Astaroth: The Angel of Death

Lore & Background

Astaroth: The Angel of Death was created by studio Eldritch the Cat, with design by Marc Dawson and graphics by Pete Lyon. Dawson had previously developed games for Odin Computer Graphics, including Robin of the Wood and Nodes of Yesod. He conceived the game's feminine villain after reading Stephen King's book Carrie. Hewson approached Dawson at a Personal Computer World trade show in 1987, and he began work in spring 1988, with development taking over a year due to programming problems. The game was the first 16-bit title released by Hewson for the Amiga and Atari ST alongside Roadstar XRi.

Players control Ozymandias, who must enter the dungeons of the she-devil Astaroth, fight enemies, and defeat her as the final boss. The dungeon is an interconnected series of static screens. Initially lacking combat abilities, the player must duck or avoid enemies and loses five 'mind powers' representing lives. To progress, the player collects nine 'mind strengths' from jars, granting abilities such as levitation, telekinesis, pyrotechnics, telepathy, transfiguration, night vision, and freezing. Additional bosses include the Hydra, Sphinx, and the demon Marilith.

The game was advertised with a nude illustration of a harpy by Steve Weston, used in the main menu and manual, but the box art was censored and replaced with a different cover upon release.

Reader's Guide

Astaroth: The Angel of Death holds a modest place in late-1980s gaming as an early 16-bit dungeon crawler for the Amiga and Atari ST. Its significance lies in its attempt to blend mythology with action-platformer mechanics, offering a variety of magical abilities that were praised by critics. However, the game's legacy is tempered by widespread criticism of its unoriginality and high difficulty, which some reviewers found frustrating. The game's development history—including its lengthy creation due to programming issues, its designer's inspiration from Stephen King, and its controversial advertising with a nude harpy illustration—adds color to its story. While not a landmark title, Astaroth represents the transitional period of home computer gaming as developers moved to 16-bit systems, and it remains a footnote in the catalog of Hewson Consultants and designer Marc Dawson.

Did You Know?

• The game's titular villain was inspired by the Stephen King book Carrie.
• Players must collect nine 'mind strengths' to gain abilities such as levitation, telekinesis, and pyrotechnics.

The Dungeon and the Devil

In Astaroth: The Angel of Death, players step into the shoes of Ozymandias, a figure thrust into the labyrinthine domains of a she-devil who serves as the game's ultimate adversary. The dungeon is structured as a web of static screens linked in four directions, creating a maze-like traversal experience. What distinguishes the early stages is a deliberate power vacuum: Ozymandias begins with no means of attack, forced to sidestep and duck through hostile encounters while a pool of five mind powers ticks down with each hit. The real transformation arrives through the collection of nine mind strengths hidden in jars scattered across the levels. Each jar unlocks a distinct supernatural capability—levitation, telekinesis, pyrotechnics, telepathy, transfiguration, night vision, and freezing—shifting the player from a fleeing victim into a combatant wielding elemental and psychic force. Before confronting Astaroth herself, the player must first overcome three mythological guardians: the Hydra, the Sphinx, and the demon Marilith, each serving as a checkpoint boss that tests the arsenal accumulated thus far.

From Trade Show to Title Screen

The genesis of Astaroth traces back to a 1987 appearance at the Personal Computer World trade show, where Abingdon-based publisher Hewson Consultants spotted Marc Dawson and extended a contract offer. Dawson, who had previously contributed to titles like Robin of the Wood and Nodes of Yesod while at Odin Computer Graphics, agreed to develop a new project under the banner of his own studio, Eldritch the Cat. Work commenced in the spring of 1988, but programming difficulties stretched the production timeline well beyond a year. The game's central antagonist, a feminine she-devil, was inspired by Dawson's reading of Stephen King's novel Carrie, lending the villain a particular psychological edge. Pete Lyon handled the visual design, and the project became Hewson's inaugural 16-bit release for the Amiga and Atari ST, shipping alongside Roadstar XRi. One of the more colorful production details involves the game's promotional art: Steve Weston illustrated a nude harpy figure that appeared in the main menu and instruction manual, though the retail box art was censored and swapped for an alternative cover before the game reached shelves in 1989.

A Divided Critical Verdict

Upon its 1989 release, Astaroth landed in the middle of the critical spectrum, earning what reviewers broadly characterized as average marks. The praise centered on the game's supernatural toolkit and atmospheric presentation. ST Action called it a fine example of the dungeon-crawler genre on the Atari ST, singling out the variety of collectible powers, an eerie mood, and the soundtrack, even while acknowledging the game was unforgiving and frustrating to finish. Gary Barrett writing for ST Format found plenty of enjoyment but warned players to brace for the steep early difficulty curve. The Games Machine praised the graphics as terrific and the programming as solid, yet remained divided on whether the concept carried enough originality to justify its ambition. On the negative side, Rik Haynes in New Computer Express dismissed the visuals as unimpressive, citing chronically small sprites and a lack of fresh ideas. Steve Jarratt of Amiga Format was more pointed, describing the package as a jaded old concept dressed up with sensationalist graphics, criticizing poor collision detection, and calling the soundtrack pleasant but tonally too upbeat for the setting.

A Milestone in Hewson's 16-Bit Era

Astaroth: The Angel of Death occupies a specific and notable position in the history of Hewson Consultants' publishing catalog. Released in 1989 for the Amiga and Atari ST, it marked the company's first foray into 16-bit development, debuting alongside Roadstar XRi as the studio's initial pair of titles targeting those more powerful platforms. This transition represented a meaningful step for a publisher that had previously been associated with 8-bit and early 16-bit work, and it signaled Hewson's intent to compete in the growing Amiga and ST markets of the late 1980s. The game's mythology-themed dungeon-crawler formula, while not groundbreaking, offered a structured progression system built around collecting supernatural abilities, a design that resonated with players who valued gradual empowerment. The censored box art, originally a nude harpy illustration by Steve Weston, also became a minor talking point in the era's gaming press, reflecting the broader cultural tensions around content presentation in 1989's home-computer market. For fans of the Amiga and Atari ST, Astaroth remains a documented entry in the catalog of that platform's formative years.