In the Credit Roll Chronicles, Rob (D4MS for his online friends) takes on all the games he left unfinished over the years. From childhood classics that beat him back in the day to forgotten gems that slipped through the cracks, he is determined to finally see the credits roll. Along the way he shares memories, frustrations, and the joy of rediscovering the adventures that shaped his love for gaming.
The past few weeks have been a real blast from the past. I decided to go back and play some of the games I left unfinished when I was just a little kid. Why, you ask? To finally pull out those old thorns in my side. Most of them I never finished because of two things: language (I grew up Dutch) and skill.
Fast forward to now, almost hitting 40. My English is a lot better, and I’d like to think I’ve built up some decent gaming skills along the way. So with those hurdles out of the way, it’s time to return to the games that shaped my childhood. On top of that, I’m picking up a few titles that always caught my eye back then but I never got around to. Probably because money was tight. Expect a mix of classics and oddballs. I’ll let you know which ones still hold up today, too.
For my first credit roll, I dusted off my wand (a stick), threw on a wizard robe (okay, it was a tablecloth), and dove headfirst into the realm of Simon the Sorcerer.
The first of many
I’ve always had a soft spot for a good point-and-click adventure. Back in the day, I’d wander into our town’s library every now and then. For some reason, they had a collection of PC games you could borrow.
That’s where I first spotted it: Simon the Sorcerer 2. On the cover stood a young guy in a red wizard’s robe, leaning casually against a wardrobe. Around him: wizards, a genie in a bottle, a damsel in distress, even a pirate. I couldn’t look away. The moment I flipped the box over I was sold. The pixel art looked gorgeous, and I knew I had to take it home. Hours disappeared as I immersed myself in that fantasy world.
Now, you might say: “Hey, wait a minute, I thought you were going to talk about Simon the Sorcerer 1, the one you never finished?” Don’t worry, I will. But here’s the thing: to this day, I only ever played the sequel. So before diving back into that, I figured it was only fair to finally give the first game its moment and make it the starting point of this new series of articles.
Credits roll #1 : Simon the sorcerer
In Simon the Sorcerer you step into the shoes of Simon, the kid himself. One day you’re in your room, doing everything you can to dodge your homework. Then your dog barges in and drags you up to the attic, where he just happens to sniff out a magic book (seriously, why was that thing even up there?).
The moment you crack it open, you’re zapped into a fantasy world where the evil wizard Sordid is making life miserable for everyone. From there it’s up to Simon to pick up a few spells, earn his wizard robes, and take down Sordid once and for all.
Simon the Sorcerer is a classic point-and-click adventure in its purest form. You chat with all kinds of NPCs, combine items in your inventory, or try them out on the various hotspots scattered across each scene.
At the bottom of the screen sit 12 different actions you can choose from. Pick up items, use them on whatever you like, or even try to eat what you’re holding (don’t worry, you’re only allowed to consume food and drinks). Every one of these commands comes into play at some point and figuring out when to use which is key.
Stunning yet repetitive backgrounds
The world of Simon the Sorcerer is drawn in a beautiful style for its time. From the starting town to the dwarven cave, a dragon’s den, and finally Sordid’s tower. You can tell the developers put real care into most of the scenery.
That said, there are a few filler screens that look a bit too similar, which breaks the immersion. Items blend nicely into the backgrounds, maybe a little too nicely. More than once I completely missed an item or a waypoint because it was so well hidden. That led to the dreaded pixel hunting, dragging my cursor across the screen just to figure out what I had overlooked. Frustrating, to say the least.
The puzzles themselves are not that hard once you have the right items. The real challenge is spotting those items in the first place.
Great voice acting
Simon the Sorcerer comes with some great voice acting. Chris Barrie (Red Dwarf) does a fantastic job giving Simon his unique voice. The snappy comments Simon throws around made me laugh more than once. The story is simple but well written. It does not rely on big plot twists but it gets the job done. The soundtrack fits the fantasy setting perfectly.
So, is Simon the Sorcerer still relevant today? I would say yes. The pixel art graphics are still beautiful. The voice acting holds up and Chris Barrie makes Simon stand out as a character. The puzzles are not too difficult and the story works even now. Apart from some frustrating pixel hunting, this is still a must-play for fans of the genre.
Oh, and before I forget. If you plan to play Simon the Sorcerer… STAY THE HELL AWAY from that horrific 25th Anniversary Edition.
7.5/10
Pros
- Beautifull artwork
- Great voice acting and soundtrack
- Puzzels are not to hard
Cons
- Pixelhunting for hotspots
- Repetative filler scenery
The Good
- Beautifull artwork
- Great voice acting and soundtrack
- Puzzels are not too hard
The Bad
- Pixelhunting for hotspots
- Repetitive filler scenery
