BEYOND THE ICE PALACE (CPC)
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Publisher: Elite Systems.
Developer: Elite Systems. Released: 1988. Genre: 2D Platformer. Other versions: AMI; AST; C64; SPC. Posted 16th December 2013. By Chris Weatherley © 2013 |
Adventuring platformers were in ascendance at the turn of the last decade, early titles like Roland in the Caves performed admirably, but it was to be Ghost n’ Goblins to set the precedence of challenge and originality. Many run-of-the-mill budget titles were developed chasing the fame of Sir Arthur’s double-hard demonic romp, arguably it would be Prince of Persia that was to reset this goalpost. Before that however, Beyond The Ice Palace enjoyed full coverage across all the systems of the era. Noted mainly for its memorable theme music, it received a lukewarm reception across the board in terms of gameplay and longevity. Was the CPC version one of the superior efforts? Or did it falter in the same manner as the others? In short, it retains the problems its reputation depicts, ending up in the run-of-the-mill fraternity, but it’s not an utterly terrible title to say the least.
Setting it apart from the aforementioned Ghosts n’ Goblins is a conventional balance-of-good-and-evil plot, which surprisingly doesn't involve the rescue of some klutzy kidnapped damsel. No, the evil spirits of the woodlands beyond the ice palace are causing a nuisance, and it’s up to one hero alone to banish the naughty demons. It’s insubstantial stuff, but sets the scene well enough during a memorable intro sequence, with some of the finest theme music gracing the CPC. In a way, this stimulating scrolling tale ultimately leads to disappointment, as the expectation of an epic platform quest it bestows never really happens. To say the high point of the game is this introduction would be a bit harsh, though not entirely untrue.
Lightning from Gladiators enjoys a game of axe-chase
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As long as you have a sexy title screen, that's the main thing.
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Beginning with a selection of weapons to start our hero’s journey is good thing, as you can immediately choose your arms of choice. Three medieval armaments are available, all baring different qualities to suit the battles you will find yourself in. The powerful but wayward mace is overall the best, but at least the game offers alternatives, and opportunities to change weapon pop up sporadically during the levels. It’s straightforward to pick up and lays down a degree of joyous trepidation, but soon you discover that the high difficulty is disheartening to the point that sticking with this adventure could become meaningless and insipid. Some parts seem impossible to pass without dying several times over. This is obviously the biggest problem with Beyond the Ice Palace, which is unfortunate as the visual presentation is of a good standard and the general mechanics of play are acceptable, although far from perfect. A smattering of dodgy edge detection, tardy commands and suspect instant deaths do hinder your attempts to progress, adding to the frustration of the challenge.
With a nice use of colour (yet very brown) and variety, the forest world of caves and caverns looks rather attractive, with lots of differing sprites, shapes and surfaces to keep things interesting. Its not overly blocky and the scrolling, whilst a bit jittery is mostly smooth and true. The rainbow scatter explosions of enemy deaths is pleasing to the eye, as is the lost-life sequence of our champion, as one of his many souls floats up into the heavens accompanied by a nice doppler sound effect. The nameless hero in question, wearing his best leather pants and green tunic whilst sporting an impractical Van Helen hair-do, is very well animated, hair waving behind him as he jogs around. This animation does bring about the problem of positioning sometimes; not being able to quite hit the spot intended and the jump action is slightly weird as the rules of gravity are warped. As platform edges are ambiguous sometimes, falling through one to yet another grim death is not uncommon due to this ungainly leaping. Also, there is little in the way of exploration with maybe only a few secret platforms to find, and therefore the game is generally linear. However, if more freedom to roam the caves and woods was granted, it would make the game even more difficult, to almost border on becoming totally tedious.
With a nice use of colour (yet very brown) and variety, the forest world of caves and caverns looks rather attractive, with lots of differing sprites, shapes and surfaces to keep things interesting. Its not overly blocky and the scrolling, whilst a bit jittery is mostly smooth and true. The rainbow scatter explosions of enemy deaths is pleasing to the eye, as is the lost-life sequence of our champion, as one of his many souls floats up into the heavens accompanied by a nice doppler sound effect. The nameless hero in question, wearing his best leather pants and green tunic whilst sporting an impractical Van Helen hair-do, is very well animated, hair waving behind him as he jogs around. This animation does bring about the problem of positioning sometimes; not being able to quite hit the spot intended and the jump action is slightly weird as the rules of gravity are warped. As platform edges are ambiguous sometimes, falling through one to yet another grim death is not uncommon due to this ungainly leaping. Also, there is little in the way of exploration with maybe only a few secret platforms to find, and therefore the game is generally linear. However, if more freedom to roam the caves and woods was granted, it would make the game even more difficult, to almost border on becoming totally tedious.
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Scrolls are highly useful when you run out of printer paper
Other criticisms are sometimes levelled at the SFX, but for me these are perfectly fine and rather original. It’s not all blipping soulless tones; there’s a good mix of echoing, tinny smashing and low vibe sounds. This brings a degree of solidity to the game and is refreshing to hear when so many 8-bit computer titles can be lax in the effects department. There is no background music, but I believe it’s not required in this case. Short jingles are chucked in between stages and during re-spawn points, and as mentioned before, the title music is a wonderful arrangement that finds a way to become a hum-along in a matter of seconds.
Beyond the Ice Palace could be assigned as one of those titles which fall into the realm of uncertainly average, because it’s really a matter of preference. A circle of players may find the challenge appealing that others would dismiss after a few sessions of play. I’m no outsider or hater of a hard game as long as it’s fair, with little luck needed for completion. Luck is an vital requirement for success in BTIP. Even so, it’s not quite as mediocre was some would declare. Yes, its way too maddening due to some clunky responses, intermittent slapdash collision detection and difficulty grade, so much so it’s irritating at the best of times. But it is rescued from being truly awful by an excellent soundtrack, fine effects and decent graphics. The gameplay is tolerable in short stints, but seeing out the quest in it’s entirety would not only take a massive slice of fortune, but the patience of a whole palace of saints who are skating on the thin ice which is just about holding this up. Still, listen to that music…
Beyond the Ice Palace could be assigned as one of those titles which fall into the realm of uncertainly average, because it’s really a matter of preference. A circle of players may find the challenge appealing that others would dismiss after a few sessions of play. I’m no outsider or hater of a hard game as long as it’s fair, with little luck needed for completion. Luck is an vital requirement for success in BTIP. Even so, it’s not quite as mediocre was some would declare. Yes, its way too maddening due to some clunky responses, intermittent slapdash collision detection and difficulty grade, so much so it’s irritating at the best of times. But it is rescued from being truly awful by an excellent soundtrack, fine effects and decent graphics. The gameplay is tolerable in short stints, but seeing out the quest in it’s entirety would not only take a massive slice of fortune, but the patience of a whole palace of saints who are skating on the thin ice which is just about holding this up. Still, listen to that music…
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VERDICT
Visual: 7/10
Audio: 8/10 Gameplay: 5/10 Longevity: 4/10 OVERALL: 5/10 |