The Dark Crystal (video game)
The Dark Crystal is a graphic adventure game based on Jim Henson's 1982 fantasy film, The Dark Crystal. The game was designed by Roberta Williams and published under the SierraVenture line in 1983[1] as Hi-Res Adventure #6: The Dark Crystal. It is the first Hi-Res Adventure released under the SierraVenture line, the previous games being released under earlier names and later re-released under SierraVenture. An alternate version of the game for younger players called Gelfling Adventure was released in 1984.[2][3]
| The Dark Crystal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Sierra On-Line |
| Publisher(s) | SierraVenture |
| Designer(s) | Roberta Williams |
| Artist(s) | Jim Mahon |
| Series | Hi-Res Adventure |
| Engine | ADL |
| Platform(s) | Apple II, Atari 8-bit |
| Release | 1983[1] |
| Genre(s) | Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
The Dark Crystal is set in Thra, a world with three suns. Every thousand years the three suns come together in an event known as "The Great Conjunction".[1] The player controls Jen, a gelfling. Two souls are destined to battle to reveal the secrets of their past. One warrior's fate rests in the hands of a tyrannical villain who is hellbent on destruction.
The game features no music, a single beep is used to alert that no action other than the return key can be taken and a double beep if another command is used at that time.
Development
It took Roberta Williams a little over a month to develop the design for the game, which was then turned over to programmers and artists.[4]
Reception
Softline in 1983 wrote that "In a way, it's better than the movie", stating The Dark Crystal's "thin story that failed to serve the movie well is comparatively top-drawer material in the game" and calling the graphics "delightful".[5] The game would go on to receive a Certificate of Merit in the category of "1984 Best Computer Adventure" at the 5th annual Arkie Awards.[6]
References
- "The Dark Crystal - Cover Art - MobyGames". www.mobygames.com. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
- "Gelfling Adventure". Museum of Computer Adventure Game History. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- "Gelfling Adventure". Vintage-Sierra.net. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- Anderson, John (March 1983). "The dark crystal". Creative Computing. p. 168. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
- Tommervik, Margot Comstock (May–Jun 1983). "The Dark Crystal". Softline. p. 45. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (February 1984). "Arcade Alley: The 1984 Arcade Awards, Part II". Video. Reese Communications. 7 (11): 28–29. ISSN 0147-8907.