<s>
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
TX	O
Digital	O
Illusions	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Strategic	O
Simulations	O
for	O
the	O
Apple	B-Device
II	I-Device
,	O
Commodore	O
64	O
and	O
DOS	B-Device
computers	O
in	O
1986	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
tells	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
adventurers	O
hired	O
to	O
retrieve	O
the	O
titular	O
magical	O
item	O
stolen	O
by	O
a	O
power-hungry	O
evil	O
witch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
generally	O
well	O
received	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
and	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
a	O
sequel	O
titled	O
Demon	B-Device
's	I-Device
Winter	I-Device
in	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
's	O
party	O
in	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
can	O
be	O
made	O
up	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
two	O
human	O
,	O
dwarf	O
,	O
elf	B-Application
,	O
troll	O
or	O
gnome	B-Application
adventurers	O
,	O
each	O
of	O
whom	O
can	O
be	O
either	O
a	O
warrior	B-Application
or	O
a	O
wizard	O
(	O
both	O
classes	O
have	O
very	O
different	O
set	O
of	O
traits	O
to	O
assign	O
points	O
to	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
two	O
centuries	O
,	O
a	O
small	O
island	O
of	O
Ymros	O
enjoyed	O
eternal	O
springtime	O
thanks	O
to	O
the	O
enchanted	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
,	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
the	O
long-lost	O
legendary	O
Life	O
Stone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SSI	O
sold	O
11,942	O
copies	O
of	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
QuestBusters	O
,	O
"	O
anyone	O
completely	O
burned	O
out	O
on	O
the	O
'	O
seek	O
and	O
slay	O
 '	O
scenario	O
should	O
look	O
elsewhere	O
,	O
"	O
but	O
"	O
Phantasie	B-Application
fans	O
who	O
found	O
Wizard	B-Device
's	I-Device
Crown	I-Device
too	O
complex	O
will	O
appreciate	O
this	O
one	O
,	O
which	O
combines	O
the	O
best	O
elements	O
of	O
each	O
-	O
easily	O
making	O
it	O
SSI	O
's	O
best	O
game	O
since	O
the	O
original	O
Phantasie.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Scorpia	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
positive	O
review	O
in	O
1986	O
,	O
noting	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
good	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
type	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1993	O
,	O
she	O
called	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
"	O
a	O
typical	O
hack-and-slash	B-Application
romp	O
"	O
but	O
"	O
not	O
bad	O
for	O
its	O
type	O
,	O
and	O
better	O
than	O
some	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
Philippa	O
Irving	O
in	O
Zzap	O
!	O
64	O
criticized	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
"	O
lacklustre	O
"	O
presentation	O
(	O
55%	O
)	O
and	O
"	O
dull	O
"	O
graphics	O
65%	O
,	O
but	O
nevertheless	O
gave	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
a	O
high	O
overall	O
rating	O
of	O
88%	O
,	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
just	O
short	O
of	O
brilliant	O
"	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
"	O
absorbing	O
,	O
tantalizing	O
,	O
and	O
satisfying	O
"	O
playability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tim	O
Bailey	O
reviewed	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
in	O
Space	O
Gamer/Fantasy	O
Gamer	O
commented	O
that	O
"	O
if	O
you	O
have	O
the	O
money	O
to	O
spare	O
,	O
and	O
Ultima	B-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
not	O
available	O
,	O
and	O
you	O
ca	O
n't	O
wait	O
,	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
is	O
a	O
good	O
,	O
but	O
inferior	O
imitation.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1987	O
,	O
Mark	O
Patters	O
of	O
Commodore	O
User	O
gave	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
a	O
rating	O
of	O
6/10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
often	O
compared	O
this	O
game	O
to	O
Ultima	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
Exodus	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
critical	O
retrospective	O
review	O
by	O
John	O
Gorenfeld	O
in	O
Allgame	O
,	O
"	O
unlike	O
Wizard	B-Device
's	I-Device
Crown	I-Device
,	O
SSI	O
's	O
RPG	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
has	O
none	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
characteristic	O
war	O
game	O
detail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
fact	O
,	O
it	O
feels	O
like	O
a	O
low-rent	O
version	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
latter	O
's	O
simple	O
tactical	O
combat	O
,	O
but	O
less	O
atmosphere.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
follow-up	O
to	O
Shard	B-Application
of	I-Application
Spring	I-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
the	O
same	O
team	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
SSI	O
in	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
