Hammer House
I’ve been a fan of this adventure game for years, even though I’ve never played it. I sound crazy, right? Visually, it has a blend of 8/16-bit styles I’ve always found curiously captivating (something you only get from early ST games). Plus it reminds me of the adventures I played as a kid - The Hobbit and Twin Kingdom Valley. I know I'm bonkers, but I’ve always fancied having a go just to wander around its "spooky" locations.
Transylvania was originally developed by Antonio Antiochia in 1982 by Penguin Software for the Apple II. Our version was ported by Robert Hardy and released in the ST's infancy. Considering the ST was 0 years old, it still punched out classics like Ultima II, Megaroids, Mudpies, Time Bandit, and loads of adventures.
It feels weird to finally play something that’s been sitting on my bucket list for decades. I’m not expecting anything on the level of Magnetic Scrolls, but I’m still geekily excited to finally boot it up!
So, after that glimpse into my dark mind, let's crack on and take it for a playtest...
This is where the adventure begins with nothing more to see than a stump!
However, for illogical reasons, you will return later for a knock or two...
This location leads in four directions, although not always how you imagine.
I only got to read the note here because of the dreaded Werewolf chasing me!
The Adventure Begins
Let's start with the (very) original tale: The Royal Court of Wallachia needs a champion (here we go again). The king’s in a panic because his daughter, Princess Sabrina, has gone missing. He’s calling for a hero to bring her back, but it means trekking deep into the creepy forests of Transylvania - a dark place probably with many monsters. Still, for a hero like us, rescuing damsels in distress is just another day on the job!
There are two ways to control your adventure, you can type using two-worded commands - "get item", "open object", "enter place", and the like. Sentences can increase in length and complexity but I rarely found the need, if I'm honest. Optionally, you can use the mouse to list your inventory and explore using the compass directions. However, you aren't able to use the mouse to interact with items or objects in the main window. It's a bit strange to have mouse support, so I recommend sticking with the keyboard for everything.
A tree stump marks the beginning of our adventure and leads to the first location which appears completely pointless. So, moving on, the next screen provides the first clue - a note briefly explaining that the princess dies at dawn. Yep, that’s all we get, and from here on out, we’re pretty much on our own. So, like any good adventurer, we start exploring, hoping to find more clues or anything useful along the way.
The woodland area isn't large and is made from select locations with a few notable spots to check out. You are likely to wander in circles, passing by the cabins, an old wagon, and a grave. The cabins have a piece of garlic, which could come in handy later? The wagon’s got a coffin on the back, but it’s nailed shut for some reason. And the grave, though drawn quite terribly, surely has some kind of dark purpose? Who knows...
Around this point, you might start noticing a Werewolf showing up every now and then. As you'd expect, this creature is fast, so you’ll need to react correctly with the next command. That means leg it out of there using one of the available exits. He will still follow in the background and will eventually catch up, so when that happens, just repeat the process. If I'm honest, he pops up way too often (which starts to get dead annoying) especially when you’ve got to keep going in and out of the same places to get something done.
A bit further on, we find a house and inside, is a loaf of bread and a gun! That’s when I thought I might be getting somewhere. Unfortunately, the gun’s not loaded. Nearby is a castle, with its one lone vampire, perhaps that garlic might come in handy? Be quick, as you only have a couple of moves before he sinks his teeth into your neck. It's now, things are coming into play nicely but, I need bullets for my gun!
Sadly, after wandering about like a fool and getting nowhere, I feel I've hit a dead end. On top of that, I wasn’t finding any useful items. I did come across a goblin with a key, but he wasn’t having any of it - and looked a bit freaky! Also, I wanted to get into that coffin on the wagon - not something I thought I would ever say. However, I couldn’t find anything to open it with. Later, I found a frog beside a lake and realised that was the way out (after rescuing the princess). If she's not with you, the King’s guard sends you straight back.
I had a great time getting this far but I reached my natural end and failed to venture further. Plus I was getting fed up with that Werewolf showing up, near enough, on every screen - I never did find a silver bullet to kill him!! Also, I didn't discover a way to open the coffin which was curiously placed for an obvious reason. For a small adventure, there wasn’t much to work with. So... I gave up and ended it there. Gutted!
Or did I? Well, carry on scrolling after you've browsed these next screenshots...
I thought locations like this would have housed tools to logically solve puzzles.Nope. And that damn Werewolf turned up AGAIN!
Oddly, I'm including this screenshot simply because I love the artwork.At least the Werewolf stayed away long enough for me to capture it. There's a first!
GameFAQs
As you can imagine, I was pretty frustrated with my lack of progress. Getting into the castle felt like a big deal, and I thought I was on the verge of breaking the adventure's back. But the vampire shows no mercy, and he’s quick to dig his teeth into my neck. I also had this nagging feeling that I’d missed something obvious with that coffin on the wagon - why couldn't I open it (Grrr!!). And don’t get me started on the cabin with the deer's head - it drove me mad, no matter how many times I pushed, pulled, or kicked that stupid ornament!
So... I ended up going online and found a walkthrough (linked below). I don’t usually like doing that because it spoils the point of playing a game. But, in all honestly, I felt like I’d wasted enough time aimlessly wandering around an empty woodland that I originally imagined would be full of spooky creatures!
Their guide is pretty much spot-on for the ST version and it solved the obvious and not-so-obvious puzzles I was struggling with. Honestly, some of the puzzles, I never would’ve figured out in a million years. For example, the cabin puzzle made absolutely no sense at all. Oh, and watch out for the eagle with its grabby claws!
I later discovered that the princess requires a potion to wake her as she's spending the last moments of her life drugged up on Rohypnol. Once she’s awake, she follows you completely, so head to the lakeside boat to sail away. It’s a bit of a rubbish ending, but thanks to GameFAQs, I got to see it after all my anxiety.
It’s nice to finally finish a game, even if it was with a walkthrough!! Screenshot time...
Other than heading southward, I wonder what might have triggered that?
The game has many moments which made me smile.
Here is another - this room contains one item, garlic. I ate it here lol.I'm sure you can guess the use inside the castle? Come on, sure you can!
The CryptO'pinion
It may sound like I didn't enjoy Transylvania, but I actually did! It’s a fun adventure that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with intriguing puzzles that I really liked. And, considering it's an early game, it looks good with decent graphics that draw before your very eyes. Well, ignoring a few locations like the graveyard which are terrible. I love this olde effect that's not nearly as slow as you initially dread. But, let's have a whinge...
Being called Transylvania, I expected lots of Hammer House Of Horror cliches with bloody gore, corpses, and maybe a ghostly haunted house. But, nothing of the sort. Ignoring the Werewolf and the castle's Vampire, there's not much "horror". In fact, other surprising oddities don't fit the horror theme whatsoever - like a giant frog, a tormenting goblin, and (wait for it) aliens who appear in their spaceship. Quite bizarre!!
Plus, many locations are oddly designed, making mapping tricky since the game ignores its own paths. For example, if you walk south from the forest to the lakeside, you can’t go back north as the trail no longer exists! There are other examples which make no sense and spoil the experience somewhat.
Despite everything, the most annoying part of the whole adventure has to be the werewolf. It's a good feature but he is constantly lurking, ready to pounce far too often. That frequency needed lowering as running away only prevented the inevitable for this never-ending chase. I needed to find a silver bullet for my gun!
Okay, I feel I should be a little lenient as this was released the same year the ST was birthed! Sure, it has its faults but it's an engaging adventure and not too large so it's impossible to feel lost or easily bored. Sadly, I was disappointed by its so-called horror theme but that didn't stop me from having fun killing the vampire. But I never did find a silver bullet - I would have loved to have blown away that damn Werewolf!!
Overall, I'm glad I finally got to play this anomaly after all this time! Even if it didn't quite live up to my expectations, I bet a younger me in 1985 would have loved it. Regardless, if you are after a bit of gore and fancy a decent horror-themed adventure then check out Ooze, Uninvited, and The Curse of Rabenstein. Gratefully, I dedicate this review to my friend Carlos, who kindly bought me a few coffees recently! :-)
Transylvania is flawed but amusing for budding adventurers so I'd rate this a surprisingly warm 69%.
I thought I'd post one more screenshot of this damn Werewolf!
This is a puzzle I would NEVER have sussed out without the guide!
Snow White is finally awake and heading home to see her dad, the king.
Unfortunately, that didn't go down too well...
"After a precarious few minutes, the Journey goes smoothly. A somewhat tired and bewildered Princess Sabrina graciously thanks you as you return to her kingdom. The king is suitably impressed and asks that you be sent to deepest Africa to save his other daughter. That evening, you sneak out in peasant dress, plotting your rescue of Sabrina from the king's castle... Well Done!!! THE END."
