Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Palace Software

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	1985
Founder	Steve Brown
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior is a 1987 video game developed and released by Palace Software for platforms including the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. It was subsequently adapted for various systems and distributed in the United States by Epyx under the title Death Sword.

This title is a fighting game that places players in control of sword-bearing barbarians. The game offers a two-player mode featuring direct combat between opponents, as well as a single-player campaign where the player must overcome trials imposed by an evil wizard to rescue a princess.

For promotional purposes, Palace Software opted for photographs of professional models rather than traditional illustrated box art. The marketing campaign starred Michael Van Wijk—who later gained fame as 'Wolf' on Gladiators—alongside Maria Whittaker, recognized for her appearances on The Sun tabloid’s Page 3. This bold approach, which emphasized provocative imagery over the game's violent themes, generated controversy but significantly enhanced Barbarian’s visibility and sales. Critics commended its rapid combat mechanics and witty elements. The commercial success allowed Palace Software to broaden its scope and publish works from other developers. A sequel, Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax, followed in 1988.

Gameplay

In Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior, one or two players command barbarian fighters engaged in battles across settings such as wooded clearings and combat arenas. The versus mode supports player-versus-player or player-versus-computer duels with enforced time constraints. Meanwhile, the single-player campaign requires navigating a series of linked challenges.

Players manipulate their characters using joysticks or keyboards to execute movements like running, jumping, rolling, kicking, headbutting, and sword attacks. Each barbarian begins with 12 health points, represented visually by six circles. Successful strikes reduce health by half a circle each; losing all health results in death. A precisely timed blow to the neck instantly decapitates the opponent, triggering an animation where a goblin appears to kick away the severed head and drag off the body.

When controls are inactive for a moment, the barbarians perform self-aware gestures—turning toward the player, shrugging, or uttering "C'mon"—to regain attention. Players earn points based on attack difficulty, with high scores tracked on a leaderboard.

Single-player story mode

The single-player narrative centers on an unnamed barbarian tasked with defeating the evil sorcerer Drax, who has abducted Princess Mariana and is protected by eight barbarian guardians. The hero must defeat each guardian before confronting Drax himself. Upon victory over the wizard, Mariana collapses at the protagonist’s feet as the screen fades out. In the American release, the hero is named Gorth.

Development

In 1985, Palace Software recruited Steve Brown, known for his successful creations Cauldron and Cauldron II. For his third project, Brown drew inspiration from Frank Frazetta’s fantasy artwork and the Conan the Barbarian franchise to craft a gritty and authentic sword-fighting experience. He devised sixteen different moves, practicing with wooden swords and recording his sessions to aid animation development. One particular move called the Web of Death was adapted from scenes in the movie Conan the Destroyer.

The development team digitized animations by tracing video frames onto transparent sheets and converting them pixel-by-pixel. Brown insisted on using larger sprites instead of small ones; programmers achieved this by multiplexing sprite data using various look-up tables for each animation frame. To boost marketing impact, Brown suggested incorporating iconic fantasy visuals featuring live models. Consequently, Palace Software hired Michael Van Wijk and Maria Whittaker—celebrated for her modeling—to portray the barbarian warrior and princess characters respectively. The game package included a poster showcasing Whittaker dressed as her character.

Prior to launch, Palace Software appended the subtitle "The Ultimate Warrior" to avoid confusion with Psygnosis's platformer also named Barbarian. Audio samples were sourced from the 1985 film Red Sonja, including the distinctive "EEY-ECH!" sound effect played during decapitations.

Releases

Barbarian debuted in 1987, initially launching on the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum, before being adapted for a wide range of other home computer systems. Due to the differing technical specifications of these platforms, each version underwent specific adjustments. The 8-bit editions primarily featured mostly monochrome visuals and simpler sound samples. Conversely, the Atari ST iteration, benefiting from its 16- and 32-bit architecture, presented enhanced backgrounds, superior graphics, and increased the number of enemy barbarians from eight to ten. Both the Atari ST and 32-bit Amiga versions incorporated digitised sound effects, with the Amiga release also including digitised voice lines—each battle commencing with the phrase "Prepare to die!" accompanied by metallic sword clash noises.

Following its initial launch, Barbarian saw numerous re-releases; notably, budget label Kixx issued editions that omitted Whittaker's image from their covers. In North America, Epyx obtained licensing rights and published the game under the title Death Sword as part of their "Maxx Out!" collection.

Reception and legacy

The advertising campaign for Barbarian generated significant moral controversy. According to Electron User, one magazine declined to run Superior Software's advertisement for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron versions unless certain elements of the image were censored. Electron User, which chose to publish the unedited advertisement, subsequently received complaints from readers and religious organizations labeling it as "offensive" and "pornographic". Superior's managing director Richard Hanson stated that the ASA confirmed the advertisement was not in poor taste, suggesting that the controversy may have contributed positively to the game's commercial performance.

Chris Jager of PC World referred to the cover as a "trashy controversy-magnet" featuring a "big bloke [in leotard]". Industry analysts Russell DeMaria and Johnny Wilson observed that UK audiences were more disturbed by model Maria Whittaker's scant clothing than by the game's violent content.

In 1988, Advanced Computer Entertainment submitted gameplay footage to the British Board of Film Classification, which classified the decapitations as "storybook violence" likely warranting a PG rating. David Houghton from GamesRadar speculated that if released in 2009, the game would probably receive an "Mature" rating.

On the other hand, Barbarian was prohibited in Germany by the Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien due to its violent imagery, limiting its promotion and sale to minors. A censored edition featuring green blood was eventually permitted.

Critics generally applauded Barbarian for its graphic combat. Steve Jarratt of Zzap!64 praised its "fast and furious" gameplay, while Brian Chappell of Amiga Computing expressed enjoyment in executing decapitations. Positive feedback appeared across various publications, including Antic, which described it as "the best sword fight game available on the ST" despite its violent nature. Jarratt noted it achieved "new heights in bloodsports." The game's straightforward mechanics were also commended for making two-player mode both accessible and entertaining.

The barbarian characters received acclaim for their fluid animation despite simplistic sprite design; however, reviewers of the Amiga port expressed disappointment that it did not fully exploit the system’s capabilities. Digitized audio effects earned praise from Gary Penn of Commodore User, with similar appreciation extended to the Atari ST version.

Paul Boughton from Computer and Video Games admired detailed gore elements such as post-decapitation visuals, describing them as "hypnotically gruesome." Richard Eddy in Crash stated these features justified playing the game. Brian Chappell called the head-falling sequence "wholesome stuff," while staff at Retro Gamer regarded it as a memorable moment in retro gaming history. The goblin character seen dragging bodies also garnered positive attention; Retro Gamer lamented that this character never starred in a standalone title. The barbarian was included among their top 50 retro game characters.

Among platform comparisons, Popular Computing Weekly preferred the Amstrad version over the Commodore 64 release due to smoother animation. Meanwhile, Your Sinclair, awarding a score of 7/10, critiqued its resemblance to earlier fighting games like The Way of the Exploding Fist and Ninja.

Leinfellner observed that controversy surrounding the game enhanced both sales and public awareness; royalties reportedly continued for seven years beginning with an initial £20,000 payment. The sequel, Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax, arrived in 1988 with plans for a third installment underway. Both Van Wijk and Whittaker reprised their roles in box art and promotional materials. Following Barbarian's success, Palace Software expanded into publishing titles by external developers; nevertheless, this remained their flagship product, remembered chiefly for its violent combat and association with Whittaker’s image.

In 2011, French publisher Anuman Interactive launched a remake titled Barbarian – The Death Sword, tailored for mobile devices and computers.

An Italian indie studio named Crian Soft created a spiritual successor called Age of Barbarian in 2012, later releasing an Extended Cut version in 2016.

External links

• Visuals of the Commodore 64 edition of Death Sword including box art, manual, and gameplay images available at C64Sets.com