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キングスナイト
©1986 Square co,ltd.
Programmed by Workss
Release: 1986-09-18 (¥4900)
Cartdridge SQF-KG
Shooter/vertical
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Released in America as
KING'S KNIGHT
( NES-KG-USA )
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King's Knight is a vertical fantasy-themed action shooter (with a sprinkling of
RPG elements) by Square. The kingdom of Orusea was at peace, until the day
princess Claire was kidnaped by Torufidan, a fierce and evil dragon from
the hostile kingdom of Izander.
The king sends four of his best warriors to rescue the poor damsel in distress - Ray Jack
the knight, Kaliva the wizard, Barusa the monster and Toby the thief.
But before rushing on to the dragon's castle, they must each first undergo a
training phase though four different levels. As they individually fight their way
through each location, they come across enemies but also trees and other elements of the scenery
that they can destroy with their main projectile weapon. Most of them hide all kind of monsters
but also reveal power-up items which give each hero a chance to increase four of their fighting
abilities - white crystals (attack), shields (defense), springs (jump) and
Boots (speed). Each training-level also features miscellaneous items such as up and
down shaped stones that replenish or reduce health, staircases that lead to secret
underground stages and magic elements (Elements are important and four of each must be
collected in order to cast magic spells during the final battle). Once the training phase is over,
all four warriors then unite for the fifth and final level - however, anyone unable to survive
their training stage will not join the final battle which greatly compromises the success of the
rescue operation. New special items also appear throughout this final stage - the most noticeable
(and important) are Arrow icons that give the player a chance to rotate the team and
switch to a different group leader. Finally, a continue option is available from the title screen and gives
players an opportunity to upgrade all four warriors after a game over (see the 'secrets' section).
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King's Knights was first released for the Famicom in 1986. The game
was then ported to the MSX (1987) and an enhanced version called King's Knights Special (picture on the right)
was also released for the Nec PC-8801 (1987) and Sharp X1 (1987).
A Fujitsu FM-7 version was apparently planned but was later canceled.
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Teaser text copied from the American version:
Four brave warriors have set out into the Kingdom of Izander
to rescue Princess Claire from the grip of a fiendish Dragon.
Through fire thrilling, fast-action stages,
our gallant heroes, a Knight, a Wizard, a Monster, and a Thief,
will take on an army of incredible enemies.
Join in and help this tough team reach their goal!
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G
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Japanese Guidebook
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Japanese Comic
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Japanese Game Book
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O
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Click on picture to enlarge |
S
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Continue Screen:
After the game is over (when you fail the fifth stage), then return to
the title screen and access the continue menu by pressing
Select. There you can select any character and play his stage
again in an attempt to upgrade him to the almighty 20th level.
However, keep in mind that each character starts his training level
for the beginning, so
if you happen to die it is often better to reset the game in order to
retain the character's previous level and avoid a 'Dead' status.
To play the fifth stage again, don't select any character and
press Start on the continue screen.
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LK
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Add your Pov here !
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P
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V
s
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Although the generic plot of King's Knight won't impress anyone
(rescue the princess bla bla..), it brings fresh ideas to the table. I mean,
an early Square game featuring a knight on the cover must be an RPG ?
right ?.. wrong ! King's Knight is in reality a very unique shooter with
(I think) a really clever gameplay. How many action games out there get you to
individually power-up your characters before rushing into the final battle ? This
really gives King's Knight a bit more depth than its peers. Technically the game is fairly
decent and controls are solid and responsive. The screen can be a bit chaotic at
times though, filled with hordes of crawling monsters and other flying enemies. My only
complaint with the game is how short it is. Also, you'll most certainly fail your
mission if you don't reach the final battle with all four warriors and their magic
spells (but the continue screen is of great help). I personally think that King's Knights
has managed to merge two genres
together - the game is not for everyone, granted, but it is decent and fun. It's
not going to knock your socks off and there's definitively room for
improvement, but the game's concept is completely unique and refreshing.
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