The Black Onyx

The Black Onyx

Overview & History

Released in the mid-1980s, *The Black Onyx*, originally created by Henk Rogers, stands as a monumental title in the history of Japanese role-playing games, later finding its way to diverse platforms including the ColecoVision. The game plunges players into the medieval town of Utsuro, where a colossal labyrinth built by a mad king holds the mythical Black Onyx, a gem said to grant eternal life. Unlike standard western RPGs of its era, this title introduced complex party management and dungeon-crawling mechanics to a broader console audience, blending real-time survival pressure with strategic turn-based combat. Players must recruit up to four adventurers at the local guild, carefully balancing classes like fighters, thieves, and magic-users, before descending into the multi-layered, wireframe-rendered dungeon depths.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Exploration in *The Black Onyx* takes place from a first-person perspective, requiring players to map the treacherous, maze-like corridors of the subterranean labyrinth. Combat is initiated upon encountering roaming monsters, shifting the view to a tactical interface where characters execute commands based on their speed and equipment. Survival demands constant attention to character stamina, hunger meters, and light sources like torches, which inevitably burn out over time. Gold collected from vanquished foes must be used to purchase upgraded weaponry, armor, and vital spells at the town shops. A unique death mechanic means fallen party members must be physically carried back to the surface temple for resurrection, adding profound weight and tension to every deep-dungeon expedition.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause