This graphic adventure takes place before the events in Tír na Nòg. You control Cúchulainn the Great and you must find your faithful charioteer Loeg, who has been kidnapped by the sorceress Skar. Roaming through the streets of Dun Darach city, you’ll encounter many people (among whom there are many thieves) who might help you to find Loeg. Dun Darach is a strange and complex game, with many puzzles to solve, and many shops and streets to explore. The graphics are good and detailed, but the sounds are reduced to an annoying beep. You can save and restore games, and you should, because it’s too easy to be robbed of all your money, and money is essential in this game. Without that flaw, it would have been a really great game.
See also: Tír na Nòg.
The Demon Lord has fallen in the final part of the Middle-earth trilogy, but the danger is not over. If you want to reap the rewards of your hard work in the previous instalment, you’ll need to raid the treasure-filled dungeons before your competition, including all sorts of creatures, beat you to it. Like its predecessors, Dungeon Adventure won’t win many points for originality, but the execution is well done; strong descriptions and response times make slipping back into the world almost second nature. There is also a version available with graphics on the Jewels of Darkness compilation; the graphics add to the experience, but there is a very noticeable drop in speed, and there are also a few minor mapping differences. A good finale to the series but thanks to some slightly more creative approach to problem solving, it’s perhaps a little less satisfying than the earlier games.
See also: Adventure Quest, Colossal Adventure.
Dungeons, Amethysts, Alchemists ’n’ Everythin’
(Atlantis, 1987)
This text adventure was created using GAC, and the author makes fun of the program a few times. In fact, he makes fun of the entire adventure scene in general, with some highly amusing room descriptions! Even the plot is reminiscent of a typical adventure; the kingdom has been plunged into chaos, and you’ve got to find an amethyst and give it to the alchemist – but you have to escape from the dungeon first. It’s really easy to complete and is therefore suitable for beginners, but it’s certainly not suitable for people who are offended by sexual innuendos – there are quite a few of them throughout the game.
Dustin is confined in a maximum security prison, located on an island. This is no surprise, as he is a master at escaping from jail. Your first goal is to get outside the prison walls, then you’ll have to make your way through the jungle to the beach, where you’ll find a boat. Since the game is an arcade adventure, you’ll have to make use of several objects. These can be obtained either by trading with other convicts or by knocking down the prison guards, although as soon as you attack any of them, things will get more complicated. Dustin has quite good graphics, average sound and well balanced gameplay. It’s neither too difficult nor too easy to figure out what objects you need, and the arcade elements are quite enjoyable.
Watch YouTube videos of this game by:
jgonza,
Metr81,
Retro Danuart.
Dwarf
(SoftHawk, 1987)
You are a dwarf trapped in a set of dungeons, and must find a way out of each one by pulling a lever – but which one? Opening treasure chests reveals which direction the correct lever is to be found, but even then, you may need to use a little guesswork. Fortunately, the position of the correct levers in each dungeon is the same every time you play this rather mediocre platform game. While the graphics are lovely, the scrolling and animation are very jerky. Unusually for a platform game, there are no moving enemies, although there are plenty of other hazards which will deplete your energy or cause you to lose a life. Furthermore, jumping on to other platforms sometimes requires annoyingly precise positioning. Fans of platform games won’t like this one.
Dynamic Duo
(Firebird, 1988)
Dwarf and Duck are trapped in the Night House and must escape from it by finding ten pieces of a key that will unlock the door to the Calculation Room – although what is in there is a mystery to me. Dwarf and Duck can move independently or combine to form a single unit. Duck can fly fast, but Dwarf is the only one who can open the chests containing the keys. There are also one or more ‘chasers’ who move around the house and must be avoided, otherwise the game ends. Regrettably, this attempt at borrowing an innovative idea from another very well known game just doesn’t work in practice. The graphics are delightful and the music is amazing, but the controls are awkward and the gameplay is dull. It’s also advisable to change the difficulty settings once the game loads; the default settings make the game extremely difficult.
Evil Dr Blitzen has stolen some top secret documents and hidden them in a giant safe, and it’s up to Dynamite Dan to collect enough sticks of dynamite to blow the safe door open, get the documents and win the game. It sounds so simple until you realise the sticks of dynamite are scattered throughout a vast and impossibly hard playing area! Weird and wonderful bad guys are everywhere; jumps have to be timed to perfection; more than once you’ll see a stick of dynamite and think, “How do I get that?” But it doesn’t matter, because Dynamite Dan is lots of fun! The graphics are simple but charming, and the music is some of the best in any CPC game ever – the title screen tune will be in your head for days! Better than its sequel, the game is let down only in its difficulty, but you’ll still keep coming back for another go!
See also: Dynamite Dan II.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
Amstrad CPC World.
Evil Dr Blitzen is at it again, folks! His latest plan for world domination is to destroy the youth of the world by planting subliminal sound waves in their pop records! Only one man can save them – Dynamite Dan! Unlike the first game – which was just one big world – Dynamite Dan II has our hero scouring the eight islands of Blitzen’s HQ, in each one looking for a record which contains part of a secret code, a jukebox to play the record in, and fuel for his trusty blimp. When he’s got all eight parts of the code, he can move on to Dr Blitzen’s secret base and destroy it. Like the first Dynamite Dan, the difficulty is mercilessly high with baddies floating everywhere at random, and while the graphics are slightly better, the music is disappointing, and it’s not quite as much fun as the original. Still, it’s pretty good.
See also: Dynamite Dan.
Little Lucy is happily playing with her pet ducks, when she is suddenly kidnapped by the evil Achacha the Great and taken to Achacha World. Bin, the diminutive duck, follows them in an attempt to rescue her, where upon his arrival he is confronted by weird baddies such as Sumo Pigs, Snappy Dogs, Boxing Crocodiles and Rollerskating Cats. Bin can deliver ‘dynamite’ punches that vary in strength, and can also use weapons that are strewn across the landscape. Bog-standard platforming action with a variety of end-of-level bosses that need to be defeated ending the final confrontation with Achacha itself. Sadly no music is present – just appropriate sound effects. Pretty graphics, but in a slightly small game window.
Watch YouTube videos of this game by:
ChinnyVision,
Xyphoe.
Dynamix
(Mastertronic, 1989)
Here’s a little puzzle game that relies quite heavily on luck, as well as skill. A machine consisting of two columns has to be calibrated so that the platforms in each column are aligned with each other. In the right-hand column, metal balls are fired down the column, pushing the platforms out of alignment. You must do the same thing in the left-hand column, and realign the platforms before your time runs out. Five different sizes of metal ball are used, so you have to think quickly and decide which sizes of ball to use. The graphics are OK and there are very few sound effects, but each level is essentially the same, except with a smaller time limit – you’ll probably lose interest after a few goes.
Watch a YouTube video of this game by:
ChinnyVision.