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Review

Two From Tivola: The Little Prince and Robinson Crusoe

The Little Prince

Developer: Gyoza Media
Publisher: Tivola
Release Date: Out Now
Platform: PC Mac


Review by Randy Sluganski
April 17, 2003

 

 

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The Little Prince screenshotTivola, with their current line-up of games like Chemicus and Bioscopia, will never be a major force in the gaming community simply because their products are too highbrow and intellectual for the unwashed gaming masses. But their commitment to quality and high production values ensures that once their niche audience discovers these products, they will experience a long and profitable run in this industry.

Consider, for example, The Little Prince, narrated by Kenneth Branagh. In an industry that reveres individuals like Stevie Case and John Carmack as its standard-bearers, how refreshing is it to discover a game narrated by an Oscar-nominated and acclaimed Shakespearean actor? So pour yourself a spot of tea and crack open the crumpets ‘cause we’re gonna get us some class!

The Little Prince screenshotIf you are already a fan of The Little Prince, then this is a must-have purchase and if you are not familiar with Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic and enchanting tale, then this may well be the perfect introduction. The author, who was tormented by WWII and the state of occupied France, left his homeland for New York and it was in this beleaguered state of mind that the Little Prince was created.

It would be easy to dismiss this as an interactive novel, but it is much more. There are numerous ways to approach this compilation, but I would seriously suggest, first do the obvious (which is usually the last thing I do) and read the instructions! I was totally flummoxed as to how to proceed as the unique opening menu is unlike anything I have ever encountered in a game. As planets float across the solar system, the player must mouse-click on the different planets to access the different portions of the game.

The Little Prince screenshotClicking on the planet Saturn allows the player to read The Little Prince embellished with the author’s original illustrations. If you would rather be read to, then just click-on the swallow icon at the beginning of each chapter to hear the text read by Kenneth Branagh as you watch an animated version of the story. Clicking on the airplane circling planet Earth opens a biography of the author and visiting the main character’s home world - Asteroid B 612 – opens an adventure to stop a rose from shriveling away and allowing quick-growing Baobab trees to destroy the planet.

There’s much, much more, but some things are best left to be explored and discovered on your own for essentially that is the guiding principle of The Little Prince, to stay young at heart and keep an open mind regardless of your age or circumstances.


Final Grade: B

System Requirements:

WIN: WIN 95, 98 or 2000 and WIN NT 4.x
Pentium 133 PC, 16 MB RAM, 32768 color graphics card,
sound card, CD-ROM drive 4x speed.

MAC: Mac Power PC (120Mhz), System 7.5 - 9.0, 16 MB RAM,
32768 color graphics card, CD-ROM drive 4x speed.

 


Robinson Crusoe

Developer: Gyoza Media
Publisher: Tivola
Release Date: Out Now
Platform: PC Mac


Review by Randy Sluganski
April 17, 2003

 

 

Trade for this game at:
Search Game Trading Zone for this game

Buy this game here:
Buy this game at CD Access!


Robinson Crusoe screenshotOne thing is for sure, no one can legitimately complain about the plot or characters of this game. Robinson Crusoe is a mishmash of a project that is part adventure game and part interactive novel and while it may not appeal to everyone’s taste, it would definitely be a wonderful learning tool.

Robinson Crusoe screenshotAs with The Little Prince, the player can choose to either read the text of the novel on their own or have it read to them by narrator Martin Jarvis. The pictures in the text can be clicked-on to activate animated sequences that feature real actors in the roles of Robinson Crusoe and eventually Friday.

Robinson Crusoe screenshotThe in-book animations allow for a sweeping 360-degree panoramic navigation of the island and as an added nice touch, island areas that have been previously visited will have changed in appearance when revisited later in the game.

Of importance to adventure gamers though is that pivotal scenes from Daniel Defoe’s novel are assumed by the gamer as you become Robinson Crusoe and must now provide the means to survive on the island.

Robinson Crusoe screenshotThe player is given the tasks of constructing a raft, collecting useable objects from the wreck of your ship, building a shelter, making medication, catching a parrot and baking bread. While the experienced adventure gamer might find collecting the necessary inventory items and combining them too easy, these simplistic puzzles are a wonderful introduction for a newbie and could encourage a lifelong passion for adventure games.

I think that a great way to approach these interactive novels is not as an alternative to reading, but as a tool that enhances the original novel and provides an enriched learning experience for those willing to dig a little deeper.


Final Grade: C

System Requirements:

WIN: WIN 95, 98 or 2000 and WIN NT 4.x
Pentium 133 PC, 16 MB RAM, 32768 color graphics card,
sound card, CD-ROM drive 4x speed.

MAC: Mac Power PC (120Mhz), System 7.5 - 9.0, 16 MB RAM,
32768 color graphics card, CD-ROM drive 4x speed.