Ludography
Gemstone Warrior cover

1984 · Adventure · Role-playing

Gemstone Warrior

You have to find the five pieces of the Gemstone which was stolen and shattered by demons.

Released
1984
Platforms
Apple IIAtari 8-bitCommodore 64Commodore C64/128/MAXFM-7PC-8800 SeriesPC-9800 SeriesmacOS
Genres
AdventureRole-playing
Developers
—
Publishers
Strategic Simulations
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Bird view / Isometric
Themes
ActionFantasy
Country
United States
Languages
English

About

Gemstone Warrior is a video game written by Canadian developer Paradigm Creators for the Apple II and published by Strategic Simulations in 1984. It is a 2D action-adventure game where the player controls an armored figure searching for treasure and the pieces of the stolen Gemstone. Gemstone Warrior was SSI's first game to sell over 50,000 copies in North America.

The game was ported to the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, and Macintosh. It was followed by a 1986 sequel, Gemstone Healer, also created by Paradigm.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

There are three difficulty levels, determining various factors such as the rate at which magic items change their effects and the rate at which more dangerous monsters start appearing.

The game is viewed in a 2D screen displaying the playing area, health, and inventory. The player controls an armored figure that wields a crossbow with a limited supply of bolts that can be replenished by finding more within the dungeon areas. Special "fireballs" can also be launched against foes, although these are limited and are not as common. There are also magical tools and other items that can be collected to provide a variety of benefits such as goblets that can restore health to crystal balls that can annihilate everything on the screen.

Story

The player has to recover the Gemstone, a relic of incredible power forged by the gods and focusing the natural magic of the world. This, they entrusted to Man alone and for a time, there was great prosperity and peace. But the Demons, led by Nicodemius, had managed to boil to the surface and take the Gemstone. Unable to destroy it, Nicodemius fragments it into five pieces and hides them in the Labyrinth, buried deep within the Netherworld. Going into the Netherworld, the protagonist must find and return with the Gemstone.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
Apple II31 December 1984North America
Atari 8-bit31 December 1985North America
Commodore C64/128/MAX31 December 1985North America
FM-731 December 1985Japan
PC-8800 Series1 March 1986Japan
PC-9800 Series1 March 1986Japan
macOS31 December 1986North America

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Platform libraries

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.