CHARMS STUFF

Topo was a Spanish software label that debuted on the market with “Spirits”, an addictive video adventure, excellently set and with really brilliant graphics, with which we are transported to a world where magic and fantasy are its main protagonists .

There is no doubt that “Spirits” was one of the most original programs of those that appeared in the 1980s. Both in terms of the plot and the arrangement of objects on the screen, its foundations incorporated a series of innovations that gave it a very special character and made it a game with great graphic and development appeal.

Explaining the plot of “Spirits” would be impossible without making direct allusion to its graphic aspects, since both are intimately linked to each other, and give each other meaning. In this way, and to be more explicit, we must say that we find ourselves inside a castle, where a series of magical phenomena have taken place: two characters, a young maiden and a suit of war armor, have been victims of enchantment . Its author, an evil wizard like few others and our main enemy, has taken the form of an eagle and, fearful of our cunning and great powers, has put in his defense a veritable legion made up of ghosts, deformed monsters, imp archers, werewolves and other types of vermin, despicable beings and individuals with a bad life and a worse reputation, who will try to undermine our energies.

Our objectives, once we have taken charge of the situation, will consist of the following. In the first place, like any good magician worth his salt, we are going to have to go in search of our crystal ball. With it, we will be able to see what movements the other characters make (the young woman, the armor and the eagle) and, likewise, it will show us where two of the other main elements of our adventure are located: the magic wand (with which we will disenchant the girl) and the spell book (essential to break the spell of the armor).

This is where the show's graphical innovations take center stage in history. All these follow-ups that we mention are carried out thanks to the fact that the screen is divided into two zones, in each of which we are presented with a different action. In the upper part of it, is the character that we control, as well as the scenarios that we go through. Simultaneously, in the lower area, the exact place of the castle where the object or character we want to locate is located appears. Once the ball is obtained, we can make this selection just by pressing the key corresponding to each desired element.

Perhaps, on paper, this simultaneous action procedure may seem somewhat complicated, but we can assure you that its handling is really simple and, on the contrary, it will be of great help when it comes to advancing and successfully completing the mission.

Regarding the development of the game itself, it should be noted that this consists of going through the different screens trying to avoid being captured by any of the numerous enemies, since their simple contact will make us gradually lose energy and, therefore, , our lives. To avoid these attacks we have the help of the possibility of launching paralyzing rays, which will practically become our only weapon, since on the screens there are no objects in which we can hide and there are hardly any possibilities to dodge to enemies.

In addition to the previously mentioned graphic aspects, it is also necessary to highlight what refers to their own design, since each screen is made with an undoubted eye-catching shape, resulting, as a whole, in a brilliant program.

In short, due to its originality, as well as the attractiveness of its graphics and the addictiveness of its action, “Spirits” can be considered one of the best video adventures of the time. Topo couldn't have gotten off to a better start in the world of software.

• Map

• Cheats

First of all, we must go to the screen that indicates the lower half of our monitor. Once in it, we stand in front of the Magic Ball and press ENTER to have it in our possession. This will indicate the next objectives.

Thus, if you press the 1 at the bottom, the screen in which the Spellbook is located will appear. With 2, it will indicate the position of the Magic Wand. Once located we must go towards them to keep them in our power. Once we have them, press 3, with which we will see a dwarf in a clown suit. We go towards it, and when we touch it, it will turn into a beautiful princess that we will have disenchanted. Pressing 4, a medieval knight will appear on the screen, who, when we approach him, will give us the piece of stone that, together with the princess's, will form the drawing of a bird. This is our ultimate goal. To locate him we will have to press 5, and we will launch ourselves into his hunt.

When we have him in our range, we will shoot and…

• Spirits (Compressed .DSK file in ZIP format)

• Habi Soft blog author of the game
• Interview with Habisoft about Spirits