Cells and Serpents

Argus Press Software, ASP Software 1980

Language:: English
Authors:: G. Lovell
Systems:: BASIC
Platforms:: Atari 400/800, BBC/Electron , C64/128 , Dragon 32/64 , Oric/Atmos, PET, Sharp MZ , Spectrum, TRS-80 , VIC20
Genres:: RPG
Entered by:: Alastair, Garry, iamaran, Strident
Added:: 20-10-2010
Edited:: 15-11-2022

Synopsis

Plot

Cells and Serpents is an adventure game set in an underground labyrinth of rooms. Each of these may contain one of an enormous variety of monsters (which could kill you), treasure or artifacts (which will increase your wealth or magical and physical capabilities). Your aim is to collect as much treasure as possible by delving deeper and deeper into the maze...and staying alive!

Notes

This is not a traditional text adventure.

Cells and Serpents seems to have started life as a type-in by G. Lovell for the Nascom, that was published in the December 1980 issue of Computing Today, pp.24-28.

As with many early listings, people unofficially adapted the game for their own computers; as this UK101 owner mentions here.

Computing Today was published by Argus Press and, in common with other type-ins of that vintage, the game got a commercial release for various platforms (such as the Vic20, PET, MZ-80A&K, TRS-80 Model 1, BBC Micro, Atari 400/800, and Sinclair Spectrum) through their ASP Software arm in 1983. The Atari conversion was done by George A. Greenway.

A BBC version of the type-in was included in the May/June 1983 issue of A&B Computing, pp.80-91, credited to I.G. Nicholls and dated February 1983.

Forward Software licensed the game for publication at some point; possibly in 1983/4.

The Forward Software release of the game (or at least a version using that inlay artwork) was included in the National Computer Club introductory bundle, from 1985.

There are several different versions of the BBC Micro version; see the Complete BBC Micro Games Archive for details.

Jim Davies ported the initial Nascom version to the Commodore PET and ended up creating an enhanced version of the game for DOS in 1994 called Orcs n' Oles.

Simon N. Goodwin ported the initial version for Nascom to the PDP-11 and created an improved version called Trollcrusher. He later ported it to the Video Genie in 1981. There is a TRS-80 version of this port; information taken from this excellent page on the El Explorador de RPG blog.

In 2022, a ZX Spectrum variant of the original game surfaced, of unknown origin but it seems to most closely resemble the original Nascom listing.