Simon the Sorcerer 1 – Review

By
On August 13, 2009

App Type: Uncategorized

Simon the Sorcerer 1 – Review

Our rating:

By: Simon the Sorcerer 1

Version #: 1.5 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested)

Date Released: 2009-08-04

Developer: Yinon Yamin

Price: 4.99

User Rating:
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Back in the 90’s–when CD Rom games (like Myst) were all the rage, there was a click fest that along with puzzles made them both intriguing and fun.  Forward to todays game designs and we’ve changed a lot in terms of interaction, music quality, and graphics.

One trend I’ve noticed of late is the nostalgia for the past—alien invaders, various game system emulators,  asteroids,  and even off the shelf “stand alone” joysticks that have several “old school” games on them. 

Simon the Sorcerer definitely looks and feels like an adventure game from 90s, which is both charming (to the developer’s credit), but frustrating (for guys w/ big clumsy fingers, like myself).

The goal of the game is to conquer some puzzles to ultimately save the sorcerer.  The easiest way to control Simon, I found, was to use ‘touch mode’. In touch mode, you interact with the environment, by selecting your action and then selecting what to apply that action to. For example, you might choose “Walk To” a particular part of the room; to do so, you would touch ‘walk to’ and then where you wanted Simon to walk to. 

This scheme, in general works well. The font on the choices are big enough that SOME of the time I selected the correct choice.

The problem (which lead to a lot of frustration) was when I was trying to interact with people. Typically when you ‘talk to’ a person, the choices for the conversation show up below the picture. The font is smaller than the list of actions you can perform, and as such, I was never able to pick  the choice I wanted. Because the usability became such an issue, I had to stop playing the game!

All-in-All, Simon the Sorcerer is a great game that takes me back to the 90’s…but in the 90’s I had a mouse, a keyboard, and a bigger screen. The iPhone has none of these; and as such, it’s a big problem with the app.

Quick Take

Value: Medium

Would I Buy Again:  No

Learning Curve: Took a little to get used to, but eventually got it.

Who Is It For: People that liked those CD Rom games of the 90’s, or like adventure games in general.

What I Like:  The look was dead on and the banter in the game was fun and light hearted.

What I Don’t: The controls were horrible–largely because of my big fingers.  If you have smaller fingers, it may work well for you.

Final Statement: If you liked the original, or adventure games in general, this might be a good buy for you.  But be warned that it feels like a ported game than an iPhone game; as such, it isn’t as intuitive and easy to use as you might expect.

Read the Developer's Notes:
The much loved and highly popular adventure game from 1993 returns in this special remastered edition for the iPhone and iPod touch.



Simon the Sorcerer is a graphical point-and-click adventure game.

It received very high ratings and became one of the most popular and loved games of the genre.

It is very similar in style to LucasArts'many popular point-and-click adventures of the 1990s, like Monkey Island.



There are some things that kids just shouldn't have to put up with. Being transported to some weird dimension full of goblins, dwarves, swamplings, stupid wizards and sleeping giants is definitely one of them.  Simon is a teenager transported into a fantasy world as a sorcerer dressed in a cloak and pointy hat. He must use his logic and magical skills to solve puzzles as he progresses through the game.



The story begins with the protagonist, Simon, as an ordinary teenager. His dog," Chippy ", discovers a chest in the loft of his house containing a spellbook titled" Ye Olde Spellbooke ". Simon throws the book onto the floor in contempt, but a portal opens above it. Chippy goes through the portal and Simon follows.

After entering the portal, Simon finds himself in another world. He escapes from some goblins who intended to eat him and discovers that he has been brought on a quest to rescue the wizard Calypso from the evil sorcerer Sordid.



When Simon discovers the tuneless bard, the repulsive Rapunzel and a pair of demons with a serious attitude problem, it could prove to be one cliché too far.

With a Nobel Prize for attempted humour and puzzles so fiendish you'll certainly need help from the wise owl, Simon the Sorcerer is guaranteed to provide a distraction from the drudgery of modern life.




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