The Immortal
System: NES
Release Date: November 1990
Developer: Sandcastle Productions
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: Adventure
Delve into a trapped dungeon to save your mentor in The Immortal! The wizard Mordamir has been lost in this dungeon. He has sent for his students to save him from his fate. Though you are not Dunric, you are next in line to make your way to the bottom and untangle the twisted tale full of trolls, goblins, wizards, and dragons.
A smoky image greets you as you awaken in a cell to give you your overarching plans. Moving into the next room you see a cavalcade of fire producing traps on the walls and grounds. Getting hit by the wall fireballs will reduce your health, while stepping on a floor trap will immolate you immediately. Prepare to continue. You notice a goblin fighting a man and walk over, but are immediately thrust into a one on one battle. You must dodge attacks by holding the A Button and leaning in the opposite direction of his swing. As you increase his fatigue, his speed drops and you can attack by holding a direction and pressing the B Button. Each enemy increases in difficulty, requiring quicker reaction time or you will have to prepare to continue.
Little beds of straw are the only proper way to replenish your health and will impart some dreams for you to gain insight on what’s going on. There are many items that you collect and all of them have a use. Though you might get curious and try an item, like these spores, mostly if you use them at the wrong time, prepare to continue. You do have to be in the exact proper spot when using items or they won’t do what you want them to. Hark, a light on the wall to hold the amulet up to. Just don’t read the incantation on the back or prepare to continue. This potion shrinks you to walk through a crack in the wall, but it also poisons you, so find an antidote or prepare to continue.
What is this little thing flying around and attacking me! Hit it with a fireball to make it dead or prepare to continue. These arrows are poisonous, so you need to avoid them or prepare to continue. I’m on a magic carpet, because the alternative of being eaten by a worm sounds like another reason I will prepare to continue. I shall dethrone the Goblin King! I mean… prepare to continue. There’s a pit in the ground, tap your button rapidly and steadily or prepare to continue. Stairs down? Make sure you enter the square by way of the stairs or prepare to continue. What’s this green blob. Can I talk to it? Nope, but I can prepare to continue. They call me barrel rider, but if this Norlac catches me, I must prepare to continue.
The ending requires a very specific and properly timed sequence of commands. If you don’t get them right, prepare to continue. Luckily, there is a password certificate given to you at the ending of each dungeon level. That way you don’t have to do it all in one sitting or worry about having to restart at the beginning of the game when you run out of lives.
Graphics: 2.5
I don’t really care for the isometric view, or the font they used throughout the game, but you know what, the sprites and animations are pretty good.
Sound: 2.5
The music and sounds are good and feel like they were crafted with care.
Gameplay: 1.0
Most rooms have traps that are visible. Others are invisible. All battles are boring to play through.
Difficulty: 1.0
If you have adventure game brain, you will probably brute force your way to every solution, but expect to die dozens of times on your way. The instruction manual gives you heavy hints to most solutions.
Fun Factor: 1.0
This wasn’t a very fun adventure and felt more like a chore to play.
Overall Rating: 1.6
The Immortal earns a C-. If you need an adventure game to frustrate you for awhile, have at this one. Otherwise stay away. I’ll see if the Genesis version is any better when I get to November 1991.