Willow

Willow is an action/adventure game initially released by Mindscape in 1988. The game is based on the Lucasfilm movie of the same name and recreates various scenes. Players take on the role of several characters from the film with the goal of defeating the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda.

Willow is broken up into different action or strategy/adventure sequences, each one inspired by a scene from the movie. The game begins with an illustrated scroll players can view which details the events of the story; certain words are highlighted and when clicked will allow players to practice that particular game scene. Players can also click on the title at the top to go through all of the game scenes in order (to win the game and to play all possible scenes, players need to choose this option).

The scenes available in the game are as follows:

• Dungeons: Ethna the Daikini atttempts to flee from the Nockmaar Castle dungeons. This section has a first-person view of the maze like dungeon and players just need to find the way out. There are numerous dead ends, and if Ethna wanders into a cell or encounters a guard a life is lost.
• Nockmaar Woods: Players need to guide Willow Ufgood through the deadly woods in this action sequence. Numerous Nockmaar guards and Death Dogs are in pursuit; to help out, Willow has three magic acorns. When thrown, the acorns turn any opponents they hit into stone. The forest consists of a winding path with trees, logs, a river, and other obstacles; players can run fastest on the path, however additional acorns can be found by leaving the path.
• Daikini Crossroads: Players need to free Madmartigan from one of the cages; but which one? Players need to guess which cage he is in; a correct guess continues the story, an incorrect guess costs a life.
• Spellcasting: There are three spellcasting scenes that appear in the game; the ultimate goal is to transform the good sorceress Fin Raziel back to her human form. In the first spellcasting sequence, she is transformed to a raven; the second time around into a goat, and after the final sequence back into a human. To cast spells, there are thirteen charms shown along the bottom of the screen; players need to choose the correct three in the correct order. If an incorrect charm is chosen, a life is lost; if the correct charms are chosen but in the wrong order, then Fin Raziel is transformed into the wrong creature (and a life is also lost).
• Ice Caves: To escape, Willow and Madmartigan have to travel through the deadly ice caves! Constantly moving forward on a makeshift sled, players need to choose paths in the maze and hopefully not encounter a dead end. If the path does end, a life is lost and the sequence begins again.
• Battle: As Madmartigan, players need to defeat General Kael. First, however, players need to reach the castle; arrows and bombs appear that need to be ducked or jumped. Kael is waiting at the end of the path and can be defeated with a sword. Players have a limited amount of energy; too many hits and a life is lost.
• Final Spellcasting Battle: The final battle with Bavmorda is similar to spellcasting; players need to complete three spells before Bavmorda reaches the altar in the center of the screen. This game doesn't appear on the scroll and can only be reached after all other sections are completed.

When playing through all sections, players begin with eight lives. Each time a life is lost, Bavmorda lights one of the unlit candles; the game ends when all eight candles are lit. Some parts of the game are randomized (such as required spells or the path through the dungeon); the game provides an option to reset the game creating new spells and mazes.