Rick Dangerous

Infobox VG| title = Rick Dangerous


developer = Core Design
publisher = Rainbird Software
designer =
engine =
released = 1989
genre = Platform game
modes = Single player
ratings = N/A
platforms = Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, DOS
media = floppy disk, Cassette, Cartridge
requirements = PC: CGA, EGA, 16-color VGA (2nd game only)
input =

"Rick Dangerous" is a series of two platform games released by Core Design (the makers of "Tomb Raider") in the 1980s.

Rick Dangerous

"Rick Dangerous" is a platform game developed by Core Design for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and DOS based PCs. It 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.

tory

It is largely based upon 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 countless traps in three more levels. The second level is set inside a pyramid in Egypt. In level three, 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, and carry a limited amount of bombs and ammunition for his gun. The gun is mostly used to shoot enemies (although most traps that can kill Rick can also kill his enemies if used correctly); the bombs are generally used for puzzle solving, such as blowing out certain blocks (of course, 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 with split-second timing.

Ending

Rick returns to London after completing the last mission, and we learn that it is under attack by aliens.

Rick Dangerous 2

Infobox VG| title = Rick Dangerous II


developer = Core Design
publisher = Micro Style
designer =
engine =
released = 1990
genre = Platform game
modes = Single player
ratings = N/A
platforms = Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC ZX Spectrum, DOS
media =
requirements =
input =

"Rick Dangerous 2" is a platform game developed by Core Design for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and DOS based PCs. It was released in 1990 and published by Micro Style.

tory

At the very end of "Rick Dangerous 1", we learn that an alien invasion is imminent. As "Rick Dangerous 2" starts, UFOs land in London. The image shift in the character of Rick Dangerous is evident from the start: the coat is nowhere to be found and the Indiana Jones-style hat from the previous episode is almost symbolically blown off by a laser beam coming from one of the spaceships in the introduction sequence. One UFO lands in Hyde Park, and Rick goes there to settle the score.

Gameplay

There are a number of changes to the gameplay that make the "Rick Dangerous 2" more complex and more challenging than its predecessor. For a start, Rick is now armed with a laser gun and bombs that can not only be placed but slid, making way for strategic bomb-placement. The pogo stick is replaced by a punch attack. Rick can also employ a special flying vehicle in a few parts of the game, which allows for fast movement but this may also become a danger factor.

Also, while there is a linear story to the game, the first four levels may be played in any order. Completing these four levels (Hyde Park, ice caverns on the planet Freezia, the deep forest of Vegetablia and the "atomic mud mines") unlocks the fifth and final level, the Fat Guy's Headquarters, which ends in a boss fight. This level can then be played as often as desired (at least until the player quits the game), but the endgame movie only plays if the player completes all "five" levels in order.

Unclosed ending

The very end of "Rick Dangerous 2" did not complete the story. The game finished with a sort of a cliffhanger, with the Fat Guy escaping at the final moment through a teleporter device, and Rick following him with the familiar captions "What will Rick do next?". Though this may have hinted another sequel to the story, "Rick Dangerous 3" was never made. Many of the ideas were to be re-used in a SNES game called "Danger Dan" which was also unfinished. Both games were re-released on the budget label Kixx.

Critical response

Both games were highly received in most magazines; for example, "Amstrad Action" gave "Rick Dangerous 2" a 97% rating. [ Waring, Adam. "Amstrad Action", issue 62, November 1990] However, "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." [Wynne, Stuart & Hogg, Robin. "Zzap!64", issue 52, August 1989, p 12] Amiga Power were highly critical of both games and the reliance on pattern learning.

Initial reaction

"Your Sinclair" gave 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.", [Ryan, Jackie. "Your Sinclair", issue 43, July 1989] 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..." [Rignall, Julian. "Computer and Video Games", issue 93, July 1989, p 80,81]

The C64 version met with lukewarm reviews; an 84% from "CU Amiga-64" [Dillon, Tony. "CU Amiga-64", June 1989, p 33] and a 73% from "Zzap!64". "Zzap!64" pointing out that the game was "A playable and fun platform-style game but not much more than that." [Wynne, Stuart & Hogg, Robin. "Zzap!64", issue 52, August 1989, p 12]

The Amstrad version also received the same response getting a 76% from "The Games Machine", [Lapworth, Warren. "The Games Machine", issue 20, July 1989, p 44] although the game fared slightly better with "Amstrad Action" who rated it 83% and awarded it with an 'AA Rave' accolade. [Broadley, Emma. "Amstrad Action", issue 48, August 1989, p 47]

Amiga reviews were generally positive, "ACE" giving a 890 rating [Lacey, Eugene. "ACE", issue 25, October 1989, p 44] and "Amiga Format" giving an 89%. [Smith, Andy. "Amiga Format", issue 2, September 1989, p 37] As with the Amiga, the Atari ST version received positive reviews; 88% [Nesbitt, Brian. "The One for 16-bit Games", issue 9, June 1989, p 66,67,68] and 87% [Rignall, Julian. "Computer and Video Games", issue 93, July 1989, p 80,81] from "The One for 16-bit Games" and "Computer and Video Games" respectively. "The One" magazine explaining that "Rick Dangerous rates as one of the most enjoyable 16-bit arcade games in a long time." [Nesbitt, Brian. "The One for 16-bit Games", issue 9, June 1989, p 66,67,68]

equel response

The ZX Spectrum version fared well amongst its respective magazines. "CRASH" awarded the sequel game a 'CRASH Smash' accolade with 90% in their issue 82. "A number one platform game returns with smashingly equal results." [ Caswell, Mark. "CRASH", issue 82, November 1990] While "Your Sinclair" also gave the game a 90 rating, stating "More explore-and-collect frolics, but a whole lot better than the original. " 90 rating. [ Davies, Jonathan. "Your Sinclair", issue 59, November 1990]

"Amstrad Action", as mentioned above, gave the highest rating of the lot for the Amstrad version, and the highest rated game in "AA" history at the time, with a 97% rating and a 'MasterGame' award. [ Waring, Adam. "Amstrad Action", issue 62, November 1990] "Computer and Video Games" also gave the CPC version a high rating of 90%. [ "Computer and Video Games", issue 110, January 1991, p 95.]

"Zzap!64" reviewed the C64 version in issue 67 and gave it a 75%, [ King, Phil. & Lapworth, Warren. "Zzap!64", issue 67, November 1990] "ACE"(Advanced Computer Entertainment magazine) awarded the same C64 game an 889 (out of a possible 1000) overall rating. [ "ACE (Advanced Computer Entertainment Magazine)", issue 40, January 1991, p 115]

The Amiga game scored highly as well. "CU Amiga" gave an 89% rating and a 'CU Screen Star' award in their November 1990 issue. [ Heley, Mark. "CU Amiga", issue 67, November 1990, p 36.] "Amiga Format" awarded the Amiga game their 'Gold' award with a 92% rating. [Evans, Maff. "Amiga Format". issue 16, November 1990, p 82-83]

Atari ST reviews were also positive; "The One" gave the game an overall rating 90%. [Whitta, Gary. "The One". issue 25, October 1990, p 51-52] while "Zero" magazine gave an overall 84% rating in their October 1990 review. [Wilson, David. "Zero". issue 12, October 1990, p 57]

References

External links

* [http://www.rickdangerous.co.uk/ Rick Dangerous fan site]
* [http://www.birdsanctuary.co.uk/rickd/i.php Screenshots from Rick Dangerous]
* [http://www.flashback-aw.net/games.php?GameID=57 Short review of Rick Dangerous]
*moby game|id=/rick-dangerous|name="Rick Dangerous"
*moby game|id=/rick-dangerous-ii|name="Rick Dangerous 2"
*WoS game|id=0004135|name=Rick Dangerous
*WoS game|id=0004137|name=Rick Dangerous 2
* [http://www.angusm.demon.co.uk/AGDB/DBM1/RickD2.html AGDB review of Rick Dangerous 2]
* [http://www.bigorno.net/xrick/ xrick] - open-source clone of Rick Dangerous for Linux/Windows/etc.
* [http://rickdangerousflash.free.fr/ Flash version of Rick Dangerous]
* [http://www.magic-productions.fr/games_details.php?game_id=10 Rick Dangerous mobile at Magic Productions]