Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: CV Gateway To Apshai: A Review

  1. #1
    ServBot (Level 11) Aswald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    3,731
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    6 Posts

    Default CV Gateway To Apshai: A Review

    Graphics= 4
    Sound= 5
    Gameplay= 7
    Overall= 6


    **NOTE: This review will also include some basic directions, AND it will explain what some of those odd magic items do. So, if you’ve been going crazy trying to figure it out, help is here at long last!

    Look up any list of top ColecoVision games that were announced and which ColecoVision owners wished had appeared but never did, and you will find that Tunnels and Trolls almost always tops the list.

    It’s not surprising. This was back in 1982, and Dungeons and Dragons was still in its Golden Age (or at least Silver). Computer games such as Wizardry were new and allowed computer owners to experience something of the thrill of searching through dungeons, encountering dangers, friends, traps, and treasures. It was an exciting time, and when we looked through that little catalog that came with the ColecoVision and saw that picture of the skeleton, wizard, spider, and trap door, in then-unbeatable detail, we couldn’t wait! At last- a SERIOUS role-playing game for video game consoles!

    We waited. And waited. And waited…

    Now, we are balding, many of us middle-aged. It’s no longer the 1980s, or even the 1990s, but the last few years of the first decade of the new millennium. Much has changed. Gone are Coleco and Atari; now it’s all about Sony and Microsoft. Games are measured in megabytes, not “K.” RPGs on something called the “Internet” can be played forever, with millions playing in what is now called “cyber space.” Old-style cable television, once uncommon and a really big deal, is laughed at, in this age of Tivo. Portable phones that would make Kirk and Spock jealous are commonplace (unfortunately).

    Somehow, I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that Tunnels and Trolls isn’t going to appear on the ColecoVision anytime soon.


    Although Tunnels and Trolls never did appear for the ColecoVision, a third-party manufactuer known as Epyx did, in 1984, offer us something akin to it: Gateway to Apshai.

    Gateway to Apshai was one of several computer games in the Apshai series, and it actually did set a standard in overhead third-person action-adventure gaming. In it, you were the heir to Apshai’s greatest warrior-hero, and the king of the land sent you (actually, you were dragooned) into the eight-level dungeon maze of Apshai. You had to “find a path to the Temple of Apshai,” which was evidently located in the lowest level of the dungeon. There were eight dungeon levels in this game, and a number of dungeon mazes in each level- you were asked which one you wished to play before continuing.

    As with any good adventure game, the dungeon had long since become infested with all sorts of nasty monsters, all bent on killing you. Also, there were many different traps, some of which would damage you, temporarily paralyze you, sap your strength or luck, teleport you to some random part of the dungeon level you were in, or ruin any magical weapons and armor you found (more on this in a bit).

    Your attributes were simple in this game: Strength, Agility, and Luck. Your total hit points were these three things combined, so, since you start out with three of each, you start out with nine hit points. This is how much damage you can take before reaching zero, after which any damage will kill you. Any gain in any of the attributes will increase your hit points, just as any decrease (yes, that can happen!) will reduce them. You have a total of five lives, either because of some enchantment about you, or because someone somewhere really likes to see you suffer.

    Making your life truly miserable was the fact that the king who sent you on this mission should have been called “King Cheapskate,” because the ONLY things you were given before being sent in was shoddy leather armor and a crummy little dagger. That’s right, you weren’t even given a bow and arrows, or a single stun spell…nothing.

    Luckily- and I do use that word loosely here- the dungeon is littered with weapons, spells, and magic items, all of which you can claim and use. There are also treasures of lead, iron, bronze, silver, gold, and jewels. You weren’t gathering these treasures just to be greedy, though; by gathering enough treasure in a level, you would gain extra Strength, Agility, and Luck points. You would only gain an extra point in all three if you gathered ALL of the treasures- even the worthless lead ones- in a dungeon level. Otherwise, you would only gain in one or two of the attributes. Be warned: jeweled treasures are ALWAYS trapped.

    You only have six and one half minutes to spend on any dungeon level, and a timer counts down on-screen. This is reset if you are killed, however, and you are NOT sent down to the next level. Upon reaching zero, you are shown what points (if anything) you have gained in what attributes, and then you will enter the next, lower, level.

    One interesting aspect of this game was the “mist.” The dungeons were mazes, each of which were larger than your television screen (like Gauntlet). Unlike most other such games, however, the only portions you could see were the ones you had actually entered; a sort of gold-colored “mist” obscured everything else. Thus, if you had not already played the game and had not already been in that particular dungeon maze, you could not know what was in the area you were about to enter…including monsters.

    Another aspect involved the doors. There were two kinds: the kind you could see and use a simple key-spell to open, and, from Level Two down, the secret kind, that would only be revealed if you used your “search” spell. Entry into portions of the dungeon maze was only possible by finding and opening them (unless you were randomly teleported into that area, of course!).

    As with most such games, everything became more hazardous as you descended deeper and deeper through the dungeon levels. Monsters were faster, tougher, and could do much more damage, and traps were deadlier. You also had information screens showing weaponry, health and attributes, and what you are carrying (treasures excepted).

    You could also drop unwanted items, call them up for use, search for doors and traps (you can only detect one trap at a time), and even just skip ahead to the next dungeon level.

    As mentioned earlier, the dungeon was littered with all sorts of useful items. This is where the game really became interesting: you could find and pick up better and better weaponry, shields, armor (including gauntlets and helms), magic spells and items, and healing potions, salves, and the like. There were a good number of these things to be found, which added to the game’s appeal.

    By the way- contrary to the description of the game, “to find a path to the Temple,” there is no final objective in this game. There is no “temple,” no such hidden icon, or anything of the sort. Once you reach dungeon level eight, that’s it- after that, you either play the same dungeon again and again, or you can choose another dungeon on that level. This did leave something to be desired.



    The ColecoVision version of this game is by no means the best adventure game ever made. Websites have made fun of it because of the graphics, even though I’ve seen other versions that didn’t look much better. Still, back in 1984, this was the most complex RPG a ColecoVision owner could get, and it was certainly welcome.

    This is a game where the good outweighs the bad, although the bad cannot be ignored.

    The single most important advantage the ColecoVision version had over all of the others was the number of dungeons. As with the other versions there were eight levels, but, while the other versions offered sixteen dungeons per level (128 total), the ColecoVision version offered an astonishing NINETY-NINE dungeons per level, for a total of 792! This meant that you weren’t likely to memorize the entire layout for a long, long, time.

    Since the ColecoVision had keypad controllers the various functions one used a computer keyboard for could also be done here. Here are the control scheme and the numbers and functions:

    JOYSTICK: Moves your adventurer in the four basic directions.

    FIRE BUTTONS: Both do the same thing, depending on what mode you are in.

    #1: Fight. Pressing fire buttons will swing dagger or sword. If you have a bow and arrows, pressing 1 again will enable you to fire arrows. If you have magic arrows, pressing 1 a third time will let you shoot these.

    #2: Items. Pressing this button will go through the items you have found, from the most recent to the earliest. Pressing the fire buttons will use the magic spells and items, use healing potions and such, or claim armor, weapons, shields, etc. Any such item you already are using or wearing will vanish.

    #3: Drop Item. Pressing this button will display all items you are carrying. Using the joystick will move an arrow up and down the list; pushing either fire button will make you drop the item. If you pick it up again, then it will be the first item to appear when you press keypad button #2.

    #4: Key. If you are standing in front of and are facing a visible door, it will open when you push either fire button.

    #5: Search Spell. Pressing this button will reveal any secret doors in the immediate area you are in- such an area is the size of the “mist” that covered it before you entered.

    #6: Traps. Pressing this button will show any traps in the area you are in; a flashing skull will appear over it. Be warned: only one trap at a time will be revealed, this based on where you are standing.

    #7: Status. This shows a screen listing your three attributes and hit points, and how many points you have in each.

    #8: Carrying. This simply lists what you are carrying, except for claimed weaponry and treasures.

    #9: Weaponry. This lists all claimed weapons, armor, helm, shield, gauntlet, bow, arrows, and magic arrows.

    #0: Skip Level. This can end the level you are on before the time limit. You then go to the next one, unless you are already in level eight.

    This is good for the game, but it does mean you must have a keypad controller.


    Graphics in this game get a low rating, and they deserve it. You are a single-colored human character. No matter what equipment you gather, your appearance never changes. All “human” enemies are identical to you, except for color. Several enemies, such as the rats and snakes, only face one direction, so they actually move backwards at times. Ogres and ghouls are shown by the same character image, and it’s something you wouldn’t expect to see on a 1980 Atari 2600 game. Goblins are the same. Treasure chests are crudely done, as are armor and shields. At least gauntlets and swords are decent looking, and all human characters are nicely animated, but overall, this was one game that absolutely could not rely on pretty pictures. It is fortunate that all enemies, treasures, and items are identified by text at the bottom of the screen.

    Sound isn’t much better. Aside from the nifty “chuhchuhchuhchuh” sound of your footsteps, this game has sound almost as pathetic as the graphics.

    Play action and variety of monsters and items are this game’s strong points. As mentioned earlier, this version has more dungeons than any other, which is important for long-term play value. You have a great variety of items to find, there are a good variety of traps, and the hidden doors are a plus, too. I especially like the way the “mist” obscures what lies ahead; you will find yourself (unpleasantly) surprised many times!

    While monsters differ in the ways mentioned earlier, there is one other thing about them: to successfully strike one with weapons, you must be strong enough, AND frequently have a better weapon. For example, in Level Three you will first encounter ogres. Even if you have gained the short sword and two extra points of strength from the previous two levels, you will find that only by using spells or arrows can you affect it; your sword attacks are useless…UNLESS you find the long sword. THEN, you can kill the ogre in this manner! Of course, any enemy you could already destroy can be done in more easily than before, too. It is the same with armor and other protective equipment- an enemy will either do less damage, or none at all!
    Last edited by Aswald; 08-31-2007 at 01:07 PM.
    Interesting stuff, here (COMPLETELY unbiased opinion, hehhehheh):

    http://griswaldterrastone.deviantart.com/

  2. #2
    ServBot (Level 11) Aswald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    3,731
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    6 Posts

    Default

    I'll be back to finish this a bit later!
    Interesting stuff, here (COMPLETELY unbiased opinion, hehhehheh):

    http://griswaldterrastone.deviantart.com/

  3. #3
    Starman (Level 23) Phosphor Dot Fossils's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    in ur base, producing ur dvds
    Posts
    15,002
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Moved to classic gaming.

    Good read, by the way. I'm a fan of CV Apshai too.

  4. #4
    ServBot (Level 11) Aswald's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Posts
    3,731
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    6
    Thanked in
    6 Posts

    Default

    More to come.
    Interesting stuff, here (COMPLETELY unbiased opinion, hehhehheh):

    http://griswaldterrastone.deviantart.com/

  5. #5
    Peach (Level 3)
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    663
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    Thanks for writing this up - I've been on an Atari XE kick lately, and have been looking for a copy of Gateway for it. I recently found my Temple of Apshai manual for c64 (I was a huge fan of that back in the day) and had some fun reading through the room descriptions - now THAT was a game manual! Never played Gateway before, although I always wanted to try it.

  6. #6
    Great Puma (Level 12) Custom rank graphic
    Gapporin's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Springfield, MO
    Posts
    4,444
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Gapporin

    Default

    If you enjoy any of the Apshai games, I heartily recommend a little-known gem on the Game Gear called Dragon Crystal. The premise is heavily drawn from the Rogue-like genre of videogame -- explore dungeons, defeat monsters, find and equip better swords and armor, etc. But there's also little touches in it that remind me of Apshai, like hidden walls and a variety of spells and magic items. Dragon Crystal was also released on the Sega Master System, but it pales in comparison to the GG version. This, The Sword of Hajya, and Halley Wars are the main reasons I still play my Game Gear.
    Last edited by Gapporin; 09-03-2007 at 01:39 AM.
    "I am a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce."

  7. #7
    Peach (Level 3)
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    663
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    I stumbled upon this little page of 'previs' artwork for the Temple of Apshai Trilogy manual, by the artist who did it: http://home.earthlink.net/~mottimorph/TOA_Gallery.html

    I thought it was interesting.

  8. #8
    Banned

    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    Kelowna, Canada
    Posts
    187
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts

    Default

    You shsould submit this article to http://beepbopboop.com/

    They won't pay tyou for it, but they will publish it from what I have read. Good work!

  9. #9
    Pac-Man (Level 10) Blitzwing256's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    las vegas
    Posts
    2,038
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    blitzwing256
    PSN
    blitzwing256

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gapporin View Post
    If you enjoy any of the Apshai games, I heartily recommend a little-known gem on the Game Gear called Dragon Warrior. The premise is heavily drawn from the Rogue-like genre of videogame -- explore dungeons, defeat monsters, find and equip better swords and armor, etc. But there's also little touches in it that remind me of Apshai, like hidden walls and a variety of spells and magic items. Dragon Warrior was also released on the Sega Master System, but it pales in comparison to the GG version. This, The Sword of Hajya, and Halley Wars are the main reasons I still play my Game Gear.
    I think you meant dragon crystal.

  10. #10
    Great Puma (Level 12) Custom rank graphic
    Gapporin's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Springfield, MO
    Posts
    4,444
    Thanks Thanks Given 
    0
    Thanks Thanks Received 
    0
    Thanked in
    0 Posts
    Xbox LIVE
    Gapporin

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Blitzwing256 View Post
    I think you meant dragon crystal.
    *slaps forehead* Yes, I did. How in the heck did I screw that up!? There's too many Dragon videogames...

    Thanks for the heads-up. Original post has been revised.
    "I am a cipher, wrapped in an enigma, smothered in secret sauce."

Similar Threads

  1. CV Gateway to Apshai: A Review.
    By Aswald in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 09-24-2007, 06:14 PM
  2. CV Gateway to Apshai Part 2.
    By Aswald in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 11-12-2004, 03:38 PM
  3. Gateway to Apshai.
    By Aswald in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 13
    Last Post: 11-08-2004, 03:42 PM
  4. Random Game O' the Day: Gateway to Apshai
    By digitalpress in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 04-30-2003, 05:38 PM
  5. Gateway to Apshai: HELP!
    By Aswald in forum Classic Gaming
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 07-29-2002, 06:39 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •