The Classic PC Gaming Era (1977-1989) - Airheart (remade as Typhoon Thompson in Search of the Sea Child)
You will not believe how good-looking this action game is, with fluid pseudo-3D graphics and fast-moving action originally created for the Apple IIe.
RELEASE DATE: 1986
DEVELOPER / PUBLISHER: Dan Gorlin Productions / Brøderbund
PLAYABILITY TODAY: Fairly playable
BEST VERSIONS: Apple II (Airheart), Atari ST and Amiga (Typhoon Thompson)
As the Apple II began to show its age in the mid-1980s, software developers creating action games tended to either abandon the platform for the greener pastures of the Commodore 64, Atari ST and Amiga or they doubled down on creating engaging Apple II experiences. Airheart is one of the better late efforts on the Apple II, featuring some beautiful animations and smooth scrolling action that work together to make the game feel like it’s taking place in three dimensions.
Airheart also employs a rarely-used 16-color “Double High Res” mode which make the graphics really pop, and while it requires an Apple IIe or above to run, it’s so visually impressive that it’s really hard to believe it could ever run on an Apple II at all. It’s not a surprise that this game was a technical marvel since it was programmed by Dan Gorlin, the creator of Choplifter!, but it was also his last Apple II game. Gorlin went on to redevelop the game for the Amiga and Atari ST and released it in 1988 under the title Typhoon Thompson in Search of the Sea Child. It’s essentially the same game with 16-bit graphics, but improved in several minor ways.
Even so, Airheart itself is special and shouldn’t be overlooked. At the beginning of the game, your character is summoned by two Spirit Guardians and given a rocket sled that’s capable of moving over the game’s watery world in three dimensions by either floating around atop the water or going beneath the surface. You have to collect three items - a sword, a goblet and a harp - to unlock the quest to free the prince of the island realm from a floating glass bubble. While you can rotate the game world (creating a very convincing sense of three-dimensionality), movement tends towards the far horizon at the top of the screen and combat involves shooting gallery mechanics where you need to line up shots to blast enemies.
Airheart is a simple game that can be completed in just a few minutes once you master the controls and mechanics, and aside from chasing a better time for the high score board, there’s not much to do once the game’s been completed. It’s easy to pick up and play and has enough behind its simple premise to keep players engaged, but once the novelty of the graphics and gameplay wears off, it’s also easy to put down. It’s still a game worth experiencing today if for no other reason than to marvel at what it achieved on Apple II hardware, but like many of the games in this section, it’s not a game most modern players will return to once they’ve seen what it has to offer.
The 16-bit remake, Typhoon Thompson in Search of the Sea Child, is only slightly improved by adding in some additional animations, a stronger progression between levels as each task causes the sun to sink a little lower on the horizon, and some tougher enemy encounters. I’m still a little baffled myself about why the game underwent such a radical change in title, especially since almost all of the gameplay elements are otherwise exactly the same as those in Airheart and the Indiana Jones-style theming the game’s title conjures up isn’t present in the gameplay or the accompanying materials. Whatever the case may be, it’s a great version of an already excellent game, and definitely easy to recommend.
NOTE: This game has no relation to the 2018 game Airheart: Tales of Broken Wings.
As Our Series Continues…
In the coming weeks, we’ll talk about arcade action games, 3D games, flight simulators, sports games, gameroom games, puzzle games and so much more.
And while you’ll definitely see some titles from prominent North American publishers like Sierra On-Line, Infocom, Activision, Electronic Arts, Brøderbund, SSI, MicroProse, Lucasfilm Games, Epyx and Sir-Tech in the mix, you’ll also see references to games from the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Spain and Japan.
If you’ve missed the earlier entries in the series, which cover ASCII games, adventure games, wargames, strategy games and role-playing games, you can find the entire archive at https://greatestgames.substack.com.
Anything I don’t share here will be in my upcoming book, tentatively titled The Greatest Games You (Probably) Never Played Vol. 1. Subscribe to this newsletter so you won’t miss it!