Initial release date 1986 Publisher Superior Software Mode Single-player video game | Developer Ubisoft Reflections Genre Action-adventure game | |
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Designer(s) Martin Edmondson & Nicholas Chamberlain (BBC Micro / Acorn Electron), John Wallace (Acorn Archimedes / Risc PC), Darren Izzard (Windows) Platforms BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Microsoft Windows, Acorn Archimedes, RiscPC Similar Superior Software games, Adventure games | ||
Ravenskull is a British graphic adventure video game. It was originally developed by Martin Edmondson and Nicholas Chamberlain for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron and released by Superior Software in 1986.
Contents
Gameplay
The player may choose from one of four character types: an Adventurer, a Wizard, a Warrior or an Elf. The choice defines both the graphics for the character's player and the treasure pieces to be collected.
Plot
The player is tasked with entering Baron Strieg's Castle Ravenskull in order to defend the village of Austberg and retrieve a stolen silver crucifix, which has been split into quarters and found on four different levels of the castle.
Development
The game was originally conceived after the authors created a new routine for hardware scrolling; when the player uses a speed scroll, the routine can be seen at full speed. Due to lower hardware specifications, the Acorn Electron version used a much smaller playing window and the speed scrolls were omitted.
Releases
Superior released a faithful 32-bit port for the Acorn Archimedes on their Play It Again Sam 4 compilation in 1994. This version was not compatible with the Risc PC so a new version was released by ProAction in 1997 on their issue of PIAS 4. A fully revamped Microsoft Windows version was released in 2003 by Superior Interactive, the modern publishing label of Superior Software, with new graphics and a significantly larger second set of levels known as "Castle Danube".
The possibility of a mobile port from Masabi was circulated in late May 2002, but it never appeared.