Well, I told you beeawwb’s haiku would be tough and I was right! We’re going to have to drop a wee picture to make things easier!
But first, here’s the original haiku:
Throw down the Gauntlet
and don’t let the bad bugs bite.
Fourplay? I can’t spell.
Then later beeawwb was good enough to drop this clue into the comments…
Square pegs will go deep.
This pile of old weapons has
a decimal point.
And, as promised, here’s a little image to get your neurons firing.
Comments
34 responses to “The Daily HaiTaku”
Gah. That image looks familiar. The Haiku’s are sounding rather Roguelike.
Or maybe it’s ZZT.
Maybe Rogue itself even.
A bit Roguelike though
Not text-based like ZZT.
Have an adventure?
Hrm. Maybe something like the original Ultima then.
Ultima is way
more complex than this game (which
came out six years later).
So that would make it 1987. Hm.
There seems to be a lot of Gauntlet clones around in 1987. Garrison it the only one I can see with 4 players.
Altenatively, I’ll throw in “Astonishing Adventures of Mr. Weems and the She Vampires” because it might have the best name ever.
You’re on the right track.
But now I wish that it
was that awesome name.
How about “Gladiator”? Seems to fit most of the criteria.
Ok. This is frustrating me.
I interpreted that the game in the haiku came out 6 years later which would mean 1987.
however the GFX for that time were far more advanced than what you have there in the screenie. But interpret it the other way, go back to 1975 and thats the birth of computer games where there wasnt even color yet! why u do this? why u no make it Biker Mice from Mars?
Not everything was
advanced in ’87.
The UK shrank down.
OMG!!! Well played, good sir. That set me on the track of the BBC Micro (UK shrank down), which then led to me looking at Gauntlet-like games for it before realising that the game is Dunjunz!
And it’s published by Bug-Byte… You are a master of the Haiku!
Well done 🙂
Clues explained:
Throw down the Gauntlet: It’s a Gauntlet clone
“Bad bugs bite”: Released by Bug-Byte software.
Fourplay? Four player.
Can’t spell: Stupid spelling of “Dungeons”
Square pegs will go deep: A “square hole” advances to next level.
Pile of old weapons has a decimal point: “Pile of Weapons” gave 10 points.
“Food not in pie form / 5 points for effort”: “Food” gave 5 points (and health)
“How they fit all the peeps on one keyboard”: All 4 players shared the keyboard.
“The girl in this game / no rescue needed”: Interestingly the “warrior” character was a woman.
And the 1987 / BBC Micro clues were figured out.
http://www.acornelectron.co.uk/info/bugbyte/i-dunj.html
http://s.uvlist.net/l/y2013/04/107365.jpg
That was quite the marathon game. I dip my hat to the both of you.
Haha, I understood the four-player reference, but the “can’t spell” clue flew straight past me. Same with square pegs and the pile of weapons. You must remember that game very fondly to remember the point system!
Biker Mice from Mars
The clues puzzle me, but maybe “Defender of the Crown” going by the image.
Does that mean there was a pie in the weapons?
Although there was food
it was not found in pie form.
5 points for effort.
Kings quest?
It looks like an early sidescroller
ANSI like graphics, very ms-paint like
most likely using text commands to control
and that screen shot looks familiar
What I want to know
is how they fit all the peeps
on only one keyboard.
Once this game is guessed
I promise I will explain
all cryptic haiku.
Dragon Slayer?
Super Robin Hood?
ha, i actually thought that too, that game was really hard I couldn’t even get past the first dude when i was a kid.
The girl in this game
is not the Marian type.
No rescue needed.
ooh, I hope I actually know the game cause I feel like it’s taunting me. 😛
Given the (many) hints, all I can come up with is some kind of Gauntlet clone from back in the day when multiplayer meant fitting four people on a keyboard. Maybe Druid or Demon Stalker?
You’re on the right track.
Druid and Demon Stalker
are too well known though.
Dawnssley? The ground kind of looks the wall textures in the screenshots I’ve seen
Dawnssley almost fits
but only has two players.
You’re on the right track.
Dandy
Dark Chambers