The Mask of the Sun is a graphical adventure game for the Apple II developed by Ultrasoft and published in 1982 in North America by Broderbund and in Europe by Ariolasoft. Versions for the Atari 8-bit computers and Commodore 64 were released in 1984.
The hero is Mac Steele, an archaeologist who needs to find the Mask of the Sun in order to obtain an antidote to a poison that afflicts him from an artifact that he found. The game mostly takes place in Mexico in the Aztec ruins. Gameplay is text-based; however there are some graphics, including simple animations.
A sequel, The Serpent’s Star, was developed by Ultrasoft and published in 1983 by Broderbund.
Reception
Softline in 1983 noted the “innovative” animation and “excellent, detailed” graphics, and called the puzzles “very good”. The magazine concluding that “The Mask of the Sun is a very good graphics adventure for the average to good adventurer”. Ahoy! in 1984 liked Mask of the Sun‘s graphics and vocabulary but noted long load times and low level of difficulty, stating that even novice adventurers would be able to finish the game “within a couple of weeks”. Antic called Mask of the Sun‘s graphics “absolutely superb” and the gameplay “excellent”.
References
External links
- The Mask of the Sun at the Museum of Computer Adventure Game History
- The Mask of the Sun in the Interactive Fiction Database
Gamer24h Editor's Take
The Mask of the Sun caught our attention with its unique design and has shaped up to be a must-play masterpiece candidate thanks to the depth of its experience. The visionary approach of developer Ultrasoft, combined with the expertise of publisher Broderbund, has resulted in an exceptionally refined product. Its innovative take on the Interactive fiction, Adventure genre offers a breath of fresh air for fans of the category. If you're looking for an absorbing world and satisfying mechanics that pull you right in, this game might be exactly what you've been searching for.