Скачать или смотреть Times of Lore (NES) Playthrough

Playthrough of Times of Lore, Toho's 1991 action-adventure game for the NES.

🎯 Played as Knight
🎯 Saying "No" to the Regent means Game Over (1:19:52)

Times of Lore for the NES, developed by Origin Systems and published by Toho in 1991, is an action-adventure title that occupies a unique space in the console’s library. Originally released for home computers in 1988, the game was one of Chris Roberts’ earliest projects at Origin, and its NES adaptation is one of only two titles the studio brought directly to Nintendo’s platform.

The story is set in the kingdom of Albareth, which has fallen into disorder following the disappearance of King Valwyn two decades earlier. Players assume the role of one of three character archetypes—knight, valkyrie, or barbarian—tasked with uncovering the mystery behind the king’s fate and restoring peace to the land.

Unlike the stat-heavy role-playing games Origin was known for, Times of Lore on NES simplifies the formula into a more accessible, real-time action adventure. There are no character statistics or spell systems; instead, the focus is on exploration, quest progression, and straightforward combat. From the beginning, the entire world map is open to the player, populated by towns, forests, rivers, and dungeons, with non-player characters that move and behave according to the day-night cycle.

Visually, the NES version pares down the detail seen in its PC and Commodore 64 counterparts, but compensates with a number of welcome refinements. Inventory management is streamlined, the interface is more user-friendly, and menus pause the action, making organization less stressful. The view now spans the full screen rather than being confined to a small window, and continuous background music provides atmosphere throughout the journey.

The pacing of Times of Lore is deliberately slow, and much of its appeal lies in atmosphere rather than action. Players follow clues, talk to townsfolk, and unravel the mystery of Albareth through a steady rhythm of exploration and light combat. The design offers freedom and immersion uncommon on the NES, though its subdued style and limited variety of challenges may feel underwhelming to those expecting the complexity of an Ultima title or the intensity of a more action-driven adventure.

In the context of the NES library, Times of Lore stands out as an unusual experiment: part open-world exploration, part narrative-driven quest, and part minimalist RPG. While its simple mechanics and subdued pace will not appeal to everyone, it remains a noteworthy entry for players interested in atmospheric world-building and early examples of open-world design on consoles.