The Black Cauldron

The Good
This was the first game I ever got for my PC - I was 11 at the time and had been fascinated by the Disney movie of the same name. For an 11 year old boy, this game was awesome - great cartoon graphics with cool animation, loads of fantastic screens to explore, mazes, arcade sequences, sword fights, a great storyline and intuitive, simple controls. I spent the first couple of days not knowing what to do, so I just went around and explored, and it was great - a superb introduction into the adventure gaming world.

The best parts of the game are trying to get into the marshes of Morva (via the swamp), swimming through the alligator infested castle moats, the colourful characters and the secret passages in the castle. Once I finished this game I replayed it about 5 times, just exploring every nook and cranny, and trying to find all the hidden extras that I missed the first time.

There are multiple solutions to most problems also, which deviate from the movie storyline, but reward the player with more points for thinking for themselves. This gives the game a great replay value, much more than most other Sierra adventures of the time and makes up for its length somewhat.

The user interface was ahead of its time, predating the point and click interfaces used in modern adventures by 4-5 years. After enjoying this game so much I got all 5 books in the Chronicles of Prydain series (the movie/game was based on these) and have read them all at least 6 times since then (I'm 26 now).

The Bad
I only had CGA graphics at the time and had to put up with the nasty colours while drooling at all the 16 colour shots all over the box. I couldn't understand why California Games and Moonbugs could make my PC look like it had an EGA card while my favorite game had only 4 nasty colours. OK so there's not much wrong with it - even playing it now I get all nostalgic and it takes me right back.......The only real issue is that once you get into it you can finish it in a couple of hours. But this game was intended for younger audiences, so the length isn't too bad.

The Bottom Line
A great, colourful game that is absolutely brilliant for kids to get a taste of adventure gaming. It has the essence that all the great adventure games have had, and that is that if you want to, you can just wander around lush environments exploring and enjoying the sights, while meeting other game characters who are actually interesting and likeable. You're not really restricted that much either. The non-linear paths through the game make it that much better, rewarding people for trying out different things. A very under-rated game!

The Good
The game was made to follow Disney's not well known movie of the same name, in this sense it is accurate in portraying the events in the movie. For the time of it's release the game had average graphics, and sound. The feature that set this game apart from other adventure games was the lack of typing commands. Instead the function keys were used to control your character. This allowed one to enjoy the game without typing in long phrases, or getting stuck trying to figure out the proper verb for a command. It had all the standard features in Sierra's games for the time, inventory, save & load, volume control, etc. The function or "action" key feature is what set it apart, it's a shame it didn't stick as it could have made early adventure games easier and more user friendly. Sierra didn't attempt this until the early 90's with King's Quest 5 which used a similair system using the mouse and a simple command bar.

The Bad
The game was short, and if one had seen the movie easy to go through.

The Bottom Line
An average adventure game with a good story and easy to use interface.

The Good
I recently watched The Black Cauldron, a Disney movie from the Eighties about a young boy who has to prevent the Horned King from seeking out the Black Cauldron, who plans to use it to rule the world. He must also rescue the pig Hen Wen before she can reveal to the Horned King the location of the Cauldron. The characters are heartwarming and the scenery is breathtaking. Unlike other Disney movies, there are no parts where the characters burst out into song. I was eager to see what happened next. I haven't read the books yet which the movie is based on.

In 1986, Sierra created an adventure game based on the movie which follows the same plot. However, anyone who plays the game may go down a different path. The game is produced by a team of people, and nearly half of them - Roberta Williams, Al Lowe, Mark Crowe, and others - went on to create future adventure games that made them famous.

The atmosphere of the game is mixed, with the majority of the game taking place in beautiful environments similar to the ones in King's Quest. A small portion of the game is set in dark and gloomy places, like the castle and swamp that you have to navigate, and I like venturing through dark areas. The musIc in the game is very similar to that used in the movie, and it is quite nice to listen to. It is the sunset at the end of the game that I found breathtaking. Who knew that sunsets look good in sixteen colors?

Although Black Cauldron can be enjoyed by adults, the game was aimed squarely at children. Sierra thought that it would be a hassle for them typing in commands at a parser, so they designed a much simpler interface specifically for this game. All the actions needed to complete tasks can be carried out by pressing the function keys, and all they need to do is memorize what each key does. If they forget, they can go up to the menu bar and read the Actions menu for some help. What I like about this is not only do you have less chance the game produces a "no comprende"-type error message, but actions are performed quickly. Most of the time, I questioned why Sierra didn't use the same interface for some of their future games.

As I mentioned earlier, the game takes the same path as the movie. However, it offers many alternate solutions to puzzles, such as how to get from one place to another, and how to work your way out of a dangerous situation. You can follow the movie, for instance, and allow Hen Wen to be captured by the King's gwythiants, or you could head into someone's house, where the owners agree to protect her. Also, at the start of the game, you can give Gurgi something else other than an apple. It is these alternate solutions like these that make the game replayable.

The keyboard can be used to navigate Taran around. The joystick can also be used to control him, but I found the keyboard effective to position him exactly where you want him to be. There are many ways you can die in the game, with most deaths occurring when the player attempts to solve those puzzles where you have to get yourself from one area to another without falling down a mountain or cliff.

The Bad
I didn't like the way that you become hungry and thirsty as you proceed through the game, and they need top replenish their stocks regularly. Also, unless the player manages to find a food wallet that contains an infinite supply of food, they will die of starvation long before they are able to complete the game; and I doubt that many players will know about this.

The Bottom Line
Children who have seen the movie prior to playing Black Cauldron will know what to do, unless they do not remember almost everything that Taran does. They can try anything in the game to see if it works, without any limitations. The game does away with the usual parser interface, in favor of a few pre-set commands that can quickly be executed with the function keys. The Black Cauldron boasts great environments (both light and dark), nice music that blends in well with the movie, and a variety of alternate paths that make the game replayable. If you have seen the movie already, you will certainly enjoy this game.