Robin of Sherwood

Robin of Sherwood: The Touchstones of Rhiannon is a graphic text adventure developed and published by Adventure International in 1985, created as a tie-in to the HTV television series Robin of Sherwood . The game opens with Robin Hood and his friends Will Scarlet and Much the Miller's Son locked inside Nottingham Castle . The Prophecies of Gildas have foretold that a Hooded Man will come to Sherwood Forest and do the bidding of Herne the Hunter, Lord of the Trees . Your mission is to escape Nottingham Castle, meet with Herne, and retrieve the six magical talismans known as the "Touchstones of Rhiannon" . The interface displays a main image in the center of the screen, a short location description, and a scrolling text input at the bottom . The mix of location graphics and text was a first for Adventure International .

Amstrad CPC

Released in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC , this version features graphics for almost every location, many of them animated . The screen layout and command set are typical of Brian Howarth's adventures, mostly requiring two-word commands . Amstrad Action magazine criticized the title, suggesting it reflected Adventure International's policy of releasing games based on media trends but using archaic design and technology, and felt it had much weaker programming than Ashkelon . The game's graphics received consistent high praise from other critics, described as "moody and imaginative" with fast-appearing animation . However, the game was criticized for requiring overly specific phrasing when typing commands, making puzzle-solving frustrating at times .