View source for Software:Wizard and the Princess

{{short description|1980 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title  = Wizard and the Princess
| image  = Wizard And The Princess Atari 400 & 800.jpg
|caption = Atari 8-bit cover art
|developer = On-Line Systems
|publisher = On-Line Systems
|designer = Roberta Williams
|programmer = Ken Williams
|series = ''Hi-Res Adventures''<br>''King's Quest''
|engine = ADL
|released = '''August 1980:''' Apple II<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.giantbomb.com/wizard-and-the-princess/3030-10317/|title = Wizard and the Princess (Game)}}</ref><br>'''1982:''' Atari, IBM PC<br>'''1984:''' C64, PCjr
|genre = [[Software:Adventure game|Adventure]]
|modes = [[Software:Single-player video game|Single-player]]
|platforms = Apple II, [[Engineering:Atari 8-bit family|Atari 8-bit]], [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]], IBM PC, [[Engineering:IBM PCjr|IBM PCjr]], [[Engineering:FM-7|FM-7]], PC-88, [[Engineering:PC-9800 series|PC-98]]
}}
'''''Wizard and the Princess''''' (also '''''The Wizard and the Princess''''', with a leading article) is a graphic adventure game written for the Apple II and published in 1980 by On-Line Systems. It was the second title released in the ''Hi-Res Adventures'' series after ''[[Software:Mystery House|Mystery House]]''.<ref name="Katz1995">{{cite book|last=Katz|first=Arnie|title=Inside Electronic Game Design|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PtITAQAAIAAJ|date=March 1, 1995|publisher=Prima Pub.|isbn=978-1-55958-669-6|page=23}}</ref> While ''Mystery House'' used monochrome drawings, ''Wizard and the Princess'' added color. Ports for the [[Engineering:Atari 8-bit family|Atari 8-bit family]] and [[Engineering:Commodore 64|Commodore 64]] were released in 1982 and 1984 respectively. The 1982 self-booting version for IBM PC compatibles was renamed '''''Adventure in Serenia'''''.

==Plot==
The game (according to the back cover [box/folder/manual] of the Atari 8-bit family and Apple II original and rerelease versions) takes place in the land of Serenia where King George's daughter Princess Priscilla has been kidnapped by an evil wizard named Harlin. Harlin has held her inside his castle far in the mountains. The King has offered half of his kingdom to anyone brave enough to travel to the Wizard's castle, defeat him and return his daughter. The player assumes the role of a happy wanderer who answers this challenge.

The ports (Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and C64) contain additional plot added to the manual explaining how the wanderer made it to Serenia in the first place; some time long into the future after Harlin had been defeated by the Wanderer, he challenged the player to again repeat the actions leading to his defeat. He boasted of using his magic to change the world creating obstacles for anyone who would challenge him (he moved the desert around the village of Daventry, the northern sea splitting Serenia in two, and Great Mountains in the North on his half of the continent). He turned back the sands of time leaving the adventurer in the desert just outside the village of Serenia. He mocks the hero telling him that he may have been defeated once, but he couldn't be defeated a second time. The princess gives the hero some words of advice and a computer to help him defeat Harlin, and tells him he has become the wanderer ([[Physics:Grandfather paradox|grandfather paradox]] & bootstrap paradox). The manual story as reprinted was also included with the ''Roberta Williams Collection'' (a compilation of games from Roberta Williams) and the ''King's Quest Collection Series'' (one of the compilations of ''King's Quest'' games).

The introduction for Adventure of Serenia explains that the adventurer, with the help of a computer, has magically transported to Serenia to save the princess.

==Development==
[[File:On-Line Systems - Hi-Res Adventure - June 1981 The On-Line Letter advert.jpg|thumb|left|Advertisement from the June 1981 issue of ''The On-Line Letter'' for some of On-Line Systems' ''Hi-Res Adventure'' games, including Wizard and the Princess]]
As with their previous game ''[[Software:Mystery House|Mystery House]]'', ''Wizard and the Princess'' was distributed by Roberta and Ken Williams's company On-Line Systems in plastic bags with the [[Floppy disk|5&thinsp;¼-inch floppy disk]] and instruction sheet. The instruction sheet had the title listed as '''''The Wizard and the Princess'''''.

The story was based on the many [[Social:Fairy tale|fairy tale]]s Roberta used to read as a child.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.adventureclassicgaming.com/index.php/site/interviews/127/|title=Roberta Williams - Sierra On-Line - Interview - Adventure Classic Gaming - ACG - Adventure Games, Interactive Fiction Games - Reviews, Interviews, Features, Previews, Cheats, Galleries, Forums|website=www.adventureclassicgaming.com}}</ref> The game improved upon ''Mystery House'' by adding color graphics. It was the first adventure game to have full-color graphics selling over 60,000 copies.<ref>Hackers Heroes of the Computer Revolution p 301</ref> The Apple II could only display six different colors simultaneously, but clever use of dithering made it possible to give the illusion of more colors on the screen.

==Ports==
''Wizard and the Princess'' was ported to the IBM PC in 1982, Sierra's first game for the PC platform. For unknown reasons, this version was re-titled ''Adventure in Serenia''. Roberta Williams reputedly referred to the colors on the IBM PC as "atrocious" upon seeing the completed game running for the first time. ''Adventure in Serenia'' was a launch title for the [[Engineering:IBM PCjr|IBM PCjr]], announced in late 1983.<ref name="wiswell19840124">{{cite news | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kSzKzjWHeVEC&pg=PA142 | title=Coming Soon: Games For The PCjr | work=PC | date=January 24, 1984 | access-date=January 26, 2015 | author=Wiswell, Phil | pages=142–145}}</ref>

The Commodore 64 version uses more on-screen colors and solid colors and no dithering. The items in the game were more detailed and of higher resolution have alternative artwork. The game was ported to various Japanese computers by Starcraft, which completely redrew the artwork with more colors and higher resolution.

==Reception==
Mark Marlow reviewed ''Mission: Asteroid'', ''Mystery House'', and ''The Wizard and the Princess'' for ''Computer Gaming World'', and stated that "''The Wizard and the Princess'' has the best graphics and has a beautiful fairy tale setting as its theme. Of the three it was the most challenging and should be attempted only after you are familiar with the gaming system".<ref name="CGW2">{{cite magazine |last=Marlow |first=Mark |title=Micro - Reviews |magazine=Computer Gaming World |date=January–February 1982 |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=31–32}}</ref>

Debuting in August 1980, the game sold 25,000 copies by June 1982, tied for fourth on ''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s list of top sellers.<ref name="lombardy1982sepoct">{{cite magazine |title=Inside the Industry |url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1982&pub=2&id=6 |format=PDF |magazine=Computer Gaming World |page=2 | date=September–October 1982 | access-date= March 28, 2016}}</ref> It sold over 60,000 copies in total.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} ''Creative Computing'' liked ''Wizard and the Princess'', approving of the Atari version's graphics and comparing its difficulty to "some of Scott Adams' efforts".<ref name="small198208">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/creativecomputing-1982-08/Creative_Computing_v08_n08_1982_August#page/n65/mode/2up | title=The Wizard, the Princess, and the Atari | work=Creative Computing | date=August 1982 | access-date=November 18, 2013 | author=Small, David and Sandy | pages=64}}</ref> ''The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984'' gave the game an overall B rating, stating that it "may well set a standard by which future graphic adventure games will be judged".<ref name="aw1984">{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/stream/Atari_Software_1984#page/n33/mode/2up | title=The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software | publisher=Addison-Wesley | year=1984 | pages=33 | isbn=0-201-16454-X |editor1=Stanton, Jeffrey |editor2=Wells, Robert P. |editor3=Rochowansky, Sandra |editor4=Mellid, Michael }}</ref>

Ian Chadwick reviewed ''The Wizard and the Princess'' in ''Ares Magazine'' #11 and commented that "if you're any fan of computer adventures, then this is one of the most amazing, intriguing, fascinating, frustrating and graphically appealing adventures around".<ref name="Ares">{{cite journal | last=Chadwick | first=Ian | title=Games | journal=Ares Magazine | publisher=[[Company:Simulations Publications, Inc.|Simulations Publications, Inc.]] | date=November 1981 | issue=11 | page=27}}</ref>

==Legacy==
According to Sierra's ''Interaction'' magazine, this game can be considered a prelude to the ''King's Quest'' series. ''King's Quest V'' marked a return to the Kingdom of Serenia.<ref>Interaction Magazine, Fall 1994</ref> The events are mentioned and expanded upon in ''The King's Quest Companion'', 2nd Edition. It mentioned that the wanderer, a barbarian, had turned down the offer of marriage after saving the princess. He journeyed into the desert and died. All that remained of him is his skeleton and a single leather shoe (a reference to ''KQ5''). Princess Priscilla later married an individual named Kenneth the Huge and became the queen of Serenia, after her father's (King George IV) death.<ref>King's Quest Companion, 2nd Edition, pg 506–507</ref> It was further referenced as part of the King's Quest series through a trivia question in the ''King's Questions'' game that came with certain versions of the ''King's Quest Collection''.

The extended backstory for ''Wizard and the Princess'' in the rereleases helps to explain the geographic differences between the game, and later games in the ''King's Quest'' series (''KQ3'' and ''KQ5''). In ''KQ5'', Serenia and Daventry are part of the same continent. In ''KQ3'', the continent consists mostly of Daventry only with most of the northern half of the continent missing as seen in maps and charts in the game. According to the ''Wizard and the Princess'', Harlin had divided the continent of Serenia in two and transformed the geography to create obstacles for any adventurers trying to reach him and free the princess. Thus it explains why the desert surrounds the village in the earlier game, but not during the time of ''KQ5'', or why the Great Mountains are located across the sea on Harlin's continent, but just north of the town in ''KQ5''. By the time of ''KQ5'', Harlin's magic was no longer active, and geography was restored. The King's Quest Companion places the events of ''Wizard and the Princess'' as having occurred several years before ''KQ5''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IAg|a2_Wizard_and_the_Princess}}
* {{Internet Archive game|id=msdos_Adventure_in_Serenia_1982|title=Adventure in Serenia}}
* [http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-hi-res-adventure-2-wizard-and-the-princess_2466.html ''Wizard and the Princess''] at Atari Mania
* {{lemon64 game|id=3368|name=Wizard and the Princess}}

{{Kings Quest series}}
{{Sierra Adventure Games|Hi-Res}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wizard And The Princess}}

[[Category:Adventure games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Wizard and the Princess}}