Dynamite Dan
Encyclopedia
Dynamite Dan is a platform game for the ZX Spectrum
and other 8-bit formats written by Rod Bowkett and released by Mirrorsoft
in 1985.
. A very highly rated game at the time.
The game starts where Dan lands his airship on the top of the evil Dr Blitzen's hideout. The aim of the game is to find eight sticks of dynamite that are placed randomly around the playing area whilst avoiding the perils of the game such as moving monsters, drowning and falling from great heights. Once the Dan has all eight sticks of dynamite, the player must make their way to the central safe to blow it open and steal the plans for the evil doctor's Death Ray and escape to his airship.
The playing area is essentially one large building split up into multiple screens that wrap around a central elevator. Each screen contains a number of moving monsters that, once the player moves into them, are destroyed but take off a life in return. The only exception to being destroyed once walked into are Dr Blitzen and his assistant Donner (Donner and Blitzen) who are both located on the same screen as the safe. Other perils to Dan's life include running out of energy (caused by not collecting enough food, falling from heights and being hit by laser beams). If Dan should also fall into the underground river that flows beneath the building, the player will receive a game over unless Dan had picked up Oxygen, in which case they will be sent back to the start of the game.
Once completed, the game gives you a secret code to decipher and a number to call once you have the answer. While the number no longer works now, the prize was a ride in the Mirrorsoft blimp.
A sequel (Dynamite Dan 2
) followed in the following year which featured around 200 rooms.
The background music when choosing the game settings and waiting for the game to start is the third movement (Rondo Alla Turca) from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331.
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and other 8-bit formats written by Rod Bowkett and released by Mirrorsoft
Mirrorsoft
Mirrorsoft was a computer game software publisher in the United Kingdom, owned by Mirror Group Newspapers. It was founded as a publisher of educational software before moving into games. One offshoot of its printing roots was Fleet Street Publisher on several platforms...
in 1985.
Summary
Gameplay is similar to other 8-bit platform games such as Jet Set WillyJet Set Willy
Jet Set Willy is a computer game originally written for the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published in 1984 by Software Projects and ported to most home computers of the time....
. A very highly rated game at the time.
The game starts where Dan lands his airship on the top of the evil Dr Blitzen's hideout. The aim of the game is to find eight sticks of dynamite that are placed randomly around the playing area whilst avoiding the perils of the game such as moving monsters, drowning and falling from great heights. Once the Dan has all eight sticks of dynamite, the player must make their way to the central safe to blow it open and steal the plans for the evil doctor's Death Ray and escape to his airship.
The playing area is essentially one large building split up into multiple screens that wrap around a central elevator. Each screen contains a number of moving monsters that, once the player moves into them, are destroyed but take off a life in return. The only exception to being destroyed once walked into are Dr Blitzen and his assistant Donner (Donner and Blitzen) who are both located on the same screen as the safe. Other perils to Dan's life include running out of energy (caused by not collecting enough food, falling from heights and being hit by laser beams). If Dan should also fall into the underground river that flows beneath the building, the player will receive a game over unless Dan had picked up Oxygen, in which case they will be sent back to the start of the game.
Once completed, the game gives you a secret code to decipher and a number to call once you have the answer. While the number no longer works now, the prize was a ride in the Mirrorsoft blimp.
A sequel (Dynamite Dan 2
Dynamite Dan 2
Dynamite Dan II: Dr Blitzen and the Islands of Arcanum is the sequel to the highly rated original Dynamite Dan. It was written by Rob Bowkett and Keith Goodyer and published by Mirrorsoft for the ZX Spectrum and the Amstrad CPC 1986.-Critical reaction:Reviews were positive, with CRASH awarding...
) followed in the following year which featured around 200 rooms.
The background music when choosing the game settings and waiting for the game to start is the third movement (Rondo Alla Turca) from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major, K. 331.