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This game starts off great. There is a nice little animated movie at the begining which shows how Bilbo decides to leave the ring for Frodo. The game starts after Gandalf returns and tells Frodo that he must take the ring to Mt. Doom to destroy it. Gandalf leaves, but Sam joins Frodo and then two hobbits (seen as one person when under player control) are free to explore the Shire. The game is basically 2D, but allows a 3D feel by setting the view of the area from above at an angle (isometric). This limits the areas you can move to on the screen - for example, walking behind a tree or building is generally not allowed, but you get use to this quickly. The gameplay involves talking to others, switching between members in your group, picking up items, using them, giving them to other members in your group, equipping armor and weapons, fighting monsters, delivering letters, and solving puzzles built into the storyline. You can save the game at any point (other than during combat - I think). But there is only 1 saved game slot. The only way to die is during combat and you only loose if everyone in your group dies. So as long as one person survives the combat everyone returns after the combat, but they have 0 hit points now. Easy solved by feeding them sandwiches, mushrooms, and various other healing items. There are points in the game that you may wish you had died though. As this would be much quicker than deciding you are stuck and starting over from your last save or realizing you have to start from the begining because you missed something from an earlier area that you can't return to now. (see below) Frodo and Sam soon meet Pippin (or Merry - I forget) and have several short adventures in the Shire. Eventually they travel East (to the right) and fight some wild dogs (the combats are turn based - almost comical, and easy enough that a 7 year old should be ok with the game). They meet up with the fourth hobbit in a village along the way and get to chat with a farmer (provided they don't steal any of his crops first). The trouble starts once you get lost in the forest. You get all turned around and the exits from each screen don't always go to the same place, but it's not to hard to figure this puzzle out, just pay attention to something Frodo says. The real problem is that the Willow Willies you need to escape the forest are no where to be found (at least in my copy of the game). The only way I got around this was to start the whole game over, pick up the Willow Willies in Hobbitown (the area you start in) and not go into the last house in Hobbitown (before the bridge). If you go in that house carrying the WW's the lady there takes them and gives you a stick. Yeah, a stick. Sure, you can use the stick in combat, but they are easy to come by. So save the WW's for the forest! After the forest you eventually get to Rivendell. There are areas between the Forest and Rivendell like Bree, but I didn't encounter any game stopping issues there. In Rivendell, though, there is a known bug that causes an Elf not to give you the Dwarf's axe when you show him something he wants to see. I've read that you have to save the game before this point and keep trying until you get the axe. I haven't been able to move on from Rivendell. I suspect this is why. I've also read that when you are under the mountains in Moria, after Gandalf says you must travel deeper into Moria the game can freeze when you move to the exit. Other than that ...Read full review
Outstanding Creative Challenge,. Old School Fun.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I was so happy to find these games I will order the set thanks
Verified purchase: No
Game was a good but now to play
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Everything was great.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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