Sabre Wulf - Caution Hippos Crossing
I'd like to think that in every game player's life there is a game that enables them to leave behind the troubles of the present and just escape. No matter what is happening in the current reality this game can transport them to a place of peace and calm (or a mass blood bath depending on the player's mind set!)
Let me introduce you to my happy place, it's a jungle , far, far away....
Let me introduce you to my happy place, it's a jungle , far, far away....
Sabre - man is trapped in a jungle and has to find the four parts of an amulet ( or omelette as I used to pronounce it ) to get past the shaman and escape the jungle . This involves 256 screens , featuring a multitude of wild animals , stampeding hippos and rhinos and bad tempered tribes-people. It features jungle orchids which can poison Sabreman , lakes and native huts. It also features beautiful magenta mountains and a very deadly cyan wolf.
It controls smoothly and once you understand that killing either tribes-people or stampeding hippos and rhinos can't happen, instead you have to employ a little dance step called the Do-Si-Do and side step round them (whilst encouraging them to keep their distance with your sabre) the fun can really begin.
The first time I saw this game in action was in 1984, in a small independent software shop in Yeovil ,Somerset. The owners's daughter was playing the game in the back office and she had just reached those bottom magenta mountains for the first time. It was love at first sight ( for me and the game , not for the shop owner's daughter!) I sat at her side transfixed as she introduced me to the cyan wolf and those wonderful , beautiful jungle borders. I watched as strange creatures materialised, parts of the amulet were found, a little tune played and then even more strange creatures were introduced into the mix. Needless to say we bought a copy.
The first time I saw this game in action was in 1984, in a small independent software shop in Yeovil ,Somerset. The owners's daughter was playing the game in the back office and she had just reached those bottom magenta mountains for the first time. It was love at first sight ( for me and the game , not for the shop owner's daughter!) I sat at her side transfixed as she introduced me to the cyan wolf and those wonderful , beautiful jungle borders. I watched as strange creatures materialised, parts of the amulet were found, a little tune played and then even more strange creatures were introduced into the mix. Needless to say we bought a copy.
Don't be beguiled by this game's pretty appearance , dear reader, it is difficult. This is no 15 minute jaunt, this is the full rainy Sunday afternoon expedition with kitkats and orange squash. In fact there is the first reason I love this game, no matter what the weather is doing outside, this game feels sunny. It can be raining cats and dogs (and cows,pigs and chickens for that matter) but this game still grows pineapples, melons and orchids. It is forever summer.
The sound effects of this game are wonderful and varied, no music playing all the way through but upon finding a piece of the amulet you are treated to a short little ditty as a reward. There is something so soothing about the sound effects from Ultimate games of this vintage, it's the audio equivalent of a big fluffy blanket and a giant mug of tea.
The sound effects of this game are wonderful and varied, no music playing all the way through but upon finding a piece of the amulet you are treated to a short little ditty as a reward. There is something so soothing about the sound effects from Ultimate games of this vintage, it's the audio equivalent of a big fluffy blanket and a giant mug of tea.
Over the next few weeks and possibly months I played this game constantly , even Atic Atac was given a well earned rest (I'd like to imagine the Serf, Knight and Wizard went to Weymouth for a well earned break!) I learnt about the magic of pokes , feeding in numbers during a break in loading of a game to gain infinite lives , this then enabled me to fall deeper in love with this game. Some people would argue that this is cheating, but for me it enabled me to discover more and it enriched my experience . Sabre-man and I had become inseparable. After many more weeks of exploring , poking hippos and dancing round tribes-peoples, I did finish the game albeit by cheating/enriching my gaming experience.
But I still returned to play it time and time and time again. In fact still today it remains ( along with Atic Atac) my go to game.
When I am down, when I am despondent , when the sensory processing disorder I suffer from drives me to want to scream. I do one thing....I go to the jungle , to meet my special little guy , where it is forever summer by those magenta mountains and we escape.
When I am down, when I am despondent , when the sensory processing disorder I suffer from drives me to want to scream. I do one thing....I go to the jungle , to meet my special little guy , where it is forever summer by those magenta mountains and we escape.