Ravenskull (computer game)

Infobox VG
title = Ravenskull


developer = Martin Edmondson & Nicholas Chamberlain (BBC Micro / Acorn Electron), John Wallace (Acorn Archimedes / Risc PC), Darren Izzard (PC)
publisher = Superior Software / Superior Interactive, ProAction
designer =
engine =
released = "BBC Micro" 1987
"Acorn Electron" 1987
"Acorn Archimedes" 1997
"Risc PC" 1997
"PC" 2003
genre = Action-adventure game
modes = Single player
ratings =
platforms = BBC Micro
Acorn Electron
Acorn Archimedes
Risc PC
Microsoft Windows
media = 1 x 5.25" BBC Micro DFS Diskette, 1 x BBC Micro or Acorn Electron Cassette, 1 x 3.5" Acorn Archimedes or Risc PC ADFS Diskette, 1 x PC CD-ROM or PC Downloadable Archive
requirements =
input = Keyboard

. The player may choose from one of four character types - an Adventurer, a Wizard, a Warrior or an Elf - a choice which defines both the graphics for the character's player and the treasure pieces to be collected. 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. 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.

Faithful 32-bit ports for the Acorn Archimedes and Risc PC by John Wallace, were released by ProAction in 1997. A fully-revamped PC 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 phone port from Masabi was circulated around the [http://www.acorn-gaming.org.uk/index.php3?p=News/index Acorn Gaming] and [http://www.acornarcade.com/articles/Repton_3_lives_on/index783.html Acorn Arcade] sites in late May 2002, but it never appeared. More recently, David Bradforth - of ProAction / Alligata - has [http://www.acornarcade.com/forums/viewthread.php?threadid=10757#106509 claimed that a port to Mac OS X is coming soon] .

External links

* [http://www.superiorinteractive.com/ravenskull/ Ravenskull] at Superior Interactive
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euhIW6fVQdU See a video of the BBC Micro version of Ravenskull] at YouTube