''The Serpent's Star'' is an

interactive fiction Interactive fiction (IF) is software simulating environments in which players use text Command (computing), commands to control Player character, characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narrati ...

game with graphics. It was developed by Ultrasoft and published by

Broderbund Broderbund Software, Inc. (stylized as Brøderbund) was an American maker of video games, educational software, and productivity tools. Broderbund is best known for the 8-bit video game hits '' Choplifter'', '' Lode Runner'', '' Karateka'', and ...

for the

Apple II Apple II ("apple Roman numerals, two", stylized as Apple ][) is a series of microcomputers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc. from 1977 to 1993. The Apple II (original), original Apple II model, which gave the series its name, was designed ...

in 1983 as the sequel to ''The Mask of the Sun''. Ports followed for the Atari 8-bit computers (1984) and Commodore 64 (1985).

Gameplay

The game takes place in Tibet. The player named ''Mac Steele'' is an archaeologist, who tries to find a valuable diamond called "The Serpent's Star". He needs 13 scrolls, which provide advice to the diamond's hideout in the town of ''Kara-Koram''. Therefore, Mac Steele has to travel through Tibet, to solve a lot of puzzles and to meet other

non-player character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...

s, e.g. Buddhist monks. The single-player adventure is controlled via typed keyboard commands. Words and simple sentences are entered in a

text parser {{Refimprove, date=August 2007 In adventure games, a text parser takes typed input (a command) from the player and simplifies it to something the game can understand. Usually, words with the same meaning are turned into the same word (e.g. "take" a ...

Reception

'' Softline'' stated, "if you liked ''Mask of the Sun'', you'll probably like ''Serpent's Star''. Most of us did".''

Antic Alphanumeric Television Interface Controller (ANTIC) is an LSI ASIC dedicated to generating 2D computer graphics to be shown on a television screen or computer display. Under the direction of Jay Miner, the chip was designed in 1977–1978 b ...

'' called it "a good, challenging game". A reviewer for German magazine ''Happy Computer'' praised the thrilling, atmospheric storyline, the complexity of the riddles, and the graphics.Heinrich Lenhardt: ''Der Drachenstern'', ''Happy Computer'' 4/1985, p.142f. (German)

References

External links

Museum of Computer Adventure Game History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serpent's Star, the 1983 video games Adventure games Apple II games Atari 8-bit computer games Broderbund games Commodore 64 games Single-player video games Ultrasoft games Video games developed in the United States