Welcome, Watchers of Illusion, to the Castle of Confusion. Phase across time with us once more, for this is the age of adventure!

Inspired by the first flush of computer games, Knightmare was a British children’s after-school game show which debuted in September of 1987.

The show was a Dungeons & Dragons styled game, where teams of 4 would try to solve dangerous puzzles and locate a prize, and escape. The gimmick was that one of the team (The Dungeoneer) would don a senses-dampening helmet (The Helmet of Justice) to venture into the “dungeons” of a computer simulation, whilst their team mates would direct them with voice commands through a series of rooms which may traps, enemies to fight or riddles to solve. That meant a lot of holes to navigate around, checkerboard floors where squares would disappear, and monsters to run away from!

“Go right! Go right!”

The virtual reality “sets” were made using chroma key compositing, featuring backgrounds hand painted by David Rowe, supplemented by computer generated animation and special effects. Hugo Myatt starred as Treguard of Dunshelm, the host of the show, there to give background colour and commentary, and explain to the team why they died. Which they almost always did. The show was notoriously difficult, with only 8 teams winning during a run of 112 episodes.

“Where am I?” “You’re in a room!”

The show lasted for eight series until 1994 but left an indelible impression of those of us who were the right age; especially the “Life-Force Meter” which appeared on the screen to indicate the player’s health. A cheery face wearing a helmet which would degrade – pieces of the helmet would disappear, then the skin, then the skull, until nothing was left except its eyeballs.

“Oooh, nasty!”

Have a great day everyone, take care of yourselves and remember: the only way is onward; there is no turning back.