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Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior turns 35

Deleted member 17210

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There isn't an exact release date but judging by reviews, Palace Software's Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior was first released for Commodore 64 in PAL TV countries in the summer of 1987. Ports to other home computers followed as did a North American release by Epyx under the name Death Sword in 1988. The game was created by Stanley Schembri, Gary Carr, Steve Brown, and Richard Joseph.

Barbarian.gif



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_1miUy9TeQ

It really stood out for me back then for its moves (rolls, decapitations) and epic Conan-inspired soundtrack. It was one of my most played fighting games in the pre-SF2 era. The wizard boss was really obnoxious, though, with his insta-kills.

Fans?
 
Fularu

Fularu

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Oct 25, 2017
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I own the game on Atari ST as well as the sequel. Not to be confused with Psygnosis Barbarian
 
jett

jett

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One of my most played C64 games! I think I had some hacked version or something because it came with different backgrounds from what I see online and there was no final boss fight lol. Chopping people's heads never got old.

As is the case with a lot of C64 music, the Barbarian theme is underrated. Love this arrangement:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iK9TWPh7AMA
 
flyinj

flyinj

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Oct 25, 2017
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Psychosis Barbarian was absolutely awful.

Crazy how two games came out the same year with the exact same name
 
retroman

retroman

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Oct 31, 2017
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Probably my favourite pre-Street Fighter 2 fighting game, along with International Karate and its sequel. Played it a lot, but I've never managed to beat that sorcerer bloke.
 
kafiend

kafiend

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Oct 25, 2017
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The adverts for the game and also the game cover featured Maria Whittaker who was a page 3 model. Which for folks that don't know, was ladies with boobs out on page 3 of a newspaper. Seems like a lifetime ago that that was a thing.

It caused a fuss having a women who showed her boobs to people being on a "childrens" game cover. Games were mainly thought about as being for kids up until around that point in time and were generally advertised as such.

Interestingly, it was the scantily clad woman in the advertising campaign and game cover that caused the most outrage here in the UK and not the violent content of the game.

I think the game got banned in Germany for its violence.

Male model on the game cover became Wolf on a popular TV show called Gladiator.
 
Colfari

Colfari

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Germany
kafiend said:
I think the game got banned in Germany for its violence.
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The game was "indiziert" which is not quite the same as a ban (and it is not anymore), you were not allowed to put in on the shelf or do any advertising. You could still sell it to adults. Me and my friends played the shit out of it back then.
 
Mandos

Mandos

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My mind wanders to this infamous one which was built off their Xena engine/gameplay

407866-barbarian-playstation-2-front-cover.jpg
 
amstradcpc

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This plus The Way of The Exploding Fist, Yie ar Kungfu and Frank Brunos boxing were the best 8 bits fighting games.
 
MysteryM

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Prepare to die. Owned it on the spectrum and the amiga, adolescent me loved the little guy booting the decapitated head if you managed to slice the opponents off. Early fore runner to the modern fighter.

Edit: the c64 intro music is a completely different tune to the spectrum version I had in my head.
 
Dad_and_Videogames

Dad_and_Videogames

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Oct 27, 2017
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This unlocks a core memory of watching my homeboy Rhett playing this in the school library in 7th grade on an Apple IIgs lol. I think he only brought it once, but it made an impression!
 
Silvergun-Blue

Silvergun-Blue

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Oct 26, 2017
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Very famous (and at the time, contraversial) cover here in the UK

barbarian-main.jpg



Yes, that's Wolf from the UK version of Gladiators.
 
OldBoyGamer

OldBoyGamer

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Dec 11, 2017
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Such a great game. One of the best on one best rm ups on 8 and 16 bit machines.

The C64 version was the best but iirc the Amiga version was almost identical?

I'm not a huge beat 'em up fan but this is one of my favourite games of all time. I think it was just the smoothness of the movement and you always felt in complete control.

The sequel was a2D arcade adventure and was nowhere near as good.

One if the goats Imo.
 
Fularu

Fularu

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Oct 25, 2017
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OldBoyGamer said:
Such a great game. One of the best on one best rm ups on 8 and 16 bit machines.

The C64 version was the best but iirc the Amiga version was almost identical?

I'm not a huge beat 'em up fan but this is one of my favourite games of all time. I think it was just the smoothness of the movement and you always felt in complete control.

The sequel was a2D arcade adventure and was nowhere near as good.

One if the goats Imo.
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The second one was more of the same. You're probably confusing it with the Psygnosis Barbarian 2
 
OldBoyGamer

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Fularu said:
That's what I call more of the same. Single screen, single enemy, same movesets, more « depth and longevity »

Compare to this Barbarian 2


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kRK41IbFq7E
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Did you ever play both games?
B1 was a straight up one on one beat em up. There was no flip screen. There was no running from left to right and right to left in a mappable world. There was no walking into and out of doorways. There was no coming across random enemies as you walked around the free navigable game world. Heck there was no game world. There were just 2 or three static screens.

Really cant see how anyone can say 2 was more of the same??
 
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Fularu

Fularu

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Oct 25, 2017
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OldBoyGamer said:
Did you ever play both games?
B1 was a straight up one on one beat em up. There was no flip screen. There was no running from left to right and right to left in a mappable world. There was no walking into and out of doorways. There was no coming across random enemies as you walked around the free navigable game world. Heck there was no game world. There were just 2 or three static screens.

Really cant see how anyone can say 2 was more of the same??
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Do you want me to post pictures of my game boxes?
 
nu_faust

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this, IK+, Wizard of Wor, California Games, Last Ninja, Int Soccer, Defender of Crown game me my gaming foundation and happiest moments of my childhood.
 
OldBoyGamer

OldBoyGamer

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Fularu said:
Do you want me to post pictures of my game boxes?
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It's easier to just watch the videos tbh. They are different genres. One is a straight up single screen one on one beat em up, the sequel is an action arcade adventure with an explorable world. The similarity is that the combat is still prevalent of course (albeit its playability Was a lot lower in the sequel).

If you're saying they both have the same combat then yeh I agree. But they are completely different games.
 
Wet Jimmy

Wet Jimmy

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Nov 11, 2017
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I spent many, MANY hours playing this game on the Amiga. So much fun.

And that cover featuing Maria Whittaker... Well...
 
OP
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OldBoyGamer said:
It's easier to just watch the videos tbh. They are different genres. One is a straight up single screen one on one beat em up, the sequel is an action arcade adventure with an explorable world. The similarity is that the combat is still prevalent of course (albeit its playability Was a lot lower in the sequel).

If you're saying they both have the same combat then yeh I agree. But they are completely different games.
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I agree the sequel is departure in design from the first. The combat feels way better in the original. I like how you can play as a female warrior but overall I was quite disappointed with the game.
 
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