This is another one of my favorite game shows number eight in my book. This truly was a unique game show for its time. This game show was no doubt an acknowledgement of D and D as well as the whole RPG subculture that was just on the rise in the 80's.
Really like that theme song which is one of my favorite theme songs as it just has an adventurous tune. Even like that animated sequence, which is really cool, makes me wonder why the UK never thought of making a animated fantasy cartoon. The Dungeon Master played by Hugo Myatt is cool, his voice is just a perfect fit for this show, really like the seriousness in his narrative which I feel is respectful of the game, players, and viewers of this show. But he's also got a bit of dry charisma as he can be a little funny in places. Also, the other actors in the show were good as each of them are unique characters that could either help or hinder your progress in this game.
It was also revolutionary for its time as it was one of the first game shows to use the green screen technology, this was also used in the game show "Nick Arcade" but that's a different story. The CGI animated backgrounds I think look good including some of the physical set pieces in some places to really help give the feel the player really is in a fantasy world. Though it's true that they might look so extraordinary by today's sophisticated standards, but I feel that really add to the charm of this show, as this was made in the 80's and CGI was just a new concept being tackled. But mainly it feels like your seeing players getting into an old late 80's or 90's PC adventure game which make it even more cool in my book.
I really like how the game is played out, it's kind of a live action point and click adventure game kind of like the PC game series "King's Quest" (if that was every made into a live action game show, this would be it.). Like with those point and click adventure games it's more about observation, investigation, even a bit of intellect. I really like how this game promotes teamwork which is part of what RPGs are about. As we see the contested in the fantasy realm is always blinded and there are a team of players that must observe and guide his actions and movements.
Really like how formatted the fantasy realm is, each section the contestant walks toward is always something different and in each episode it's not always the same room you expect which makes the game unpredictable and keeps things fresh. And in each of these room there is a different challenge to get though.
For one of them or most of them they consist of riddle challenges, the riddles are really though provoking, they vary in difficulty most of them are easy (in my book) but sometimes they can really throw you a curve ball as there can be a riddle that can easily stump you hence the nature of riddles. And in these riddle challenges if your able to get two right you get a little hint on where to go or even what's ahead, but if you get all three right which is even better then you not just get the hint but you gain a spell.
Some are the simply point A to B physical timing challenges like seeing the constant go through a death trap challenge where there are constant retracting spears, a bridge that is falling, or sometimes there is a monster like a giant spider or dragon they have to somehow get past.
There are some items that will help give you a little homecourt advantage where in one room there are a several items that are laid out, one is the food which you must always get to keep your energy level up. The other three are basic items like a magic potion, key, and anything else. But there is a catch to this as you can only carry out a couple of the items and whenever there is another room with items, they are always different. And whatever items you pick determine the amount of progress you'll gain in the game so pick carefully.
Another catch to the game is you have a life clock which consists of a face Mug sort of like in the video game "Doom", as time ticks away that mug will decay, if it's not the obstacles that kill you it will be time itself. So, players can't delay, they must constantly move and think on their feet, every minute counts.
One other neat thing about this show is how when the episode it's near its end time they put the game on pause and must wait till the next day to see the game continues. I thought this was cool because it's was something different for game shows to do that as most game shows are just always simply about playing though in one day, but here you able to play as long as you want to depending on how long you survive. This is also true in the fashion of RPG as they consist of long campaigns that take more than one day to play though.
I even like there is a bit of a participatory factor in this show, as I watched the show I found myself participating with that group like thinking out the answers to the riddles they listened to, and in some places sometimes I found myself saying, "No, not this way the other way." , "Get that item .", "Pick up the pace" or even "C'mon spell cast em." It was just a lot of fun which is part of what a good game show should do.
Overall if you're into the RPG/Fantasy genre or even just vintage game shows, then "Knightmare" is worth venturing toward. "Knightmare" isn't just a game it's an adventure.
Rating: 4 stars
0 out of 0 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
