When the next generation of home computers came out, post 6502/65c02 like the Apple ][e, Atari 800, Commodore 64, etc., the next generation of video games with more colorful graphics and richer sound were quick to launch. While Wizardry I, the grandfather of all graphics oriented turn based RPG's has enjoyed huge success, there were no plans to develop a sequel or upgraded version to take advantage of the new hardware. While Wizardry 2 and 3 has been developed as sequels for the old platforms, nothing was available for the 16 bit systems like the Apple ][gs that ran on the Motorola 68000 cpu. Along came The Bard's Tale. What made it unique was that the developer had versions that ran on both the older hardware and the new platform, and it allowed the user to import characters from the Wizardry games. The sound and graphics for the ][gs version was far superior taking advantage of the greatly expanded color palette as well as the multi-channel ensoniq sound chip on board. The Bard's music truly came to life as the sound track for the game. The Bard's tale also boasted incredible animations and creature graphics that made the dungeon crawler much more engrossing. Towns were now full of unique buildings instead of just lines drawn in the screen with the words "tavern" over it and a sense the user would employed a deep sense of imagination to fill in the rest. It is amazing to think this entire game was written and developed by a single programmer, Michael Cranford. As a young programmer, myself. I had a sense of awe and held him in high regards for this achievement. One could see the passion and love for the project he had. It was almost impossible to reproduce in the 2 direct sequels that followed. If you are into retro-gaming, this is one title that should be on anyone's bucket list.
