Dopefish
Encyclopedia
The Dopefish is a fictional fish
that originated in the fourth Commander Keen
video game, Secret of the Oracle, released in 1991. The character
has since evolved into a PC
game industry in-joke
, making appearances in games from Apogee
's 1994 Wacky Wheels
as well as titles as recent as the 2006 SiN Episodes: Emergence
and 2007 Chili Con Carnage
and more recently including 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Physically, the Dopefish is a large green fish, with buck teeth. It is described in Keen 4 as "the second-dumbest creature in the universe" (a reference to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
, the dumbest) with thought patterns that go "swim swim hungry, swim swim hungry". The game also mentioned that they would "eat anything alive and moving near them, though they prefer heroes". Whenever it does eat something, it turns to face the viewer and belches. id Software
's Tom Hall
later gave it its fake scientific name
: Pisces swimeatus.
In October 1995, Joe Siegler of 3D Realms launched the Dopefish.com web site as an archive of all things Dopefish-related. Siegler reportedly maintained dopefish.com on company time while working for 3DRealms. Since launching, the site has inspired a variety of artwork and merchandise based on the character., including ASCII art
, stuffed toys, and mugs.
Tom Hall first conceived of the Dopefish as one of 24 potential characters for Keen 4. In his words, "I just drew this stupid little fish". In the game, the Dopefish appears in one level, The Well of Wishes. In this level, the player must avoid being eaten by the Dopefish, along with other hazards, in an attempt to rescue a Council Member. The music for the level, titled Eat Your Veggies and originally composed by Bobby Prince for use in Keen Dreams, is also commonly associated with the Dopefish and has inspired some spin-offs compositions including Fish Polka and Dope Jaws
by former 3D Realms Music and Sound Director Lee Jackson
.
Although for a short period of time a rumor circulated the fish-shaped object found in a Doom 3
pentagram
was intended to be a Dopefish, in fact, when asked by a fan, id Software confirmed this was not the case.
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
that originated in the fourth Commander Keen
Commander Keen series
Commander Keen is a series of video games developed by id Software in the early 1990s. The series focuses on the adventures of Billy Blaze, an 8-year old boy who travels through space and assumes the identity "Commander Keen". The series was successful at replicating the side-scrolling action of...
video game, Secret of the Oracle, released in 1991. The character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
has since evolved into a PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
game industry in-joke
In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or in joke, is a joke whose humour is clear only to people who are in a particular social group, occupation, or other community of common understanding...
, making appearances in games from Apogee
3D Realms
3D Realms is a current video game publisher and former video game developer based in Garland, Texas, United States, established in 1987...
's 1994 Wacky Wheels
Wacky Wheels
Wacky Wheels is an MS-DOS arcade kart racing video game released by Apogee Software in 1994, with the emphasis on fun over realism both in looks and gameplay...
as well as titles as recent as the 2006 SiN Episodes: Emergence
SiN Episodes
SiN Episodes is the title of a series of episodic games for the PC that would have expanded upon the 1998 computer game SiN. A total of nine episodes were planned with only the first one released...
and 2007 Chili Con Carnage
Chili Con Carnage
Chili Con Carnage is an action/adventure third-person shooter video game. It plays very closely to the terms of Max Payne, but is not as themed toward Grand Theft Auto as its predecessor Total Overdose was. Chili Con Carnage is developed by Deadline Games and published by Sci Entertainment in...
and more recently including 2011's Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Physically, the Dopefish is a large green fish, with buck teeth. It is described in Keen 4 as "the second-dumbest creature in the universe" (a reference to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
, the dumbest) with thought patterns that go "swim swim hungry, swim swim hungry". The game also mentioned that they would "eat anything alive and moving near them, though they prefer heroes". Whenever it does eat something, it turns to face the viewer and belches. id Software
Id Software
Id Software is an American video game development company with its headquarters in Richardson, Texas. The company was founded in 1991 by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack...
's Tom Hall
Tom Hall
Tom A. Hall is a game designer born in Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he received a B.S. in Computer Science. In 1987, he worked at Softdisk Inc., where he was both a programmer and the editor of Softdisk, a software bundle delivered monthly...
later gave it its fake scientific name
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
: Pisces swimeatus.
In October 1995, Joe Siegler of 3D Realms launched the Dopefish.com web site as an archive of all things Dopefish-related. Siegler reportedly maintained dopefish.com on company time while working for 3DRealms. Since launching, the site has inspired a variety of artwork and merchandise based on the character., including ASCII art
ASCII art
ASCII art is a graphic design technique that uses computers for presentation and consists of pictures pieced together from the 95 printable characters defined by the ASCII Standard from 1963 and ASCII compliant character sets with proprietary extended characters...
, stuffed toys, and mugs.
Tom Hall first conceived of the Dopefish as one of 24 potential characters for Keen 4. In his words, "I just drew this stupid little fish". In the game, the Dopefish appears in one level, The Well of Wishes. In this level, the player must avoid being eaten by the Dopefish, along with other hazards, in an attempt to rescue a Council Member. The music for the level, titled Eat Your Veggies and originally composed by Bobby Prince for use in Keen Dreams, is also commonly associated with the Dopefish and has inspired some spin-offs compositions including Fish Polka and Dope Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
by former 3D Realms Music and Sound Director Lee Jackson
Lee Jackson (composer)
Lee Jackson was the Music and Sound Director for the video game developer 3D Realms from 1996 through 2002. He is most well known for his work on Duke Nukem 3D, specifically for creating the game's main theme titled "Grabbag". He, along with Robert Prince, created the game's instrumental background...
.
Appearances
Appearances are given in chronological order, and do not include fan-made add-ons. The Dopefish takes various forms from images to actual fish. It is often hidden and hard to find, and accompanied by the words "Dopefish lives!"- Commander Keen 4: Secret of the OracleCommander KeenCommander Keen is a series of video games developed by id Software in the early 1990s. The series focuses on the adventures of Billy Blaze, an 8-year old boy who travels through space and assumes the identity "Commander Keen". The series was successful at replicating the side-scrolling action of...
(1991), original appearance - Wacky WheelsWacky WheelsWacky Wheels is an MS-DOS arcade kart racing video game released by Apogee Software in 1994, with the emphasis on fun over realism both in looks and gameplay...
(1994), at the start line after a special maneuver - Quake (1996), appears as a texture on a wall
- Quake IIQuake IIQuake II, released on December 9, 1997, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Id Software and distributed by Activision. It is not a sequel to Quake; it merely uses the name of the former game due to Id's difficulties in coming up with alternative names.The soundtrack for Quake II...
(1997), partly disemboweled, hanging on a hook - Battlezone (1998), typing "DOPEFISH" in a success screen in the Red Odyssey expansion pack reveals a little introductory text about the Dopefish
- SiNSiNSiN is a computer game first-person shooter based on a modified version of the Quake II engine developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998...
(1998), an alternately skinned "tropical fish" - Descent 3 (1999), creating a new pilot with the name "Dopefish" reveals a photo of a fan in a Dopefish HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
costume - Quake III ArenaQuake III ArenaQuake III Arena , is a multiplayer first-person shooter video game released on December 2, 1999. The game was developed by id Software and featured music composed by Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly...
(1999), on a wall texture of a "zombified" Dopefish - DaikatanaDaikatanaJohn Romero's Daikatana, or simply Daikatana, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by Ion Storm and published by Eidos Interactive. Released on May 23, 2000 for Windows, it was led by John Romero. The game is known as one of the major commercial failures of the computer game industry....
(2000) - Commander KeenCommander KeenCommander Keen is a series of video games developed by id Software in the early 1990s. The series focuses on the adventures of Billy Blaze, an 8-year old boy who travels through space and assumes the identity "Commander Keen". The series was successful at replicating the side-scrolling action of...
(2001), Game Boy ColorGame Boy ColorThe is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
version - AnachronoxAnachronoxAnachronox is a 2001 third-person computer role-playing game produced by Tom Hall and the Dallas Ion Storm games studio. It offers gameplay in the style of console RPGs, such as Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series...
(2001), in one of the fish tanks on Rictus' ship - Max PayneMax PayneMax Payne is a BAFTA Award–winning third-person shooter video game developed by Finnish developers Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers in July 2001 for Microsoft Windows. Ports created later in the year for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and the GameBoy Advance were published by...
(2001), as a poster - Hyperspace Delivery Boy!Hyperspace Delivery Boy!Hyperspace Delivery Boy! is the first title released by video game production company Monkeystone Games. A puzzle/action game developed for the Pocket PC and released on December 23, 2001...
(2001), as a statue - Warcraft 3 (2002), shrine
- Eternal DaughterEternal DaughterEternal Daughter is a freeware action-adventure game created by amateur developers Derek Yu and Jon Perry and released on June 21, 2002 under their former pseudonym Blackeye Software.-Story:...
(2002), the only fish in the game are called Dopefish - Hitman 2: Silent AssassinHitman 2: Silent AssassinHitman 2: Silent Assassin is a stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. Released for the Xbox game console on September 30, 2002, it is the second entry in the Hitman series and the sequel to Hitman: Codename 47...
(2002), as a little desktop toy - SuperTuxSuperTuxSuperTux is a free, open-source two-dimensional platform game. The game was originally created by Bill Kendrick and is maintained by the SuperTux Development Team....
(2003), frozen in a wall of ice - Congo Cube (2003)
- Red FactionRed FactionRed Faction is a first-person shooter video game developed by Volition, Inc. and published by THQ. It was released for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows and Mac in 2001. A version for the Nokia N-Gage was developed by Monkeystone Games. The game was also re-developed as a top-down shooter for...
(2003), N-GageN-GageThe N-Gage is a mobile telephone and handheld game system by Nokia, based on the Nokia Series 60 platform, released in October 2003. It began sales on October 7, 2003. The N-Gage QD replaced the original N-Gage in 2004....
version - PsychonautsPsychonautsPsychonauts is a platform video game created by Tim Schafer, developed by Double Fine Productions and published by Majesco. The game was released on April 19, 2005, for the Xbox, April 26 for Microsoft Windows and June 21 for PlayStation 2. It was released on Steam on Oct 11, 2006, as an "Xbox...
(2005), a round, green fish very similar in appearance to the Dopefish appears stuffed at a dock - SiN Episodes: EmergenceSiN EpisodesSiN Episodes is the title of a series of episodic games for the PC that would have expanded upon the 1998 computer game SiN. A total of nine episodes were planned with only the first one released...
(2006), numerous instances in secret areas - Chili Con CarnageChili Con CarnageChili Con Carnage is an action/adventure third-person shooter video game. It plays very closely to the terms of Max Payne, but is not as themed toward Grand Theft Auto as its predecessor Total Overdose was. Chili Con Carnage is developed by Deadline Games and published by Sci Entertainment in...
(2007), the marble fountain halfway through "Nice Biceps" is shaped like four Dopefish - TAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About PenguinsTAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About PenguinsTAGAP: The Apocalyptic Game About Penguins is a computer action game for Microsoft Windows, released as freeware via the Internet in July 2007. In the game, the player controls cyber-penguin Pablo on his quest to save the Earth from the conquering plans of his lunatic creator, Dr. Glowenko...
(2007), miniature versions of the fish can be found swimming in AntarcticAntarcticThe Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
waters - Sven Co-opSven Co-opSven Co-op is a cooperative game multiplayer modification for the first-person shooter computer game Half-Life, where players must work together against AI controlled enemies , solve puzzles and complete other objectives as a team.The game was originally created and released by Daniel 'Sven Viking'...
(1999–2011), appears in a locker in the level "Extended", and in a fish-tank in the level "Incoming" - Dystopia (2007), appears in the Silo level
- Fortress ForeverFortress ForeverFortress Forever is a Half-Life 2 mod that uses the game's Source Engine. The game is based on Team Fortress Classic, but has been created entirely from scratch by the Fortress Forever development team...
(2007), appearing very briefly in a trailer - Voxelstein 3D (2008), appears in the center of a toilet bowl
- Jailbreak SourceJailbreak SourceJailbreak: Source is a multiplayer team-based first-person action video game, developed as a total conversion modification on the Valve Corporation's proprietary Source engine. The game is currently in beta development stages, with its first public release on the 14th of February 2007. 0.2 followed...
(2008), appears in two of the levels, Metropolis and Woodneck. - Escaped From The Underdark: Archipelago (2009) appears in a new fishing implementation.
- Flash-DooM 2D (2009) appears in the secret level together with Tom Hall and all the other ID employees from 1993.
- Charlie Brooker's GameswipeCharlie Brooker's GameswipeCharlie Brooker's Gameswipe was a special one-off British, video game culture show by Charlie Brooker, aired in September 2009 during the BBC's Technology season...
(2009) (TV show) appears as graffiti in an unnamed game where the aim is to push Myleene KlassMyleene KlassMyleene Angela Quinn is an English singer, pianist, media personality and occasional model. She was formerly a member of the defunct British pop band Hear'Say.-Early life:...
in a canal. - Killing FloorKilling Floor (2009 video game)Killing Floor is a cooperative first-person shooter video game developed and published by Tripwire Interactive. It was first released on May 14, 2009, for Microsoft Windows, and for Mac OS X on May 5, 2010.-Gameplay:...
(2009) can be found in a room near a Trader location on the map Mountain Pass. - Warsow (2005–2009) can be found inside quad damage power-upPower-upIn computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
. - Rocketbirds (2009) appears on the wall outside Keen, Inc in Subway level.
- Warhammer Online: Age of ReckoningWarhammer Online: Age of ReckoningWarhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy setting. It was developed by Mythic Entertainment and simultaneously released in North and South Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand on September 18, 2008...
(2008), can be found in the lower left rock wall on the Troll Country Scenario map. (upside down disguised as a rock) - Alan WakeAlan WakeAlan Wake is a story-driven action game in the psychological thriller genre, developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Microsoft Game Studios, released for the Xbox 360 video game console in 2010...
(2010), as a fishing guide poster inside a book-shop. - Deus Ex: Human Revolution (2011), appears as graffiti in a Detroit alleyway.
- RAGERAGERAGE, the Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts is a 35kD transmembrane receptor of the immunoglobulin super family which was first characterized in 1992 by Neeper et al. It is also called "AGER"...
(2011), easter egg, appears in the Re-Run of Mutant Bash TV. - Death RallyDeath RallyDeath Rally is a top-down perspective racing video game developed by Remedy, published by Apogee and distributed by GT Interactive. It was released on September 6, 1996...
(2011), as a poster in the garage in the iOS version. NOTE: The poster is exactly the same one as in Max Payne & Alan Wake.
Although for a short period of time a rumor circulated the fish-shaped object found in a Doom 3
Doom 3
Doom 3 is a science fiction horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004. The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac...
pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
was intended to be a Dopefish, in fact, when asked by a fan, id Software confirmed this was not the case.
Mentions
Although the Dopefish does not actually appear in these games, there is text mentioning him somewhere.- Rise of the TriadRise of the TriadRise of the Triad: Dark War is a first-person shooter video game that was first released on February 17, 1995 and developed by Apogee Software . The members of the development team involved referred to themselves as "The Developers of Incredible Power"...
(1994) - Terminal Velocity (1995), mentioned in the technical help as a command line parameter that "doesn't do anything"
- Duke Nukem 3DDuke Nukem 3DDuke Nukem 3D is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and published by GT Interactive Software. The full version was released for the PC . It is a sequel to the platform games Duke Nukem and Duke Nukem II published by Apogee...
(1996), a hidden "Dopefish lives" graffitiGraffitiGraffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
in episode 1's last level - Shadow WarriorShadow WarriorShadow Warrior, often known by its initials SW, is a first-person shooter computer game developed by 3D Realms and released on May 13, 1997 by GT Interactive. Shadow Warrior was developed using Ken Silverman's Build engine and improved on 3D Realms' previous Build engine game, Duke Nukem 3D...
(1997), mentioned by Lo Wang in some audio recordings not used in the game - Jazz Jackrabbit 2Jazz Jackrabbit 2Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a platform game produced by Epic MegaGames, now known as Epic Games. It was released in 1998 for PCs running Windows, and later for Macintosh computers. It is the sequel to Jazz Jackrabbit....
(1998), a message "Spaz ate the Dopefish" appears in a secret area in Carrotus - Devastation (2003), contains a cheat code named after the Dopefish. It gives the player all weapons, activates god mode, and gives money.
External links
- The Official Dopefish Home Page, a site run by Joe Siegler (a former employee of 3D Realms), describing the Dopefish phenomenon and cataloging its known appearances.
- Dopefish.com Forum, the official forum