back in time to prevent the events of Banjo-Kazooie from happening, and the bear Banjo and his bird friend Kazooie set out to stop her. Grunty's Revenge retains the focus on collecting items and most of the other game mechanics from its predecessors, but is presented in 2D rather than 3D. Aside from the main game, players can also access minigames such as fishing and target shooting.

<i>Underwurlde</i> 1984 video game

Underwurlde is a 1984 action-adventure platform video game in the Sabreman series by Ultimate Play the Game for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. The player controls the adventurer Sabreman as he jumps between platforms in a castle and its caverns to find an escape past the exit guardians. Underwurlde features about 600 flip screen areas. Unlike other games of its time, Sabreman is not injured when touched by enemies and is instead knocked backwards. Underwurlde is the second game in the series, between Sabre Wulf and Knight Lore, and released shortly before the latter for the ZX Spectrum in late 1984. Another developer, Firebird, ported the game to the Commodore 64 the next year.

<i>Its Mr. Pants</i> 2004 puzzle video game

It's Mr. Pants is a puzzle video game developed by Rare. It was published by THQ for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console in North America and Europe in 2004–2005. A port of the game for mobile phones was developed and published internationally by In-Fusio in 2005–2006. The game stars Mr. Pants, a crudely drawn mascot formerly featured on Rare's website who had made cameo appearances in several prior Rare games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filmation (game engine)</span> Video game graphics engine

Filmation is the name of the isometric graphics engine employed in a series of games developed by Ultimate Play the Game during the 1980s, primarily on the 8-bit ZX Spectrum platform, though various titles also appeared on the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64 platforms.

<i>Serious Sam Advance</i> 2004 video game

Serious Sam Advance is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Climax London and published by Global Star Software for the Game Boy Advance. A spin-off in the Serious Sam series, the game has the player control Sam "Serious" Stone through confined levels—first in ancient Egypt, then in ancient Rome—defeating varying enemies using an assortment of weapons. Serious Sam Advance was developed by Climax London, a studio of former Crawfish Interactive developers, using ray casting technology. Global Star Software announced the game in January 2004 and released it in April. Serious Sam Advance received mixed reviews, with praise for its weapons, enemies, level design and sound effects, conflicting opinions about its graphics, and criticism for its controls and frame rate issues.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wrath of the Darkhul King</i> 2003 video game

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wrath of the Darkhul King is a 2003 platform game developed by Natsume and published by THQ. Based on the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the game features Buffy Summers who fights vampires, demons, and other supernatural entities as the Slayer. The player controls Buffy through 16 side-scrolling levels that focus on solving puzzles and defeating enemies by using customizable weapons. Set in the show's fourth season, the story is about Buffy attempting to prevent a demonic warlord from returning to Earth.

<i>The Invincible Iron Man</i> (video game) 2002 video game

The Invincible Iron Man is a 2002 run and gun video game published by Activision and developed by Torus Games for the Game Boy Advance. The game, played from a side-scrolling perspective, is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man, and is the character's first appearance on a handheld game console. Within the game's narrative, Iron Man must traverse through a series of levels and recover one of his stolen suits of armor while battling supervillains such as the Blizzard and Crimson Dynamo.

<i>Banjo-Pilot</i> 2005 kart racing video game for the Game Boy Advance

Banjo-Pilot is a 2005 kart racing video game for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) and the fourth instalment in Rare's Banjo-Kazooie series. It plays similarly to the Mario Kart series by Nintendo: the player races one of nine playable characters around tracks, attacking other racers with bullets and collecting power-ups. The game features a number of single-player and multiplayer modes, such as time attack and item hunts. Unlike other kart racing games, characters control airplanes instead of go-karts.

<i>Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker</i> 2014 video game

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a 2014 action puzzle video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game was re-released for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS in 2018 with additional content. It is a spin-off of the Super Mario series and a part of the larger Mario franchise. The game stars Captain Toad and Toadette as they complete levels and save each other from the antagonist Wingo. Each level is contained within a miniature diorama-like environment that requires puzzle-solving and platforming challenges to complete. The player also uses the Wii U GamePad to rotate the camera and reveal new information and interact with the environment.

<i>Kameo</i> 2005 action-adventure video game for Xbox 360

Kameo: Elements of Power is a 2005 action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The player controls Kameo, a 16-year-old elf, who must travel across the land, rescuing her family while collecting Elemental Sprites and Warriors in a Beat 'Em Up style combat against the trolls that stand in her way. Kameo's ten elemental powers let her transform into creatures and use their varied abilities to solve combat-oriented puzzles and progress through the game's levels.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Gerstmann, Jeff (10 June 2004). "Sabre Wulf Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 11 May 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sabre Wulf Review". Computer and Video Games . 13 March 2004. Archived from the original on 11 November 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Reed, Kristan (23 March 2004). "Sabre Wulf". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 7 October 2019. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Harris, Craig (7 June 2004). "Sabre Wulf". IGN . Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  5. ↑ "Game Boy Advance Team". rareware.com. July 2004. Archived from the original on 10 October 2004. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Sabre Wulf Critic Reviews for Game Boy Advance". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 13 August 2015. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Sabre Wulf". Edge . No. 135. April 2004. p. 108. ISSN   1350-1593.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Juba, Joe. "Sabre Wulf". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 3 January 2008. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dingo, Star (14 June 2004). "Sabre Wulf Review for Game Boy Advance". GamePro . Archived from the original on 21 January 2005. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  10. ↑ Steinberg, Steve (18 June 2004). "Reviews: Sabre Wulf". Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Sabre Wulf". GamesTM . No. 17. March 2004. p. 114. ISSN   1478-5889.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Zacarias, Eduardo (12 July 2004). "Sabre Wulf Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 3 January 2009.
  13. 1 2 Evans, Geraint (April 2004). "Sabre Wulf". NGC Magazine . No. 92. p. 68. ISSN   1475-584X.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Hoffman, Chris (November 2003). "Sabre Wulf". Play. p. 101. ISSN   1537-7539 . Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  15. 1 2 "A Rare Breed". Retro Gamer (20): 31. January 2006. ISSN   1742-3155. OCLC   489477015.
  16. ↑ "The Classic Game: Knight Lore". Retro Gamer (20): 77. January 2006. ISSN   1742-3155. OCLC   489477015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.