Rick Dangerous | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Developer(s) | Core Design |
Publisher(s) | Firebird Software |
Designer(s) | Simon Phipps |
Platform(s) | Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, SAM Coupé, MS-DOS |
Release | 1989 |
Genre(s) | Platform |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Rick Dangerous is a platform game developed by Core Design for the Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. The game was released in 1989 and published by MicroProse on the Firebird Software label in the UK, and on the MicroPlay label in America. It was also published in Spain by Erbe Software. Later, it was released with two other games, Stunt Car Racer and MicroProse Soccer , on the Commodore 64 Powerplay 64 cartridge. The game was followed by a sequel, Rick Dangerous 2 , in 1990. Loosely based on the Indiana Jones film franchise, the game received mixed reviews from critics.
The plot of Rick Dangerous is largely based on the Indiana Jones film Raiders of the Lost Ark . Set in 1945, British agent Rick Dangerous travels to the Amazon jungle to search for the lost Goolu tribe. His plane crashes in the jungle, and Rick must escape from the enraged Goolu. When the game starts Rick finds himself in a cave running from a rolling boulder, a famous scene from the Indiana Jones film.
Armed with a pistol and dynamite, Rick must fight hostiles and evade traps in three more levels. The second level of the game is set inside a pyramid located in Egypt. In the third level, Rick must venture to the Nazi stronghold of Schwarzendumpf castle to rescue captured Allied soldiers. The rescued soldiers tell him that the Nazis are planning a missile attack on London. Therefore, in the last level, Rick must infiltrate their secret missile base.
Rick can jump and climb, as well as carry a limited amount of dynamite and ammunition for his gun. This gun is Rick's primary means of disposing of enemies. Most traps throughout the game that can kill Rick can also kill his enemies, which can be to the player's advantage. The dynamite sticks that Rick carries are generally used for solving puzzles, such as through exploding certain blocks (some of them fly towards the explosion, potentially killing Rick in the backfire). Rick is also armed with a pogo stick that allows him to paralyze enemies.
Many of the traps in Rick Dangerous have no visible warning, which means that a player's initial progress through the game may consist of trial and error. This was criticized by some reviewers.
Publication | Score |
---|---|
The One for Amiga Games | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Amiga Format | 89% (Amiga) [2] |
ACE | 890/1000 (Amiga)![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The One for 16-bit Games | 88% (Amiga) [4] 88% (ST) [4] |
Computer and Video Games | 87% (Spectrum) [5] 87% (Amiga) [5] 87% (C64) [5] 87% (ST) [5] |
Sinclair User | 85% (Spectrum) [6] 84 (Spectrum, re-release) [7] 79% (Spectrum) [8] |
CU Amiga-64 | 84% (C64) [9] |
Amstrad Action | 83% (Amstrad) [10] |
Crash | 81% (Spectrum) [11] 76% (Spectrum) [12] |
Your Sinclair | 78% (Spectrum) [13] 70% (Spectrum re-release) [14] |
The Games Machine | 76% (Amstrad) [15] 81% (C64) [15] 78% (Spectrum) [15] |
Zzap!64 | 73% (C64) [16] |
Amiga Power | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 17% (Amiga, re-release) [18] |
Your Sinclair awarded Rick Dangerous with a 78% rating, [13] while Computer and Video Games gave the Spectrum game an 87%, plus a "C+VG Hit" award, saying that it was "an excellent platform game ..." [5]
The C64 version received an 84% from CU Amiga-64 [9] and a 73% from Zzap!64 . Zzap!64 pointed out that the game was a playable and fun platform-style game but not much more than that. [16] The Amstrad version also received the same response getting a 76% from The Games Machine , [15] although the game fared slightly better with Amstrad Action who rated it 83% and awarded it with an "AA Rave" accolade. [10]
ACE gave the Amiga version an 890 rating, [19] and Amiga Format gave an 89%. [2] Amiga Power was highly critical of both games and the reliance on pattern learning. [17] [18]
The Atari ST version received positive reviews; 88% [4] and 87% [5] from The One for 16-bit Games and Computer and Video Games , respectively. The One magazine explained that Rick Dangerous was one of the best 16-bit arcade games at that time. [4]
Game developer David Cage considers Rick Dangerous to be his favourite game. [20]
Dizzy is a series of video games, created by the Oliver Twins and published by Codemasters. It was one of the most successful British video game franchises of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Originally created for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC, the series appeared on multiple home computer and video game console formats, with over a dozen games being published between 1987 and 1992.
Out Run is an arcade driving video game released by Sega in September 1986. It is known for its pioneering hardware and graphics, nonlinear gameplay, a selectable soundtrack with music composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, and the hydraulic motion simulator deluxe arcade cabinet. The goal is to avoid traffic and reach one of five destinations.
Newsfield Publications Ltd was a British magazine publisher during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior is a 1987 video game developed and published by Palace Software for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The game was ported to many other systems and was licensed to Epyx who published it as Death Sword in the United States.
Head Over Heels is an action-adventure game published by Ocean Software in 1987 for several home computers. It uses an isometric engine similar to the Filmation technique first developed by Ultimate Play the Game. Head Over Heels is the second isometric game by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond, after their earlier Batman computer game was released in 1986. The game received favourable reviews and was described by Zzap!64 as an "all time classic".
Atomix is a puzzle video game developed by Günter Krämer and published by Thalion Software, released for the Amiga and other personal computers in late 1990. The object of the game is to assemble molecules from compound atoms by moving the atoms on a two-dimensional playfield.
Aaargh! is a single-player action video game in which the player controls a giant monster with the goal of obtaining eggs by destroying buildings in different cities across a lost island. It was designed for Mastertronic's Arcadia Systems, an arcade machine based on the custom hardware of the Amiga, and was released in 1987. It was ported to a range of other platforms and released on these across 1988 and 1989. Electronic Arts distributed the Amiga version of the game.
Darkman is a video game that was developed by Ocean Software and published by Ocean Software in 1991. It was released for the Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and Atari ST. Darkman had two different games of the same name, one for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the other for Game Boy. The game's plot is loosely based on the film of the same name.
Ranarama is a top-down Gauntlet-like action game developed by Graftgold and published by Hewson Consultants in 1987. It was released for the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum home computers. The title appears to be a pun on rana, a genus of frogs. The game concept is similar to a previous game by Steve Turner for the ZX Spectrum called Quazatron, which was itself inspired by Paradroid, created by Turner's Graftgold colleague Andrew Braybrook.
The Trap Door is a video game published for the ZX Spectrum in 1986 by Piranha Software and ported to the Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 by Five Ways Software. It was written by Don Priestley and based on the British children's television show of the same name.
Total Recall is a 1990 platform game developed and published by Ocean Software that was released for the Commodore 64, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, and Nintendo Entertainment System. Total Recall is based on the 1990 film of the same name.
Dragons of Flame is a video game released in 1989 for various home computer systems and consoles. It is a sequel to Heroes of the Lance.
Highlander is a video game tie-in to the Highlander franchise released in 1986, the same year as the film, published by Ocean Software for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC home computers. Highlander was panned by reviewers.
Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a video game first published in 1988 for various home computers. It was released as Axe of Rage in North America. The game is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior, which was published in 1987. In Barbarian II, the player controls a princess or barbarian character, exploring the game world to locate and defeat an evil wizard. The game's plot is an extension of its predecessor, although the gameplay is different. While the first game offers two players the opportunity for virtual head-to-head combat, the second is a single-player beat 'em up with fewer fighting moves. It uses a flip-screen style instead of scrolling.
Firelord is an action-adventure game written by Stephen Crow and released in 1986 for ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 by Hewson Consultants. The game's opening theme was composed by Ben Daglish.
Thanatos is an action game developed and published by Durell Software in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC.
Switchblade is a 1989 side-scrolling action-platform run and gun video game originally developed by Core Design and published by Gremlin Graphics in Europe for the Atari ST home computers. The first installment in the eponymous two-part series, the game is set in a dystopian future where players assume the role of Hiro from the Blade Knights as he embarks on a journey to defeat Havok, the main antagonist who broke free from his imprisonment after the sacred Fireblade was shattered into several pieces. Its gameplay consists of run and gun action mixed with platforming and exploration elements, with a main single-button configuration.
Friday the 13th: The Computer Game is the first game adaptation based on the films of the same name. It was released in 1986 by Domark for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. The game was released on floppy diskette and cassette tape. The player's goal is to find and kill Jason, while making sure their friends or they themselves are not killed by Jason.
Nosferatu the Vampyre is an action game based on the film of the same name and runs on the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum computers. It was developed by Design Design and published by Piranha Software in 1986.
Pro Tennis Tour is a 1989 sports video game developed by Blue Byte and published by Ubi Soft for the Amiga, Atari ST and MS-DOS. 8-bit ports for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum were released later. Electronic Arts distributed the game in North America. A sequel, Pro Tennis Tour 2, was released in 1991.