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King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984) Online

King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984) Online
Original Title :
Kingu0027s Quest: Quest for the Crown
Genre :
Video Game / Adventure / Fantasy
Year :
1984
Directror :
Roberta Williams
Writer :
Roberta Williams
Type :
Video Game
Rating :
7.6/10
King's Quest: Quest for the Crown (1984) Online

The king of Daventry, King Edward, is dying. He sends his best knight Sir Graham to find 3 treasures to prove himself worthy of the throne

Roberta Williams named the game protagonist "Sir Graham" due to her fondness for Graham crackers.

The player may search for the three treasures in any order. Obtaining the shield first makes the game easier, for most of the foes (except the dragon, the dwarf and the witch when she is at home) will not see Graham while carrying it. In the remake King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (1990), the shield can be obtained only after getting the mirror and the chest.

According to the game manual, the name of the witch is Dahlia. It is not mentioned in the game.

In order to guess the gnome's name, the player must first identify the gnome from the corresponding fairy tale, then alter the name according to the note found in the witch's house ("Sometimes it is wise to think backwards") - but not simply spell it backwards but in backwards alphabet (a=z, b=y, etc.), so the correct answer is neither Rumplestiltskin nor Nikstlitselpmut, but Ifnkovhgroghprm. Since the puzzle proved to be very difficult for the players, it was made easier in the remake King's Quest I: Quest for the Crown (1990).

Two of the foes Graham encounters - the dragon and the giant - can be killed, but the game awards more points for dealing with them non-violently.

Many of the puzzles have more than one solution. For instance: if the player fails to correctly guess the gnome's name, the gnome will give a key for the door in the mountain instead of the magic beans. The difference between the alternative solutions is the number of points awarded for them.

Some of the game characters and items are based on 'Grimm's Fairy Tales' and other children books, among them: the magic beans and giant from 'Jack and the Beanstalk'; the magic mushroom from 'Alice in Wonderland'; the gnome Rumpelstiltskin; the witch and the gingerbread house from 'Hansel and Gretel'; the invisibility ring from 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings'.

One alternative way to deal with the giant is to kill him by using sling and pebbles - an obvious reference to the Bible story about David and Goliath.

The flag of Daventry, as seen in the throne room, is in fact the flag of Sierra Leone. This is a pun referring to the development company Sierra On-Line.

In order to get past the troll and the rat, the player can give them any of the valuables collected (golden egg, golden walnut, diamond pouch, scepter), but this costs points. The game awards points for dealing with them in more creative way.


User reviews

Marg

Marg

When Ken and Roberta Williams decided to create an adventure game for the Personal Computer, they decided on King's Quest. And they couldn't have made a better choice. As this was the game that started it all.

King's Quest was followed by seven sequels, and fantasy adventure games are now plenteous. And although I did not enjoy this game as much as it's sequels, and even though it's crude when compared to today's standards, this was the game that started quality gaming.
Shak

Shak

The story: You are Sir Graham, a knight of the Kingdom of Daventry who has been summoned by King Edward the Benevolent to retrieve the 3 stolen treasures of the realm. If you should succeed you will be proclaimed his successor (Edward is old and has no heirs). Graham spends the game searching the kingdom for the treasures and encounters many puzzles and adversaries along the way.

This is the first King's Quest game released way back in 1984 (19 years old as I type this) and unsurprisingly is by far the simplest and most primitive of the series. The game is fairly short (the only necessary quests you need to do are the reclaiming of the 3 treasures - everything else is optional) and practically all of the puzzles you encounter are from well-known fairy tales, including Rumpelstiltskin (did anyone actually spell his name correctly in his challenge?), Little Red Riding Hood (well the wolf at least), Hansel & Gretel, Jack & the Beanstalk and many others.

The game is operated by text commands typed on the keyboard (search, pick up, talk, look etc.) with the arrow keys controlling movement. Simple stuff really, but hey it worked and it would remain the standard control system in the series until King's Quest 5 (which replaced the text commands with an icon-based system using the mouse).

All in all its nothing special by today's standards but worth a look if you're interested in seeing how the entire King's Quest series began. The game was re-released in 1990 with updated graphics and the aforementioned icon system replacing the text commands but from what I've heard the puzzles and the like all stayed the same. A classic of its time.
Zulkishicage

Zulkishicage

In today's video game environment, first-person shooter games are unquestionable at the top of the pack. Whether it be the Call of Duty series or those all-night Halo marathons, games that show the action from your perspective (as well as armed with a variety of weapons) are the most popular sellers. Yet, older (or, as I prefer, "more seasoned") gamers will remember a time when a different kind of gaming experience was paramount, with the King's Quest series leading the pack.

King's Quest I: The Quest For The Crown was released in 1984 and, though crude in the graphics department (by today's standards the screen is filled with little more than multi-colored blobs and a crudely-pixilated protagonist), was a landmark in terms of its gameplay and plot style. Basically, you control Sir Graham of the Kingdom of Daventry, who is sent on a mission by the King to retrieve the country's three most prized possessions (a sword, a magic mirror, and a chest full of gold). That's where things really start to get interesting.

As you leave the King's chamber and are escorted out of the castle, you find yourself surrounded by Daventry...with no instructions on how to proceed. Much in the style of the later "Myst" games, the onus is placed on you (not any game prompts) to figure out what to do. This requires a great deal of exploration, as well as the ability to pick up certain items and use them at your discretion. Roberta Williams (the game creator) tries to make the solution of each puzzle relatable to some sort of fairy tale in order to help you along, but it will still take a decent amount of thought and maybe even a few nights sleep to get things squared away. If you are short on patience, this is where you get off. However, if you take great satisfaction in taking in your surroundings, exploring at will, and slowly but surely figuring out what you need to do, then you will be hooked! Though many gamers will not agree with this statement, and find these types of games to be akin to watching paint dry, to me there is no greater feeling than finally making a "huge breakthrough" after struggling for so long to figure out your next move.

Before I get too ahead of myself, though, I highly recommend (unless you absolutely require the original version for some reason; in which case good luck finding a hard-disk drive these days) downloading a newer version of this game. This is crucial for two reasons: 1. The graphics are actually passable, and you won't have to spend hours clicking on every little pixel to make sure you didn't miss anything; and 2. The re-makes do away with the text-based command system (which can feel like an albatross) in favor of the point-and-click interface that makes things oh so much smoother. I recommend the "4.0" version from AGD Interactive for the best gaming experience.

So, I highly recommend two groups of gamers to check out this old classic: Those who are a fan of DOS-based gaming in general, or those of you who played this back in the day and would like to experience it again with better graphics and an easier format. Either way, controlling Sir Graham on your quest through Daventry will immerse you and leave you wanting more. While not by any means the best game of this series, this first effort does succeed in introducing the public to a new form of gaming...the adventure.