Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom

Last updated
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
Tower of Doom sales flyer.png
European arcade flyer
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s) Capcom
Designer(s) Tomoshi Sadamoto
Magigi Fukunishi
George Kamitani
Artist(s) Kinu Nishimura
Writer(s) Alex Jimenez
Composer(s) Isao Abe
Takayuki Iwai
Hideki Okugawa
Series Mystara
Platform(s) Arcade, Sega Saturn
ReleaseArcade
Saturn
  • JP: March 4, 1999
Genre(s) Beat 'em up, role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system CP System II

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, [a] published in 1994, is the first of two arcade games created by Capcom based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game and set in the Mystara campaign setting. [1] It is a side scrolling beat 'em up with some role-playing video game elements for one to four players. The game was also released on the Sega Saturn, packaged with its sequel, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara , under the title Dungeons & Dragons Collection, although the Saturn version limited the gameplay to only two players. In 2013, both games were re-released for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 and Wii U as Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara .

Contents

Gameplay

Tower of Doom is a side-scrolling arcade game featuring four playable characters (cleric, dwarf, elf, fighter) with classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters as opponents. [2] Bosses include a troll that regenerates unless burned, a large black dragon, the dreaded Shadow Elf (Mystara's equivalent of the drow), a beholder, the optional superboss Flamewing (a great wyrm red dragon) and the final boss Deimos (an archlich).

The Fighter (center) in combat with skeletons. Dungeons & Dragons Tower of Doom Arcade Gameplay Screenshot.png
The Fighter (center) in combat with skeletons.

At points in the game the players are presented with a choice of paths to take to continue progress. Each path goes to a different area, and it is impossible to visit every area in a single play. [3]

The gameplay is more technical than the average on beat'em up games. In addition to the usual basic attacks and jumping it includes blocking, strong attacks, turning attacks, dashing attacks, crouching and evading. It also requires the use of careful tactics, as most enemies have the same abilities as the heroes and can out-range them, too.

Daggers, hammers, arrows and burning oils can be used as throwing weapons, and many enemies have similar weapons. Spells can be used by means of magical rings or by the two playable spellcasters (a cleric and an elf).

Characters

Plot

The Republic of Darokin in Mystara is under a terrible siege as the number of monsters and their attacks rise. A group of four adventurers step forth to rescue various areas, then are sent by the merchant lord Corwyn Linton to investigate the attacks, revealed to be masterminded by the Arch Lich Deimos. Eventually the adventurers make their way to Deimos' Tower of Doom and ultimately destroy him.

Development

At the beginning of the 1990s, Capcom acquired the license to create D&D games. As part of the deal, they ported Eye of the Beholder to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Japanese branch of Capcom were having difficulty getting TSR's approval for creating a D&D game, so they turned to Capcom USA to negotiate. [4] Capcom and license-holder TSR met in January 1992 to discuss how the game should be approached. They decided to write the game's story first, and build the game around the story. [5] Most of the staff at Capcom USA were not familiar with D&D rules and lore, so assistant James Goddard turned to D&D enthusiast Alex Jimenez to come up with a concept and make it understandable to a Japanese audience, all the while testing the product. Some of Jimenez's inspirations for the beat em up' style came from Golden Axe , while the multiple paths were based on Thayer's Quest . There was debate between Capcom and SSI on whether to make the game Asian-themed or Western-themed, which Jimenez himself managed to resolve. Jimenez supplied concept art for the characters. One of his biggest difficulties was trying to help the Japanese developers grasp the D&D elements. Originally the game was supposed to have two buttons in the arcade controls, but two more were needed to accommodate the inventory system. [4]

Once the initial game design was complete, Jimenez translated it into an actual Dungeons & Dragons scenario and had his gamers group in San Jose play it, with himself as gamemaster. Capcom of Japan then revised the scenario design based on the players' reactions. [5]

Home releases

Dungeons & Dragons Collection

Dungeons & Dragons Collection is a two-disc compilation of Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara. It was released only in Japan on March 4, 1999, exclusively for the Sega Saturn. The ports have minor differences in gameplay, and there is a maximum of two players instead of the original four. [6] The compilation uses the Saturn's 4MB RAM expansion cartridge. [7] Originally Capcom planned to release Tower of Doom as a standalone title on Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, [8] but cancelled the plan early on. It was initially announced that the collection would be released for both the Saturn and PlayStation, [6] [9] with the PlayStation version due for a U.S. release, [10] but the PlayStation version was shelved in early 1998 so that Capcom could focus on other projects. [11]

In 1999, GameSpot's James Mielke criticized the loading times as "horrendous", with mid-level battles occasionally pausing to let data stream in, and "as a very basic scrolling hacker", he called it simply "OK" and average. [12] In 2005, IGN picked the Dungeons & Dragons Collection as one of the top ten co-op games. [13] Retro Gamer included it on their list of ten essential Saturn imports, praising its "stunning animation thanks to using the 4MB ram pack" and opining that while it suffers from lengthy loading times, they called it the best scrolling fighter game on the system, and felt to be superior to Taito's PuLiRuLa and Capcom's own Dynasty Warriors (the Retro Gamer team were confusing Dynasty Warriors with Dynasty Wars ). [14] In 2023, Time Extension included the collection on their top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time" list. [15]

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara

Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara were released as part of the Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara compilation for the Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows in the summer of 2013. [16]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom on their March 1, 1994 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles like Raiden II and Fatal Fury Special . [17] In North America, RePlay reported Tower of Doom as the most-popular arcade game at the time. [18] Play Meter also listed Tower of Doom as the fourteenth most-popular arcade game at the time. [19] The game received a rave review from GamePro , who commented that the game's action is not as fast as it could be, but rather furious, smoothly controlled, and intuitive. They also praised the game's length, complexity, and non-linear nature, and its faithful recreation of Dungeons & Dragons elements. [20]

According to GameSpy's Allen Rausch, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom was "equally good, though not as well remembered" as other " Final Fight -style beat-'em-ups at the arcade" like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons . Rausch felt that combat was fun and had more depth, and "came loaded with secrets to find and treasures to swipe" and that after the players beat the game's seven levels, they find that the game's ultimate bad guy was actually just the pawn of an even bigger bad guy. [21]

Sequel

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ダンジョンズ&ドラゴンズ タワーオブドゥーム, Hepburn: Danjonzu & Doragonzu Tawā obu Dūmu

Related Research Articles

<i>Mystara</i> Dungeons & Dragons fictional campaign setting

Mystara is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. It was the default setting for the "Basic" version of the game throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Most adventures published for the "Basic" edition of D&D take place in "The Known World", a central continent that includes a varied patchwork of both human and non-human realms. The human realms are based on various real-world historical cultures. In addition, unlike other D&D settings, Mystara had ascended immortal beings instead of gods.

Hack and slash, also known as hack and slay or slash 'em up, refers to a type of gameplay that emphasizes combat with melee-based weapons. They may also feature projectile-based weapons as well as secondary weapons. It is a sub-genre of beat 'em up games, which focuses on melee combat, usually with swords. Third-person hack and slash games are also sometimes known as character action games and spectacle fighters.

<i>X-Men vs. Street Fighter</i> 1996 video game

X-Men vs. Street Fighter is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is Capcom's third fighting game to feature Marvel Comics characters, following X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes, and is the first installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. As the title suggests, the game includes characters from Marvel's X-Men franchise and the cast from Capcom's Street Fighter series. Originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1996, it was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1997 and the PlayStation in 1998. The original arcade version is included in the game lineup for Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics, released for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2024.

<i>Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter</i> 1997 video game

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is a 1997 crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996) and the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. After its release on arcades, it received ports to the Sega Saturn in 1998 and the PlayStation in 1999.

<i>Street Fighter Alpha 2</i> 1996 video game

Street Fighter Alpha 2, known as Street Fighter Zero 2 in Japan, Asia, South America, and Oceania, is a 1996 fighting game originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware by Capcom. The game is a remake of the previous year's Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams and features a number of improvements, such as new attacks, stages, endings, and gameplay features. It was ported to the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and Super Nintendo home consoles globally in 1996, and later a Windows port. It was followed by Street Fighter Alpha 3 in 1998.

<i>Final Fight Revenge</i> 1999 video game

Final Fight Revenge is a 1999 3D fighting game released by Capcom, and the only one-on-one fighting game in the Final Fight series of beat 'em up games. Originally developed and released for the ST-V arcade hardware, a home version was released for the Sega Saturn in 2000 in Japan only. The cast of playable characters in Final Fight Revenge includes series mainstays Mike Haggar, Cody and Guy, along with various members of the opposing Mad Gear gang.

<i>X-Men: Children of the Atom</i> (video game) 1994 video game

X-Men: Children of the Atom is a 1994 fighting game developed and published by Capcom and released on the CP System II arcade hardware. It was released in December 1994 in Japan and in January 1995 in North America and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owlbear</span> Fictional monster from Dungeons & Dragons

An owlbear is a fictional creature originally created for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. An owlbear is depicted as a cross between a bear and an owl, which "hugs" like a bear and attacks with its beak. Inspired by a plastic toy made in Hong Kong, Gary Gygax created the owlbear and introduced the creature to the game in the 1975 Greyhawk supplement; the creature has since appeared in every subsequent edition of the game. Owlbears, or similar beasts, also appear in several other fantasy role-playing games, video games and other media.

<i>Marvel Super Heroes</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Marvel Super Heroes is a 1995 fighting game developed and published by Capcom. Originally released in the arcade on the CPS-2 arcade system, it was ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in late 1997. The game, alongside Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, was also included in the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection, released digitally for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QSound</span> Sound processing algorithm

QSound is the original name for a positional three-dimensional (3D) sound processing algorithm from QSound Labs that creates 3D audio effects from multiple monophonic sources and sums the outputs to two channels for presentation over regular stereo speakers. QSound was eventually re-dubbed "Q1" after the introduction of "Q2", a positional 3D algorithm for headphones. When multi-speaker surround system support was later added to the positional 3D process, the QSound positional 3D audio process became known simply as "Q3D". QSound was founded by Larry Ryckman (CEO), Danny Lowe and John Lees. Jimmy Iovine served as senior vice president of music and Shelly Yakus as vice president of audio engineering in its formative years.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara</i> 1996 arcade game

Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara is an arcade game developed and published by Capcom in 1996 as a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom. The game is set in the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting of Mystara.

<i>Capcom Classics Collection</i> 2005 video game

Capcom Classics Collection is a compilation of arcade games released by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on September 27, 2005 in North America and in 2006 in Japan. It was developed by Digital Eclipse Software, Sensory Sweep, and its Japanese developer Klein Computer Entertainment. A second volume, Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2, was released on November 14, 2006 in North America, for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The second volume as well as the Xbox version of the first volume were not released in Japan.

A beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, while a number of modern games feature more open three-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. The gameplay tends to follow arcade genre conventions, such as being simple to learn but difficult to master, and the combat system tends to be more highly developed than other side-scrolling action games. Two-player cooperative gameplay and multiple player characters are also hallmarks of the genre. Most of these games take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical, science fiction or fantasy themes.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun</i> 1992 video game

Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun is a role-playing video game developed for the Sega Genesis in 1992 by Westwood Associates. The game tells the story of a party of adventurers who have been transported to an unknown world and must survive against its hostile inhabitants while learning about their new home and seeking allies. It is based on the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) game rules, and uses creatures and themes from the D&D Hollow World campaign setting, such as Blacklore elves, the Azcans, beastmen, Malpheggi lizardmen, and dinosaurs.

<i>Darkstalkers 3</i> 1997 video game

Darkstalkers 3 is a 1997 fighting game by Capcom, originally released on the CP System II arcade system as Vampire Savior. The third and final title in the Darkstalkers series following 1995's Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge, its story centers around a demonic nobleman from Makai named Jedah Dohma, who creates a pocket dimension named Majigen where he tries to bring in souls to help nourish his new world. It was critically and commercially well-received.

<i>The Punisher</i> (1993 video game) 1993 arcade game

The Punisher is a 1993 beat 'em up arcade game developed and released by Capcom. It stars the Marvel Comics' antihero the Punisher and co-stars S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury as the second player's character as they embark on a mission to kill the crime lord the Kingpin and bring down his organization. While following the same general formula as Capcom's previous beat 'em ups, the game has a range of usable weapons and a comics-style presentation.

<i>The King of Dragons</i> 1991 video game

The King of Dragons is a 1991 beat 'em up game developed and published by Capcom for arcades. It follows players as they control characters through the kingdom of Malus to defeat monsters led by the dragon Gildiss. It features a level advancement system, allowing character attributes to be upgraded as players progress through the game. The game's music was composed by Yoko Shimomura.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara</i> 2013 video game compilation

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is a 2013 video game compilation by Capcom released as a digital download for the PlayStation 3, Wii U, Windows, and Xbox 360. It includes two arcade games based on the Dungeons & Dragons franchise: Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (1994) and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara (1996).

<i>Dark Seal</i> Data East arcade games

Dark Seal (ダークシール) and Dark Seal II are isometric role-playing beat-'em-up video games released for arcade by Data East in 1990 and 1992 respectively. The first game was localized in English under the title Gate of Doom and the second one as Wizard Fire.

References

  1. ↑ "Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom". The International Arcade Museum. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
  2. ↑ Tresca, Michael J. (2010), The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games, McFarland, p. 144, ISBN   978-0786458950
  3. ↑ "D and D Tower of Doom by Capcom". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 54. EGM Media, LLC. January 1994. p.  78.
  4. 1 2 Damien McFerran (2013-03-25). "The Making of Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom & Shadow Over Mystara". Nintendo Life . Retrieved 2019-03-17.
  5. 1 2 Indill the Incredible (May 1994). "One-on-one with D&D's Real Dungeon Master". GamePro . No. 58. IDG. p.  122.
  6. 1 2 "Dungeons & Dragons Collection: Elves, Dwarves, Clerics and Knights". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 97. Ziff Davis. August 1997. p. 94.
  7. ↑ "Official: 4MB Cart Is Go!". Sega Saturn Magazine . No. 27. Emap International Limited. January 1998. p. 7.
  8. ↑ "Next Wave - Tower of Doom" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 80. Sendai Publishing. March 1996. p. 99.
  9. ↑ Ogasawara, Ken (July 1997). "Tokyo Game Show '97". GamePro . No. 106. IDG. pp. 32–33.
  10. ↑ "Dungeons & Dragons Collection". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 104. Ziff Davis. March 1998. p. 48.
  11. ↑ "Saturn Gets Resident Evil 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 105. Ziff Davis. April 1998. p. 26.
  12. ↑ Mielke, James (17 March 1999). "Dungeons & Dragons Collection Review for Saturn". GameSpot . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 1 May 2004. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  13. ↑ IGN Staff. "Game Help Editors' Picks Co-Op Games". IGN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
  14. ↑ "Top Ten Essential Saturn Imports". Retrogamer.net. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2015-04-05.
  15. ↑ Banks, George (14 February 2023). "Best Beat 'Em Ups Of All Time". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  16. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (2013-03-22). "Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons collection confirmed". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  17. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 467. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 March 1994. p. 29.
  18. ↑ "Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software". RePlay. Vol. 19, no. 8. RePlay Publishing, Inc. May 1994. p. 4.
  19. ↑ "Equipment Poll - Video & Pinball Combined". Play Meter . Vol. 20, no. 7. Skybird Publishing. June 1994. p. 10.
  20. ↑ Indill the Incredible (April 1994). "Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom". GamePro . No. 57. IDG. pp.  122–123.
  21. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-17). "A History of D&D Video Games - Part III". Game Spy. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.