Pool of Radiance

Pool of Radiance is a computer RPG created by Strategic Simulations Inc and released initially for Commodore 64 and Apple II in 1988.

It is the first official adaptation of the rules of the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, specifically AD&D 2nd edition. The game was ported to many other platforms, including DOS, Macintosh, and NES.

The Amiga version, released in 1990, wasn't developed internally at SSI. Ubi Soft took care of the conversion.

Pool of Radiance was a complex project that cost more than 1 year of development. The rules of D&D, including combat, statistics, classes, rolls of dice, were faithfully recreated. The Forgotten Realms setting, with its monsters, cities, and gods were added to the game. Even the graphics were taken from the official manuals. TRS artists and authors collaborated with SSI to create the game.

The game engine created by SSI, called "Gold Box", would be used for many other games, including the 3 additional titles of the Pool of Radiance series, the Neverwinter Nights trilogy (not to be confused with the Bioware one), the Dragonlance trilogy and the 2 games of Buck Rogers. That's why there is not much difference in terms of gameplay between the 8-bit and 16-bit versions. But Ubi Soft did a great job in porting the game to the Amiga, improving the graphics and the music.

Pool of Radiance is simply a masterpiece and one of the most important computer games ever released. If you love RPGs, especially the ones that allow you to spend time creating your party, leveling up the characters, selecting the spells, and more, this game is a must.