Dungeon

Dungeon

Voting	6.75 points, 4 votes
Developer	Michael Gentner
Publisher	Markt & Technik Verlag
Musician	Michael Gentner
HVSC-File	/GAMES/A-F/Dungeon.sid
Release	1989
Platform	C64
Genre	Simulation
Gamemode	Single player 2 players (in turns)
Operation
Media
Language
Information	published in Power Games series by Markt & Technik.

Description[edit | edit source]

Scene of Dungeon (level 1, as warrior).

The game Dungeon is a kind of Pac-Man clone with RPG influences. You control your character in a maze and have to collect all the points while being chased by monsters. You can choose between two classes (warrior and sorcerer) with different special abilities to fight the monsters. Both classes can be played in male and female versions, which only differs cosmetically.

Gameplay[edit | edit source]

You always start in the centre of the maze. Optionally, you can have a preview of the maze shown before each level. The game only starts as soon as you move the joystick. There are a total of eight monsters in a maze, but only a maximum of two are active at any given time. The active monsters try to reach the player. If a monster touches the player, you lose life energy. When you have no more life energy, the game is over. Once you have collected all the points (indicated by a change in the colour of the frame), you still have to return to the centre of the maze.

The labyrinth is randomised to a small degree, has teleport fields and doors. The latter can only be used by the player and some monsters (from level 2). In addition, there are always some treasure chests that give a little life energy as well as an ammunition unit for one of the special abilities. Up to 9 ammunition units can be collected per special ability.

After each normal level there is a bonus level where there are no monsters or points. Instead, the five letters B, O, N, U and S are distributed in random places. You have to collect them in this order within a time limit, which gives you lots of extra points. The bonus level is over when all five letters have been collected, a wrong letter has been collected or the time is up.

Design[edit | edit source]

Start of the level...

Scene of the game (level 2, as sorcerer)

Graphics[edit | edit source]

The maze is several screens large, and it is scrolled accordingly. Above the regular screen area (by using frame sprites) the player's name, points, level and as bars the life energy (or in the bonus level the remaining time) are displayed. Below the regular screen area you can see the selected ability and the corresponding ammunition.

Sound[edit | edit source]

You can choose in the start menu whether the game music or sound effects are played. Unfortunately there is only one piece of music.

Settings[edit | edit source]

In the start menu you can choose the player name (which is recommended because this name is automatically used for the Highscore list). Besides the class and gender (warrior, female warrior, sorcerer, sorceress) you can choose one of three difficulty levels, whether you prefer music or sound effects, as well as whether you want to see a maze preview before each level.

The chosen difficulty level influences the initial life energy, the number of teleport fields and the number of treasure chests.

Equipment[edit | edit source]

The highscore list is saved on floppy disk and is therefore persistent.

Hints[edit | edit source]

Controls[edit | edit source]

In the start menu, select and choose the settings with the joystick. The game is then started with the space bar .

The character is controlled with the joystick. The fire button activates the currently selected special ability. The special ability is selected with the space bar or alternatively with the keys 1 to 5 .

During the game you can pause at any time with the RUN/STOP key.

Player classes[edit | edit source]

Warrior	F. warrior	Sorcerer	Sorceress

Each class can use five skills. Please note: Most of these skills require ammunition that is limited. The skills are the following:

Warrior[edit | edit source]

HID (Hide): When this skill is activated the monsters stop chasing the player. However, they continue moving around in random directions and can still hit the player. This skill doesn't require ammunition and can therefore be used as often and as long as one wishes.
SWO (Sword): With some skill the player can hit the monsters with the sword which paralyses them for a moment. This skill doesn't require ammunition.
PAR (Paralyse): An arrow is shot that can paralyse a monster for a short period of time.
DYN (Dynamite): With this skill the player can remove wall segments. Segments next to doors cannot be removed, though.
KIL (Kill): An arrow is shot that can kill a monster.

Sorcerer[edit | edit source]

TEL (Teleport): The player is teleported to a random place in the maze. Warning: If unlucky he/she can appear directly next to a monster.
DES (Destroy): Destroys a wall segment (same as the warrior's Dynamite).
ICE (Ice ball): An ice ball is shot that can paralyse a monster for a short period of time.
WAL (Wall): A wall segment is created in front of the player. If a monster is in the same space it is killed.
INV (Invulnerability): The player becomes invulnerable for a short period of time.

Monster[edit | edit source]

In total there are eight different types of monsters, of which three types can appear in any dungeon level. The stronger the monster the more life energy the player loses when hit by the monster. Some monster can use doors, some can steal ammunition from the player.


Monster	Dungeon levels	Reduction of life energy when it reaches player	Can use doors	Can steal ammunition
Ghost	1-2	10 life energy	no	no
Worm	1-3	15 life energy	no	no
Assassin	2-4	20 life energy	yes	no
Mutation	3-5	25 life energy	yes	no
Robot	4-6	30 life energy	no	yes
Bug monster	5-7	35 life energy	no	yes
Demon	6-8	40 life energy	yes	yes
Master mind	7-	45 life energy	yes	yes

Points[edit | edit source]

You get points for the following actions:

Collecting a point: 10 points.
Collecting a treasure chest: 100 points
Using a teleport field: 100 points:
Using special abilities:
- Monster hit with sword: 500 points.
- Teleport spell used: 600 points
- Monster hit with paralysis arrow or ice ball: 1,000 points
- Wall blown up with dynamite or destroyed with spell: 1,000 points
- Wall created with spell: 1,000 points
- Invulnerability activated: 1,000 points
- Monster killed with killing arrow or by creating a wall: 5,000 points
Completing a level: 5,000 points
Collecting B, O, N, U and S in the bonus level (in the right order): 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 and 5,000 points respectively.

Tips[edit | edit source]

The abilities to destroy and create wall elements activate when you are in the centre of a field. It is best to press the fire button while moving so that the ability activates automatically when you are in an appropriate spot.

The monsters are quite good at following the player on the shortest path. However, they are often not smart enough if they can only reach the player via a diversion. This should be exploited. Especially the doors are helpful to shake off monsters - but beware: only closed doors are an obstacle for the monsters; if the door opens for the player, the monster can also pass through...

Overall, the difficulty level is quite high. One should not be hesitating to use the class abilities.

Solution[edit | edit source]

There is no known solution!

Cheats[edit | edit source]

There are no known cheats.

In the CSDb exists a crack with optional trainer functions (infinite life energy and infinite ammunition), english translation and NTSC adaptation ("Dungeon +2DFT").

Voting[edit | edit source]

Voting of the C64-Wiki-User (10=the best vote):
6.75 points at 4 votes (rank 538). You need to be logged in to cast a vote.
C64Games	6	3. March 2022 - 19322 downloads

Reviews[edit | edit source]

Michael.Gentner: "Overall I rate my game as decent. It cannot compete with professional products, but for a one man project it isn´t bad neither. Hard to believe that it's already more than 30 years old."