Thoughts by Wandrell (07 00 2009) – PC (DOS)
There is a mine filled with gold somewhere, and old miners like you are attracted to this kind of thing. So you travel, expend all the money on your pockets and then do what has to be done: running around the desert in search of gold to expend on the search for gold.
How many times have I played this as a kid? Also a few more times as years went, but still there are lots of things I don’t know about this game. For example, what is the use of many of the items you can buy? Or how can you find those pieces of a big map like the one I got just by chance on an old mine?
But you don’t need much to enjoy this game. It is quite simple. After all it’s just about getting gold, selling it and expending the money.
You should pay attention to food, water and the local dangers. Dangers being mostly the random snake, some robbers or those pesky indians who love to cover you with arrows.
It wouldn’t be ‘dangers’ if you could point with the mouse, as they are quite slow, have quite bad aim and can end being quite profitable (Snakes are edible, and some bandits have a bounty on their heads). But the mouse can’t be used, and if you flee most of the times they will take everything of value, so you are left to end with a few bullets on your body.
And getting food and water is quite easy as long as you know how to reach the river (yes, you just need to walk to it).
That are all the thrills on the game, along with running through unstable caves (which very rarely happens). But you are not here for the danger, but for gold. So you take a pick, some mules and go to the river to pan it a bit, or better make a trip in search of a mine.
That’s all, seriously. You go to the river, or you explore a cave or mine in search of shining ore. Then go back, sell, buy some food or whatever, put money on the bank and start again.
Yet for some reason it is fun, at least for a time.
