Old-School Conan Video Games Part III

OK, not exactly Conan, but the classic game Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior by Palace Software is a game that provided me and my friends with many hours of savage enjoyment way back in the late '80's.  If you've played this game, you may remember it as Death Sword by Epyx, Inc.  Either way, same game, although depending on the platform, it may have been a bit of an eyesore.  We mostly played it on a Commodore Amiga, so considering the decade, it was a sexy beast!!! (as shown below on the right).

Now for some good news...the software developer TDB Soft has recreated a freeware version of this classic (that can be downloaded here), and last year they released an updated version (2.0) with an enhanced soundtrack and graphics.  I must say that I was pleasantly suprised when I took it for a spin the other day. I did need something to map my gamepad to the keyboard, and JoystickCursorTool (download here) had me up and running in mere minutes. All of the screen shots below are from this remake...nice!

It's best as a two player game, and lots of fun for a large group of people who don't like waiting around between turns. Basically, it's two sword swinging Conan types going toe to toe in the ring. Each barbarian has sixteen different moves, making for a wide variety of ways that the battle could unfold.  In addition, there are a few different ways to be victorious in two player mode:  whoever has the most hits after forty seconds; the first one to deliver a dozen successful hits on his opponent; but everyone's favorite is undoubtedly the "instant kill"...a glorious spin-a-rama blow to the neck which seperates your foes head from his then lifeless body.

So does this classic game pass the kid test in 2010? My ten year old son saw me holding the gamepad, came scurrying over, and simultaneously his eyes bugged out as he let out a “Cool!”, I passed off the controller to him, and after successfully decapitating his opponent, he let out a “yeah!” along with the obligatory fist pump.  Yep, this game stands the test of time!

Oh, and before I forget...Happy new year everyone!