Robin of the Wood
medieval adventure game for Commodore 64, 1985
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Use Control Port 2.
ABOUT ROBIN
From a time outside history — before the language of the English was ever
written down — there come to us stories and legends of heroes and valiant
folk. Amid battles and adventures, deeds of courage and of treachery,
striving against tyranny, fighting for the weak against the strong — stealing
from the rich so that the poor might be fed, stands a young man dressed in
Lincoln green; a bowman, a poacher, a notorious outlaw; a Saxon...
Robin of the wood
England was in the grip of tyranny. brought by William and his conquering
Norman hordes. Saxon nobles were dispossessed and often killed, lowly
villagers taxed to the point of starvation. The only ray of hope for the
future of the Saxons of England lay in the strong arms and keen eye of
Robin.
Robin, the very spirit of the Ancient Forest which covered this fair land.
Robin of the wood was the whispered reply to bullying Normans when asked from
whence came the side of venison on which the poor of a small Saxon Village
were feeding.
'Robin of the wood' was the cry, as hated tax collectors stripped bare the
fields of Saxon smallholders.
Robin of the wood, the people cheered, as the bruised, battered and bewildered
Norman brutes staggered bleeding and beaten from the bowers of the ancient
forest.
GAME SCENARIO
The Sheriff had in his possession a certain arrow, made of solid silver,
engraved with characters as ancient as the very forest. It was indeed
the 'Shaft of power' of the Saxon nation, symbol of freedom and peace, more
precious than the crown of the kingdom itself to the Saxons. Yet it was with
this arrow as bait that the Sheriff planned to capture this mysterious 'Robin
of the wood'. He well knew of the importance of the Silver Arrow to the
peasants of his domain, indeed to offer it as a prize, as though it were a
mere trinket or bauble, appealed to him as a prime insult to the serfs, and
worthwhile simply for that reason. It was when he realised that such a prize,
whilst meaningless to himself, would be certain to attract Robin to the
contest, that he finally decided. There was to be a great archery contest —
the prize was to be the Silver Arrow — and for the Sheriff, the main prize
was to be the death or capture of Robin.
On the day of the contest the woods were swarming with Norman soldiers — the
Sheriffs men. They had orders to shoot on sight, and shoot to kill.
MAP
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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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[PAUSE] - stop/continue game
[F9] - quick load game state
[F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
[F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
[ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
[PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)