Summary
- Release Year: 1991
- Genres: Adventure, Fighting, Platform, Shooter
- Platforms: Amiga, Atari ST/STE, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
- Developers: Traveller’s Tales, Wayne J. Smithson Design
- Publishers: Electronic Arts, Psygnosis
Leander (1991): A Classic Amiga Platformer
Released in 1991 for the Commodore Amiga, Leander is a platformer game developed by Traveller’s Tales and published by Psygnosis. It was the first game to be developed by Traveller’s Tales, and it remains one of the most popular and critically acclaimed Amiga games of all time.
Gameplay
Leander is a side-scrolling platformer in which the player controls the titular character, a young knight on a quest to rescue his beloved princess from the evil sorcerer Zarth. Leander must travel through a variety of levels, each filled with enemies, traps, and puzzles.
Leander is armed with a sword and a shield, which he can use to attack enemies and block their attacks. He can also jump, climb, and swim. Leander must use all of his skills to navigate the levels and defeat Zarth.
Graphics
Leander is known for its beautiful graphics. The game’s backgrounds are lush and detailed, and the character sprites are smoothly animated. Leander was one of the first Amiga games to use parallax scrolling, which creates a sense of depth and immersion.
Sound
The music and sound effects in Leander are also top-notch. The game’s soundtrack is composed of catchy and atmospheric tunes, and the sound effects are realistic and immersive.
Critical reception
Leander was a critical and commercial success upon its release. The game was praised for its beautiful graphics, innovative gameplay, and catchy music. Leander was also a commercial success, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide.
Legacy
Leander is considered to be one of the best Amiga games of all time. The game’s innovative gameplay and beautiful graphics have influenced many subsequent platformers. Leander is also credited with helping to launch the career of Traveller’s Tales, which has gone on to develop many other successful games, including the Lego video game series.
The making of Leander
Leander was developed by a small team of developers at Traveller’s Tales. The game’s lead programmer was Jon Burton, who had previously worked on the Amiga conversion of the arcade game Gauntlet. Burton was joined by artists Mark Healey and Gary Carr, and musician Tim Follin.
The team at Traveller’s Tales was given a lot of creative freedom by Psygnosis. This allowed them to experiment with new ideas and create a truly unique game. Leander was developed over the course of two years, and the team worked hard to create a game that was both fun and challenging.
Leander today
Leander is still enjoyed by gamers today. The game is available on a variety of platforms, including the Amiga, PC, and mobile devices. Leander is also available as part of the Psygnosis Amiga Classics Collection.
If you’re a fan of platformers, then you owe it to yourself to check out Leander. It’s a classic game that still holds up today.
10 things you didn’t know about Leander
- Leander was originally going to be called “Galahad.”
- The game’s protagonist was inspired by the Arthurian legend of Sir Lancelot.
- Leander was one of the first Amiga games to use parallax scrolling.
- The game’s soundtrack was composed by Tim Follin, who also composed the music for the Amiga classic Shadow of the Beast.
- Leander was a commercial success, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide.
- The game was ported to the Atari ST and Sega Mega Drive.
- Leander was the first game developed by Traveller’s Tales, which has gone on to develop many other successful games, including the Lego video game series.
- Leander is still enjoyed by gamers today and is available on a variety of platforms.
- The game is considered to be one of the best Amiga games of all time.
- Leander is a challenging but rewarding platformer that will appeal to fans of the genre.
Review Score
8/10
