appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

ORIGINALLY available for other platforms such as the IBM PC, Amiga and Apple IIgs, Bethesda Softworks has finally released Sword of Sodan for the Macintosh.

  The traditional side-scrolling, jump-and-fight, hack-and-slash arcade game resembles many action and arcade games available for Super Nintendo or Genesis video game systems.

  You jump right into the action with a clear mission - to avenge the death of your father, King Lordan, and free the cities of the Northern Kingdoms from the tyrannical rule of Zoras.

  Although your journey is fraught with danger as you encounter giant warriors, deadly pitfalls and mysterious creatures of the underworld, it will not be too difficult to complete your tasks.

  As you battle your way through the castle, you will find potions stored in either a metallic or sand-coloured bottle. Each potion performs a vital function so don't overlook them.

  Once you have killed all the monsters on your way to the chambers of Zoras, you finally arrive at the most difficult part of the game.

  During the game play, some levels place a premium on swordsmanship while others demand perfect timing or the ability to perform the one task that spells success.

  You will find different types of obstacles, like barrels and strange smiling faces, rolling along the ground throughout the game. Once these nuisances appear, you should jump over them as quickly as you can before they knock you down.

  The game runs on Macintosh with 68020 or higher, colour monitor with 16 or 256 colours or greyscale monitor, system 7.x, 4MB RAM, and 5MB free hard drive space.

  There are numerous drawbacks. For instance, Bethesda Softworks has gone with the worst scaling algorithm ever seen in Macintosh games. This results in some chunky graphics.

  Most experienced Mac gamers might find this too uninteresting because the combat just comprises swinging a sword until the enemy advances into it. You can easily kill them all by using the same method.

  After you have used up your five lives, the game is over but you won't be able to re-start play from the point you ''died'' as it doesn't offer a save function to the players.

  The music and sound effects are not as good as most Macintosh games currently available in the market.

  MEGAHINT: To get through the second level - ''Between the City Walls'' - you should run swiftly to the guard, but you have to keep distancing yourself from the spikes as much as you can.

  MEGAHINT: At the end of a level like the graveyard or the city, make sure you jump before you walk to the end of a screen as a rolling item may appear and sap your strength.

  MEGAHINT: ''In the Land of the Dead'', you will find it very difficult to avoid the rolling heads while spittle flies above you. The best way to save your life is to stay kneeling so as to take the damage from the heads. If you do not, you will be hit by both the heads and spittle and lose even more strength.

  MEGAHINT: After you die in the graveyard, duck quickly as you come back to life in order to avoid getting nailed by the mysterious spittle that often appears unexpectedly in the air where your character is reincarnated.

  MEGAHINT: Once the huge man ''In the City Streets'' is close to you, start making overhead blows with your sword until he dies. Don't plunge forward or you will be easily attacked by him.

  MEGAHINT: You will find pits which appear out of nowhere on the floor in the castle. But it is nearly impossible to avoid them unless you memorise where they are after you have passed the level.



By the sword of Sodan