Knight 'n' Grail

Knight 'n' Grail
Game No.	168
Voting	8.11 points, 18 votes
Developer	Mikael Tillander
Company	Widepixelgames
Publisher	Psytronik Software
Musician	Hans Axelsson
HVSC-File	/MUSICIANS/T/The_Dungeon_Master/ /Knight_n_Grail.sid
Release	2009
Platform	C64
Genre	Platformer (Scrolling Screen), Adventure, Jump & Run
Gamemode	Single player
Operation	+
Media
Language

Description

Introduction

"In an instant we were separated, the flash of light struck the tree. Our tree. She flew headlong a few hundred yards, landing on a flat stone. I tumbled into high grass. The shadow moved towards my beloved one and soon consumed her. Another flash appeared. This time the brightness blinded me totally but I could imagine the scene in front of me. I've heard the story so many times. Now it was finally happening. The curse was upon us. I swore I'd help her shed her serpentine skin and return her to her natural form, no matter what. I turned to the archmage and humbly asked to be able to wield a sword and wear armour. The price for his aid would be the very same item that I was now about to risk my life to obtain. The vessel of restoration. Iron clad and with death in my grip I ventured into the dark to find the goblet of gold."

Course of the game

The game is a platformer with many action-adventure elements. The kinght meets different moving (as snakes, dragons, birds, water drops) and rigid enemies (as gargoyles) and obstacles (as spears or moving pillars), that can be fought and destroyed. Some enemies spit e.g fire. Destroyed enemies leave behind coins which can be collected. The enemies can harm the knight, which at first costs energy and then leads to death. If rooms that have already been visited, are reentered, the enemies also reapppear!

Furthermore there are door opener in the shape of flashing steles which open different doors in the castle and objects (e.g.in the shape of jugs), that contain energy, water or weapons and can be collected. At the beginning, the energy supply only consists of three energy points, but in the course of the game the energy supply can be raised. If the knight passes a rune stone, there is an important hint to be read.

Furthermore there is a map of the castle's labyrinth, which shows an overvire of the rooms that you have already visited. In the lower right of the screen the name of the currently entered room or area is displayed. The energy and coin display is at the lower left of the screen.

Design

The Main Hall - The first room after entering the castle

The East Sewers

The mysterious runes as a help

The Golden Shrine room

Further images from the game and an ending as it should not happen

The slideshow has been moved to a subpage.

The level design as atmosphericly adapted to the topic of the game in dark multicolours. Room or areas are entered, which partially scroll horizontally or are blended in if needed. A correspondingly gloomy background music with sound effects round the game off. The game contains over 200 very nicely drawn screens, different extras and weapons, a lot of monsters and other enemies, five intermediate and one end boss, ingame music and sound effects, a laborious end sequence and you can even save your progress at some places.

Hints

Controls

Joystick in port 2:

go to left
go to right
jump
go down (from platform) / read rune
use chosen weapon

F1  change swords
F3  change armour
SPACE  change between labyrinth map and game

Useful information

• Look at every rune stone, as it holds either an important hint or a place to save your progress.
• There is also a transmitter, to shorten long ways...
• In the course of the game ypu get special abilities such as jumping higher (joy up 2x), float down diagonally (joy back while falling), turn to a bird and fly (keep fire button pressed)...
• When you can fly, you can then reach places and get useful items, that could not be reached before, as e.g. Eagle Eyes (you can see with them which walls can be destroyed)...
• Different walls can be shot through with a certain type of sword, with this you can reach otherwise not accessible sections of the castle...
• To end the game positively, you need to carry the right sword and wear the right armour...
• There is supposed to be a "bonus end" next to the two possible endings...

Solution

Overview map

... the complete map ...

The rune stones and their runes

• Rune of Rebirth:
  Press F1 to save. Press fire to abort
  
• The Castle / Castle Entrance:
  A holy quest
  If you enter you must seek the grail with pace and in the map trust by pressing space
• The Castle / Main Hall:
  Steel Doors
  Dragon staves have their door in a magic grip, swords that soar and cuts might make it slip
• The Castle / Main Hall Attic:
  Elementals
  Equip the Armour of Water and walk into the rain, it will not be a slaughter not even an energy drain
• The Castle / Well of Wishes:
  If transport you need get to the other side, then with high speed you will ride
• The Castle / West Tower Upper:
  Fear of Fire
  Hidden far from the great one he feels safe in his den, turn him to steam and you have won but it is not over then
• The Castle / Room of Obedience:
  The Majestic
  All Swords bring them to me, you will get rewards for free
• Wyverns Caverns / East Cave:
  Power of Nightingale
  Just hold fire and you will transform, to what you desire that is your original form
• Wyverns Caverns / Caverns:
  Power of Ostrich
  Another leap in mid air will have you soar, higher than you dare and higher than before
• Wyverns Caverns / Wyverns Entrance:
  Heed my first Warning
  Protection against gravel and dust is needed beyond here, heed this you must or end up on the dragons spear
• Marduk Sewers / Marduks Entrance:
  This den will get cold and quickly frozen, do not be bold act like the chosen
• Marduk Sewers / Marduks Chamber:
  Power of Owl
  Press down when falling, to float around when you get the calling
• Marduk Sewers / Crossroads:
  Spiked Door
  Only Bearer of the Golden Sword may pass, this says the Lord that protects the glass
• Marduk Sewers / Crossroads (below):
  Power of Eagle
  All hidden signs will to you be revealed, all matter of kinds will no longer be sealed
• Zmey Mountain / Mountain Stairs:
  All dragons breathe fire also my master, all dragons breathe fire and cause disaster
• Zmey Mountain / Zmeys Chamber:
  Power of Woodpecker
  Some walls will now come down, just hit them until they come around
• Dungeons / Labyrinth:
  Golden Armour
  wear this at the collection of the holy grail it is your only protection or you will fail

Cheats

• The bonus ending is a reference to www.widepixelgames.com and a password to go on watching the bonus ending (preview to "Knight 'n' Grail 2") there. Unfortunately, the text field for the password is now missing on the website.
• The version by "Onslaught" contains next to the manual on an extra disk also the following cheat options: unlimited energy, unlimited coins, all swords, all armour.
• Enter POKE 24496,173 with a cartridge and you get unlimited energy.
• Collect all swords and then press the fire button. While the sword flies, press "F1" as fast as possible and admire the now unusual flight path of the sword...

Voting

Voting of the C64-Wiki users (10=the best vote):
8.11 points at 18 votes (rank 79). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
Retro GAMER	94%
micromart	9/10

Reviews

Jodigi: "The demo or respectively the video on the producer's page look quite promising, the preview version plays rather well on the emulator and the game is addictive. A very good C64 game for a long time!"

H.T.W: "A courageous knight, whose fair lady has been kidnapped and turned into dragon and who now has to go through thousands of perils to find the remedy, the magical goblet. Somehow reminds me of Ghosts'n Goblins, but Knight ’n’ Grail is more an arcade adventure with huge levels full of action and puzzles in over 200 screens, where you find multiple weapons and armour, special power-ups, mean end bosses and puzzles. (The effect of the swords and armour somehow reminds of Koronis Rift - the effect of a swords depends on the sword colour and enemy colour, e.g. green sword has no effect against green enemy, the effect of the armour depends on the colours of the armour and the shots, e.g. red armour protects against red shots, etc.). The very nice graphics and the successful music and sound effects, the easy to learn and precise controls, the automap that can be viewed any time and the saving points for the progress increase the value of the game further. The difficulty grade is also not too high, with some practice you will play through Knight ’n’ Grail and may rejoice in one of the two superb end sequences (and will notice why it says "our tree" in the introduction!).
Conclusion: A new, technically faultless, lovingly designed game for our old breadbox with a nice cover artwork that is definitely more than worth its price and can be put into the series of the best C64 games ever."

Camailleon:"Brilliant, a great game from 2009! Excellent graphics, music that is not annoying, unobstrusive sound effects, fluent controls and scrolling. The story and the different armours, swords and extras are very imaginative, I like that :). There are diversified enemies in every part, handy saving points and the game is at no point too hard or unfair! You are at no time discouraged, I had always the feeling that it pays off to just try it once again. 10 points from me for a top game for a computer that still today deserves such a great game!"

Stefan67: "Shooter without stress, jump & run without a fast death, atmospheric adventure added with fulfillment of the drive for gathering and exploring, and all that in one game. Graphics and sound are realised at best. The game atmosphere fits the background story continuously. A successful proof that excellent games are possible on the C64. Without doubt 10 points!"

Miscellaneous

Cover

"Premium Edition"

"Budget Edition"

Advertisement

Flyer by Psytronik

Video

Video on Youtube: Official Promo Video

Highscore

Unfortunately, there is no highscore possible in this game, but there are two different end sequences, depending on whether you carry the right armour or not...

Links

• Knight 'n' Grail at Psytronik
• Gamebase64.com - Game No. 21654

Videos

• Video at YouTube Official Promo Video
• Video at YouTube Part 1/4
• Video at YouTube Part 2/4
• Video at YouTube Part 3/4
• Video at YouTube Part 4/4