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Review by
Steve Cooke
(The White Wizard)

 

 
Welcome to Game of the Week! Each week there will be a new featured game on this page. The game may be good, average or diabolically bad, it really doesn't matter! Just look at the pics, read the text and enjoy the nostalgia! :-) Game of the Week! is open to contributions so if you would like to contribute a game article for this page you're more than welcome to! Every article we receive will be considered!
The Hobbit
1985 Melbourne House/Beam Software
By Philip Mitchell & Gregg Barnett
 
Most text of the present article comes from the review published in the first issue of the British C64 magazine ZZAP!64 (May 1985).
 
THE HOBBIT
Melbourne House, £17.95 disk
 

sing disks can greatly enhance the potential of a game -- by loading in location descriptions when required, instead of having to keep them all stashed away in valuable memory, a far richer game can be presented.
.

In the next couple of issues we'll be taking a brief look at some disk-based games to see whether programmers do in fact make good use of the extra possibilities, and which programs you should add to your collection. Even if you don't have a drive, you'll find that some of the games we'll be looking at will really make your mouth water, and in the best cases can give you a good idea of what state-of-the-art adventure has to offer.

First, Melbourne House's new version of The Hobbit, with added locations and improved graphics. The game comes on a double-sided disk -- you load the program side first and then turn over the disk to get the graphics during play. The first thing you'll notice is the music, some of which is really great and adds a good deal of atmosphere to the game. The music changes as you move from location to location and boy!, does it get spooky in the Goblin's Dungeon!

Guess which game this is. Plenty more pictures
where this one came from.

The game features thirty extra locations and many of the descriptions have been greatly enhanced. Add to that the fact that Melbourne House have given the other characters, Thorin in particular, a lot more to say and you have a considerably improved game.

Some of the new additions really do affect the way you have to play, and although the White Wizard has spent a good few hours Hobbiting in the past, he has to admit that this new version has a lot to offer. My own feeling is that £17.95 is a bit too much to pay for the privilege, but if you haven't already got the tape version you might be tempted to fork out your pennies for the satisfaction of owning a truly classic game.

 
Atmosphere 90%
Interaction 80%
Lasting Interest 80%

Value for Money

75%
 


If you want a walkthrough, visit
Jacob Gunness
' Classic Adventures Solution Archive or
Martin Brunner's C64 Adventure Game Solutions Site

The original tape version, (c) 1983 Melbourne House, is also worthy of your attention.

Htmlized by Dimitris Kiminas (9 April 2001)

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