The Mask of the Sun
| The Mask of the Sun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Ultrasoft |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Engine | UltraVision |
| Platform(s) | Apple II, Atari XL, Commodore 64 |
| Release date(s) | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure |
The Mask of the Sun is an interactive fiction computer game with graphics developed by Ultrasoft and published in North America by Brøderbund and in Europe by Ariolasoft.
The adventure game was released in 1982 for Apple II, Atari XL and Commodore 64. The hero is Mac Steele, an archaeologist who needs to find the Mask of the Sun in order to obtain an antidote to a poison that afflicts him from an artifact that he found. The game mostly takes place in Mexico in the Aztec ruins. Gameplay is text-based; however there are some graphics. The graphics differ from other graphic adventures of the time by having crude animations in some areas.
A punk rock song was written about this game by Australian band Pet Earwig. The song was also covered by another melbourne punk band - WSCK.
A sequel to The Mask of the Sun entitled The Serpent's Star was developed in 1983 by Ultrasoft and published by Brøderbund.
Reception
Softline in 1983 noted the "innovative" animation and "excellent, detailed" graphics, and called the puzzles "very good". The magazine concluding that "The Mask of the Sun is a very good graphics adventure for the average to good adventurer".[1] Ahoy! in 1984 liked Mask of the Sun's graphics and vocabulary but noted long load times and low level of difficulty, stating that even novice adventurers would be able to finish the game "within a couple of weeks".[2] Antic called Mask of the Sun's graphics "absolutely superb" and the gameplay as "excellent".[3]
External links
- The Mask of the Sun at MobyGames
- The Mask of the Sun at GameFAQs
- The Mask of the Sun and The Serpent´s Star at Museum of Computer Adventure Game History by Howard Feldman
Notes
- ↑ Mankovitz, Alan (January 1983). "The Mask of the Sun". Softline. p. 43. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ↑ Guerra, Bob (October 1984). "Mask of the Sun". Ahoy!. p. 47. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ↑ Kevin G. Swiger: The Mask of the Sun, Antic Magazine, Vol. 3 Nr.8, 12/1984, p.74.