Defender of the Crown (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Cinemaware were one of the big names in the early days of computer gaming and it's probably fair to say that anyone who had a home computer around the late 80s will have encountered at least one of their titles. This was mainly down to the fact that they were incredibly hard to miss, their well designed games had outstanding visuals (for the time) and garnered a great deal of publicity. That was some time ago though and we're now in an era where all these classics can now be poured into a handheld gaming unit, in this case the GBA. This version of Defender of the Crown has been out in the US for a couple of years now but it's only just reached our shores and I have a strange feeling that I gave the original close to that time on my Atari ST all those years ago though. Have the developers managed to retain the magic that kept you coming back for 'just one more go'? Let's hope so.

Gameplay

Although DotC has a reasonably immersive storyline involving The King of England and his many foes it's essentially a very well dressed up game of Risk with a number of themed mini-games. For those who haven't played Risk before or indeed any turn-based strategy titles, the objective is simply to gain control of the majority of land using your skill and (obviously) strategy. I say 'simply' but, though the concept is far from complicated, managing your resources whilst keeping an eye on the competition can get a little tricky especially when you are surrounded by invading armies. Before this though you'll have to select which of the Lords you wish to become and what you're to spend your gold on. This can be a pivotal section of the game and wise spending only comes with experience so be prepared to make a few mistakes initially.

Once the game begins it's all about gaining land and, more importantly, castles. This is partly played out in a series of mini-games, which really are the highlight of the whole thing and could easily be a game in their own right. These include the excellent jousting tournament, which is generally followed by the mace combat, not forgetting the often-overlooked storming-the-castle where you can engage in some Errol Flynn type swordplay. It's not the only way to gain territory though and you may wish to simply send your troops into battle using a whole host of attacks but the number you send and the ferocity of the attack always requires careful planning. Send too few men in and you may be overpowered, too many against a more powerful army and you still may lose. There's is always the 'Wild Retreat' which has your men leaving the battlefield quickly whenever it gets a little too much but where's the fun in that? Sadly there's no multiplayer option and, while this would have no doubt taken extra development time, this game cries out for a two or four player link-up. Thankfully there is a battery back-up but given that games can go on for some time it really is essential.

Controls

Considering this is a strategy game the whole thing is remarkably intuitive and well suited to the GBA's limited control layout. It even passed our usual 'blind manual' test were we simply pick the game up and see how far we get without referring to the printed instructions. In truth all GBA games should be playable in this manner but many still aren't.

Graphics

The visuals first drew most gamers to Cinemaware titles in the first place all those years ago and I'm pleased to report that they work perfectly on the GBA with some of them even looking better, especially on the DS. It's also a testament to the original artists that most of the game has only been tweaked rather than completely reworked although you will notice some changes in the various mini-games so they perform better on the smaller screen.

Sound

While you can undoubtedly hear what the developers have tried to accomplish it doesn't quite come off and as a result the soundtrack is probably best forgotten. The various samples which crop up almost everywhere throughout the game are more impressive, with the various farmyard animal noises in particular transferring you almost magically to the great outdoors.

Final comments

Defender of the Crown is from a time in computer gaming where ideas and gameplay were far more important than flash visuals or FMV intros and this game proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that good ideas will always work. Even after almost 20 years DotC is still fresher, more fun and much more immersive than the vast majority of games I get to play on the GBA. This has a lot to do with its sheer simplicity and intuitive interface, making it easy to pick up and hard to put down. It's not without its problems though and as good as this conversion is, the lack of any multiplayer option is a huge oversight. That said this is still a quality conversion and a game that belongs in every strategy enthusiast's collection and with a bit of luck Cinemaware will bring the rest of their back catalogue to the GBA.

Pro: Excellent Conversion.
Con: No Multiplayer.
Final score: 8.2

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