The Apprentice

Overview

The Apprentice is a platformer developed by The Vision Factory and published by Philips for the CD-i in 1994.

The game follows a week of the Marvin, a lowly apprentice of the wizard Gandorf, as he climbs the castle's various towers in order to run errands for his boss. The game features six towers to climb, each with their own unique quirks (such as different weapons for Marvin to use). The game is also known for its odd use of Japanese kanji and anime-style women.

The game was later known for its various hidden Game Over screens that parody the Mortal Kombat series' Fatality and Animality finishing moves, as well as the much-rumored "Nudality" finishing move. It is notable for having a K-A rating with the ESRB, despite these hidden screens having either blood or soft-core nudity.

Stages

The game is split into six areas, each including three stages and one boss fight, for a total of 24 stages. Each area has their own unique quirks, with Marvin having different forms of attack.

1. Medieval Tower - Gandorf wants Marvin to fetch a book from his library high atop one of the castle's towers. These stages are straightforward, with Marvin having a spell that summons fireballs.
2. The Well - After accidentally knocking the book down a well, Marvin is transformed into a frog and must swim down to recover it. Unlike other stages, these have the frog Marvin swimming and descending instead of jumping and ascending. He also shoots his tongue forward to attack.
3. Hi-Tech Tower - When the pet cat Snuffles is teleported to another tower, Marvin must follow and get him back. These stages include conveyor belts and other mechanical obstacles. Rather than fireballs, Marvin instead throws bouncy bombs to attack.
4. Arctic Tower - Gandorf wants Marvin to fetch ice cubes for his whisky. As per the standard "ice stage", the floors are slippery. Rather than fireballs, Marvin casts snowballs at a short range to freeze enemies.
5. Deserted Tower - When the pet raven Randalph follows a female bird to another tower, Marvin must follow and get him back. These spooky stages include lava as an obstacle. Rather than fireballs, Marvin instead launches arrows from his bow.
6. Toy Tower - It's Friday the 13th, and the superstitious Gandorf wants Marvin to find his teddy bear. In these stages, Marvin wears a football helmet outfitted with a propeller (for flapping upward) and laser cannon (for attacking).