Muscle men, fairies, and kisses
Hewson never disappoints and in 1989 they released a platformer with a difference. Stormlord is a puzzler with stunning aesthetics and challenging gameplay. It's set within a world of myths and legends - you are the Stormlord, a muscle-bound Viking responsible for rescuing fairies from the clutches of a wicked queen.
Occasionally you find yourself blowing romantic kisses at the scantily clad fairies! In return, they grace you with their fallen tears. This sounds too girly, right? Well, prepare thyself because you couldn't be more wrong.
Graphics never really matter but it doesn't hurt to have gorgeous visuals! Here is the first screenshot...
Completing the first level produces lots of fair love - and kisses!
Girls, puzzles and boobs!
Beginning in a spooky forest, this eerie platformer is host to creepy monsters like man-eating plants, wibbly worms, bees, egg-hatching demons, etc. You're equipped with a magical weapon that can also double as a huge sword if you hold the fire button. Interestingly, springboards are scarcely scattered about the levels for travel. These act like a crude wormhole flinging you into distant places - saves walking and it's fun!!
Stormlord rips ideas from games like Dizzy with its puzzles. Some require you to collect objects: like a key for a door, honey for angry bees, or an umbrella for the pouring rain. However, the most difficult aspect of this entire game is figuring out the order to complete these puzzles. So that means lots of trial and error!
I'll help you with my walk-through off level one as also shown in the video recording...
- From the start, head left passed the boobs and collect the key.
- Walk right and hop onto the jump pad.
- Use this to whiz by leftwards so you can free your first fairy.
- Once free, use the pad to jump back.
- Now collect the honeypot and walk right.
- Don't use that jump pad!
- Continue on passed the pad and walk right.
- Swap honey for the key and the bees move away from the fairy.
- Rescue her.
- Walk left a little and grab the umbrella.
- Now use the jump pad which is now to your right.
- Once you've whizzed across the sky, walk right.
- Free the fairy.
- Walk all the way back and use the jump pad.
- Grab the key to your left.
- Turn around and walk right and free the fairy.
- All done. So now it's time to accept lots of fairy kisses!
The second level has some aggressive monsters but the object remains the same.
Sexy Hewson aesthetics
The graphics are by Mark K. Jones and awesome!! Everything looks tremendous, from the gorgeous landscapes to the intricate detail of the scenery and the scrolling is silky smooth. It has to be said that the sprites are equally stunning with some rather sexy pixels too and throughout, the animation is simply lovely.
The music is monumental. In fact, it's a showcase for what the Atari ST can knock out when in the hands of talented musicians. Sound effects are excellent but you need to choose which you prefer - before the game begins - which is a shame. Yeah, I know, perfect audio yet I still find something to moan about.
Another stunning Hewson release so let's see a screenshot of the second level...
However, it's a lot harder learning the design thanks to the nasties. They're nasty!
The CryptO'pinion?
Stormlord is superb but nothing is perfect. The time limit wasn't necessary and the restriction of carrying one item is understandable but annoying when there's much travelling to do. However, this bizarre adventure offers a gruelling quest with a massive replay factor! It's as addictive as it is challenging and rewarding.
They did it again; another Hewson mega-hit. Sexy, stylish, and delightful. Highly recommended!!
Download for hard drive or floppy.
