Do you have cabin fever? Does winter’s chill have you bound to your arm chair or couch? Let me introduce you to some excellent ways to visit exotic locals, and find fun and adventure without ever having to deal with the hassles of winter travel! All you need is a DVD player, an Xbox or personal computer. Let me introduce you to ‘ol Peg Leg who will tells a great story….
“Arrrrrr! Matey let me tell you of the days of high seas, a cool breeze, and a king’s ransom in treasure!” Your ticket to adventure is in Sid Meirs’ PIRATES available for the PC and Xbox. “Tis’ a tale told before on older PCs, and many early personal computers.” This is a true classic that has finally been upgraded to take advantage of today’s technology in sound and graphics. Those who played the earlier versions will not be disappointed with the tried and true formula of the game play, it has been kept virtually intact with vast improvements made to the look and sound as well as some new game elements added to “take it up a notch”.
The opening cinemas tell the story of lost hope and betrayal as your family goes into financial ruin at the hand of a ruthless and unforgiving Spanish nobleman. “Tis’ a shame I say!” You alone escape only to return as a young man who takes over the ship he is sailing on and start his career as pirate captain. You must save your family, get revenge, and get filthy rich along the way! Basically, the game is a series of mini-games that reflect the various skills you will need to hone to be master of the high seas. The main skills are sailing and sword fighting. In the sailing module you will need to manage your men and supplies as well as make good decisions on where to go and what to accomplish, you will be given many clues and options and can do them in almost any order. The game is completely open ended and non linear. You may play as a ruthless heel or as a brilliant trader, an explorer or treasure hunter! The choice is up to you! You can spend time fighting ship to ship or hire a large crew and actually siege and storm cities and towns. And what Pirate game would be worth it’s salt without a great sword-fighting element? You can hire crews in seedy taverns, fight for the honor of a comely barmaid, upgrade your ships with new sails and special cannon, even meet and fall in love with the governor’s daughter and impress her an expensive gift or a well executed dance! The whole affair is a fine mix of strategy and action with more than a bit of added humor. The game can be set to different levels of hardness and you can play in completely different time settings so repeated visits will always yield something new!
The game interface is simplicity itself, you may use your mouse or numeric keyboard for all functions, each mini-section is divided into small menus with easy choices, you will not need to spend a long time with a lengthy manual, you can dive right in, but you would short change yourself if you pass on the wealth of information held in the 144 page booklet that is filled with historic information on the life and times of the pirate era. The book gives you insights into the various time periods presented in the game, information on each of the ships, and details on all the options that can be applied to your favorite flag ship. The graphics are excellent and sometimes cross the line and look like a modern Disney animated movie. The sound is well done with great music and sound effects that can be enhanced by a free download from the games’ web site. The software is rated “E” for “Everyone” and makes for fine family entertainment. The educational element is on par with other historic simulations like “Oregon Trail” or any of the “Carmen San Diego” series of games.
“Now Matey, to get you in the proper mood for such high seas adventures I recommend these wonderful DVDs!”
I guess the most popular pirate movie today would be Disney’s PIRATES OF THE CARIBEAN with Johnny Depp stealing the show with his outlandish portrayal of an eccentric but likeable rogue. Depp patterned his portrayal on the Rolling Stone’s Keith Richard and gives this swashbuckler a definite twist. The movie sports a lot of action as well as great special effects and was a giant hit at the box office.
Another newer release that takes you on a high seas adventure is the Russell Crow vehicle MASTER AND COMMANDER , directed by Peter Weir. This is a seafaring adventure that is authentic and thrilling enough to give any classic swashbuckler a run for its money. It is an adaptation of two books by Patrick O’Brian about British naval hero Capt. Jack Aubrey. Russell Crowe shines as one of the great naval captains of all time who not only excels at heroism but also in his humanity. Those of you fortunate enough to have a 5.1 surround system will thrill to the sounds of bullets racing past your ears and the thunder of cannons. A fine cast rounds out his shipmates and crew. All aspects of this title are first class!
Kids and adults continue to love THE GOONIES, as a group of children search for a pirates’ treasure and a chance to save their homes. This one has all the trappings, a mysterious map where “X” does mark the spot, skeletons, puzzles, cryptic clues and amazing traps, the evil Fratelli’s will have you in stitches as the comical villains, and a young Corey Feldman and Sean Astin heading a great cast of kids.
Although I would have to say number one on the list should be The Errol Flynn Signature Collection (Captain Blood / The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex / The Sea Hawk / They Died with Their Boots On / Dodge City / The Adventures of Errol Flynn) released by Warner Brothers. At a list price of around $45 this 6 DVD set includes two of the greatest pirate movies ever THE SEA HAWK and CAPTAIN BLOOD with three other great features, two westerns and an historic melodrama, as well as a documentary shot by Errol Flynn as he sails the Pacific on his own yacht. CAPTAIN BLOOD features Flynn as an innocent, Irish born doctor, accused of treason and sentenced to slavery in Jamaica, there he escapes and with his rag tag followers become buccaneers. Olivia De Haviland co-stars and Michael Curtiz directs. THE SEA HAWK tells the tale of English privateers and their effect on the great Spanish Armada. Claude Rains is excellent, as always, as the villain. Both films feature a great symphonic, trumpet-filled score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
Missing from the set is THE MASTER OF BALANTREE, an MGM release which is available for about $15 and features Flynn as a Scottish rebel pursued by Britain who must make a name for himself on the Barbary Coast before he can return home and reclaim his birthright and his bride.
I have to mention the greatest Errol Flynn movie of all time, although not a pirate movie, but a fantastic adventure, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD that is available as a splendid, two disk collectors set, with loads of extras.
All of these titles can be considered family entertainment and will get you to forget those old winter blues, and keep your mind occupied with thoughts of tropical breezes and hidden treasure and a fine evenings entertainment for one and all.
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