{{Short description|1987 video game}} {{Infobox video game |title = The Eternal Dagger |image = The Eternal Dagger Coverart.png |caption = |developer = Strategic Simulations |publisher = Strategic Simulations |designer = Paul Murray<br>Victor Penman |series = |engine = |released = 1987 |genre = Role-playing |modes = Single-player |platforms = Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 }}
'''''The Eternal Dagger''''' is a top-down role-playing video game published by Strategic Simulations in 1987. It is a sequel to ''Wizard's Crown'' from 1986. Demons from another dimension are invading the world, and the only item that can seal the portal is the titular dagger. Players can transfer their characters over from ''Wizard's Crown'', minus whatever magical items they had on them.
==Reception== SSI sold 18,471 copies of ''The Eternal Dagger'' in North America.<ref name="maher20160318">{{cite web | url=http://www.filfre.net/2016/03/opening-the-gold-box-part-3-from-tabletop-to-desktop/ | title=Opening the Gold Box, Part 3: From Tabletop to Desktop | publisher=The Digital Antiquarian | date=2016-03-18 | accessdate=19 March 2016 | author=Maher, Jimmy}}</ref>
''Computer Gaming World''{{'}}s Scorpia in 1987 described the gameplay as very similar to that of its predecessor, with a few changed spells and in-battle options. She praised the use of a single character to represent the party, but disliked dungeon combat because of the extra step of maneuvering party members into attack positions. Scorpia also felt the game did not have the same balance as the previous, with magic being a much more effective option overall. She also found combat to be more difficult, with wide discrepancies between the "quick combat" option and tactical combat, and monsters that generally take much longer to kill. Scorpia also criticized the new fatigue, which decreases weapon skill as party members go without rest, for lengthening travel time and slowing down the game. She concluded that ''The Eternal Dagger'' was not of the same quality as its predecessor, and recommended patience when playing the game.<ref name = "CGW">{{Cite magazine | date = October 1987 | author = Scorpia | magazine = Computer Gaming World | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1987&pub=2&id=40 | title = The Eternal Dagger | pages = 46–47 }}</ref> In 1993 Scorpia reiterated that ''The Eternal Dagger'' was "not as good as the previous game" and, despite the "interesting plot idea, this game is only for the patient".<ref name="scorpia199310">{{cite magazine | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1993&pub=2&id=111 | title=Scorpia's Magic Scroll Of Games | magazine=Computer Gaming World | date=October 1993 | accessdate=25 March 2016 | author=Scorpia | pages=34–50}}</ref>
In his column for ''ANALOG Computing'', Steve Panak criticized the game's "overly complex and poorly designed setup procedure and difficult-to-use command structure", but stated that the time needed to finish the game and its predecessor "is 50 hours well spent indeed".<ref name="panak198809">{{cite news | url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/analog/issue64/panak.php | title=Panak Strikes | work=ANALOG Computing | date=September 1988 | accessdate=30 January 2015 | author=Panak, Steve | pages=83}}</ref> The game was reviewed in 1988 in ''Dragon'' #129 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 1{{frac|1|2}} out of 5 stars.<ref name="Dragon129">{{cite journal |title=The Role of Computers |last1=Lesser|last2=Lesser|last3=Lesser|first1=Hartley|first2=Patricia|first3=Kirk |journal=Dragon |issue=129 |date=January 1988 |pages=32–42}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{lemon64 game|id=3856|name=The Eternal Dagger}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eternal Dagger, The}} Category:1987 video games Category:Apple II games Category:Atari 8-bit computer games Category:Commodore 64 games Category:Role-playing video games Category:Strategic Simulations games Category:Video games developed in the United States Category:Single-player video games