Defender of The Crown is unquestionably Cinemaware's best game, and one of the best Amiga games ever released (although the PC version offers no less gameplay, it pales in comparison to the vibrant graphics and amazing soundtrack of the Amiga version).
What makes this game a classic is the masterful blend of action, adventure, and strategy game elements. The basic object is to take over all of medieval Britain by capturing the home castle of each leader. You do this with a campaign army made up of soldiers, knights, and catapults. Besides fighting other armies and taking over their castles, you can also conduct raids and participate in jousts, which can be played either for fame or for land. In a raid, you can raid a rivals castle for gold, or if the chance arrives, rescue a Saxon maiden who will become your wife.
If there is any criticism that can be leveled against this excellent game, it is that the action elements are sometimes too difficult-- jousting experienced opponents can be a chore, as can the side-scrolling sword fights that take place during the raid or maiden rescue. Aside from this minor complaint, Defender of The Crown is one of the most atmospheric and truly cinematic games you'll likely find. As with all other Cinemaware games, beautifully drawn intermissions and cutscenes are included.
We have the rarer EGA version of the game released by Mirrorsoft which puts it on par with the Commodore 64 version, with vibrant graphics and the same gameplay that we all know and love. Two thumbs up!
Review By HOTUD
English 
Comments and reviews
The game is no longer available on steam and elsewhere digitally legally I just tried to find it on steam and gog so it must be abandonware again?
The weeb below me is the reason VN are stigmatized. Pretty sure he didn't said nothing about Fate Stay/Night, Tsukihime or anything Type Moon for them having not enough anime tiddies and too much plot for his coomer brain. Pretty sure he can't even stand Alice Soft games that have lots of degenerancy yet plenty of actual plot too.
OK MILLENIAL, if you list Doki Doki Lit Club as "best example of VN" that means you don't understand Visual Novels. DDLC is fun, but it is really "visual novel for people who don't like visual novels". Because Visual Novels ARE about "Read, look at the scantly dress "Not-Underaged character", press key". If you don't understand the beauty of it... Well, Visual Novels are just not for you, sorry.
You posted link to DOS version, while original isn't legally available. So add ISO/ROM of other versions, expect that from GOG.
I HAD A C128 AND THEN AMIGA500. AMIGA HAS BETTER SOUND AND GRAPHICS THAN OTHER COMPUTERS BACK THEN IN THE 80'S AND 90'S!
So, how do I purchase the C64 version? The versions are very different from platform to platform. It's a bit sad that it's not abandonware because there is some crap DOS version available, which is not the same.
Isn't funny that Cinemaware games are like many games in one without being a mess and yet they still give a cinematic feeling (Even DOS and C64 versions nowadays).
Meanwhile, Quantic Dream/David Cage so called "Interactive Movies" are barely games, most of the times the game/interactive part are Quick Time Events or Choose your (Bad Ending) Adventure, if not painful brain dead puzzles. Heck, a game based around QTE can be fun, like "Road Avenger" or "Cobra Command". Even Visual Novels that are not just "Read, look at the scantly dress "Not-Underaged character", click/press key" and have choices can be at least good or even interesting stories like Doki Doki Literature Club, Typemoon VN and... A few more?
But well, they can have a certain cinematic/hollywood feeling... The cheap Schlock kind that tries so hard to be "experimental" yet has nothing of experimental. Meanwhile Cinemaware revives the 50's - 70's Hollywood vibe. This games for example feels like a movie that was released at cinemas at the same time Ben-Hur or Planet of the Apes did.
Also, in Cinemaware games the "Sexy" parts are smut and CONSENSUAL. The ones you get in most QD come out of nowhere and... Based in David Cages "fetishes". I guess that can be considered "feminist" because makes you feel bad about sexual objefication of wo... Of any gender...
Amiga CD32 Defender of the Crown 2 is what you want to get (the best version of any.)
Hi,
Im an oldschooler in games, I remembered that dotc from childhood. Now I found your page with tons of childhood rememberings.
But now I have no Idea how to get that game startet.
Is there an easy way to play it. I dont understand how to run this "emulator" stuff.
Thanks for helping
Great game on Commodore 64. I spend lot of time with this game.
When my cousin went to army, he gave me game diskette (c64) for free. I said: Thank you for the game!
The Amiga version looked amazing!,, however it cheated and did not have the gameplay that the c-64 had,, like playing the amiga version , and hey how did that guy get 250 knights??!?!?
The c-64 version was my go to,,, it was great gameplay and looked way better than this EGA verson.
The first release from Cinema Ware, with the artwork by J.D. Sachs. You might remember his first work "Saucer Attack" for the C64. Cinema Ware had some of the best games. Too bad their business decisions were not as good as their games, as they eventually tanked the company.
Another great game on the Atari ST. How that system or the Amiga didn't go on to dominate in one way or another I'll never guess.
nothing beats the c64 version. The amiga version had the graphics but its gameplay was crap.
Jousting is the easiest. Press left direction and followed by down a number of times. Just press left arrow key 7 times for all the rounds. Press down arrow key once for 1st round. 3 times down for second round and 5 times down for third round.
Found and uploaded the EGA version, much better!
@ amigaboy of course it looks shitty its the ega version,where is the vga version?but as most people on this site know graphics dont make the game.i have not played this version only the vga
another fantastic classic, but the Jousting... I can STILL remember how impossible it was. Just accept that you will lose and move on.
Can't open game
Never realized how shitty the PC-version of this looked compared to the Amiga. They were streets ahead at the time but Commodore frittered it all away, alas.
thank for the game
punch me please
One of the first games a play a good game creative
What?
No comment nor review for this game at the moment.