The BBC and Master Computer Public Domain Library

ROBIN OF SHERWOOD -

THE TOUCHSTONES OF RHIANNON

Professional, Originally Released On Cassette Only

Game Type          : Text Adventure

Authors            : Mike Woodroffe and Brian Howarth

Standalone Release(s)   : 1985: ROBIN OF SHERWOOD, AInternational, £7.95

Compilation Release(s) : None

Stated compatibility    : Electron

Actual compatibility    : Electron, BBC B, B+ and Master 128

Supplier            : ADVENTURE INTERNATIONAL, 85 Summer Street, BIRMINGHAM

                    B19 3TE

Disc compatibility     : ADFS 1D00, CDFS 1D00, DFS 1D00

Instructions

In the days of the Lion spawned of Devil's Brood, the Hooded Man shall come to the forest. There he will meet Herne the Hunter. The powers of Light and Darkness shall be strong within him. And the guilty shall tremble.

Instructions' Source   : ROBIN OF SHERWOOD (AInternational) Back Inlay

Quick Peek (Electron User)

It is over a hundred years since the Normans conquered England, but rebellion still flares. Many English secretly believe a Hooden Man - a fugitive - would be chosen by Herne the Hunter to lead the English against the Norman tyranny. This time is now ready for the appearance of the Hooded Man - you. This Scott Adams' adventure includes features such as the stringing together of commands and input of complete sentences. A free hint sheet is included with the game.

ELECTRON USER 3. 3

Review (Electron User)

It isn't unusual for me to get stuck in adventures, but to do so when a cheat sheet is enclosed with the game certainly is, which goes to show the quality of Adventure International's ROBIN OF SHERWOOD. While the plot of the game is new, the characters and some of the events in it follow the recent TV series closely.

You, of course, play Robin of Locksley, the Hooded Man and your task is to find and safely store the Touchstones of Rhiannon. You start the game in the Sheriff's dungeons, awaiting trial for killing deer. Escaping is difficult and probably one of the most well constructed puzzles I have seen.

Once you are free you should save the game - exploration of the castle is risky, though necessary. It shouldn't be too long before you manage to get out of the castle and when you do you'll find yourself in the middle of a 60-odd room maze. I suggest you save the game again at this point.

The usual maze-mapping methods won't work here as the objects you have seen so far can't be collected.

The maze is logical, though, so you can map it linearly. Moving two moves east and then two west will bring you back to your start position providing you haven't tried to go off the map.

If you find you need less moves on your return journey then you have reached the end of the map and should, by reducing the number of moves, be able to find where the edge is. Eventually you'll manage to map it all.

I was a bit disconcerted to find myself dumped in the forest maze so suddenly, and this put me off the game for a while. Once I had got further into it though, I found it to be one of the best adventures to have come my way for a while.

Atmosphere ...................... 6
Complexity ...................... 6
Presentation .................... 5
Value for money ................. 6
Overall ......................... 5

Paul Gardner, ELECTRON USER 3. 7