The Legend of Robin Hood - for NES

The Legend of Robin Hood is an action role playing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Sculptured Software. It had reached the final stages before release when Kevin Costner's Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves arrived in cinemas. Arcadia could not fund licensing from both Nintendo and the film, so the company was forced to pull out, and the game was never sold in shops. What survives is a late stage piece of work that almost nobody got to play: a Robin Hood game built around the life of all the Merry Men rather than the outlaw alone.

The design mixes action with role playing, so you move through the world and fight in real time while the band around Robin grows in importance, the Merry Men appearing as part of the story rather than as scenery. Two players are supported. Because The Legend of Robin Hood never reached release, there was no manual or magazine review to tell anyone what to expect, and a good part of the pleasure now is simply working out for yourself what Sculptured Software was building and how close it came to being finished.

Unreleased games hold a particular fascination, and The Legend of Robin Hood is one of the better known examples on the NES: a complete looking action role playing game that lost a race against a film license. Players enjoy it as a glimpse of a road not taken, a project with more ambition than its circumstances allowed. For a collection, The Legend of Robin Hood is the kind of entry that makes a shelf interesting, because it is a game most visitors will never have seen, carrying a story that explains a great deal about how the business worked in the early nineties.

• Genre: Action RPG
• Players: 1-2
• Region: NTSC
• Developer: Sculptured Software

Cartridge Only: No Box or Manual
Please note that this listing is for the game cartridge only. The original box, instruction manual, and any other accessories are not included with this purchase unless explicitly stated in the listing. What you receive is exactly what you need to play: the cartridge itself, tested and confirmed working.

Condition & Authenticity
This game has been tested and is fully functional. We do not authenticate or certify originality, and listings are intended for players and everyday collectors rather than professional grading or authentication purposes.

Images & Regional Differences
Product images are for reference only. Label artwork, cartridge color, and regional markings (PAL or NTSC) may vary from the item you receive.