Producer: Kemco
System: NES
Year: 1989
Overview: A text-driven RPG involving your quest through a creepy mansion. One of a trio of such games released by Kemco (the other two were Deja-vu and Shadowgate) A very interesting and innovative game this is, as well as its counterparts.
Story: As you’re driving through the countryside with your sister, a mysterious figure steps into the road. Swerving to avoid him, you end up crashing the car and blacking out. When you come to, you discover your sister has disappeared. Looking around, you see a foreboding mansion looming in the distance. Wondering if your sister went inside, you dare to step into the unknown…
Graphics: Since much of the game is text-driven, there are only accompanying pictures and not a whole lot as far as actual graphics are concerned. What graphics there are quite decent, however.
Sound: The music is nothing really spectacular, but it’s still good enough to add to the creepy atmosphere.
Gameplay: You don’t have much direct control over your character. Rather, you select from a list of commands on the bottom of the screen that is used for numerous things such as moving around, examining objects, or opening doors.
Challenge: The real challenge of the game is finding the right items and such in the right sequence to proceed throughout the game. If you die, you’ll restart very close to where you bought it (one screen back), so there’s nothing to worry about in that department.
Final Rating: 8/10 The game doesn’t have much replay value, and if you know what to do, you can blow through it in less than half an hour. But still, it’s a pretty cool game and should at least be tried by everyone.
