Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero (VGA Remake)

Last updated: January 10, 2026

Overview

Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero (VGA Remake) is a 1992 enhanced version of Sierra On-Line’s groundbreaking 1989 adventure/RPG hybrid originally released as Hero’s Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero¹. The remake features completely redrawn 256-color VGA graphics, a point-and-click interface replacing the original text parser, clay model stop-motion animation for combat sequences, and character portraits during conversations². Designed by Lori Ann Cole and Corey Cole, the game remains one of the most influential genre-blending titles in gaming history, successfully merging the puzzle-solving adventure gameplay Sierra was famous for with role-playing game mechanics including character classes, skill progression, and combat³.

The VGA remake holds a unique distinction among Sierra’s numerous enhanced remakes of the early 1990s: it was the only one to turn a profit⁴. Despite this success—reportedly selling more units than the original game—Sierra management had already concluded that remakes were not financially viable, making Quest for Glory I one of the last games to receive this treatment⁴. The remake cost more to produce than the original and nearly as much as developing an entirely new VGA game, contrary to Sierra’s expectations that remakes would be a cheaper alternative to new productions⁴.

The game introduces players to the valley of Spielburg, a Germanic-inspired fantasy setting where a novice hero must break a curse, rescue the Baron’s missing children, and defeat a band of brigands¹. Advertised as “three games in one,” Quest for Glory I was the first Sierra game to allow players to select from three character classes—Fighter, Magic User, or Thief—each offering substantially different solutions to the game’s puzzles and challenges⁵. This innovative design philosophy, combined with a learn-by-doing skill system and the ability to import characters into sequels, established a template that would influence both adventure games and RPGs for decades to come⁶.

Game Info

Developer: Sierra On-Line¹ Designer: Lori Ann Cole, Corey Cole¹ Publisher: Sierra On-Line¹ Engine: SCI 1.1⁷ Platforms: MS-DOS, Macintosh² Release Year: 1992 Series: Quest for Glory Protagonist: The Hero (player-created) Sierra Lineage: Core Sierra

Story Summary

The valley of Spielburg is under a terrible curse. Baron Stefan von Spielburg angered the fearsome ogress Baba Yaga, who responded by cursing his land and family⁸. The Baron’s son Barnard was transformed into a beast, while his daughter Elsa was spirited away to lead a band of brigands terrorizing the valley⁹. With the once-prosperous region falling into ruin, the desperate Baron posted an advertisement: “Wanted: Hero. No experience necessary”¹⁰.

The player character, a recent graduate of the Famous Adventurer’s Correspondence School, arrives in the small town of Spielburg seeking to make a name for themselves¹¹. The town is populated by a colorful cast of characters including beer-drinking humans, centaurs who work the fields, and the helpful Katta innkeepers Shameen and Shema⁸. Beyond the town gates lies a dangerous forest filled with goblins, sauruses, brigands, and other creatures from Germanic and Norse mythology¹².

A prophecy guides the hero’s quest: “Comes a hero from the East, Free the man from in the beast, Bring the child from out the band, Drive the curser from the land”¹². To fulfill this prophecy, the hero must locate and free Barnard from his enchantment, infiltrate the brigand fortress to rescue Elsa, and ultimately confront Baba Yaga herself to lift her curse⁹. Along the way, the hero encounters memorable characters including the wizard Erasmus and his familiar Fenrus, the healer woman in the forest, the crafty fox named Bruno, and the undead jester Yorick who delivers the famous line “Alas, poor Yorick! I know me well”¹².

The game’s conclusion sees the hero celebrated as the savior of Spielburg, though the nature of that celebration varies based on class and choices made throughout the adventure¹³. Successfully completing the game allows players to export their character to Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire, continuing the hero’s journey with all skills and attributes intact¹⁴.

Gameplay

Interface and Controls

The VGA remake replaces the original game’s text parser with Sierra’s icon-based point-and-click interface using the SCI 1.1 interpreter⁷. Players interact with the game world using standard Sierra icons for walking, looking, using items, and talking². The remake also features a revamped conversation system where character portraits appear during dialogue, making interactions more immersive than the original’s text-only approach¹⁵. Actions are easier to identify in the remake, and conversation topics are more clearly presented than in the original EGA version¹⁶.

Structure and Progression

Quest for Glory I takes place in a relatively compact game world centered on the town of Spielburg and its surrounding wilderness¹⁷. The game operates on a time-sensitive system with day and night cycles affecting gameplay—shops close at night (except the magic shop, which offers 24-hour service), different monsters appear in the forest after dark, and certain events only occur at specific times¹⁸.

Key Locations:

• Town of Spielburg: The central hub featuring the Hero’s Tale Inn, Guild Hall, Magic Shop, and various merchants⁸
• Spielburg Castle: Home of the Baron, accessible after proving oneself worthy⁹
• The Forest: A dangerous wilderness filled with monsters, treasures, and hidden locations¹¹
• Brigand Fortress: The stronghold of the brigand leader, requiring infiltration to rescue Elsa⁹
• Baba Yaga’s Hut: The chicken-legged dwelling of the ogress, scene of the final confrontation⁹
• Erasmus’s Tower: Home of the wizard Erasmus, accessible only by solving the Gargoyle’s riddles¹²
• Healer’s Cottage: Where healing potions can be purchased at lower prices than in town¹⁸
• Erana’s Peace: A magical garden where the hero can rest safely and restore health¹¹

Character Classes and Skills

At the start of the game, players create a character by choosing from three classes—Fighter, Magic User, or Thief—and distributing 50 points among various attributes and skills¹⁸. The game’s innovative design allows any class to potentially solve any puzzle, provided the relevant skills are set above zero at character creation¹⁶. This means a Fighter can learn basic magic if points are allocated to the Magic skill, or a Magic User can develop lock-picking abilities¹⁹.

Unlike traditional RPGs, Quest for Glory uses a learn-by-doing skill system without experience levels¹⁴. Skills improve through practice: fighting monsters increases combat abilities, casting spells improves magic, climbing trees raises the climbing skill, and so on¹⁸. Stats scale from 1 to 100 in this first game, with each subsequent title in the series raising the cap by 100¹⁴.

Puzzles and Mechanics

Each character class approaches puzzles differently, truly making the game “three games in one”⁵:

• Fighters rely on brute force—breaking down doors, defeating enemies in direct combat, and using strength to solve problems¹⁶
• Magic Users employ spells like Fetch, Open, Flame Dart, and Detect Magic to bypass obstacles and defeat enemies from a distance¹¹
• Thieves utilize stealth, lock-picking, and climbing to find alternative routes and pilfer valuable items¹⁶

Combat in the VGA remake features clay models for enemies and stop-motion animation, a significant visual upgrade from the original². The combat system itself was made easier compared to the original version, addressing complaints about the EGA version’s difficulty²⁰. However, the remake introduced a new danger: running out of stamina points can now kill the hero outright, unlike the original where exhaustion merely prevented actions¹.

The game strives to minimize “walking dead” situations where the player can become stuck without hope of victory²¹. According to designer Corey Cole, “There should be very few, if any, ‘walking dead’ situations in this game”²¹.

Reception

Contemporary Reviews

Quest for Glory I received widespread acclaim upon release, with reviewers particularly praising its innovative genre-blending approach. Computer Gaming World named the original 1989 release “Adventure Game of the Year” in 1990¹, with reviewer Scorpia calling it “a definite winner”¹. The magazine would later rank the game #73 in their “150 Best Games of All Time” list and #15 on their list of most innovative computer games¹.

COMPUTE! magazine declared Quest for Glory I “a breakthrough in adventure game design” and called it “probably the most satisfying Sierra game” and “a must-buy…hard to resist”¹. Reviewer Alfred C. Giovetti praised the VGA remake extensively, noting that “Hero’s Quest is arguably the most ambitious Sierra On-Line undertaking” and describing the clay animation as producing “amazing” results²². He particularly lauded the rewritten text: “The totally rewritten text by the original design team of Corey and Lori Cole, who have very deep roots in the pen, pencil, and dice role-playing games, is more fun, more witty, more suspenseful, and better written than that of the original”²².

Macworld named the game “Best Role-Playing Game” in their 1994 Macintosh Game Hall of Fame²³. Reviewer Steven Levy described it as “a kinder, gentler form of role-playing game, and one particularly well suited to newcomers to the genre, especially those familiar with adventure gaming”¹. He praised the atmosphere: “The graphics here are every bit as vivid as the plot, and the atmosphere is more like a fairy tale than your typical dungeons-and-dragons deal”²³.

White Wolf magazine gave both the original (Feb./March 1990) and the VGA remake (Sept./Oct. 1992) scores of 4 out of 5, with reviewer Jim Trunzo praising both versions¹.

However, not all reviews were positive. The Amiga version of Quest for Glory II (which shared technical similarities with the first game’s port) received devastating criticism, with one reviewer declaring it “probably the most incompetently designed and put-together Amiga game I’ve seen in my life”²⁴. The 8-disk release suffered from “extremely long loading times” and “frequent disk swapping,” making it “nearly unplayable without a hard drive”²⁴.

Modern Assessment

Modern retrospectives continue to regard Quest for Glory I highly. RPGamer awarded the game 4/5 stars, with reviewer Tyler Willis noting that “Quest for Glory I comes recommended to any RPGamer who enjoys exploration and a good, old-fashioned graphical adventure with RPG elements”¹⁰. Reviewer Michael Baker called it “a piece of RPGaming history that stands the test of time” and praised the balance: “There aren’t that many games out there with such a good balance of puzzles, gameplay, and writing”²⁵.

Adventure Classic Gaming gave the VGA remake 4 of 5 (Very Good), with reviewer Don Rayner noting that “This remake of an old classic retains all the elements that make the original a great game while improving on others to attract new fans”¹⁵.

The game has maintained an enthusiastic fan following, with user ratings consistently reflecting its classic status. A modern reviewer observed: “Does the game hold up after a decade away? Absolutely it does”¹⁴. The game’s influence has been widely acknowledged, with one analysis stating that “Quest For Glory I’s influence was extremely important and it’s still observed nowadays because not only it popularised the mix of genres in future video games, but it also encouraged the use of RPG elements in other genres and the use of action-adventure elements in RPGs”²⁶.

Aggregate Scores:

• MobyGames Critics: 82% average²
• MobyGames Users: 4.0/5.0²⁷
• IMDB: 8.5/10 (VGA remake)²⁸
• IMDB: 8.7/10 (original version, 141 votes)²⁹
• MyAbandonware: 4.59/5 (100 votes)³⁰
• Abandonware DOS: 3.98/5.00 (50 votes)³¹
• GamesNostalgia: 80/100 (6 editorial reviews)³²

Development

Origins

The Quest for Glory series began with designers Lori Ann Cole and Corey Cole, who met over a Dungeons & Dragons game at a science fiction convention³³. Both were avid tabletop RPG enthusiasts—Corey had published “The Tower of Indomitable Circumstance” campaign book and served as Dungeon Master, while Lori was a writer, artist, and animator³⁴. Together they created their own custom skill-based tabletop RPG system before pitching their video game concept to Sierra³⁵.

Lori Cole proposed Hero’s Quest to Sierra when her son Michael was two years old and able to stay in day care, allowing her to work in-house at the company³⁶. The original concept was far more ambitious than what eventually shipped: “I originally conceived of Quest for Glory as a fairly serious Role-playing Game with Adventure Game aspects,” Lori explained³³. However, the available art resources and engine limitations pushed the game toward a more adventure-focused, humorous approach³³.

The initial design featured multiple character races rather than classes: players would choose from thief-like gnomes, magic-wielding elves, humans, and archer centaurs¹. The centaur race was cut first when programmer Bob Heitman pointed out that four-legged creatures are difficult to animate³³. Eventually, the race system was replaced entirely with three classes for a single human character, though the class abilities retained echoes of the original racial concepts³³.

When Ken Williams first saw the game concept, he was skeptical: “This is a role-playing game? I don’t get it. Will it appeal to either adventure gamers or role-playing gamers?”³⁷ However, his son Chris Williams played the game and declared “This game is awesome!”—helping convince Sierra to proceed³⁷.

Production

The original Hero’s Quest was developed with what Corey Cole described as “a relatively tiny budget, because everyone on the team made about 40% less than at their previous jobs.” He estimated the cost at approximately $150,000to$250,000³⁵. Development took over a year, with up to four programmers and four artists, a musician, and a designer-director³⁸. The final product contained 111,000 lines of source code, 535,000 bytes of background pictures, 1,560,000 bytes of animation, 1,980,000 bytes of program code, 375,000 characters of text messages, 314,000 bytes of music and sound effects, and over 200,000 bytes of compiled system code³⁸.

The game’s humor emerged somewhat organically during development. “Rather than have the serious nature of the game fight with the art style, I adapted the game play to mesh with the art,” Lori Cole explained³⁶. Programmer Bob Fischbach was responsible for many of the first puns in the game, adding amusing responses for unhandled player input³³.

The VGA remake was produced simultaneously with Quest for Glory III: Wages of War, with Lori Cole serving as designer on both projects¹. “They envisioned it as a faster, cheaper alternative to creating an entire new game,” Corey Cole recalled. “However, it actually cost more to make than the original, and almost as much as a full game”⁴.

The remake’s distinctive visual style came from an innovative technical approach: clay models were sculpted for over 40 characters, then photographed at 20 frames per second in black-and-white using stop-motion animation techniques²². The images were then rotoscoped and colorized pixel by pixel²². Initially skeptical Sierra artists came around when they saw the results, which one described as “amazing”²². The game contains more than 6,000 lines of conversation—enough that a CD-ROM version with voice acting would require approximately 80 actors²².

Development Credits:²

• Designer: Lori Ann Cole
• Co-Designer: Corey Cole
• Director: William R. Davis Sr. (Bill Davis)³⁹
• Producer: Guruka Singh-Khalsa³⁹
• Programmers: Tom DeSalvo, Robert Fischbach, Oliver Brelsford³⁹
• Composer: Mark Seibert¹
• Additional Music: Aubrey Hodges, Spike Jones²

Technical Achievements

The VGA remake utilized Sierra’s SCI 1.1 interpreter, a significant upgrade from the SCI0 engine used in the original⁷. The new engine enabled 256-color VGA graphics, replacing the original’s 16-color EGA palette¹⁵. The point-and-click interface streamlined gameplay considerably, making actions easier to execute than with the text parser¹⁶.

The clay animation technique used for monster fights and character portraits was particularly innovative for the time. “Combat now features clay models for the enemies and stop-motion animation,” contemporary documentation noted⁴⁰. This approach gave the characters a distinctive visual personality that distinguished the remake from both its predecessor and other Sierra titles of the era.

Technical Specifications

VGA Remake (1992):²²

• Resolution: 320x200, 256 colors (VGA)
• Audio Support: Sound Blaster, Ad Lib, Roland MT-32, Pro AudioSpectrum, Thunderboard, Sound Source
• CPU: 80286 compatible required
• RAM: 640K required
• Media: 3.5” floppy disks (5 disks), later CD-ROM release (1994)¹

Original EGA Version (1989):²⁵

• Resolution: 640x350, 16 simultaneous colors from 64-color palette
• Media: 360KB floppy disks

Macintosh Version (1994):³⁹

• Features: High-resolution fonts
• Exclusive Content: Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd easter egg⁴¹

Cut Content

The development process saw numerous features cut due to time, budget, and technical constraints³³:

• Multiple Character Races: The original design included four races (gnome, elf, human, centaur), each with distinct abilities¹
• Female Player Character Option: Adding gender choice would have increased art requirements by at least 30%³³
• Big Goblin Maze: An elaborate dungeon area that was never completed³³
• Enterable Town Buildings: Many Spielburg structures were planned to be accessible³³
• Magic User Familiar: Spell-casters were originally going to have a familiar companion¹
• Blacksmith Shop: A location for repairing weapons and armor was cut³³
• Street Peddlar/Tinker Character: A wandering merchant who never made it into the final game³³
• Fourth “Do It Yourself” Class Option: Would have allowed players to freely choose any skills³³
• Treasure Room in Troll Cave: Present in the original but missing from the VGA remake¹
• First-Person Combat: Early designs included a fully first-person combat perspective³³

The designers did maintain their vision of creating “a very egalitarian world, where you have woman warriors and woman role models throughout the game,” even without the female protagonist option³³.

Version History

Version	Date	Platform	Notes
Hero’s Quest: So You Want to Be a Hero	October 1989	MS-DOS	Original EGA release1
Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero	1990	MS-DOS	Renamed due to trademark1
Amiga/Atari ST	1990	Amiga, Atari ST	Original engine ports26
PC-98	1991	NEC PC-98	Japanese market release26
VGA Remake (Floppy)	July 1992	MS-DOS	Point-and-click remake1
VGA Remake (CD-ROM)	April 1994	MS-DOS	CD release1
Macintosh VGA	1994	Mac OS	Mac port of VGA remake1
Quest for Glory Collection	1997	Windows	Compilation release42

SCI Interpreter Versions:⁷

Game Version	Interpreter	Type	Notes
Original (1989)	SCI0	SCI0	EGA text parser version
VGA Remake (1992)	SCI 1.1	SCI1.1	VGA point-and-click

Technical Issues

Several bugs affect the VGA remake⁴³:

• Mana Usage Bug: A bug exists in certain rooms and when using specific spells that causes mana usage to be doubled. This bug was present in both the VGA remake and the original EGA version⁴³
• Timer Bug: The VGA version has a timer bug that can make the game unwinnable when restoring saves during timed sequences¹²
• Stamina Death: Unlike the original, running out of stamina points can kill the hero outright in the remake¹
• Music Glitch: A bug turns off music in the last few scenes of the game²²
• Graphics Glitch: An occasional graphical glitch can cause graphics to remain corrupted until the user exits the game²
• Race Description Bug: Purple Sauruses and blue Goblins were recolored green in the remake, but text descriptions were not updated¹²
• Toro Continuity Error: At the end celebration party, Toro the minotaur appears among guests even if the Fighter killed him earlier²⁸
• DOSBox Compatibility: Requires DOSBox cycles set to approximately 10,000; EMS must be set to false to prevent “Out of Handles” crashes⁴⁴

Easter Eggs and Trivia

The Quest for Glory series is renowned for its humor and pop culture references. The VGA remake retained many easter eggs from the original while adding new ones²:

Pop Culture References:

• “Daventree” appears when clicking the eye icon on trees repeatedly—a reference to Daventry from King’s Quest²
• Gargoyle answer choice “I want to be a pirate!” references The Secret of Monkey Island²
• Answer option “Call me Ishmael” references Moby Dick²
• Password “schwertfisch” references the Marx Brothers movie Horse Feathers²
• Sarcophagus with ribbon called “Lara Bow” references the Laura Bow adventure games²
• Submarine periscope appears at Mirror Lake on second visit—reference to Sierra’s Codename: ICEMAN⁴¹
• Earl Sinclair from the TV series Dinosaurs walks along the path in a specific location⁴¹
• Guards at the endgame were designed to look like the Three Stooges³³
• Moose head from King’s Quest III and Leisure Suit Larry appears¹²
• Original version has King’s Quest IV reference in Erasmus’s house; remake changes this to The Dagger of Amon Ra reference¹
• Lamp in Katta’s Tail Inn says “Lamp for rent. Inquire in Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire for information”²

Hidden Content:

• Right-click on the scorpion on title screen for message: “Congratulations! You found the first bug in this game!”⁴¹
• Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd appear behind bush after winning fight (Macintosh VGA version only); shooting Elmer with a flame dart causes his hat to catch on fire³⁹
• If you’re a thief, try picking your nose with the lockpick for a humorous death message: “You delicately insert the lockpick into your left nostril. Unfortunately, you push it too far, causing yourself a cerebral hemorrhage”⁴⁵
• Talk twice to the bear for a Talking Bear Easter Egg⁴⁶
• Exit and re-enter from certain areas for Conquests of the Longbow and Ecoquest Easter eggs⁴⁶
• The Baron is a Ken Williams cameo⁴⁶

Naming References:

• Town of Spielburg named after Steven Spielberg (and also means “Game-town” in German)²¹⁴
• Sam the beggar makes reference to Amblin (Spielberg’s production company)²
• Baron Stefan Spielburg as baronial ruler name²²

Development Trivia:

• The original lead programmer quit because he didn’t approve of having a Thief character in the game³⁷
• Kenn Nishiuye suggested changing the subtitle from “How to Be a Hero” to “So You Want to Be a Hero”³³
• The game was originally planned as part of a tetralogy based on seasons, representing the hero growing from youth to adult³³
• A stat-glitch allowing infinite points redistribution exists; the Coles had no idea this bug existed and intended that 15 points would be spent during character creation⁴⁴

Legacy

Sales and Commercial Impact

Quest for Glory I achieved remarkable commercial success. The original Hero’s Quest sold over 130,000 copies in its first year and more than 250,000 copies in its first few years¹. The VGA remake reportedly sold even more units than the original⁴, making it one of Sierra’s best-performing titles of the era.

“Interestingly, although most of Sierra’s VGA remakes were unprofitable, QG1 VGA was a notable exception,” Corey Cole confirmed⁴. “I believe it actually sold more units than the original game. However, by that point, Sierra management had a picture that remakes did not make money, so ours was one of the last.”

The game was frequently bundled with hardware, helping introduce the series to new audiences. The original Hero’s Quest became one of Sierra’s fastest-selling games on initial release³⁷.

Awards

• Computer Gaming World Adventure Game of the Year (1990)¹
• Computer Gaming World #73 in “150 Best Games of All Time” (1996)¹
• Computer Gaming World #15 Most Innovative Computer Game¹
• Macworld Best Role-Playing Game (1994)¹
• Amiga Joker #2 Best Role-Playing Game in 1990³⁸

Collections

Quest for Glory I has been included in several compilation releases:

• Quest for Glory Anthology – Contains both EGA and VGA versions along with sequels⁴²
• Quest for Glory Collection Series (1997) – Includes Hero’s Quest, Quest for Glory I VGA, II, III, and Shadows of Darkness, plus Quest for Glory V demo and soundtrack CD⁴²
• Quest for Glory 1-5 (GOG/Steam) – Modern digital distribution compilation²⁷

Fan Projects

The Quest for Glory series has inspired significant fan activity:

• AGD Interactive has considered remaking the series, following their successful remakes of King’s Quest I-III
• Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption – Created by Corey and Lori Cole, described by critics as “Quest for Glory VI in all but name”⁴⁷
• Community Bug Fix Projects – Fans have created patches to address long-standing bugs in the original code⁴³
• German Localization Patch (V2.0) – Fan-created patch for the Steam Quest for Glory Collection adding German language support⁴⁸

Related Publications

• In-Game Documentation: The game includes an extensive manual explaining character creation, skills, and gameplay mechanics¹¹
• Official Hint Line: Sierra offered a 900 hint line, which was specifically improved for the VGA remake⁴⁹
• Game Hints Documentation: Official Sierra hints document describing the game as “really three different games in one package”⁴⁹

Critical Perspective

Quest for Glory I occupies a unique position in gaming history as one of the most successful genre hybrids ever created. “Being a genre hybrid is one of the surest ways to become a beloved game,” noted one retrospective⁶. The game’s influence extends far beyond the adventure genre: “Quest for Glory introduced a realism rarely found in RPGs and other adventure games even today”⁵.

The series’ approach to character progression—improving skills through use rather than experience points—anticipated systems that would later become common in games like The Elder Scrolls series. “Without a leveling system in place, skills improve the more they are used. In an RPG this makes sense but feels weird and out of place in an adventure game,” one analyst observed, noting how the mechanic blurred genre boundaries³⁴.

RPG Codex summarized the series’ lasting appeal: “Quest for Glory uniquely succeeded in striking the kind of balance between adventure and RPG that no other game has since attained, and that is an important part of why it remains so memorable”³⁵. The ability to approach problems as a Fighter, Magic User, or Thief—and the corresponding replay value—set a template that few games have successfully replicated.

“Perhaps the best thing about the Quest For Glory series is that they exude an almost childlike joy about what video games can do,” observed Rowan Kaiser in a retrospective for Engadget⁶. This sense of playful experimentation, combined with genuine RPG depth and adventure game puzzles, explains why the series continues to attract new fans decades after its release.

Downloads

Purchase / Digital Stores

• GOG – Quest for Glory 1-5
• Steam – Quest for Glory Collection

Download / Preservation

• Internet Archive – Quest for Glory Collection Series
• Internet Archive – VGA Remake
• MyAbandonware

Emulation Requirements

• ScummVM or DOSBox recommended for modern systems¹⁶
• DOSBox cycles: 10,000 recommended; EMS=false prevents crashes⁴⁴

Series Continuity

Quest for Glory I: So You Want to Be a Hero establishes the foundation for one of gaming’s most beloved series. The game introduces the player character as a novice adventurer, setting the stage for a journey that would span five games across different cultural settings—Germanic mythology (QfG I), Arabian Nights (QfG II), African savanna (QfG III), Slavic folklore (QfG IV), and Greek mythology (QfG V)⁶.

The character import system was revolutionary for its time, allowing players to carry their hero from game to game with all skills, stats, and inventory intact¹⁴. Stats scale from 1-100 in the first game, with each subsequent title raising the cap by 100, reflecting the hero’s growth from novice to legendary champion¹⁴.

The original series was conceived as a tetralogy based on the four seasons, representing the hero’s growth from youth to adult³³. Though this plan evolved into a five-game series, the thematic progression remained: “As befits the first game in a series of increasingly difficult heroics, this first adventure is charmingly small-scale”⁶.

• Next: 1990 - Quest for Glory II - Trial by Fire

References

Footnotes

1. Wikipedia – Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero – release dates, awards, sales data, development history, technical details ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹ ↩²⁰ ↩²¹ ↩²² ↩²³ ↩²⁴ ↩²⁵ ↩²⁶ ↩²⁷ ↩²⁸ ↩²⁹ ↩³⁰ ↩³¹

2. MobyGames – Quest for Glory I VGA – credits, ratings, trivia, easter eggs, technical specifications ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷

3. IGN – Revisiting Quest for Glory I & II – development history, genre analysis ↩

4. Destructoid – Quest for Glory Developers Interview – VGA remake costs and sales, Corey Cole quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

5. ClassicReload – Quest for Glory I – “three games in one” marketing, gameplay description ↩ ↩² ↩³

6. Engadget – The Glory of Quest for Glory – retrospective analysis, series overview, Rowan Kaiser quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

7. Internet Archive – QFG1 VGA – SCI 1.1 engine information, release date ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

8. IMDB – Quest for Glory I Plot – plot description, setting details ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. IMDB – Quest for Glory I VGA – plot details, trivia ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

10. RPGamer – Quest for Glory I Review (Tyler Willis) – opening text, review ↩ ↩²

11. GameFAQs – Quest for Glory I VGA FAQ – gameplay mechanics, character classes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

12. TV Tropes – Quest for Glory I – prophecy text, easter eggs, bugs, character quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

13. PC Gamer – Quest for Glory Series – series commentary ↩

14. dorchadas LiveJournal Review – retrospective, skill system, character import ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

15. Adventure Classic Gaming Review – VGA remake review, Don Rayner quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³

16. StrategyWiki – Quest for Glory I – version differences, class mechanics ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

17. Indie Retro News – Quest for Glory I Review – retrospective analysis ↩

18. GameFAQs – Quest for Glory I EGA FAQ – gameplay tips, skill system ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

19. StrategyWiki – Gameplay – class flexibility ↩

20. MyAbandonware – Quest for Glory I Reviews – user reviews ↩

21. The Adventurers’ Guild Blog – Corey Cole “walking dead” quote ↩ ↩²

22. COMPUTE! Issue 149 Review – Alfred C. Giovetti review, clay animation details, technical specs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

23. Macworld 1995 Game Hall of Fame – Steven Levy review, award ↩ ↩²

24. Amiga Reviews – Amiga version criticism ↩ ↩²

25. RPGamer – Quest for Glory I Retroview – Michael Baker review, technical details ↩ ↩²

26. Indie Retro News Review – DarkwyndPT analysis, platform releases ↩ ↩² ↩³

27. MobyGames – Quest for Glory 1-5 Collection – compilation info, ratings ↩ ↩²

28. IMDB – VGA Remake Entry – ratings, trivia, continuity errors ↩ ↩²

29. IMDB – Original Game Entry – ratings, trademark trivia ↩

30. MyAbandonware – user ratings ↩

31. Abandonware DOS – ratings, basic info ↩

32. GamesNostalgia – editorial rating, version info ↩

33. Quest for Glory Wiki – EGA Development – cut content, development history, Lori/Corey Cole quotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

34. IGN – Development History – Corey Cole D&D background ↩ ↩²

35. RPG Codex – Corey Cole Interview – budget information, design philosophy ↩ ↩² ↩³

36. Transolar – Lori Cole Development Story – personal development account ↩ ↩²

37. Adventure Gamers – Cole Interview – Ken Williams skepticism, development anecdotes ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

38. MobyGames – Hero’s Quest Original – development stats, awards, credits ↩ ↩² ↩³

39. Quest for Glory Wiki – Mac Version – Mac credits, easter eggs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

40. PlayClassic.games – clay animation description ↩

41. GameSpot – Cheats and Easter Eggs – easter eggs, platform list ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

42. Internet Archive – Quest for Glory Collection – compilation contents ↩ ↩² ↩³

43. GitHub – QFG1 Bug Fix Project – mana bug documentation ↩ ↩² ↩³

44. Speedrun.com Forums – technical requirements, stat glitch info ↩ ↩² ↩³

45. GameFAQs – Game FAQs Page – death message trivia ↩

46. Sierra Chest – Walkthrough – easter eggs, release info ↩ ↩² ↩³

47. The Digital Antiquarian – Hero-U as spiritual successor ↩

48. Compiware Forum – German Patch – localization details ↩

49. Quest for Glory Wiki – Game Hints – official hints documentation ↩ ↩²