The Apprentice (1986) Mastertronic

Border_7 · 23:19, 02 February 14

I recently finished The Apprentice: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Apprentice_(the)#information(cheating of course) which had plagued me as a youngster for years , anyway - it's a fun little game. It did have a nice little ending, instead of just a screen full of text (nice surprise!) - but what caught my attention was that fact it said that more adventures await in the game of Castlekey...

http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/File:ApprenticeFinalScrCastleKey.png

Castlekey? Has anyone heard of this game? I can't find anything about it... !?

Edit: Struggled a bit with those URLs....

Gryzor · 09:57, 03 February 14

Awww had never seen this before... and for me too, this was title I really struggled, for long, with. No sequel materialised obviously!

TMR · 12:35, 03 February 14

Has anyone done the obvious joke about an Amstrad game called The Apprentice yet...?

(Sorry... =-)

Gryzor · 12:38, 03 February 14

Heh

Wonder how I didn't think of it!

Token · 22:41, 03 February 14

I loved that game too, it's buggy and could have been a lot better (music yet) but the ambiance is there. It has that magic atmosphere. I never finished it, always died in walls (bug) losted every lives in no time, like in Jet Set Willy with the foot...
Congrat!
Castelkey? I whish there was sequel

It's funny you posted this because I just got today the original tape by Ebay, I didn't have the original back, I was surprised by the cover, it looks like Discworld. Also I never saw good feedback for this game,
I was like alone to love The Apprentice

I was mainly reading it's a cheap/shitty game

I prefer it's atmosphere and gameplay than Sorcery, I never was a fan of that game anyway. (I don't like the gfx, don't kill me

)

Border_7 · 00:19, 04 February 14

Quote from: Token on 22:41, 03 February 14
I loved that game too, it's buggy and could have been a lot better (music yet) but the ambiance is there. It has that magic atmosphere. I never finished it, always died in walls (bug) losted every lives in no time, like in Jet Set Willy with the foot...
Congrat!
Castelkey? I whish there was sequel

It's funny you posted this because I just got today the original tape by Ebay, I didn't have the original back, I was surprised by the cover, it looks like Discworld. Also I never saw good feedback for this game,
I was like alone to love The Apprentice I was mainly reading it's a cheap/shitty game

I prefer it's atmosphere and gameplay than Sorcery, I never was a fan of that game anyway. (I don't like the gfx, don't kill me )

Yeah it's not a bad game... I'd always run out of time or ammo or even worse - as you mentioned - get stuck in a wall or enter a screen and hit a nasty or a fire and you cactus!

The developer pretty much admitted it was a Sorcery clone (I should actually have a look at that game). I never bought it, its was thrown in with Into Oblivion, Vampire et al when Dad got my first CPC 464. You have an original tape! Nice!

Border_7 · 00:20, 04 February 14

Quote from: TMR on 12:35, 03 February 14
Has anyone done the obvious joke about an Amstrad game called The Apprentice yet...?

(Sorry... =-)

Yes - quite fitting isn't it? Although, this game came way before these silly shows

Border_7 · 00:24, 04 February 14

Quote from: Gryzor on 12:38, 03 February 14
Heh Wonder how I didn't think of it!

I have to say though, the ending is really quite cool indeed. Worth the effort

. I don't think it warrants a map like Into Oblivion does... There's even a spelling mistake in the text that comes up at the end! I guess we're all human... btw - You finished IO yet?

Gryzor · 20:06, 05 February 14

Haha - no, unfortunately; even with the map you need to set aside a week or so...

MacDeath · 20:53, 05 February 14

So the Apprentice is actually the last AMSoft game ?

Token · 17:11, 07 February 14

I think there's only a Mastertronic version... $:-\$

chinnyhill10 · 19:07, 09 February 14

The Apprentice is an awful game. A truly terrible Sorcery rip off programmed by someone with a tenth of the talent of the Gang Of Five.

So many better games that deserve peoples attention than rubbish like that.

CanonMan · 21:25, 09 February 14

Quote from: chinnyhill10 on 19:07, 09 February 14
A truly terrible Sorcery rip off programmed by someone with a tenth of the talent of the Gang Of Five.

James Higgins did some great games at Ocean a few years later though....

chinnyhill10 · 23:30, 09 February 14

He may have done. However The Apprentice was the first budget game and the first tape game I ever bought for my 6128. After the sheer struggle of getting it to load, imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was just a terrible Sorcery rip off. Made worse by the fact that at that time Sorcery + was my favourite game and the hottest game on the CPC.

Border_7 · 02:58, 10 February 14

Quote from: chinnyhill10 on 23:30, 09 February 14
He may have done. However The Apprentice was the first budget game and the first tape game I ever bought for my 6128. After the sheer struggle of getting it to load, imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was just a terrible Sorcery rip off. Made worse by the fact that at that time Sorcery + was my favourite game and the hottest game on the CPC.

Fair enough, but for those who never played Sorcery and were served up this game first, you wouldn't have that opinion.

Gryzor · 22:02, 10 February 14

Quote from: Border_7 on 02:58, 10 February 14

Fair enough, but for those who never played Sorcery and were served up this game first, you wouldn't have that opinion.

That's me, alright.

Border_7 · 23:07, 10 February 14

Sorcery can be discussed in another thread!

Cholo · 21:36, 18 February 14

I must admit i played The Apprentice quite a lot back then. Didnt have much games back then so you really had to play the games that i had. Was really quite surpriced how deep it is, seriously has secret walls inside secret rooms to even other secret rooms. Fairly large sprites & happy colourfull graphics wasnt really too bad for a early times game. Of cause as already mentioned the real letdown of the game was if you entered/exited a room wrong and ended up in a endless loop of death. Still not too bad for £1,99 budget game

Token · 21:00, 20 February 14

The graphics are cool for an early budget game, but it's so cute yet! The magic atmosphere is lovely. The gameplay feel very different than Sorcery.
It's a game that I would love to be remade with 2014 knowledges and tools.

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The Apprentice (1986) Mastertronic