Sword of Sodan
| Sword of Sodan | |
|---|---|
| File:SwordofSodan-Cover.png | |
| Developer(s) | Discovery Software (Amiga) Innerprise (Genesis Version) |
| Publisher(s) | Discovery Software (Amiga) Electronic Arts (Genesis Version) |
| Designer(s) | Søren Grønbech |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Amiga |
| Release |  1988 |
| Genre(s) | Hack and Slash |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Sword of Sodan is a hack and slash video game released for the Amiga in 1988 by Discovery Software, with a scaled down port released for the Sega Genesis in 1990 by Electronic Arts.
Story
The background story is set in a fictional medieval like time where Lordan is the ruler of the northern kingdom. Zoras, an evil necromancer, which is plotting in his tower made of human bones, making a second attempt to take the reign over the land. His first attempt was defeated by Sodan.
Zoras then studied ancient parchments where he could experiment with long forgotten spells. He was soon able to conjure all kinds of nightmarish creatures. He spawn so many of them that they were marching thru the land towards Lordan's castle, leaving a path of death and destruction.
To protect his children, Lordan arranged that his young son Brodan and his twin sister Shardan were taking away from the castle across the Cthol mountains to the farthest corner of the land. After Lordan loose to Zoras legions and got killed, his childs were raised by an old bitter man, who also trained them how to fight with a sword. Before they start their journey to defeat Zoras, the old man hands them over the sword of Sodan.
Armed with the mighty sword of Sodan, they fight their way to castle Craggamoor where they face the tyrannical Zoras. After Zoras was defeated by the childs of Lordan, people accept them to be the true ruler and savior of the land.[1]
Gameplay
Amiga Version:
Most of the levels consist of simply fighting your enemies with the sword, but sometimes you have to avoid traps or jump over rolling barrels. There are also little puzzles to solves, like to feed an obscure ostrich like creature to avoid drowning in a trap later on.
You can select Brodan or his twin sister Shardan as your hero, despite the physical appearance there are no differences in gameplay. Your protagonist walks in a horizontal scrolled world from left to right while defeating enemies. He can wield his sword while standing or on his knees. Even though they are equipped with a shield, the player is not able to use it. The shield was completely removed in the Sega Genesis Version.
Before each level starts, a map shows your progress through the land to castle Craggamoor and scrolls give additional information about the current location. Once you enter the castle Craggamoor you get a gloomy picture from outside view of the castle instead of the map.
You start the game by having five life’s, an energy meter (which get reduced by every hit you get from enemies till you lose a life) and a hitstrength level which can be increased by potions over time.
There are two kind of potions, the ones which increase hitstrength or give you an extra Live and others like "Power Shield" (for short term invincibility) and the “Magic Zapper” (which kills the current opponent immediately).
Sega Genesis Version:
The core of the gameplay mechanic is the same as on the amiga version, but several changes were done. Enemies attacking from both directions, while in the original Amiga version all enemies were on the right side. The protagonist now relies on a much more regular use of the portions which are also dropped more often.
World & Foes
Amiga Version:
Your protagonist wields his sword thru 11 different areas, where five of them are in the surrounding area of castle Craggamoore and six within the castle. It starts at the city gate, which lead you through the city streets a forest and a graveyard. Within castle Craggamoore you wander through catacomb likes levels, which leads you at the wizard tower at the end.
The world is inhabited with 13 different enemies and a single supporting character, the ostrich like creature called "the animal" in the game.
Enemies: Guards (with a Lance), City guards (with an Axe), a giant soldier (with a Club), One legged forest inhabitants wearing a mohawk, Lizard/Scorpion creature, Zombies, a Fighter/Mage, batlike creatures, flying cloud like creature (which whom you feed "The Animal"), Wizards, a big grotesque creatures with wings at the final and Necromancer Zoras.
Supporters: The Animal
Sega Genesis Version:
The areas are reduced from eleven to eight. Some got complete cut (for example the forest area) others were joined into one level. The areas were also altered in terms of spawning more enemies. There are only eight of the thirteen different enemies from the Amiga game, but spawned more often over different areas.
Development
Sword of Sodan was created by a group of three Danish engineers from Discovery Software. Two years later the people of Innerprise Software created a scaled down port of the game for the Sega Genesis which differs in reduced graphics and sound quality, also notable changes in overall gameplay. The Genesis port was published by Electronic Arts.
A working port for the Apple IIGS was advertised and shown at the CES Expo in 1989 by Visual Concepts, Ltd.[2] Shortly thereafter, a three level self-playing demo was also released, which was virtually identical graphically and animation-wise to the Amiga version [3] Despite these developments and appearing in magazine ads and on vendor's price lists, it was never released. Ports for Atari ST and Commodore 64 were vaguely planned but never developed.[4]
A sequel was developed but never released. A single screenshot however was shown in a magazine. [5]
Original Amiga Credits :
Original Program by Søren Grønbech, Torben Larsen
Movement and Magic by Søren Grønbech
Illusions and Illustrations by Torben Larsen
Conjure and Compositions by Julian Lefay
Reception
The original release in 1988 for the Amiga got mostly favorable reviews by the magazines, praising the graphics, especially the big detailed sprites, which were unusual for these days. The budget re-release in 1993 on the Amiga however were met with negative reviews. Websites like I-Mockery.com or Somethingawful.com mock the Genesis version of the game for its bad graphics, small annoying sound effects, frustrating controls and difficult gameplay.
According to programmer Søren Grønbech homepage, Sword of Sodan on the Amiga was at the top 10 selling charts for more than six months and selling about 55.000 copies.[6]
Due its violence nature like where enemies get beheaded or being impaled by spears and spikes this game was indexed by the german BPjS/BPjM in 1989.
Amiga reviews in 1989:
If you buy one Amiga action game this year, this has got be it. - 9/10 - AUI Vol 2 No 10 (Oct 1988)
I was well pleased with Sword of Sodan. - 85% - Computer + Video Games 90 (Apr 1989)
If you're looking for a big game, they don't come any more impressive than this - 83% - CU Commodore User Amiga-64 (Mar 1989)
It's a shame then that the gameplay doesn't live up to the standards set by the aesthetics. - 62% - The One for 16-bit Games 6 (Mar 1989)
Amiga reviews in 1993 (budget re-release):
Pity, but the graphics have overtaken the gameplay. - 52% - Amiga Format 47 (June 1993)
Don't be swayed by the half-decent static screenshots, because Sword of Sodan is crap. - 34% - The One Amiga 56 (May 1993)
Great big fat and juicy graphics do not make a fun game. - 29% - Amiga Power 27 (Jul 1993)
Sega Genesis reviews:
Just walking around slashing things with your chopper is exceptionally monotonous after a couple of plays. - 57% - Computer + Video Games 112 (Mar 1991)
Even the first level requires mastery of the crappy controls, and the game is just too damn boring to warrant enough repeated attempts to get "good" at it. - -46 - somethingawful.com[7]
Apple IIGS preview:
Visuals on the IIGS reach a boggling new high with Discovery Software's Sword of Sodan. It's another hack-and-slash action game but with hugh on-screen characters, remarkable graphic detail, and outstanding digitized sound effects. - A+ Magazine (April 1989)
External links
- Amiga Longplay on Youtube [1]
- Apple IIGS demo preview on YouTube [2]
- Sega Gensis Longplay on Youtube [3]
- Sword of Sodan at MobyGames
References
- ^ Summarized from the Amiga manual
- ^ http://www.whatisthe2gs.apple2.org.za/sword-of-sodan
- ^ http://www.virtualapple.org/swordofsodandisk.html
- ^ Computer + Video Games 90 Magazine (Apr 1989)
- ^ http://www.playright.dk/screens/swordofsodan2_ami_01.jpg
- ^ http://www.sodan.dk/oldbits/sos.html
- ^ http://www.somethingawful.com/d/rom-pit/sword-sodan.php
