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By Al Giovetti,
Price: $50
Genre:action arcade
Release:
Developer: Funcom, www.funcom.com
Lead Artist:
Programmer:
Producer:
Publisher: Acclaim
Phone: 516-759-7800
Website: www.acclaimnation.com
Requirements:Windows 95, 486DX2, 66 MHz, 8 MB RAM, 10 MB hard disk space, 2 X CD ROM, 1MB of Super VGA
Dragonheart:Fire and Steel
History
The death nell of many computer games has been the association with a movie license. Almost invariably, the games with movie licenses are bad. Lately, this trend has been turning around. And even the most true maxim has exceptions that prove the rule, like the products from Lucas Arts and the adventure games like Star Trek: the 25th Anniversary Game and Star Trek The Next Generation: A Final Unity.
The product no longer appears on the Acclaim web site. When asked why the web site no longer contained the product, an Acclaim spokesperson said, " in reference to your question as to what happened to Dragonheart: Fire and Steel: We needed to clear out some of the "rubble" to make way for some great new product. Dragonheart definitely fell under the rubble category."
Company Line
A great platform-game with 18 levels plus bonus levels and seven 3D-animated dragons that were too frightening to be in the movie. Released on Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn and PC fourth quarter. 1996.Game Play
Walk from left to right, kill stuff, collect stuff, and move onto the next screen. The controls are slow and unresponsive. You get to use a sword, a long sword, and a bow with three types of arrows, speed, fire and three points. The armament is not very impressive. You can summon Draco to aid you in battle once you get the summon Draco icon for your very difficult inventory system.
Plot
Virtually no plot in this side-scrolling action game. You take the role of Sir Bowen, who is responsible for the training of Prince Einon. The boy is wounded and the boy's mother, Queen Aislinn, takes the boy to a dragon, named Draco, who splits his heart and saves the boy's life by letting him use the heart. The prince becomes evil and starts to do evil things in the land. You must eliminate the evil prince, but first you must find him.
Graphics
The graphics in character and backgrounds are very uninspired. Poorly conceived graphics that look bad.
Animation
The characters move in very jerky and robot-like movements.Voice Actors
Music Score
Sound Effects
The sound effects are inexplicably delayed until several beats after the actual even, kind of like an out of beat drummer.Utilities
Multi-player Features
There are no multi-player options offered with the computer.Cheats, Hints, Walkthrough
Journalists
According to Todd, you should avoid this one like the plague. Tom says that the game "contains every hackneyed adventure game cliche'imaginable, and mindless, worn-out repetition isn't enjoyable or interesting."References
Acclaim Web PageFuncom's Dragonheart Web Site
Todd Vaughn, PC Gamer, volume 4, number 4, April, 1997, pg. 113, 25%.
Tom Hurley, Computer and Net Player, volume 3, number 12, May, 1997, pg. 70, 40%.