View source for Sabreman

{{Short description|Video game series for the ZX Spectrum}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2024}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2024}}{{Infobox video game series
| title = Sabreman
| image = 
| genre = 
| developer = [[Ultimate Play the Game]]<br>[[Rare (company)|Rare]]
| publisher = Ultimate Play the Game<br>[[THQ]]
| creator = 
| platforms = [[Amstrad CPC]], [[BBC Micro]], [[Commodore 64]], [[MSX]], [[Game Boy Advance]]
| first release version = ''[[Sabre Wulf]]''
| first release date = 1984
| latest release version = [[Sabre Wulf (2004 video game)|''Sabre Wulf'' (2004)]]
| latest release date = 2004
| spinoffs =
}}

'''''Sabreman''''' is a series of [[action-adventure game]]s developed and published by [[Ultimate Play the Game]] for the [[ZX Spectrum]] in the 1980s. Some of the instalments were also released on other popular home [[microcomputers]], namely the [[Amstrad CPC]], [[BBC Micro]], [[Commodore 64]], and [[MSX]]. The series stars Sabreman, who is depicted wearing [[khaki]]s and a [[pith helmet]]. While the series went dormant after the sale of Ultimate Play The Game, the developer's successor [[Rare (company)|Rare]] would release a remake of the original game on the [[Game Boy Advance]]. [[Microsoft]] owns the series through its acquisition of Rare under [[Xbox Game Studios]].

==Games==
The story of Sabreman's adventures is not developed within the games themselves, but each game would come with an explanation of the story so far on the cassette inlay cards.

* ''[[Sabre Wulf]]'' (1984),<ref>Rusel DeMaria and Johnny L. Wilson, ''High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games'' (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003), [https://books.google.com/books?id=HJNvZLvpCEQC&pg=PA355&dq=Sabreman&ei=VKXMSP-WM4GCywS7vtDJBQ&sig=ACfU3U2U0CzT6QN44iGcKODx2HK84vyz7Q 355].</ref> in which Sabreman must escape a large jungle maze by collecting four pieces of an amulet, while avoiding the titular [[wolf|wulf]]. Finding all four would grant access to:
* ''[[Underwurlde]]'' (1984), in which Sabreman must find three weapons to defeat three guardians in an extensive system of caverns. This done, three exits are available, each leading to one of the following three games.
* ''[[Knight Lore]]'' (1984), in which Sabreman arrives at Knight Lore Castle to seek a cure for his newfound lycanthropy. Collecting a number of items for the resident wizard Melkhior achieves both the cure and progress to:
* ''[[Pentagram (video game)|Pentagram]]'' (1986), in which Sabreman, as a newly qualified wizard himself, embarks on a quest to find the Pentagram, a powerful magic artifact. Once this is achieved Sabreman is directed to the final game in the series:
* ''[[Mire Mare]]'' (cancelled), which was never released and about which little is known.

Sabreman's appearance in ''Knight Lore'' inspired the character Sabrewulf in the ''[[Killer Instinct (video game series)|Killer Instinct]]'' series, while Sabreman himself made a cameo in ''[[Banjo-Tooie]]'', both by Ultimate's successor company [[Rare (company)|Rare]]. No other games in the series were released until ''[[Sabre Wulf (2004 video game)|Sabre Wulf]]'' on the [[Game Boy Advance]] in 2004, which builds on the story from the original ''Sabre Wulf'', the object being to collect amulet pieces to defeat the Wulf once again. An [[Xbox 360]] title, ''Sabreman Stampede'', was in development as a rework of Rare's cancelled title ''[[Diddy Kong Racing#Sequels|Donkey Kong Racing]]'', but was also cancelled during development due to a lack of focus and Rare's unfamiliarity with the hardware.<ref name="talk">{{cite web|last1=Devore|first1=Jordon|title=Rare designer talks cancelled Donkey Kong Racing|url=http://www.destructoid.com/rare-designer-talks-canceled-donkey-kong-racing-271313.phtml|website=Destructoid|access-date=1 March 2016|date=28 February 2014}}</ref> In 2015, the original version of ''Sabre Wulf'', ''Underwurlde'', and ''Knight Lore'' were re-released as part of the ''[[Rare Replay]]'' compilation for [[Xbox One]].

==References==
<references/>

==External links==

{{Ultimate Play the Game}}
{{Rare}}
{{Xbox Game Studios}}

[[Category:Microsoft franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1984]]