The Eidolon

Last updated
The Eidolon
The Eidolon Coverart.png
Cover artwork by Ken Macklin
Developer(s) Lucasfilm Games
Publisher(s) Epyx
Activision
Designer(s) Charlie Kellner [1]
Programmer(s) Lance Saleme (Apple)
Platform(s) Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum
ReleaseC64, Atari 8-bit
Apple II
Genre(s) First-person shooter, adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

The Eidolon is one of two games that were part of Lucasfilm Games' second wave in December 1985. [4] The other was Koronis Rift . Both took advantage of the fractal technology developed for Rescue on Fractalus! , [5] further enhancing it. In The Eidolon, Rescue's fractal mountains were turned upside down and became the inside of a cave.

Contents

In addition to common cassette formats, the Atari and Commodore 64 versions were supplied on a single floppy disk. One side has the version for Atari 8-bit computers and the other has the Commodore 64 version.

Plot

The player discovers the Eidolon, a strange 19th-century vehicle, in an abandoned laboratory. As the player investigates this device, he is accidentally transported to another dimension and is trapped in a vast, maze-like cave. The creatures in this cave, sensing the energy emanating from the Eidolon, are woken from a long slumber, and the player soon finds that his only chance of survival lies in this mysterious vehicle and its powerful energy weapon. [6]

Gameplay

Dragon guarding the end of a level. Eidolon ingame.png
Dragon guarding the end of a level.

The objective of The Eidolon is to successfully navigate through all of the game's levels, defeating the dragon guardian at the end of each level. The player navigates through each maze and collects energy orbs, which come in four different colors (red, yellow, green and blue). Along the way, various enemies wake up and attack the Eidolon, attempting to absorb its energy. Some enemies also fire orbs at the Eidolon, of which all but the red orbs can be absorbed by pressing the space bar at the right time to replenish the Eidolon's limited energy.

Green orbs also have the power to transform other enemies into different kinds of enemies. Blue orbs can freeze enemies temporarily, giving the player a momentary advantage in a fight.

Each level contains three diamonds, each guarded by an enemy of a specific color. After defeating each of these enemies and collecting the diamonds, the player can proceed to the dragon that guards the exit. There are eight levels in a game. The game is over when the player has successfully defeated the final dragon or runs out of time.

Reception

Zzap!64 gave the game a Gold Medal award, with an overall 97% score. The summary of the reviews from their three reviewers was "Lucasfilm's most original release yet, containing outstanding graphics and gameplay elements. The Eidolon is both immaculate in it's[sic] conception and execution. Not to be missed". [8]

Gregg Williams of Computer Gaming World disliked The Eidolon. He stated that it was as difficult as Koronis Rift but with no save game feature. While praising the graphics and sound, Ardai criticized the game for "a lack of imagination. You get transported to god-knows-where ... and you basically shoot everything in sight. Is this a reasonable—let alone responsible—way to explore a new world?" [9] Charles Ardai later described the game in the magazine as "one of the worst" of 1986. [10]

The game was positively reviewed in a retrospective article in Retro Gamer magazine. It was praised for being "wonderfully atmospheric" due to the technical achievement of the fractally created environment. It was also considered to be the most ambitious and original release of the 3 Lucasfilm games which used fractal routines. Overall it was described as "a fascinating snapshot of gaming history that showed how innovative, immersive and tense a first-person style arcade-adventure could be on 8-bit platforms". [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Rescue on Fractalus!</i> 1985 computer game

Rescue On Fractalus! is a space combat simulator video game created by Lucasfilm Games. It was originally released in 1985 for the Atari 8-bit computers and Atari 5200 console, then ported to the Apple II, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Tandy Color Computer 3, and Commodore 64. The player flies a space fighter near the surface of a planet, with the goal of rescuing downed pilots. The terrain is generated via fractals, from which the eponymous planet and game title are taken.

<i>Boulder Dash</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Boulder Dash is a maze-based puzzle video game released in 1984 by First Star Software for Atari 8-bit computers. It was created by Canadian developers Peter Liepa and Chris Gray. The player controls Rockford, who tunnels through dirt to collect diamonds. Boulders and other objects remain fixed until the dirt beneath them is removed, then they fall and become a hazard. Puzzles are designed around collecting diamonds without being crushed and exploiting the interactions between objects. The game's name is a pun on balderdash.

<i>Crystal Castles</i> (video game) 1983 video game

Crystal Castles is an arcade video game released by Atari, Inc. in 1983. The player controls Bentley Bear who has to collect gems located throughout trimetric-projected rendered castles while avoiding enemies, some of whom are after the gems as well.

<i>Kung-Fu Master</i> (video game) 1984 video game

Kung-Fu Master, known as Spartan X in Japan, is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed by Irem and released as an arcade video game in 1984. It was distributed by Data East in North America. Designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the game was based on Hong Kong martial arts films. It is a loose adaptation of the Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao film Wheels on Meals (1984), called Spartan X in Japan, with the protagonist Thomas named after Jackie Chan's character in the film. The game is also heavily inspired by the Bruce Lee film Game of Death (1972), which was the basis for the game's concept. Nishiyama, who had previously designed the side-scrolling shooter Moon Patrol (1982), combined fighting elements with a shoot 'em up gameplay rhythm. Irem and Data East exported the game to the West without the Spartan X license.

<i>Spellbreaker</i> 1985 video game

Spellbreaker is an interactive fiction video game written by Dave Lebling and published by Infocom in 1985, the third and final game in the "Enchanter Trilogy." It was released for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Classic Mac OS, and MS-DOS. Infocom's nineteenth game, Spellbreaker is rated "Expert" difficulty.

<i>H.E.R.O.</i> (video game) 1984 video game

H.E.R.O. is a video game designed by John Van Ryzin and published by Activision for the Atari 2600 in March 1984. The game has players control Roderick Hero who traverses a mineshaft avoiding enemies and hazards to rescue trapped miners. He travels through the mines equipped with a hoverpack that allows him to traverse the game levels as well as bombs and laser that let him destroy walls and defeat enemies respectively.

<i>Ballblazer</i> 1985 video game

Ballblazer is a futuristic sports game created by Lucasfilm Games and published in 1985 by Epyx. Along with Rescue on Fractalus!, it was one of the initial pair of releases from Lucasfilm Games, Ballblazer was developed and first published for the Atari 8-bit computers. The principal creator and programmer was David Levine. The game was called Ballblaster during development; some pirated versions bear this name.

<i>Labyrinth: The Computer Game</i> 1986 video game

Labyrinth: The Computer Game is a graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games and published in 1986 by Activision. Based on the fantasy film Labyrinth, it tasks the player with navigating a maze while solving puzzles and evading dangers. The player's goal is to find and defeat the main antagonist, Jareth, within 13 real-time hours. Unlike other adventure games of the period, Labyrinth does not feature a command-line interface. Instead, the player uses two scrolling "word wheel" menus on the screen to construct basic sentences.

<i>Koronis Rift</i> 1985 video game

Koronis Rift is a video game from Lucasfilm Games, produced and designed by Noah Falstein. Originally developed for the Atari 8-bit computers and the Commodore 64, Koronis Rift was published in 1984. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Apple II, MSX2, Tandy Color Computer 3, and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Winter Games</i> 1985 video game

Winter Games is a sports video game developed by Epyx, based on sports featured in the Winter Olympic Games.

<i>The Staff of Karnath</i> 1984 video game

The Staff of Karnath is an action-adventure video game developed and published by Ultimate Play the Game for the Commodore 64 originally in 1984 and in the United States in 1985. The game is the first instalment of the Pendragon series and is the first to feature the aristocrat adventurer Sir Arthur Pendragon. In the game, Sir Pendragon is tasked with searching a castle for the ancient Staff of Karnath, which he must destroy prior to midnight, before it wipes out the human race.

<i>Spindizzy</i> 1986 video game

Spindizzy is an isometric video game released for several 8-bit home computers in 1986 by Electric Dreams Software. It combines action and puzzle video game elements. Players must navigate a series of screens to explore a landscape suspended in a three-dimensional space. Development was headed by Paul Shirley, who drew inspiration from Ultimate Play the Game games that feature an isometric projection.

<i>Time Bandit</i> 1983 video game

Time Bandit is a maze shoot 'em up written for the TRS-80 Model I by Bill Dunlevy and Harry Lafnear and published by MichTron in 1983. It was ported to the TRS-80 Color Computer and Dragon 32, but enjoyed its greatest popularity several years later as an early release for the Atari ST. It was also released for the pseudo-PC-compatible Sanyo MBC-55x with 8-color display. Amiga and MS-DOS versions were ported by Timothy Purves.

<i>Aliens: The Computer Game</i> (UK Version) 1986 video game

Aliens: The Computer Game is a 1986 video game developed by Software Studios and published by Electric Dreams Software initially for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. It is based on the film of the same title. Ports for the Commodore 16 and MSX were developed by Mr. Micro and published in 1987.

<i>Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony</i> 1985 video game

Moebius: The Orb of Celestial Harmony is a video game produced by Origin Systems and designed by Greg Malone. It was originally released in 1985 for the Apple II. Versions were also released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Macintosh, and MS-DOS. The game is primarily a top-down view tile-based role-playing video game, but it has action-based combat sequences which use a side view, roughly similar to games such as Karateka.

<i>Tutankham</i> 1982 video game

Tutankham is a 1982 arcade video game developed and released by Konami and released by Stern in North America. Named after the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, the game combines a maze shoot 'em up with light puzzle-solving elements. It debuted at the European ATE and IMA amusement shows in January 1982 before releasing worldwide in Summer 1982. The game was a critical and commercial success and was ported to home systems by Parker Brothers.

<i>Cops n Robbers</i> 1985 video game

Cops 'n' Robbers is a video game published by Atlantis Software in 1985 for the VIC-20 and in virtually identical form on the Commodore 64. It was ported to the Commodore 16 and Commodore Plus/4 (1986), Acorn Electron and BBC Micro (1987), and Atari 8-bit computers (1988). The game was controversial when released as the player takes the role of a robber and must shoot the police.

<i>Cloud Kingdoms</i> 1990 video game

Cloud Kingdoms is a puzzle game published by Millennium Interactive for the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS in 1990. The player controls Terry, a green bouncing sphere, on a quest to recover his magic crystals that have been stolen by Baron von Bonsai. To do so, he must travel through the eponymous Cloud Kingdoms, avoiding enemies and hazards while collecting all of the crystals within the game's time limit. The game was developed by Dene Carter at Logotron, with sounds and music composed by David Whittaker.

<i>The Scrolls of Abadon</i> 1984 video game

The Scrolls of Abadon is a maze video game designed by Frank Cohen and published in 1984 by Access Software for Atari 8-bit computers and Commodore 64.

References

  1. ↑ Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  2. ↑ "1985 Index" (PDF). Computer Entertainer . Vol. 4, no. 10. January 1986. p. 6.
  3. ↑ "Availability Update" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 4, no. 10. January 1986. p. 14.
  4. ↑ Powell, Jack (December 1985). "NEW LUCASFILM GAMES: The Eidolon and Koronis Rift". 4 (8).{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ↑ Rignall, Jaz (December 26, 2015). "The Original Lucasfilm Games Team Talk About Life at Skywalker Ranch". US Gamer.
  6. ↑ The Eidolon instruction manual, Lucasfilm Games, 1985
  7. ↑ Zzap!64 review, Newsfield Publications, issue 10, page 28
  8. ↑ The Eidolon review in Zzap! issue 10, feb. 1986, pp. 28-30, ISSN 0954-867X here
  9. ↑ Williams, Gregg (March 1986). "Atari Playfield". Computer Gaming World. p. 30. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  10. ↑ Ardai, Charles (December 1986). "Year in Review". Computer Gaming World. p. 20. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Eidolon | Retro Gamer". October 2008.
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.