Tir Na Nog

HISTORY OF TIR NA NOG

Tir Na Nog is the first in a trilogy of titles from Gargoyle Games with arcade and adventure elements.
Tir Na Nog is a Gaelic phrase meaning Land of Youth, the Otherworld. This game is about the exploits of the great Hero CUCHULAINN, after his departure from the world of the living and his entry into Tir Na Nog. His subsequent attempts to locate and reunite the fragments of the Seal of Calum form the basis of a vast interactive adventure, set in the magical landscapes of Celtic mythology.

What's on the screen

The Tir Na Nog game has been designed and executed as a computer movie. The main character measures 56 pixels and is controlled via the keyboard; a total of 64 frames are required for the full animation of the figure. In addition, the game is populated by a multitude of similarly animated opponents,
They all move and act independently.

The action is presented as if a camera is pointed at the central figure, who is situated in a complex landscape. The
The detailed scenery of the foreground and background shots, and the animated scenes on the horizon, pass in front of him as he scrolls left and right.

The entire world scene can be viewed from all four directions. This is achieved by allowing the player to move the camera position, causing the view to be redrawn from the new angle.

In addition to walking left and right, the hero can carry up to 4 items, which he can pick up or drop at will. Current inventory is displayed in the status area at the bottom of the screen. He can also "push" with any of these objects when in combat.

Also in the status area is information regarding the current general location in the game world. General location in the game world; a compass showing the current orientation of the camera; any information offered by other creatures in the game.

In Tir Na Nog the action is challenging, especially before you have found a good sword or mace. When you die, you return to the start of the game, but the item configuration is left exactly as it was, so it is important to save the game regularly, as it is possible to lose weapons in such a precarious situation that you have little chance of recovering them without suffering further combat.

HOW TO PLAY TIR NA NOG

Many riddles take the form of cryptic text messages (displayed in a neat pseudo-Celtic font), ranging from 'find my crown for a gift' to 'The key to the back door is me'; lateral thinking is required to interpret these messages.

SCREENSHOTS OF TIR NA NOG

CREDITS TIR NA NOG

Programming and graphics: Gargoyle Games Ltd.

Game cover