The fell legions of Morcar, Lord of Chaos, had swept all before them. At the sight of the Black Banner and the massed hordes of Chaos, even the bravest warriors of the Emperor had turned tail and fled, the land was laid waste and all men despaired."
So it was that the Chronicles of Loretome told of the age of darkness - a time that was destined to last until eternity.
However, under the leadership of Rogar, a Barbarian prince from the Borderlands, a party of would-be heroes was assembled. In addition to the Barbarian, the group also included a battle-
Gremlin's Hero Quest is taken directly from the MB board game of the same name. The game can be played by up to four participants, the computer assuming the role of the evil Morcar. The basic game involves a party of heroes attempting to complete 4 quests. Each task involves one or more of the following: finding an escape route, rescuing a hostage, collecting an ancient artifact or defeating an evil monster. Before commencing a quest, the players will be informed of their goal.
Each of the four players have their turns before the computer decides which of Morcar's minions to move. At the beginning of a turn a gold coin spins in the corner of the screen. When stopped, the coin will indicate the number of moves a player has.
During a turn players may perform a number of actions. Walking around the dungeons is pretty straightforward. In addition, participants may also search for hidden treasure or secret passages.
Monsters patrol all levels of Morcar's dungeons and come in all shapes and sizes. When a creature is encountered it will usually advance and attack (would-be heroes can attack first). The battle is portrayed with your character facing the attacker. Skirmishes are decided on the role of a dice. The attacker must roll skulls to achieve a hit on the enemy while the defender rolls shields to block the blows. The battle continues with the roles alternating until one of the two parties has been destroyed. Your hit points are displayed in the top left corner of the screen. Your character will die should this value reach zero.
All of the heroes can use conventional weapons. Ranged weapons, such as crossbows, may also be used as long a monster is within view. In addition, both the Sorcerer and Elven Cleric-
Players who manage to escape a dungeon may save their characters for future quests. Only when all the conditions of the quest have been fulfilled will that that quest be deemed completed. To become a real hero you must complete all fourteen quests.
In between searching Morcar's dungeons, players have the chance to spend some of their spoils. Extra weapons, armour and provisions can all be purchased to aid you in your ultimate goal.
In addition to the 14 levels contained within Hero Quest, Gremlin are also going to produce data disks containing even more spine-