Defender of the Crown review - Nintendo Entertainment System

While Defender of the Crown is quite good fun to play, you leave it wanting more. The arcade-style screens are neat and the strategy part is simple enough to let a facts 'n' figures dumbo like me enjoy it without getting bogged down, but there's just not enough to keep you entertained. The game is fairly challenging, but again, not really enough to make it good value for money. With the benefit of some additions like extra arcade sequences and a more complex strategy element, this could have been really good. As it stands, it's a fairly enjoyable, but ultimately unsatisfying game.

Defender of the Crown was one of Cinemaware's early releases, and although it was graphically spectacular, the playability was somewhat lacking. I'm sorry to say that little has been done to rectify this problem. Although the basic premise of the game is a good one, the realisation is disappointing. It's as if Cinemaware were never sure whether to put the emphasis on arcade skills or strategy. As a result, the arcade sections are slow and have too few moves, and the strategy element is too simplistic and random. Overall, a good idea, but badly executed and rounded off with dull graphics and sound.