Willow

Overview

Willow is the 1989 arcade game based on the movie by Lucasfilm. It was developed by Capcom and ran on the Capcom CPS-JAMMA arcade hardware. It follows the story of the movie, with Willow Ufgood and Madmartigan as the two playable characters. The arcade game is wholly different from the NES RPG of the same name, and it never received a release for a home console.

Story

Willow's story follows that of the original film. Willow Ufgood is a simple villager who wants only to raise a family and dreams of becoming the apprentice to the town's wizard. He is sent on a journey to return a Daikini (human) baby to her own kind. He is soon reluctantly joined by the warrior Madmartigan. They find that according to prophecy, the baby is destined to end the tyranny of the evil sorceress Bavmorda. In their quest, they must protect the baby and defeat Bavmorda to return peace to all.

Gameplay

The game consists of a side-scrolling action platformer. The player begins each stage as either Willow or Madmartigan. The choice is usually predetermined by the game, but some of the later levels allow the player to select which character to use. Each level ends with a dramatic boss fight.

Willow's main attack is a magic shot that he throws at enemies. Madmartigan uses a sword, which has a much shorter range but deals more damage. Around the middle of each level there is usually a merchant, who offers the player an opportunity to spend gold in the in-game store. The store features healing items, 1Ups, and other powerups, as well as upgrades for both Willow's and Madmartigan's abilities. Willow's upgrades are additional spells that allow him to do more damage or shield himself from enemy attacks. Madmartigan receives buffs to his sword, also granting increased damage and range. It's advisable to buy as many of Willow's upgrades as possible, as he is always used in the climactic battle against Bavmorda.