
REVIEW 1
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Back when Electronic Arts was a much, much smaller software developer, in 1984, software designer Mike Edwards made a revolutionary little game that today doesn't get nearly the credit that it should.  The game was the well-named "Realm of Impossibility".

Aside from the tricky visuals based on optical illusions and "impossible" backdrops like those popularized by artist M. C. Escher , and the fast paced, sweat inducing gameplay, Realm of Impossibility introduced many gamers to a concept summed up in three words:

Strategic Cooperative Gameplay.  Or as the game box (or rather "sleeve" back in those days) said "Featuring a Unique Two Player Cooperative Mode".

Sure, older games such as sequels and ports of Space Invaders would allow you to play with two players at the bottom of the screen, but Realm of Impossibility allowed for another level of multiplayer enjoyment in a fast-paced action game set in a simulated "3D" semi-isometric environment.

This is the kind of gameplay that we take for granted today, but that also means that if you want to break out the dual game pad setup to get a friend to join in some Commodore 64 retro fun, Realm of Impossibility is a good choice and easy to get into.  If you try enough of the maps together, you'll find yourselves shouting at each other "Help!"  "No, that's the wrong ladder!" with a bit of the old psychological body leaning to make your on screen selves run faster (as we all know leaning makes your joystick/gamepad work better - ha!).

Fans of non-violent video games should also take note --- you run away from the monsters in this game.  Perhaps it's better to say that you run for your lives, but there's no "hack and slash" in this game, despite the dark dungeons, "treasure" hunting, and creatures within.  It's a new sort of twist in itself that adds another layer of uniqueness to playing Realm of Impossibility.  There's no "boomstick" here, but plenty of Zombies.  Who would've thought you could have a game like that without rotten heads exploding and green limbs a' flying? 

You can Download the game file from here: Realm of Impossibility

And as always, use that "Latif" link to get it, and Download VICE to play it, if you don't already have an emulator installed.

So - onto the gameplay...

First, if you have the version of the game with the "trainer" in it, don't forget that "Run/Stop" is the Esc key on a regular PC keyboard.  Otherwise you'll be hitting the space key forever reading the introduction over and over.

And once the EA symbols seem like they'll never stop flashing (use Warp Mode in VICE), hit the space key to continue.

Choose "Play Highscore" (H),  then follow up with (N), N, N...No! - to all of those cheats that ruin the fun.

Wow, those trainer/intros/cheats can be a pain, huh?  Exactly why some people swear by "No Intro" type disk images of old games.  I have to think that such a cracked, yet otherwise unchanged version of this game exists out there somewhere...

Anyway, once you're in the game, the object is simple.  Get to the "end" of each of the Thirteen Dungeons of Wistrik the Evil and get a key or a crown...and get out!

Sounds easy, but it's not.  The optical illusions can trip you up, and there are always a bunch of monsters that make a bee line for you in every "room" you enter, which gives you little time to decide the correct path you need to take to move on.  If you don't see an obvious exit to the room / section you are in, then look for an opening along the walls where a path seems to continue - don't assume that is a dead end.

Use the joystick/gamepad fire button to drop "crosses" that will block the path of the creatures (Zombies, Snakes, and more) chasing you, but keep in mind that they will disappear after a few seconds! 

When you see what looks like a little stick on a base or altar, go and grab it - it's a scroll that will allow you to get past some of the more tricky screens without losing too much of your health (hit points) along the way. 

Here are the spells you can pick up:

    * Freeze: Holds monsters in place for a short duration
    * Protect: Makes the player immune to damage for a time
    * Confuse: Send monsters off wandering in a daze for a while 

That's a more or less complete "walkabout" of Realm of Impossiblity, a game that is hard NOT to enjoy.

If you want to get through all of the stages you might want to use the "Save State" option in VICE to allow for a casual way to jump back into the game at any time.

Just remember, quick thinking is a must in the Dungeons of Wistrik the Evil, and don't let the optical illusions fool you into a dead end!

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REVIEW 2
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Realm Of Impossibility

Michael B. Williams

Requirements: Commodore 64, Apple II series, or Atari 8-bit computer.

Realm of Impossibility is a decidedly classic, run-as-fast-as-you-can, three-dimensional arcade game with a goal: Enter the network of 13 dungeons and retrieve the seven crowns hidden within them. That would be a cinch were it not for the team of zombies, orbs, and spiders whose goal it is to prevent you from completing yours.

About the only things going for you in this Realm are your faster speed, the ability to fend off the creatures by throwing holy crosses in their path, and scrolls that give you spells to temporarily freeze or confuse your adversaries, or to protect you from them.

Otherwise, life is definitely not fair to you here. You can't kill the creatures of the Realm, although they can kill you. You only have one life to live, and each brush with a zombie, orb, or spider will cost you more of the precious hit points you need to stay alive.

Fortunately, you can enter the dungeons in any order, so you can build up hit points by tackling the easier dungeons first. Some of the dungeons are locked; these will need keys that are located in the other dungeons. In all, there are 129 different rooms to explore. Chances are you'll get to see all of them, since the prize in each dungeon is almost always at the end.

Realm of Impossibility has a three-dimensional effect (like the three-quarters perspective in Zaxxon) that is a pleasure to behold. You move up, down, and around three-dimensional structures that look more like a futuristic cityscape than an ancient dungeon. Unfortunately, what looks good is not necessarily what plays well, as kamikaze Zaxxon players will attest.

A Little Help From A Friend

What distinguishes Realm of Impossibility from the run-of-the-mill chase game is not the three dimensions, but one element: cooperation. In the typical arcade game, you are one person doing a job that would normally require an entire army to accomplish. At about the 1000th level, you start wishing you were an armyor at least that you had someone to help you play the game.

With Realm of Impossibility, you still won't have an army, but you can have a friend help you through each dungeon. Having two players on the field at once gives the zombies and his friends two targets instead of one, but it also gives you a chance to divert the menaces while your buddy safely snatches the key (or, preferably, you swipe the key while he acts as zombie bait).

An additional advantage of the two-player game is the ability to resurrect your partner whenever the little buggers finish him off. Of course, you've got to get over to him before they knock you off. In the one-player mode, once you're finished, so is the game.

When you play Realm (which, according to the developer, Origin Systems, can run in the Apple IIGs's emulation mode), you must use a joystick; a second player may use either the keyboard or a second joystick. Learning to navigate the 3-D rooms is a bit tricky no matter which you use. Until you become proficient at it, don't worry too much about running into wallsit's the zombies, spiders, and orbs you need to avoid.

You'll enjoy the four difficulty levels (from easy to severe), the online instructions (no more lost manuals), and the cute touches (the player waves "Hello!" at the entrance to each dungeon), but the game's musical score will cause you to reach for the sound toggle after a bar or two. A single keypress will cut off the sound (or turn it back on).

By far the best thing about Realm of Impossibility is its two-player mode. Forget its wonderful three-dimensional color graphics. The ability to work together with a friend, instead of competing against one, makes this a game even an arcade-game hater could love.

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REVIEW 3
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An evil cleric known as Winstrick has obtained seven valuable crowns and hidden them in his 13 realms. You must traverse the catacomb-like realms, avoid enemies, and reclaim the crowns. The Realm of Impossibility features RPG, action and adventure elements with an isometric view. It can be experienced with another player in a simultaneous co-op mode.

To begin, you must choose one of the 13 realms, including the Ethereal Plane, Erebian Vaults, Tartarus and Cankaya Keep. Six of them are locked and cannot be entered. Realms are filled with hazards and monsters such as zombies, spiders and snakes. In order to enter the locked realms, you must search for keys in the unlocked worlds. The adventurer cannot leave a world until the key or crown is found.

When the desired item has been located and found, it's time to leave. To leave the world, you must push a wall. When there are two warriors searching for items, each person must press the wall in a simultaneous fashion. Because there are monsters abound in each world, you must use evasive tactics. Whenever enemies touch the adventurer, he'll lose some valuable hit points. Once all hit points have been vanquished, the game is over. In the co-op mode, however, an adventurer can resurrect his fallen companion.

While the adventurers cannot kill enemies, scrolls and items can be obtained to aid in avoidance. Scrolls will either add much-needed hit points or contain one of three spells: Freeze, Confuse and Protect. While Freeze halts the enemies for a few seconds, Confuse will make them run around in circles. Protect makes the adventurer invulnerable for a short time. In addition to scrolls, a Magic Crosses can be thrown to create a protective barrier for four seconds.

In the simultaneous co-op mode, items are shared. This adventure-filled action RPG contains various challenge settings for novice and experienced treasure hunters. Unlock the horrors in Realm of Impossibility. Winstrick is waiting. ~ Matthew House, All Game Guide 

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REVIEW 4 (Page 6)
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Realm of Impossibility

Electronic Arts/Ariolasoft
48K disk 12.95 
1/2 players
Joystick


Reviewed by Jim Short	

Anyone remember a game called ZOMBIES by Bram Incorporated? Bram are no longer in existence but Electronic Arts have taken Zombies, spruced it up a bit, added a few more levels and re-released it under the title REALM OF IMPOSSIBILITY.

The game (in both it's guises) is a 3-D dungeons & ladders game featuring a crudely defined, nameless character whose task it is to recover the seven crowns of the middle kingdom which have been stolen by an evil cleric called Wistrik and scattered throughout his dungeon stronghold.

There are 13 dungeons in all, each with it's own individual name. Some dungeons are locked others are not. Some contain the seven crowns whilst others contain keys to gain access to the locked dungeons. An options screen allows you to choose your starting dungeon, providing you stick to the unlocked variety.

All 13 dungeons are inhabited by creatures hell bent on your destruction - zombies (hence the original name of the game), spiders, snakes and killer orbs. You begin with a set number of 'Hit Points' and each time a creature contacts you, your points are reduced accordingly. If your hit points reach zero the game is over. Mercifully, you have a couple of 'secret weapons' at your disposal. Magic Crosses are undoubtedly the most useful. You drop these by pressing the fire button and they keep the creatures at bay for vital seconds - just long enough to put some distance between you and the nasties. You also have the ability to cast spells which either freeze or confuse the creatures. However, in order to cast a spell you must first stand perfectly still, hold down the fire button and then push the joystick in the desired direction. With a host of deadly creatures snapping at your heels the last thing you want to do is stand perfectly still and the only safe way to cast a spell is when the creatures are nowhere near you, which is a chronic waste of a good spell! As an alternative you can use the space bar although this is still not very satisfactory. Incidentally, you gain extra spells by collecting the magic scrolls which are dotted about here and there, but why bother when the spells are about as much use as a used teabag anyway?

Each dungeon is beautifully drawn in intricate 3-D and the author must have taken months to design them all. What a pity the rest of the game doesn't match up. A two player co-operative mode does little to haul gameplay above the mediocrity level. Animation, particularly of the main character, is crude and downright unprofessional, the use of colour leaves a lot to be desired and, quite honestly, the whole game looks dated and completely out of touch with what is happening in the software world right now.

Both Electronic Arts and Ariolasoft have been responsible for bringing some top quality software to these shores. Bearing that in mind, I therefore can't see the attraction of this game. If only Ariolasoft would release the likes of Broderbund's KARATEKA. Now that would be something!!!

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REVIEW 5 (Wikipedia)
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Realm of Impossibility
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Developer(s)      BRAM Inc.
Publisher(s)      Electronic Arts, Ariolasoft UK Ltd
Designer(s)       Mike Edwards
Platform(s)       Apple IIe, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
Release date(s)   1984, 1985
Genre(s)          Action-adventure
Mode(s)           Single player, Two player
Media             5.1/4" disk, cassette
Input methods     Joystick, Keyboard


Realm of Impossibility is a computer game created by Mike Edwards and published by Electronic Arts in 1984 for the Apple IIe, Atari 8-bit family and Commodore 64 computer systems. It was converted to the ZX Spectrum in 1985 and published by Ariolasoft UK Ltd.

The game was originally self-published by BRAM Inc. as Zombies (organized by Edwards and a family friend) before producer Don Daglow acquired the rights for EA and re-named the game Mike Edwards' Realm of Impossibility. Music by Dave Warhol, who had worked with Daglow on the Intellivision game design team, was also added to the EA edition.

The game title comes from the fact that many of the mazes in the game represent optical illusions, similar to those popularized by artist M. C. Escher. Surfaces that appear vertical turn out to be horizontal, and other illusions can confuse the player.

The game allows a player to traverse through 13 mythical dungeons to gather 7 crowns to defeat the evil cleric "Wistrik". Each dungeon comprises a dozen or so difficult rooms full of zombies, snakes, spiders and other various beasts. The object of each realm was to find a key or a crown. Finding a key allowed another new realm to open up to the player. Each realm had various mazes the player had to navigate in order to arrive at the correct ending.

The player could cast the following spells in the game:

    * Freeze: would hold a monster in place for a short duration
    * Protect: made the player immune to damage for a time
    * Confuse: would send the monster off wandering in a daze for a while

The player could also drop crosses, which acted as obstacles to the monster. The player could leave dozens of these in their wake and they would disappear slowly over time.

One of the more exciting aspects of the game allowed cooperative play on the same screen with another player. This gave rise to numerous strategies as the players tried to outwit the monsters together.

Realm of Impossibility was considered a success, and was part of the "third wave" of titles introduced by Electronic Arts after its founding in 1982.

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REVIEW 6 (Lemon)
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cubelindo - 2008-08-03
I might have played like one thousand times with my brother. It's got the better 2 player action I know of. Useless one player mode.
The music gets deep into your brain, be careful!
Even the tape version was great.
10/10

Monty - 2006-10-16
Great game. The perfect mixtuire between actiongame with strategic elements. Never knowed the game back the. Challenging but never unfair. Really great for 1984.

MPS123 - 2005-09-17
My best friend and I wore this game out! What a simple and fun game! EA had some great games in this era. I loved the artwork on the box.

ESCHER - 2004-08-23
Another one of my all time favorites. (And one of my first C64 games) Just totally surreal escher-like levels, had never seen anything like it.

Turbo2Xs - 2004-06-30
I ment 'The GUY waves at you'!

Turbo2Xs - 2004-06-28
This game is great the guy be LOW me suxs. Seriously... Give this game a shot, I mean damn - the waves at you - like he knows you control his destiny. Long before Sonic tapped a foot even

esa - 2003-09-02
EA sux

schwenz - 2003-06-19
Best two player game evah!

Lemonope - 2003-05-24
Well thanks for telling every1 what happens in the end Frustrated in Florida. I wont be playing this anymore now. You should warned every1 in a review you were about to tell Spoiler!

frustrated in florida - 2003-05-24
I finally beat this game and NOTHING HAPPENED! not even a congratulations... Mike edwards owes me something and I hope he will burn in hell...

DeAdLy_cOoKiE - 2003-04-15
Oh, I like this game. I played it ages ago. Glad I found it again on Lemon's site. Dispite being old, the simple graphics, I consider this a classic somehow. The levels are great.

imissmyoldc64dude - 2003-01-27
This was the first-ever TEAM game as I recall- you and the other player had to work together, help each other out of jams, etc, to win. It was really cool. Loved that intro music.

NIMH - 2002-03-15
This game is simple. It doesn't have flashy graphics or tons of music, but the levels are ingenious, and the game play is fast and furious.
This is the game that I played the most on the C64, and repitition hasn't hurt it a bit.

mike mazz - 2001-12-31
Great 2 player adventure! teamwork is neccessary!