Golvellius
{{Short description|1987 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Golvellius
|image =
|caption =
|developer = Compile
|publisher = Compile
Sega (Master System)
|engine =
|released =MSX
{{Video game release|JP|April 1987}}Master System
{{Video game release|JP|August 14, 1988{{cite web |title=Software List |url=https://sega.jp/history/hard/segamark3/software.html |website=Sega Hard Encyclopedia |publisher=Sega Corporation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621034428/https://sega.jp/history/hard/segamark3/software.html |access-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-date=2019-06-21 |language=ja}}|NA|December 1988{{cite news |title=Availability Update |work=Computer Entertainer |date=January 1989 |page=12 |url=http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/newsletters/video_game_update/computer_entertainer_jan89.pdf#page=12}}|EU|1988}}MSX2
{{Video game release|JP|December 15, 1988}}MSX2 (Super Cooks)
{{Video game release|JP|May 1, 1989}}iPhone OS
{{Video game release|WW|September 22, 2009}}
|genre = Action role-playing
|modes = Single-player
|platforms = MSX, Master System, iPhone OS
}}
{{nihongo|Maou Golvellius|魔王ゴルベリアス| |lit. "Devil Golvellius"}} is an action role-playing video game developed by Compile and originally released for the Japanese MSX home computer system in 1987. In 1988, Compile released a remake for the MSX2 system, titled {{nihongo|Shin Maou Golvellius|真・魔王ゴルベリアス| |lit. "True Devil Golvellius"}}. This game featured mostly the same graphics as the ones in the Sega Master System version, but the overworld and dungeon layouts are entirely different.
Master System
Sega licensed the franchise in 1988 and released the game for the Master System (the Mark III in Japan), featuring enhanced graphics and entirely different overworld and dungeon layouts. This version was released worldwide under the name Golvellius: Valley of Doom. The plot revolved around the hero (Kelesis) entering the Valley of Doom to rescue Princess Rena, who had gone to the valley to obtain a rare herb needed to heal her father the King."Golvellius, Valley of Doom", Instruction Manual (Sega Master System), pg 2-3
Gameplay mostly focused on a top down action game, where the player attacked monsters with a sword. Sometimes a secret chamber opened up where various characters would offer advice, better weapons, and other items. The game was divided into eight distinct environmentsValley, desert, graveyard, fields, swamp, beach, woods, and forest. The "fields" level connects the graveyard and swamp and has no boss to defeat each ruled by a boss, which needed to be defeated before progressing to the next area of the map.A loophole in the game allows the player, once acquiring aqua-boots, to enter the final level much earlier using an underground river, yet the level is nearly impossible to navigate due to the lack of proper weapons and experience levels The game also consisted of an underground portion in caverns, rotating between a sideways advancing and top down scrolling screen in order to reach a level boss's lair.
The final level, only reachable once all boss monsters have been beaten, is to defeat Golvellius who has a secret lair revealed by following clues of the game characters. Once Golvellius is defeated, it is revealed he was possessed by a demon and is in fact a good and kind creature who will now travel with the hero Kelesis. The game implies a sequel involving Kelesis, Golvellius and Rena, but this was never produced.
Other versions
In 2009, it was announced by DotEmu/D4 Entreprise that Golvellius was to be re-released for the iPhone OS platform.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/golvellius--valley-of-doom--master-system-s-answer-to-the-legend-of-zelda--coming-to-the-iphone-next-month |title=Golvellius: Valley of Doom |author=Games Press |date=2009-07-23 |publisher=Gamesindustry.biz |accessdate=2009-07-23 }} It is a port of the Master System version.
The scenario is the same in all the three different versions of Golvellius.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/golvellius-valley-of-doom/|title=Golvellius: Valley of Doom – Hardcore Gaming 101}} The ending promised a sequel, which was never developed/released. However, there is a spin-off game titled Super Cooks that was included in the 1989 release of the Disc Station Special Shoka Gou.{{Cite web|url=http://www.generation-msx.nl/software/compile/disc-station-special-2---summer-edition/release/1365/|title=Disc Station Special 2 - Early Summer Edition (1989, MSX2, Compile) | Releases | Generation MSX}}
Reception
Computer and Video Games rated the Sega Master System version 87% in 1989.{{cite journal |title=Complete Games Guide |journal=Computer and Video Games |date=16 October 1989 |issue=Complete Guide to Consoles |pages=46–77 |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/9/98/CompleteGuideToConsoles_UK_01.pdf#page=46}} Console XS rated it 82% in 1992.{{cite magazine |title=Software A-Z: Master System |magazine=Console XS |date=23 April 1992 |issue=1 (June/July 1992) |publisher=Paragon Publishing |location=United Kingdom |pages=137–47 |url=https://archive.org/details/console-xs-01/page/137}}
Notes
{{Reflist|group=N}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/golvellius-valley-of-doom|name=Golvellius}}
Category:Action role-playing video games
Category:Compile (company) games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Video games developed in Japan
{{action-videogame-stub}}