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
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.
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