Willow Pattern

About

Willow Pattern is a side-scrolling action game set in a feudal China-inspired world. You control Chang, a determined clerk trying to enter the Mandarin’s palace to rescue the princess from an arranged marriage. The gameplay revolves around navigating treacherous environments, dodging guards, and using precise jumps to reach key areas. The Commodore 64 title emphasizes speed and reflexes with its tight control scheme, though the pixelated graphics and minimal dialogue rely on context clues to tell the story. The game’s blend of urgency and platforming challenges earned moderate praise among retro gaming circles. While not the most technically advanced of its era, its relentless pacing and clever stage design kept it memorable. Some players appreciate the narrative’s boldness for 1985, its focus on a protagonist defying social norms is quietly progressive by modern standards. Others note the difficulty curve can be abrupt, but this only adds to its enduring appeal for fans of old-school arcade precision.