Blackthorne
1994 · Platform / Shooter · SNES
Overview
Blackthorne (1994) is Blizzard's cinematic platformer in the style of Another World and Flashback, in which Kyle returns to his home planet with a shotgun to overthrow the tyrant Sarlac.
Deep Dive
Kyle Vlaros was sent to Earth as a child. Twenty years later he returns to the planet Tuul to defeat the dark ruler Sarlac, avenge his father and reclaim the throne of Androth. He runs, climbs and hunts for keys through maze-like levels, fighting with an upgradable pump-action shotgun. He can fire backwards without turning round and press himself against the wall to let bullets pass. The game has 17 levels across four areas.
Developer Story
Blizzard made the game, inspired by Another World and Flashback, and Interplay released it for the Super NES in September 1994 and MS-DOS that December. A 32X version, with a fifth area, followed in 1995.
Did You Know?
- Early sprites were rotoscoped, using more than 1,000 frames.
- Kyle is named after Kyle Reese in The Terminator.
- Electronic Gaming Monthly made the Super NES version its Game of the Month.
Sources & further reading
- Blackthorne — Wikipedia
