Janosik was not a robbery or a bit noble, but this is exactly what Poles remembered him, which was due to Jerzy Passendorf's television series from 1974. The creators of the title, programmers from Mirage, also referred to the romantic vision of Polish Robin Hood, which has nothing to do with reality.
Living at the turn of the 17th and 18th century, Jerzy Janosik is one of the most famous robbers who ever appeared in our part of Europe, more precisely in the Carpathians. He became famous mainly for his spectacular attacks on merchants and wealthier hikers, being at the same time the terror of the people living in mountain villages and magnates. Although in reality Janosik was not a robbery or a bit noble, this is exactly what Poles remember him, which was the merit of Jerzy Passendorf's 1974 TV series. The creators of the title, programmers from Mirage, also referred to the romantic vision of Polish Robin Hood, which has nothing to do with reality, and which he takes away from the rich and gives back to the poor.
The plot of the game focuses around Maryna - a beautiful woman who was kidnapped by a bad margrave. Janosik, as befits a real man, decides to set off on a journey to reflect his beloved. The road to girl's freedom leads through three large lands - forest, village and castle - where our hero will face different opponents and solve a few adventure problems.
The game at first glance resembles classic platformers. Janosik can jump through chasms, as well as eliminate enemies with a ciupaga - which is not at all easy as the weapon has a small range. However, these are not all the possibilities implemented by the creators of the program. Our hero is also able to look at the objects he meets, collect items and use them effectively. Puzzles are not especially complicated and certainly far from racial "adventures" - yet they are a nice variety of constant jumping and fighting with enemies.
Janosik offers a simple low resolution visuals, which do not faint compared to the original Commodore Amiga PC. The biggest drawback is poor character animation, especially the main character's punches while performing jumps. The game is not the easiest - any contact with the opponent ends in immediate death. Luckily, the authors thought about giving the player additional "life". Also the sound leaves a lot to be desired. We won't hear any music while playing - the only motif is on the menu, and it reminds us of what we could hear in the headlines of Janosik's television.
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Last updated on August 14, 2015
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Janosik (1994) Summary
Platforms:
PC Windows
Developer: Mirage Interactive
Age restrictions: none
