What can I say, the original Pirates game was a classic. I was addicted to this game as a kid and used to play it for hours and hours. Since we got rid of our old Tandy 1000, I have been looking for a similar Pirates game ever since. Although I have tried many other pirate-related games, I was usually disappointed within the first hour or so of play time. The original Pirates game gave you the freedom to wander around the Spanish main defeating whoever gets in your way, stealing gold, goods, and ships.
You are also offered a number of different types of ships to have in your fleet. They range anywhere from a tiny little Pinnace, which by the way is very fast and can easily sail in shallow waters, to the infamous War Galleon, one or two shots from this beast will definitely sink your ship. My advice is to definitely sail away if you can. Unless, that is, you are a master in dodging cannon fire. Pirates Gold is a delightful remake of this classic with some updated graphics and (supposedly) sounds. One thing that definitely helps is to download the map. If a governor tells you that somebody that he wants is in vera cruz, you had better know how to get there.
The
game is definitely non-linear. You must first choose a nationality. Then you start off in one of the towns. From here, you can buy goods (hopefully they are cheap), visit with the mayor of the town, or visit the local tavern (this enables you to acquire more men to join your party...which definitely helps in fights that will ensue). Once you leave town, you are totally free to go anywhere you want. If you decide to go to another town and attack it...good for you. If you just want to sail to another town and sell your goods, that's fine too. Personally, I start attacking any ship that crosses my path, collect the goods that it is carrying, and end up selling it to the next town that I come across. Once you have made a mayor happy, he gives you some land and tells you the location of a pirate that he is looking for. If you decide to find the pirate, you must to battle with him and win. If you win, you get part of a map to one of your family members. If you find your family member, you get part of a map to tell you where the lost Incan treasure is (typically worth 90-100 thousand gold).
Overall, a very good game!!!
