THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE

KNIGHTLORE

PUBLISHER
Ultimate Play The Game (A.C.G.)

AUTHORS
Chris and Tim Stamper

YEAR
December 1984

CATEGORY
Arcade Adventure

CONTROLS
CONTROLS:

KEYBOARD CONTROLS
LEFT Your Adventurer will turn left using the Z,C,B and M keys.

RIGHT Your Adventurer will turn right using the X,V,N, and SYMBOL
SHIFT.

MOVE FORWARD Your Adventurer will move forward using any key on
the second row A,S,D,F. etc.

JUMP Your Adventurer will jump using any key on the third row
Q,W,E,R, etc.

PICK UP/DROP Your Adventurer can pick up or drop an object using
the 1-0 keys.

PAUSE The whole game can be paused by using the Caps Shift or
Space/break keys.

JOYSTICK CONTROLS
Your Adventurer can be fully controlled by using the KEMPSTON
INTERFACE, CURSOR CONTROLLED INTERFACE or the SINCLAIR INTERFACE
II and joystick, by replacing the LEFT, RIGHT, FORWARD, JUMP and
PICK UP/DROP commands.


INSTRUCTIONS
The game Knightlore is set in a dark castle where you, the
sabreman have to rid yourself from the curse of the werewolf.
The only way to do this is to find 6 objects and drop them into
the wizard`s cauldron to create a remedy. The games gimmic, and
arguably it`s selling point, was it`s forced 3D isometric
perspective that gave the rooms a more realistic look.

The inlay card doesn`t actually HAVE any instructions, just lots
of riddles. As with all Ultimate games, the user had to use his
brain to work out what to do. The object of the game is for you
to first find the wizard of the castle and enter the room he is
in when you are in your sabreman form. Out of the cauldron an
item will appear. Your mission is to then hunt out this object
and place it into the cauldron. Once this has been done, another
object that you will have to search out and return will appear.
Once you have done this 6 times you will have ridden the
werewolf`s curse from your body. Be quick! You only have 40 days
and nights to complete the spell.


INLAY CARD TEXT

THE WEREWULF

My journey`s end is near; as the last few ebbs of daylight dance
fleetingly in the cooling twilight, and then suddenly dart off
to chase the red sinking sun.

Behind me I feel night`s dark icy fingers slither up long looming
shadows, hiding behind large mounds and boulders, watching my
every move... silently waiting...

For days I have journeyed from the realms of the junglewulf to
"KNIGHT LORE" castle to seek the old dying wizard and ask for his
help to free me from this deathly curse... For countless nights
I have slept chained to tress to keep my deathly curse at bay,
but now I am here...

My footsteps echo around the damp mossy walls of the large
chamber, as I enter through the open main gateway, colossal doors
judder open in an untouched groaning symphony, beckoning me
forward on my quest.

I sense the old wizard`s gaze playing upon me, encapsulated
within the labyrinth of traps and tests, to keep out all but the
most persistent of unwanted guests who seek an audience with the
great wizard MELKHIOR.

Suddenly a cool blue mist starts to ebb forth from the cracks in
the ancient stone-work. As it does so it begins to take form and
become a powerful swimming swirling vortex of energy.

Over all the noise can be heard the chanting and singing of long
forgotten tunes, all sung in a blur of forgetfulness.

THE MIST TUNES

THE WIZARD`S OLDER NOW THAN ALL
HIS HELP YOU SEEK WITHIN THIS WALL
FOR FORTY DAYS YOUR QUEST MAY LAST
LOCATE THE POTION, MAKE IT FAST
THIS HIDEOUS SPELL UPON YOUR SOUL
TO LOSE ITS HOLD MUST BE YOUR GOAL
BEWARE, THE TRAPS FROM HERE BEGIN
THE CAULDRON TELLS WHAT MUST GO IN
TO BREAK THE CURSE AND MAKE THE SPELL
TO SAVE YOURSELF AND MAKE YOU WELL.

The mist suddenly ceases its action and dissipates as quickly as
it came. I drop to the floor and with full knowledge of the old
wizard I begin my quest. Dimly lit tortches light the massive
stone walls, their tired flickering flames never seeming to
penetrate the inky darkness for more than a few feet...
crystaline Merkyls, hideous Hobgoblins, stand frozen on huge
monoliths, glittering in the cool trembling moonlight.
Encapsulated by the old wizard long ago, they await their fate
in an un-ending task of defence, silent and stoney. This is to
be their last everlasting fate as guardians of KNIGHTLORE castle,
until the ultimate death of the old sorcerer... The moon has
risen quickly and in the fulless of its cool blue light, I become
a Werewulf... My fate is now all too clear, I have but forty
days and forty nights to find the old wizard and seek his help
and magical instruction, before my tourmented
soul becomes forever a werewulf.


KNIGHTLORE FEATURES
-------------------

KNIGHT LORE features filmation (C) a unique process whereby you
have complete freedom within the confines of your imagination to
do as you wish with any of the objects found within KNIGHT LORE.

Filmation (C) Stairways
Sabreman Doorways
Metamorphic Change Portcullis
Gargoyles Jump Button
Wizard Melkhior Materialization
Magic Spells Continuous Pause
Traps Collection feature
Tests Sundial Face Clock
3D scenario Spell Ingredients
Monsters Ingredient Display
Dungeons 3 Dimensional Movement
Castle Moving flooways
Impalers Different levels
Ball Chains Extra Lives
Blocks Parapets
Rover Balconies
Chalices Surfing Demons
Boots Caged Mosters
Caskets Hidden Treasures
Chests Suberb Graphics
Diamonds Amazing Animation
Potions Status Scrolls
Tables Day Display
Werewulf Sun
Moon



CHEATS
Infinite lives 53567,0
Infinite time 50206,0
No metamorphosis 50084,201
Objects needed 49759,1 to 10

SEQUELS/PREQUELS
Knightlore was the sequal to 2 games. These were Underwurlde and
Sabrewulf. Alien8, among others, could also be regarded as a
sequal to Knightlore as it was the followup game from Ultimate
and used the same game engine, albeit improved.


SCORES RECEIVED
CRASH Issue 12, p16: 94%

URL
ftp.dcc.uchile.cl/pub/OS/sinclair/snapshots/k

GENERAL FACTS
Knightlore was, and still is regarded as a ground breaking piece
of software. The game got rave reviews everywhere with people
bowled over with the graphics and new style of gameplay.
Apparently Chris and Tim Stamper, authors of the game were heard
to mention in a RARE (sorry about that!) interview that they had
the routine/game engine up and running for months and could have
released it BEFORE Sabre Wulf, but if they did that Sabre Wulf
wouldn`t have sold very well. According to the Stampers, the
Spectrum world was just not ready for Knightlore until then.


NOTES
The game originally went on release back in 1984/85 at the price
of 9.99. Mastertronic bought the budget rights to the game, and
in 1987, released it on their 1.99 budget label, Ricochet.