Rick Dangerous

Rick Dangerous

Cover art of Rick Dangerous
Developer(s) Core Design
Publisher(s) Rainbird Software
Platform(s) Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, DOS
Release date(s) 1989
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Rick Dangerous is a series of two platform games released by Core Design (who would later make Tomb Raider) in the 1980s.

Rick Dangerous was developed by Core Design for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and DOS based PCs. The game was released in 1989 and published by Rainbird Software in Europe and the rest of the world, and on the MicroPlay label (part of MicroProse) in America. Later, it was released with two other games, Stunt Car Racer and Microprose Soccer, on the Commodore 64 Powerplay 64 cartridge. The game was later followed by a sequel, Rick Dangerous 2, which was released in 1990.

Plot

The plot of Rick Dangerous is largely based on the Indiana Jones movie 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 movie.

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.

Gameplay

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.

Unusually, 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.

Reception

Rick Dangerous 1 received mixed reviews in magazines; Zzap!64 only gave Rick Dangerous 1 & 2 a 73% and 75% overall rating respectively, pointing out that the first game was "A playable and fun platform-style game but not much more than that."[1] Amiga Power was highly critical of both games and the reliance on pattern learning.

Initial reaction

Your Sinclair awarded Rick Dangerous with a 78 rating, stating that the game was "A trekkin' good arcade adventure. Simple but tricky, with that vital just-one-more-go element.",[2] 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 ..."[3]

The C64 version met with lukewarm reviews; an 84% from CU Amiga-64[4] 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."[5]

The Amstrad version also received the same response getting a 76% from The Games Machine,[6] although the game fared slightly better with Amstrad Action who rated it 83% and awarded it with an "AA Rave" accolade.[7]

Amiga reviews were generally positive, ACE giving an 890 rating[8] and Amiga Format giving an 89%.[9]

As with the Amiga, the Atari ST version received positive reviews; 88%[10] and 87%[11] from The One for 16-bit Games and Computer and Video Games, respectively. The One magazine explained that "Rick Dangerous rates as one of the most enjoyable 16-bit arcade games in a long time."[12]

References

  1. ↑ Wynne, Stuart & Hogg, Robin. Zzap!64, issue 52, August 1989, p 12
  2. ↑ Ryan, Jackie. Your Sinclair, issue 43, July 1989
  3. ↑ Rignall, Julian. Computer and Video Games, issue 93, July 1989, p 80,81
  4. ↑ Dillon, Tony. CU Amiga-64, June 1989, p 33
  5. ↑ Wynne, Stuart & Hogg, Robin. Zzap!64, issue 52, August 1989, p 12
  6. ↑ Lapworth, Warren. The Games Machine, issue 20, July 1989, p 44
  7. ↑ Broadley, Emma. Amstrad Action, issue 48, August 1989, p 47
  8. ↑ Lacey, Eugene. ACE, issue 25, October 1989, p 44
  9. ↑ Smith, Andy. Amiga Format, issue 2, September 1989, p 37
  10. ↑ Nesbitt, Brian. The One for 16-bit Games, issue 9, June 1989, p 66-68
  11. ↑ Rignall, Julian. Computer and Video Games, issue 93, July 1989, p 80-81
  12. ↑ Nesbitt, Brian. The One for 16-bit Games, issue 9, June 1989, p 66-68
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