CAPERS Conversion

How Firelord compares on different systems

ZX SPECTRUM

■ Like many other Spectrum originals published by hewson,

Firelord packs a lot of colour into each of its flick-screen stages. This matters beyond being aesthetically pleasing, as the game has hundreds of levels, and so having different coloured buildings to use as landmarks is really helpful. The Spectrum Firelord also has great sound effects throughout, and even a little speech when you get caught stealing in the game’s trading sections.

AMSTRAD CPC 464

■ Generally speaking, the Amstrad Firelord is a very accurate conversion, but it falls down on a couple of points. Firstly, it’s rendered in the system’s high-res four-colour mode, which is fine, except for the fact that this leaves a lot of the buildings in the game the same colour, which makes navigation tricky. Secondly, the CPC 464 iteration doesn’t sound as good as the Spectrum original, despite having a far superior sound chip. Otherwise, it’s a solid adaptation.

C64

■ First off, credit to the late C64 chiptune legend

Ben Dalglish for the superlative medieval synthpop that greets players on loading up the C64 Firelord. That said, the game’s sound effects aren’t quite as good in places. in terms of visuals, the C64 Firelord is almost identical to the Spectrum original, although everything is depicted is slightly less vibrant tones. For some reason, its hero’s face isn’t cast in shadows, and there are dogs in its village streets, but in all other respects the C64 conversion perfectly replicates the game that it’s based on.