Kings Quest

King's Quest, released in 1984 by Sierra On-Line, marked a significant milestone in computer gaming history. The game broke new ground as one of the first adventure games to feature animated characters and a world that players could directly interact with, rather than using just text commands.

Originally developed for IBM PCjr and later ported to the Apple II, King's Quest puts players in control of Sir Graham, a knight on a quest to retrieve three lost treasures of the Kingdom of Daventry. Players move Graham around the screen using arrow keys while typing text commands to interact with objects and characters.

The game uses a unique combination of graphics and text parser interface. Players see their character on screen in 16-color graphics (on capable systems; the Apple II version used 6 colors) and type commands like "get key" or "talk to gnome" to progress through the story. This was revolutionary for its time, as most adventure games were either purely text-based or used static images.

The gameplay revolves around exploring Daventry, solving puzzles, and avoiding dangers. Players must help Sir Graham climb mountains, cross bridges, and interact with characters from various fairy tales and myths. Death comes easily in King's Quest - falling off cliffs, encountering hostile creatures, or making wrong choices can end the game quickly, teaching players to save often.

The Apple II version, while technically less advanced than its IBM PCjr counterpart, still managed to capture the essence of the game. The world is divided into individual screens that Graham can traverse, with each new area potentially holding crucial items, dangerous obstacles, or helpful characters.

The game's success launched the King's Quest series, which eventually spanned eight main titles. It established Sierra On-Line as a major force in adventure gaming and influenced countless games that followed. The combination of storytelling, puzzle-solving, and animated graphics created a template that defined adventure gaming for years to come.

Modern players might find the parser interface challenging and the graphics primitive, but King's Quest represented a huge leap forward in 1984, showing what was possible when pushing the boundaries of computer gaming technology.