Sword of Fargoal Interviews and Reviews
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The first interview on Armchair Arcade is in video format and talks with Jeff only, but the interview over at Touch Arcade is with all three designers and it's in a format that we can quote from:
TouchArcade: So the first Sword of Fargoal was made for the PET in 1980 or so. What was your inspiration for that Jeff? D&D or a specific computer game, etc.?
Jeff McCord: I was lucky enough to have had my father as a professor at the University of Kentucky (Lexington). And he gave me a student account at the computer center. I played Adventure until I could beat it! I could type about 200 lines ahead on the TTY teminals, trying to get past each stage where I failed! So I would say that Adventure was my biggest influence!
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TouchArcade: And you went commercial on the VIC-20, in BASIC, with Epyx?
Jeff McCord: Yeah. That was the first "release." The VIC-20 version probably got hacked a lot!
Paul Pridham: Jeff had put in some list-prevention. I remember seeing that when I tried to hack it myself (back when I was 11 or so)
Jeff McCord: I had figured out some sort of copy-protection scheme in the later C64 version can't remember what it was. My understanding is that, though I sold over 30,000 copies, there were probably 5 to 10 times that many copies in circulation. It was VERY MUCH like the iPhone is today, market-wise!
And then we move on to the first review at TouchGen where the score is a 4.5/5:
The replayability of a rogue game is more or less infinite as dungeons are random each time you play. Having only one life is also something I really like, as it adds a bit of caution to the gameplay. It's not like a game like Gangstar where you can blow your car up while flying through the air landing in a river just to turn up at the hospital in the very same clothes. In Sword of Fargoal you die horribly, and there is no remedy. Create a new hero, and avoid going to the third floor when you are only a level one rogue. There is a lot of lessons to learn, and relearn that you don't have infinite lives like in Ravensword where you get both a nice bed and a meal when you magically wake up from the dead.
Slide to Play gives it a 2/4:
Outside of the fully functional touch controls and noticeably improved graphics, Sword of Fargoal is otherwise a respectful remake of the original. Those with nostalgia for Jeff McCord's C64 classic will probably enjoy it on iPhone too. The rest of us will appreciate the ways it differentiates itself from standard RPGs but be frustrated by the now dated design.
iPhone Gamer gives it a perfect 5/5:
It's playable and addictive, perfect fodder for the iPhone / iPod Touch, and certainly one of the best mini-adventures you can get. Price should initially be pitched at around the $2.99 / £1.79 mark, which is a steal.
Strap your gauntlets on, grab your greaves, polish your helmet and slip your sword into its scabbard, it's time to go dungeoneering.
No Dpad gives it a "Must Have" rating:
Overall, Sword of Fargoal is currently the best roguelike game in the App Store, and will probably remain so for quite a long time, if not forever. Jeff McCord and Fargoal LLC have done a great job with the iPhone version of the game, and I commend them for that. With engaging gameplay, tons of replayability, charming graphics, a wide variety of things to find and fight, and both casual and hardcore, Sword of Fargoal is a Must Have for any iPhone and iPod Touch gamer interested in roguelikes and adventure games.
And AppSpy gives it a 4/5:
For fans of Gauntlet and other dungeon arcade games, then Sword of Fargoal is a thoroughly enjoyable play. While it may not have the multiplayer access or character options that made those retro games a blast to play, it's still one that nostalgic players will love.
