Last month we went over running Bard's Tale on the C64. What an experience
that was, let me tell you! Since then, I've been downloading game after
game for the C64. I've got Paperboy, Jumpman, Karateka, Frogger, Moon
Patrol, and many others. In future months I'd like to go over how to get
BT running on the Apple Emulator, as soon as I figure it out.
All versions of the Bard's Tale are basically the same, except for one - the
Nintendo version. I got an e-mail a few days ago asking for maps to the NES
version, and I had always thought that they were the same maps as the other
versions, but they are definitely not the same! This month's editorial will
cover how to set up a Nintendo Emulator on your PC, as well as get you up to
speed on the differences.
The Nintendo Entertainment System came out in 1983, and what a machine it
was! 8-bit graphics, and who else but Mario as their mascot! I'm a big Mario
fan myself, so I'm partial to Nintendo. The 8-Bit system was rivaled only
by Sega. Once 16-Bit systems came into town, like the Sega Genesis and NEC
TurboGrafx 16, Nintendo amazingly kept up with the competition by packing
as much as they could into their games. Nintendo was actually the last
company to release a 16-Bit system, the Super Nintendo. Today, we live in
a 64-Bit game world, where Sony PlayStation rules the market, followed
closely by the Nintendo 64. However it was only Nintendo who ported the Bard's
Tale to their platform! Hooray!
A really good Nintendo Emulator called Nesticle can be found at
http://www.zophar.net/NESticle/. I personally run Nesticle version
0.42 for DOS, because it runs a lot faster in DOS than the Windows version.
If you do run the DOS version, make sure you have
DOS/4GW Protected Mode Run-time
Make a Nintendo folder, unzip the contents of the Nesticle program into it.
Lastly, you'll need the Bard's Tale ROM.
Download it and put it in the same folder as Nesticle. Start up Nesticle,
select "FILE", "LOAD", then "Bard'sTale", and here you are! Press the
Spacebar to hide the bloody hand.
According to the Credits, BT was released in 1991 on the Nintendo. Only
Bard's Tale 1, Tales of the Unknown was released.
When you start out in the Guild, you can create your party. Unlike other
BT games, you can only create a character of these classes: Warrior, Rogue,
Hunter, Bard, Sorcerer, and Wizard. There is no such thing as race either.
Characters also don't get a picture, so you can never see what they look
like. The only spell a beginning Sorcerer can case is Scry Site, and the
only spell a novice Wizard can cast is Mage Flame. Low Level Bards have
these three songs to sing: The Traveler's Tune, Wayland's Watch, and The
Seeker's Ballad. Onto the City of Skara Brae!
The city is arranged somewhat like the Skara Brae that we all know and
love except it's a lot smaller!
You walk around the city in a standard 3D view, and at the same time you
can see a top-down view of yourself represented by an arrow (Similar to
the Magic Compass). Only a handful of buildings actually have doors on
them - the rest are all solid buildings with no way of entry. In a way,
it's like the Ruins of Skara Brae in BT3. Both cities are small, and a
lot of buildings have no way of getting in.
Garth is not a old man anymore, but a clean-shaven young gent, who seems
much more "Customer Focused" in than I'm used to. I bought a harp, and he
said, "I'm sure you'll like it". I'm sure I will too, but I never asked
for your opinion on the matter! All items that he sells are familiar, with
the addition of a "Drop" (for 14 pieces of gold) and "Potion" (for 20 pieces
of gold). When I said I didn't want to buy one, he said, "Oh, I'm sorry".
He must be trying out for "Employee of the Month". On the way out of the
Shoppe, he said, "See you again! Take care of yourself!"
The bartender at the Inn looks something like Captain Kirk without his Starfleet insignia,
and only sells Root Beer and Grape Juice (what else
in a Nintendo cartridge?) Once you have a root beer, it says, "Canadian
Root Beer, Eh? Bob pounds the Root Beer. It's real tasty." If you take
the time to talk to guy, he gives you this tip: "Maybe you can go to the
world of Underground if you drink some grape juice at the Scarlet Bard!"
I can take a hint...
There's only one temple in town, and the owner will heal your Hit Points
as well as your Spell Points. It's kind of like a one-stop-shop.
The temple priest can also perform a "Restore All", a handy feature.
The review board greets you kindly with a cheery "This is the Review Council.
Do you want our judgement?" Characters need only 20 Experience points to
advance to Level 2. Their last words to me were "Well, I hope I will see
you all again!"
Fighting is different as well. You are usually attacked by groups of the
same monster class. You'll usually get into a fight with 2 Ogres, 3 Ogres,
and 2 Ogres. Then, after that fight, you'll be up against 2 Wolves,
3 Wolves, and 1 Wolf. When you are attacked, your whole screen shakes.
When you attack an enemy, their image temporarily dims. When you cast
spells, you can hear some sound effects, as well as a an occasional flash
of light.
This version of The Bard's Tale is obviously made easier, as it was geared
for the much sought-after 5 to 12 year old Nintendo demographic. If you're
interested in playing it further, and you make any maps, let me know,
and we'll post them on our site.
Last but not least, there's the Blue Dragon who guards the castle.
He says, "Little Adventurers, do you want to come into the castle?"
When you say yes, he continues, "I can't let you pass yet, because you
wouldn't be able to get out alive." He's kind of like that big brother or
sister you always wish you had, protecting you from harm...
You can contact me at WebMaster@BardsTale.com.
Until next month, farewell fellow Bard's Tale fans!
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