Based on the 1883 novel, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, this pirate-themed maze game was written by Greg Duddle and published by Mr. Micro for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum in 1984.

The player controls Treasure Island‘s protagonist, Jim Hawkins, and must make their way through the pirate-infested maze to find the treasure, and then to avoid contact with a chasing Long John Silver as you make your escape.

You begin the game on the docks, and must avoid contact with Blind Pew as you make your way up the gangplank of The Hispaniola. To get onto the ship you must then jump across some barrels while avoiding being grabbed by what look like giant sailors. If you manage that, you’re then taken to the start of the maze, on Treasure Island itself.

To get the treasure, you must first find the key to the chest. And when you’ve got the treasure, you must then make your way back to The Hispaniola to complete the game.

Enemy pirates block your progress in certain places and must be defeated by throwing cutlasses at them. The thing is, there aren’t enough of these vital swords lying around, so you have to entice the pirates to throw theirs as you, and then dodge them, before picking them up and using them against enemies. A pirate will throw its cutlass at you when he’s in range, but you have to time your retreat carefully, so as not to get skewered yourself. It’s a very risky, but vital mechanic – if you want to complete the game.

Treasure Island is a simple and frustrating game, with basic graphics and animation. Music in the game was composed by David Whittaker, but it’s not his most memorable work, if I was being honest. In fact, Treasure Island as a whole is a rather forgettable experience. Which is probably why Mr. Duddle re-made the game later, with different graphics and a few small gameplay tweaks, as The Willow Pattern Adventure.

More: Treasure Island on Wikipedia
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