Knight Lore is a 1984 action-adventure game that popularised isometric graphics in video games. It was developed and published for the ZX Spectrum by Ultimate Play the Game and written by Chris and Tim Stamper (pictured). Each monochrome castle room consists of blocks to climb, obstacles to avoid, and puzzles to solve. The game's novel image masking technique, Filmation, let images appear to pass atop and behind each other without distortion. By delaying the release until 1984, Ultimate was able to release several titles quickly before other developers could copy the style. Critics considered its technical solutions and isometric 3D style a harbinger of future game design. They praised the game's controls and atmosphere of mystery, but noted its difficult gameplay and criticised its sound and occasional graphical slowdown. It was named game of the year by the Golden Joystick Awards and Popular Computing Weekly readers. Though it was not the first isometric 3D video game, Knight Lore popularised the format; its influence also persisted in computer role-playing games. The game was later included in Rare's 2015 Xbox One retrospective compilation, Rare Replay.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Lore

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1816:

The Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, rival fur- trading companies, engaged in a violent confrontation in present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Seven_Oaks

1939:

Former American baseball player Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, now commonly known in the United States as "Lou Gehrig's Disease". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gehrig

1987:

Basque separatist group ETA detonated a car bomb at the Hipercor shopping centre in Barcelona, killing 21 people and injuring 45 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_Hipercor_bombing

2009:

War in Afghanistan: British forces began Operation Panther's Claw, in which more than 350 troops made an aerial assault on Taliban positions in Southern Afghanistan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Panther%27s_Claw

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

gurrier: 1. (dated) A street urchin. 2. A loutish young man; a ruffian. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gurrier

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

A mere trifle consoles us, for a mere trifle distresses us.   --Pensées https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pens%C3%A9es