Herc's Adventures was released in 1997 on the PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Herc's Adventures was released in 1997 on the PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Herc's Adventures was released in 1997 on the PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Herc's Adventures was released in 1997 on the PlayStation 1 and Sega Saturn. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Retro game review: Hand-drawn art in Herc's Adventure still scores


Faisal Salah
  • English
  • Arabic

Gaming studio LucasArts started in 1979 when filmmaker George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars series, wanted to explore other areas of entertainment. The studio tried its hand at multiple disciplines, including a computer graphics department that would eventually break off and become Pixar Studios.

The studio began making video games by the mid-1980s, hitting its stride with titles such as The Secret of Monkey Island and Sam & Max Hit the Road. And while the studio was primarily known for its Star Wars video game output, its original games have become a hallmark of its quality.

One such game is Herc’s Adventure, released in 1997 on the Sega Saturn and the PlayStation 1. The action-adventure game has three playable characters and a multiplayer option, so players don’t have to go at it alone.

Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

Herc’s Adventure has become a cult favourite over years with gamers remembering it as part of the PlayStation 1’s best releases. But what it’s like playing the game today, and is it worth your time?

Mythical banter

In Herc's Adventures, characters can utilise their surroundings to vanquish enemies. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
In Herc's Adventures, characters can utilise their surroundings to vanquish enemies. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

When starting a new game, players can choose a character from Hercules, Atlanta and Jason to lead their adventure. Each character has a different main weapon and varying health and stamina bars.

The object of the game is to traverse the map, beating opponents, known as bosses, along the way and ending with an encounter with Hades in the underworld. From the first area, which doubles as a training zone to get used to the controls and inventory, it becomes instantly clear that the experience will be quite humorous.

The art style of the characters and how they move and react to things is silly, while the jokes and quips dealt by the enemies ridicule the main characters. There are no levels per se as the game operates in an open map, but players need to overcome bosses to keep going.

The game keeps throwing manageable enemies at the players, keeping players engaged between boss fights. These range from manic witches to skeletons of the undead. To aid the characters in their quest, there are weapons alongside the main weapon. The most accessible of these is arrows to throw but there is also the option to pick up eagles that are dispatches to annoy and hurt the enemies.

Variety within familiarity

The art style in Herc's Adventures is distinct and somewhat rare in today's gaming world. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The art style in Herc's Adventures is distinct and somewhat rare in today's gaming world. Photo: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Herc’s Adventure is a special game because playing it reminds you of other games, with the traversal resembling early Legend of Zelda games while the constant enemy fighting is like Streets of Rage. Despite the clear inspirations, the game is quite a singular experience.

The game keeps things interesting with different locales and bosses that require a mixture of playing styles to overcome. Some will be bested with a straightforward strategy of “keep hitting till they fall”, while other require a strategic approach of constant movement.

The stage bosses represent different aspect of Greek mythology, making it something of an educational experience to kids interested in learning history while they bash skulls.

Verdict

Herc’s Adventure is something of a special intersection. Most of LucasArts’s output for the PlayStation 1 was Star Wars games, making this game an outlier. It utilises an art style that the studio became known for, but mostly used in point and click games.

It’s also fun to play a game that isn’t completely computer generated, using hand drawn art instead, making it feel like you’re playing through a cartoon series rather than a video game. Even in the modern gaming world of high fidelity true-to-life gaming, hand drawn art games are few and far between and should be appreciated.

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The%20specs
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THE SPECS

Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo

Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto

Power: 626bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)

On sale: Q1 2020

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Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UPI facts

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More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Things Heard & Seen

Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini

Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton

2/5

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

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While you're here
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

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She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

Updated: July 24, 2024, 5:04 AM`