From TES issue 40 (July 2006)

Series 3. Level 1.
THE LION'S HEAD AND THE BROKEN PATH
This challenge took place in the same room as the Lion's Head and the Lasers. The crucial difference was that the floor had been replaced with a precarious, narrow path over a pit, which had to be crossed in order to reach the exit. This challenge appeared to test teams on level one, in very much the same vein as the scorpion, the slithering snakes and other such minor menaces. And it sounds like simplicity itself, doesn't it? Guide the dungeoneer along the path using clear, simple instructions, and make it to the exit in one piece. However, it really wasn't that simple at all.

I think this challenge was remarkably hard for level one. For all that it looked easy, it really wasn't! Stepping from the first section of the path to the second was simple enough, as it merely involved a sidestep to the left. However, the third section of the path was almost impossible to reach, being placed diagonally at right angles to the left of the end of the second section. Successful attempts to complete this difficult manoeuver would involve having the dungeoneer teetering precariously over the pit for several agonising seconds as the advisors tried to explain that the left foot needed to be placed outwards to the left at an angle, before the right foot followed in the same way. Most teams found this very difficult to explain to the dungeoneer, and overcomplicated explanations from advisors often led to confusion and complication of this seemingly simple step to the left.

The puzzle went back to basics when presenting the challenge of stepping onto the final section of the path, which involved a sidestep to the right and then a straight line towards the door. However, the eerie moaning of skull ghosts approaching and, in some cases, the pathway disappearing behind the dungeoneer as they walked forward served to add to the tension of the awkward situation, which made for some very nerve-wracking scenes in this room, as otherwise competent teams left their dungeoneers teetering on the edge of the pit, completely unable to understand what they were supposed to do, or at least how to relay that information to the dungeoneer.

Having said all that, most teams who attempted this challenge did manage to make it across in the end. The nearest miss, I think, was Julie, who spent a long time wobbling precariously over the gap between the second and third sections of the path while one of the advisors tried to explain what to do. The Lion's Head and the Broken Path can claim one victim, however, in the form of James, the fifth dungeoneer of series 3. After completing a very unremarkable level one quest featuring Golgarach, Velda and Mrs. Grimwold (as many level one quests did in series 3), James went blundering forward onto the Broken Path, and took a nasty fall at the precarious part between sections two and three. The advisors completely failed to take into account the fact that a diagonal approach was needed, and sent James sidestepping straight into the pit! Worthy of Simon III at the Block and Tackle, I'd say.

This was not a very memorable challenge, and it has not gained notoriety in Knightmare lore, but I think it's a hidden gem, providing some great scenes and some genuinely tense and exciting moments. Next time you find yourself watching series 3, keep your eyes peeled for the Lion's Head and the Broken Path and see if you agree with me.

Difficulty: 9 Very fiddly, especially for level one.
Killer Instinct: 8 One solid victim, and some near misses.
Gore Factor: 6 A quick fall and it was all over.
Fairness: 4 Should have been a level two challenge.

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This location was seen not only on Knightmare in 1989, but also on the Spanish version, El Rescate Del Talismán, in 1991 (Series 1). On at least one occasion, the floor was broken by a character: he would enter from the far door, use magic to make the hole, then use more magic to create the path. After the character's departure, the dungeoneer would arrive.


In addition, the room was used in France's version of Knightmare, Le Chevalier Du Labyrinthe (as depicted above).

[Earlier version: 2007-12-15 17:44:32]

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