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Bard's Tale, The

Bard's Tale, The: Tales of the Unknown screenshot 3

Bard's Tale, The: Tales of the Unknown screenshot 4

Bard's Tale, The: Tales of the Unknown

Credits

Released: 1985 (39 years ago)

Publisher: Electronic ArtsInfo / Logos

Developer: Interplay ProductionsInfo / Logo

Design: Michael Cranford

Coder: Michael Cranford

Graphics: David Lowery

Musician: Larry Holland

Box Art: Eric Joyner

Information

Main Control: Joystick (Port 2)

Players: 1 Only

Language: English

Retail Price: £14.95 Disk

Categorization

Genre: Adventure, RPG 3D

Tags: Role-playing (RPG), 1st-person, Turn-based, Fantasy

Tie-In License

Name: Mindshadow

Type: Software

Owner: Interplay Productions Inc (USA)

Relationship

Precursor to: Bard's Tale II, The: The Destiny Knight

Misc relation: Bard's Tale III, The: Thief of Fate

YouTube Links

Longplay video 59:13

DerSchmu on Dec 24, 2010

Magazine Reviews

C&VG, issue 64 (feb 87), p108 Electronic Arts / Ariolasoft full-price release	1/10
Commodore User, issue 39 (dec 86), p46 Electronic Arts full-price release	9/10
Games Machine, issue 10 (sep 88), p68 Electronic Arts full-price release	73%
Your Commodore, issue 29 (feb 87), p37 Electronic Arts full-price release	9/10
Zzap!64, issue 21 (1986/1987), p134 Electronic Arts full-price release	94%
Average magazine rating: Based on 5 magazine reviews	71%

Added by Kim Lemon, Nov 14, 2001.
Last updated Aug 21, 2023. Viewed 58940 times.

Rating

from a total of 155 votes.

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Reviews

Read review by Peer Jones
Graphics: 7 ‧ Music: 1 ‧ Playability: 9 ‧ Overall: 8

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57 Comments

Thelead 2023-12-08

(6/10)

The weakest of the three BT games, still excellent but its a little thin compared to its contemporaries.

View all comments (532)

Mr.Angel 2023-06-02

Hey Guys. I was honestly trying to play this game but everything looks this same there, each street, every building.... After a while I got headache. Can someone give me a tip please? I was using a map from internet but that didn't help. Thanks

View all comments (1)

Sternhammer 2022-04-11

(9/10)

An all time essential C64 genre classic.
Many, many hours of my gaming youth were lost to this and its sequels back in the day. Disk swapping was a bit of a pain for sure but the game itself was so magnificent it didn't seem to matter.
As you can now play the trilogy on an emulator I fully intend to revisit and play them all through once again.
Superb.

View all comments (619)

TDBauer 2014-07-18

(10/10)

I have to give this game a score of 10. While it was not the first game that I ever played on the C64, it was close to one of the first. More importantly it was the game that got me totally hooked on computer gaming. I think the year was 1985 or early 1986 when a friend of mine who had a C64 let me play this on his computer. I was hooked. I had to have a C64 of my own! My parents sold the TRS-80 and we got the beloved C64. This game is the one that led me into my fantasy interest and into writing some stories and getting published later in life. It also introduced me into the world of hard core computer gaming in the late 80s and early 90s when I advanced on to the Amiga. This game will always have a very special place in the heart.
TD Bauer

View all comments (86)

Edward Geraci 2012-09-21

(10/10)

A true classic. Can remember trying desperately to survive at the beginning, when getting to second level would make a big difference, only I couldn't find where to train! I couldn't finish the game because I damaged the disks, and I look forward to finally giving Mangar a run for his money. I'm going to take a special vacation for this: no distractions, no outside world, nothing but the two of us and his legion of monsters.

View all comments (1)

Doomsayer 2012-03-16

(7/10)

I am giving this game a slightly lower score because the disk swapping meant it took forever! Otherwise it was a fun game for those of us hankering for something that was similar to D&D

View all comments (39)

fushek 2012-01-03

(10/10)

One of the greatest games that I ever played. This game is the reason that I have bought a Commodore again, hooked it up and started playing. I have many memories of playing this all night with my friend in High School and drinking Dr. Pepper!

View all comments (1)

nosteve 2011-02-11

(10/10)

Turns out it's a little different than I thought - it's not so much a bug, but how the song works. I didn't know this but your party gains an HP up to max every combat turn after using Bard Song #4. At least one other person found this too:

bardstale.wikia.com/wiki/Bard

View all comments (3)

nosteve 2011-02-10

(10/10)

Quick note about that bug, only seems to work in Party Attack mode after successfully using song #4. Doesn't work if you can't actually sing #4 in the first place.

Hey I need all the help I can get

View all comments (3)

nosteve 2011-02-10

(10/10)

This game has been annihilating me for years, and I still love it. Every couple years I have to try again.

This time around I actually found a pretty great bug! Early on, when you can't heal your party using mages, go into Party Attack mode (P) and use Bard Song #4. Looks like you can do this continuously on the C64 version, even after the Bard loses his voice! I guess that's a testament to this game that I'm still finding out cool tricks 25 years later.

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flanimal 2010-08-03

(10/10)

I consider it one of my life's greatest achievement completing this. I had it on tape, and spent AGES developing my characters, completing it without any guide or help other than the manual.

Long after completing it I learned machine code and with my Action Replay cartridge I searched and found the looping code that caused the delay between text being output. (it was a standard duel-nested increment/decrement with two BNE commands to exit them). By poking a small number instead of the constant 255, the text scrolled much more quickley.

I wish I had that poke in place since the start as it would have aaved me so much time!

View all comments (31)

bronstein 2009-07-02

(10/10)

Unlike to some who comment here, I did not turn into an RPG-freak, but I loved the Bard's Tale series. What it did turn me to is a lover of the whole idea of fantasy. Shame that most efforts (books, films, possibly games) are so weak in terms of storytelling.

View all comments (637)

Keith 2009-05-14

(10/10)

THE game that got me hooked on computer role-playing games period! Hour after hour playing this game while going through sheets of graph paper just mapping every dungeon. Great memories from playing a great game

View all comments (12)

wongojack 2009-04-14

(10/10)

Like many others who have commented here, this one got me started on RPGs and I probably still compare them to this game. Years later I introduced my wife to it who surprisingly finished it in about 2 weeks. Playing it again as an adult kinda made me rename it "Mapmaker 64, " but the great memories will never die.

View all comments (44)

tachikoma 2008-12-08

(10/10)

One of my 5 favourite games of all time.
Simply fantastic fun

View all comments (61)

Henry1975 2008-06-27

(10/10)

A classic. The start into computer roleplaying games. 10/10

View all comments (59)

ennio 2008-06-01

(10/10)

I spent the most time on this RPG than any other in my gaming lifetime. It was so immersing I ignored virtually every other game or hobby or activity until I finished it. So many great memories with this one. Absolutely brilliant!

View all comments (88)

Mecandes 2008-02-20

(10/10)

Check out geocities.com/thebardstale/ for more info on this awesome game.

View all comments (4)

jd 2006-05-10

A true classic. Not quite as good as the second one IMHO, but very, very enjoyable. It was a clear ripoff of Sir-Tech's Wizardry, and as far as the C64 versions go, BT is light years better. It doesn't try to be too much - just good straight gameplaying. My only complaint is that it's a bit too easy. I rattled off the first four or five dungeons and barely broke a sweat. I found BT2 more challenging and overall a shade more fun. But both games are immortal.

View all comments (23)

ea31 2006-04-11

(10/10)

One of the games I spent most of my teen years on. I remember plaing it with my brother, 20h in one go sometimes. The fact that you only could save your characters by dismissing them in the adventure-guild or levaing the game (and booting it up again) was a real pain, but it was worth it. I still have the yellowed, battered self-drawn maps of The Wine Cellar, the Sewers and the Catacombs.
Pure nostalgia.

View all comments (7)

Rhialto 2006-04-11

(10/10)

Oh my! I still remember the day I bought that game! My friend and I spent so many hours playing it and drawing maps of cities and dungeons.

Such souvenir like this one that makes me want to go back in time. :thumbsup:

View all comments (5)

matt71 2006-03-28

I remember my best friend bringing this game over back in the 80's. We would play this game for hours over the weekend. We were AD&D fans, and we thought this game was great. Many good memories.

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esa 2006-03-06

Maybe they could re-release it as training simulator for military send to Baghdad

View all comments (92)

esa 2006-03-05

I hated this game back in the 80s
Tried it again, got cut down by Barbarians just outside the guild.
Well, my opinion on this one didn't change much

View all comments (92)

iamsjn 2005-11-25

(10/10)

This game introduced me to the RPG genre. The Bards Tale will always hold a special spot in my heart. I have fond memories of walking into my room after school, firing up the ol' 64 and perusing my graph papered walls of the latest dungeon I was delving into. It's funny, to this day, I can still make my way around Skara Brae. I know the city like the back of my hand! It's like I'm home from a long journey when I play.

Long Live Undead Fred!!!
-SjN

View all comments (1)

benkin 2005-11-05

(10/10)

Among the best RPGs for C64. I found the difficulty level just right compared to the impossible BT 2 and slightly too easy BT 3. I got stuck on the riddle in Kylearan's Tower in 8th grade, and then the answer just popped into my head while day dreaming three years later! It was my bad though... The riddle was fair, and I can't say the game is too difficult though it took me forever to beat.

View all comments (6)

MPS123 2005-09-17

(10/10)

My first true love! I spent hours - up all night playing this. I lost an entire summer to it - my friends thought I had lost my mind! Making maps, agonizing over changing a party member for another, terrified when I had to make it back to the healer with one character left and just a couple of hit points... I had every house and location in the city memorized. I played 1, 2 and 3 and loved them all!

View all comments (11)

Vanvincent 2005-08-06

(7/10)

One of the better early RPGs on the C64. Outclassed by its sequels, Destiny Knight and the superb Thief of Fate.

View all comments (86)

kronko808 2005-02-20

(8/10)

Spent months completing this game, still have the maps and stuff, loved it. The only let down was the end. Major disapointment, after all the late nights, I finally got to face the evil Manga, my band of men who had fought valiantly against hoards of undead (and kobolds) they slew Manga and... Nothing, not a sausage, nowt!!! Couldn't even get back out of the tower! And thats were they are still, stuck in the bloody TOWER!!!

View all comments (10)

C65 2004-08-24

Amazing for its day.
What got me hooked was the cool intro screen. I clearly remember playing this game for DAYS at a time on weekends in 86-87.
Not an easy game but it was fun with good graphics and nice play

10/10

Troy 2004-03-30

The Holy Handgrenade rocks!

Timbo 2003-09-09

Although, the Bard's Tale series was widely acclaimed, personally, I found "Alternate Reality: The Dungeon" and "Wasteland" to be (by far) the most engrossing RPGs on the 64.

eightbit 2003-09-06

Jesus, I cant remember how many math- paper I used for this game to paint all the maps and dungeons

=
i remember how strange my teacher was looking after he saw me math-papers full with dungeons and stuff.

hehe 9/10

Rob Bailey 2003-09-03

I resent your asinine opinionated, dogmatic tone Lemonope and as an RPG freak myself, (Ultima and Bards Tale, they relate to each other - Skara Brae) you ought to be ashamed of yourself!
Thou art a cadent abounder, get thee from thy site!

Ooops, wrong game! Where was I? Oh yes, the brilliant original Bard's Tale!
I got stuck for a long time in Kylearans tower and it took me forever to develop a party which I felt confident with, but it was such a labour of love drawing up ones own maps and humming along to the tunes, wondering when the final confrontation with Mangar would come! Step inside true believer! A classic RPG prototype.

Lemonope 2003-08-22

Absolute rubbish really, all 3 were. If your a RPG Maniac like me, get your ass to Ultima 4 or Lecacy of the Anicient, or even Wasteland, better than playing Bard's Shit.

jeroen 2003-08-19

I need a damn map too, because all houses look the same.

jeroen 2003-04-02

Great game... RPG's father.

I lost the manual, so could somebody tell me where I can find all the spells?

score: 8, 5

Minrod 2003-03-27

The first RPG game I ever played! I spend day after day playing this game. I loved my party and had much fun with it. A true classic. One of the best games on the good old C-64.

Studly 2003-01-06

1 of the 1st orignal games I owned, bought it off a friend after I tried a hacked version. I needed all the spells and crap in the game. This is prolly the best RPG I've ever played. I don't think they make rpg's as good as they did back in those days.

Gareth Trotter 2002-12-25

An RPG remembered of a time that was pure, not perfect... I have read reviews saying mainly great things, and the one that sticks in my mind is that of the 99 Berserkers etc... An amazing moment in an amazing genre and era changing moment of its time.

Make no mistake, The Bard's Tale is one of THE RPG games which allowed Neverwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate etc. To make their names in our time.

I cried when I saw The Bard's Tale game cover once again, not because it was the best game I have ever played, but because I was there when it was amazing... For you young peeps out there, work it out

angryscott 2002-12-05

Anyone who enjoys computer RPGs, all of them up to and including Neverwinter Nights, owes this game a debt of gratitude. Truly revolutionary and trend setting.

stjames 2002-11-19

Awesome game. I remember seeing the ad for this on the back cover of a video game magazine I was a subscriber to and just staring at it in study hall. It seemed like it took forever to get to my doorstep. I had to order it through chips n' bits cause there were no comp stores in my area. When I got it, I played it solid for months after school. The magic users were awesome it seemed like there were just a ton of different spells. One of the best games on the C64 ever!!!

davidw 2002-11-06

Undoubtedly the best game I ever played and even with the revolution in computer technology since it was first released, it can still hold its own against anything out today. Sheer brilliance from start to finish.

Shaun Arpin 2002-10-18

"Dee do, do de do, dee do, do de do...
Do dee do de do do do... "

Play on Mr. Bard

Chucky 2002-10-07

I lost several months to this game and when, while in Mangar's tower, my tapes started to wear out from all the multi-loading, I nearly cried. Thank goodness for re-mastering onto a blank tape! Just found my old maps and am playing it on CCS64. What a game.

Marko 2002-10-06

One comment: the best role playing game on the C 64. I have played all three parts of it. I remember when I had bad notes in school, my parents had removed the cable between my C64 and the 1541. I placed another cables only to play this game. The riddles were hard, especially you haven't the opportunity to save. I remember the versions of the Amiga and the pc, but none of them had banned me to play than the C64 original.

dew of neverland 2002-09-30

Soo nice! Remember making dungeon maps, writing down the riddles etc. Still have the maps and riddles so that I may go back in time and experience this sensational game again. Completed this one on the 64. Later on BT2 on the Amiga but that's another story...

Steve Denson 2002-09-30

How did this only get a 6. 2 rating. It was awesome for it's time. My brother and I, along with his geek dungeons and dragons buddies played this for hours after school. I can still hear my mom bitching about us not doing enough homework because of the game. A classic.

Heinous 2002-09-25

I plays this game for months--and I rank it among the lowest adventure games I have ever played.

The game was illogical, riddle-answers were not contained within the game itself.

Also, it lacked a "save", so you couldn't turn the power off in a dungeon.

Darcy 2002-08-28

This was my first CRPG and I still consider it my favourite (Bard's Tale III was also quite good)... 99 Bezerkers, 99 Beserkers, 99 Berserkers and 99 Berserks. Use the Mind attack and what the XP role in! LOL

Erik 2002-07-31

I didn't play the original until after I had played BT2, and I didn't like this first one nearly as much... The beginning dungeon was way too hard.

Nem 2002-07-29

I remember this classic! I must have been 6 or 7 years old, and my cousin would set up a game - all of us got to be characters and give our input on or actions. I have fond memories of this RPG, even switching out the floppies. It remains one of the top games I remember and loved for that old 64.

Wes Southern 2002-07-21

Greatest RPG.. EVER! Though I didn't have it for the C64 I did have it for the Amiga. The game is the same except for graphics and sound but as everyone knows these days all eye candy doesn't make a great game (Final Fantasy 8, I stab at thee).. It's the story and game mechanics. I spent my entire 6th grade and some summer playing this in 1986(87? Memory.. Getting... Fuzzy.. ) and it is the greatest RPG memory I have.

Nick Murrin 2002-06-12

Ditto - I spent 3 solid months playing this classic in the summer between my GSCEs and A-Levels. Absorbingly addictive and one of the best RPGs of all time!

Allan Hartigan 2002-06-03

The first RPG I ever played. This game took me 15 months to complete. It was just the best and I havent had as much fun playing an RPG since.

Patrick MCGinley 2002-02-20

Excellent game, cohisive play, and enough magic items to keep you busy for a long time. Set the tone for future cRPG's for quite a while. Built off of what Wiz 1 offered and blew it away. Revolutionary.

Paul E. Morrison 2002-01-14

The first RPG I ever played, and responsible for the loss of 13 months of my after-school life. Solid gameplay, revolutionary (at the time) ideas, nice graphics... Just pure, addictive fun for anyone that likes this type of game. I never quite enjoyed another RPG quite like I enjoyed "The Bard's Tale".