(The Black Cauldron – my Sierra story) Hi,
Actually, the Disney movie is based on the first and second books in Lloyd Alexander’s excellent “Prydain” series. The series consists of five books.
To tell you the truth, TBC is actually the first Sierra game I ever played (and completed). I remember how back in those days (I was about 9 then, maybe 8, still with a black and white screen) it was absolutely amazing to finally reach the ending! I simply loved the game! I remember that there were several ways to do all sorts of things. For instance, you could get into the castle by climbing up a wall with stones falling over you, or hide inside a cart, if I recall correctly, and there also was this hidden passage somewhere.
It was simply an amazing game, and so rich, too! I loved playing it. In fact, I played it again in colour when I bought a colour screen, and I also played it once more just recently.
I have to say that no “quest” game has given me as much joy as completing TBC. I remember telling myself: “Wow! So that’s what happens when you finish a game”. And since then, I valued game-endings a lot. I was simply overtaken with Gurgi, Eilonwy, Flumm and Taran walking hand in hand.
At the time of playing the game, I had no idea it was based on a Disney movie. One day I went to the library, and saw this book opened on a table. It was based on the Disney film, with several pictures of it. I picked it up and read it there and then. That same day I took the book “The Black Cauldron” from the library (the real one). I had read it, and was quite disappointed, as it wasn’t “like the movie”.
When “The Black Cauldron” came out on Video for the first time (on my birthday, no less), I felt that I simply had to buy it. So I did. I had called it “my favourite Disney film” before I even watched it.
Today I have the five Prydain books on my reading list. Unfortunately they constantly get knocked down by other books (I have an ever growing reading list), but they’re there.
This is the impact Sierra had on me. Al Lowe and Ken Williams – thanks for a truly great game, that for me changed the gaming experience entrirely, and had a profound effect on my life.
