~9 minute readScorpion's Tale
Simple Simon
Scorpia Guides Gamers Through Activision's Simon the Sorcerer
WARNING! This article contains spoilers. Avert your eyes!
So here we are, just coming off the holidays highs, and it's time to settle down to the serious business of gaming. What better way to spend those cold winter nights than sweating over a hot game? Keeps you warm, engages the mind, and, if the game is tough enough, expands your vocabulary of expletives (heh). And make no mistake about it, playing the part of a kid wizard can be very frustrating at times.
Simon the Sorcerer is a British import, hauled over the Atlantic by Activision. This typically means it has a few quirks, and you have to approach it carefully. For instance, not all the puzzles are fair or logical. Perhaps this is the culture gap, or maybe British adventure designers have a cruel streak. Whichever, puzzle solutions will often come off the wall, out of woodworks, left field -- wherever such odd-ball items are found. Another annoyance is trying to find things on the screen. I missed items more than once because the cursor didn't go over the precise spot necessary to discover an object. So when you play this one, remember to scan the entire screen slowly, all over, right to the very edges, or you're sure to overlook something.
You also have an auto-map of sorts. It shows major locations as you reach them during the game. Once an area is on the map, you can go there immediately by clicking on it. While it won't record every single place, the major locations are set up so you usually don't have to go more than a couple of screens to get where you want to be. And feel free to save as often as you want. The save files are a microscopic 3K each (wow!), so you should have room for plenty of saves positions.
Finally, there's a wise owl, of sorts, in the woods. He provides a few clues to some of the puzzles. Chat with him every now and then. However, he only has about ten things to say, so after awhile, you'll be on your own.
So anyway, here's Simon, a typical Earth kid who gets pulled into another dimension to rescue Calypso the Wizard from the evil mage Sordid. Right there, Simon knows it isn't going to be a good day. It doesn't get any better when he visits the wizards at the local bar; they won't welcome him into their circle until he brings them a magic staff they've been looking for. For poor Simon, it's going to be just one thing after another.
The first item on the agenda is to wander around the village and become familiar with all the buildings and, of course, grab everything Simon can get his hot little hands on (sorry to say, nothing can be stolen from the Shoppe; items can only be bought there).
When that's been taken care of, it's time to haul out the graph paper and map the forest. This is where it gets really ineresting, as Simon will meet all sorts of, umm, unusual beings during his jaunt through the woods.
This is also where things get a little difficult to talk about. Most of the puzzles require multi-step solutions, and some of them overlap. It isn't like, say, Freddy Pharkas, where the action is divided into neat little chapters. So, I'm going to be a bit discursive here, jumping around to different points in the game, in no particular order, rather than try to give a straight, one path walkthrough of the game.
Right then! Let's talk about Dwarves. Simon wants to get into the Dwarven mine. It helps if he looks like a Dwarf, but that's no problem if he thinks sharp. The real trick is bribing the guard inside. What to use is obvious, but how to get it, that's another matter entirely.
This is one of the nasty puzzles, so I'm going to be a bit more forthcoming about it. If Simon stands in the bar and you run the cursor across the shelf behind the bartender, nothing shows up. But, when Simon asks for a drink, and the bartender rummages down below for ingredients, this left-hand keg suddenly "lights up" if the cursor touches it, and this is the only time that happens. Simon still can't grab it from there, but he can do something else while the bartender is distracted. And while you're at it, pay close attention to the (non-working) fruit machine in the corner.
Out in the woods is a Troll Bridge, but the Troll is on strike and won't let anyone pass (poor thing, you almost can't blame him). However, this is a mere whistle stop along the way to better things.
Next Simon might want to consider a certain tower in the woods. Memories of old fairy tales naturally come to mind, and probably the name "Rapunzel" rings a bell here. Of course, this being the world it is, what's waiting at the top may not be quite as expected. Keep the floorboards in mind for the future.
What a "repulser" is good for is not entirely clear. However, if you know anything about pigs and fungi, this may well open a door to some helpful items.
Further on, at the edge of the swamp, is the Swampling. Poor critter, no one comes to see him any more. Then again, since he insists on serving visitors a nauseating swamp mud stew, perhaps this is not surprising. I recommend no more than two helpings of this stuff. The third is best saved for later, possibly as a specimen of some sort.
Moving right along, there's the woodcutter. He not so cleverly settled in an area where trees are magically protected, and he can't cut them down. Unless, that is, he has a milrith (anagram of mithril) axe. Of course Simon volunteers to help, and receives a metal detector to assist him. The thought of searching who knows where for the stuff might leave him cold, but possibly a wizard can show the way.
Unfortunately, finding the stuff isn't enough; it needs to be dug up. Shovels being in short supply, another method must be found. Here is where Tom Sawyer and white-washing come to mind, for some reason or other.
Somewhere about is a dragon. A real, honest-to-gosh fire-breather...with a bad cold. Not something Simon wants to stand near for any length of time, even if he does have his eyes on the dragon hoard. Sorry Char...err, Simon, you can't reach the gold from here. There are other ways, though; try checking out the cave entrance very carefully. And when you get where you're going, well, the answer is attractive but illogical.
Simon's probably been wondering about those woodworm. Just a big of mahogany, that's all they want. So who's most likely to have wood, eh? Right! Haven't seen any lying around though, have you? Wel, cool off those overheated brain cells and move.
In his wanderings, Simon may have come across Golum (or then again, perhaps not; check out the waterfall area from both sides). It's a sad party that has no munchies, but possibly Simon can provide a little something.
I see I haven't mentioned the goblins yet. Nasty types, those. After getting inside their fortress (delivery!), Simon has to rescue the Druid. The means for this are at hand (incidentally, there is no way past the guard at the stairs), but it's essential to talk to the Druid a few times first.
Around about now, Simon should be thinking of that staff (remember the magic staff?). This is where the woodworm are really helpful (bet you thought it was the hammer, huh? So did I, but that's not it); so is a ladder, and a certain loose bandage.
Well now, what with returning the staff, and paying the exorbitant initiation fee, Simon has arrived! Yes, a real wizard at last, and finally able to face up to the wicked old witch (well, if he also helped out the talking tree to learn the magic words, that is).
This one is tricky. The words change Simon into different critters, namely a lion, a mongoose, a snake and a mouse. In the wizard duel, Simon has to choose a shape (speak the word) that will "defeat" the form chosen by the witch. In other words, it's a variation on "scissors-rock-paper". Witchy-poo chooses her forms randomly, and since both change at the same time, a certain amount of luck is needed to win here. Also, the witch is a poor loser, and Simon must make one final transformation to get out.
Okay, let's talk about the end game. Getting across the chasm and into the castle shouldn't be a problem. However, the new perspective (so to speak) causes Simon to drop all his inventory. Not to worry, though; none of it is needed, and everything Simon does need will be found along the way.
Getting across the "pond" is the first order of business, and that's not difficult, since there's so little to work with (provided, of course, that you find everything that has to be found here). The frog is a bit more difficult, but examining the water, and being tough, will get Simon past the obstacle.
All right, Simon is himself again, and naturally checks the garden carefully before going inside to deal with the chest-monster. That's the only dangerous thing here. The demons on the top level, being somewhat miffed at the moment, won't bother him at all. Good thing, too, since there's an important book up here. In fact, it's Sordid's spell book, containing an incantation to send demons back where they belong. How convenient!
Most of the rest is pretty simple, for a change. Picking up the spell "ingredients" presents few problems. Using them, however, is another matter. Simon might want to have an extended talk with the demons.
So here he is at the Fiery Pits of Rondor, now a tourist attraction with no tourists in sight, with empty pockets. Hmmmm. Wonder what that bell on the wall might do? There must be a way to find out. Scan the ground carefully here, and don't overlook those brochures.
Yeah, onward to the pits! And look who's there, trying to restart the fires that our boy just snuffed. Yep, that old evil wizard, Sordid himself! He's too busy to notice Simon, so now's the time to give Sordid a taste of his own medicine. Gee, that was easy.
But those pits still have to be lit up again, and magic doesn't seem to be the answer (and Simon has none, anyway). Let's hope Simon didn't miss something back at the souvenir stand.
Good! The pits are fiery again, and with the wand destroyed, all the petrified people are restored. ALL of them. oooops, that includes Sordid, too. Hmmm, I guess it was just a bit too easy. Fear not, Simon is tougher than he looks! After the first go-around with Sordid, our hero should be able to, ahem, wax him more permanently the second time.
Whew! Once again, the world has been saved so another evil megalomaniac can try taking it over in the future. Simon goes back home, happy to be back where he belongs. Wait, what's that giant hand that just came out of nowhere? Uh oh, looks like Simon isn't going to be staying home for awhile yet....
Well, I see by the old invisible clock on the wall, it's that time again. In the meantime, if you need help with an adventure game, you can reach me in the following ways:
On Delphi: Stop by the GameSIG (under the Groups & Clubs menu).
On GEnie: Visit the Games RoundTable (type: Scorpia to reach the Games RT).
By US Mail (enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you live in the US):
Scorpia, PO Box 338, Gracie Station, New York, NY 10028.
Until next time, happy adventuring!
This article appeared in
Computer Gaming World
Jan 1994
These historical, out-of-print articles and literary works have been GNUSTOed onto InvisiClues.org for academic and research purposes.
