My game design from the '80s

[Bruce Tomlin]

I was cleaning up some old junk in a closet and came across this. It was a design I drew up for my game idea I had, which these days I describe as a cross between Joust and HERO. (Wing War came pretty close)

 

 

The idea was that each level would add new cave shafts beyond the previous level. (looks like level 5 gets two keys but only one door?)

 

I think the stars were gems you had to collect and bring (one at a time?) to the castle, and the boxes were enemies, or more likely enemy generators. The thing in the upper left was some kind of trap door you had to bump with your head to open it. I think the display size was either 2x3 or 3x5 squares. And I was planning to use dragons for the sprites, rather than the birds of Joust.

 

I think sometime after this I was also thinking of a "rescue the hostages" thing, whether only one or multiple. Or maybe the *s were supposed to be the people you had to save.

[Crazy Climber]

Ah, good ol graph paper video game idea drawings. I should have a few of those around still Looks cool.

[Devin]

It has a definite Gold Rush type feel to it.