Warlock is a side-scrolling action game developed by Realtime Associates and published by Acclaim Entertainment, released for the Super Nintendo (SNES) on May 26, 1995. It is adapted from the 1989 horror film series of the same name.
Set during the once-every-thousand-year alignment of the sun and moon, the game follows an evil warlock sent to Earth to collect six ancient rune stones and gain ultimate power to destroy the world. Players take on the role of a modern-day druid who travels through time to stop the warlock from finding all the rune stones and maintain world order.
In the game, players can use seven different spells, including weak explosion, strong explosion, healing, resurrection, protection, tremor, and time reversal. Each spell can be carried up to 255 times, though the status bar only displays up to nine uses.
The game features 15 levels in a 2D side-scrolling format. Players must solve puzzles and traps in the scenes, and collect six powerful rune stones before the warlock does. During the adventure, players can use a superpower beam to attack distant enemies.
Warlock received mixed reviews upon release. Next Generation magazine gave the SNES version two out of five stars, noting that the game had no obvious flaws but also no standout highlights. GamePro's review pointed out that the game excels in graphics and music, but suffers from delayed character controls, overly small enemies, and a lack of gameplay variety.
Overall, Warlock is an action game set against the backdrop of a horror film, where players must use strategy and spells to navigate through levels, stop the evil warlock's plot, and protect the world from destruction.