Rick Dangerous
Encyclopedia
Rick Dangerous is a series of two platform game
s released by Core Design
(who would later make Tomb Raider
) in the 1980s.
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.
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.
Unusually, many of the traps in Rick Dangerous have no visible warning, which means that a player's initial progress through the game can be a nail-biting ordeal of trial and error. This was criticized by some reviewers.
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.
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, until the player quits the game, but the endgame movie only plays if the player completes all five levels in order.
, 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 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game called Danger Dan, which was also unfinished. Both games were re-released on the budget label Kixx.
gave Rick Dangerous 2 a 97% rating. 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." Amiga Power
were highly critical of both games and the reliance on pattern learning.
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.", 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 ..."
The C64 version met with lukewarm reviews; an 84% from CU Amiga-64
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."
The Amstrad version also received the same response getting a 76% from The Games Machine
, although the game fared slightly better with Amstrad Action
who rated it 83% and awarded it with an "AA Rave" accolade.
Amiga reviews were generally positive, ACE giving a 890 rating and Amiga Format
giving an 89%.
As with the Amiga, the Atari ST version received positive reviews; 88% and 87% 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."
awarded the sequel game a "CRASH Smash" accolade with 90% in their issue 82. "A number one platform game returns with smashingly equal results." 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.
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. Computer and Video Games
also gave the CPC version a high rating of 90%.
Zzap!64
reviewed the C64 version in issue 67 and gave it a 75%, ACE(Advanced Computer Entertainment magazine) awarded the same C64 game an 889 (out of a possible 1000) overall rating.
The Amiga game scored highly as well. CU Amiga gave an 89% rating and a "CU Screen Star" award in their November 1990 issue. Amiga Format
awarded the Amiga game their 'Gold' award with a 92% rating.
Atari ST reviews were also positive; The One
gave the game an overall rating 90%. while Zero magazine gave an overall 84% rating in their October 1990 review.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
s released by Core Design
Core Design
Core Design was a British video game studio best known today for creating the popular Tomb Raider series.-History:Based in the city of Derby, England, Core Design was set up in 1988 by Chris Shrigley, Andy Green, Rob Toone, Terry Lloyd, Simon Phipps, Dave Pridmore, Jeremy Heath-Smith and Greg Holmes...
(who would later make Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider is an action-adventure video game developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1996 for the Sega Saturn, with MS-DOS and PlayStation versions following shortly thereafter...
) in the 1980s.
Rick Dangerous
Rick Dangerous is a platform gamePlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Core Design
Core Design
Core Design was a British video game studio best known today for creating the popular Tomb Raider series.-History:Based in the city of Derby, England, Core Design was set up in 1988 by Chris Shrigley, Andy Green, Rob Toone, Terry Lloyd, Simon Phipps, Dave Pridmore, Jeremy Heath-Smith and Greg Holmes...
for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
based PCs. It was released in 1989 and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Rainbird Software in Europe and the rest of the world, and on the MicroPlay label (part of MicroProse
MicroProse
MicroProse was a video game publisher and developer, founded by Wild Bill Stealey and Sid Meier in 1982 as Microprose Software. In 1993, the company became a subsidiary of Spectrum HoloByte and has remained a subsidiary or brand name under several other corporations since...
) in America. Later it was released with two other games — Stunt Car Racer
Stunt Car Racer
Stunt Car Racer is a racing video game developed by Geoff Crammond and was published by MicroStyle in 1989...
and Microprose Soccer
Microprose Soccer
Microprose Soccer is a soccer videogame published by Microprose in 1988. The original Commodore 64 version was developed by Sensible Software, with conversions carried out to other formats. It is the fore-runner of the 16-bit classic Sensible Soccer...
on the Commodore 64 Powerplay 64 cartridge.
Plot
The game is largely based on the Indiana JonesIndiana Jones
Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...
movie Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...
. 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
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
in Egypt. In level three, Rick must venture to the Nazi
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
stronghold of Schwarzendumpf castle to rescue captured Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
soldiers. The rescued soldiers tell him that the Nazis are planning a missile attack on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Therefore, in the last level Rick must infiltrate their secret missile base.
Gameplay
Rick can jump and climb, and carry a limited amount of dynamite and ammunition for his gun. The gun is Rick's main means of disposing of enemies, although most traps that can kill Rick can also kill his enemies if used correctly. The dynamite sticks are generally used for puzzle solving, such as by blowing up 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.Unusually, many of the traps in Rick Dangerous have no visible warning, which means that a player's initial progress through the game can be a nail-biting ordeal of trial and error. This was criticized by some reviewers.
Ending
Rick returns to London after completing the last mission, and we learn that the city is under attack by aliens.Rick Dangerous 2
Rick Dangerous 2 is a platform gamePlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
developed
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
by Core Design
Core Design
Core Design was a British video game studio best known today for creating the popular Tomb Raider series.-History:Based in the city of Derby, England, Core Design was set up in 1988 by Chris Shrigley, Andy Green, Rob Toone, Terry Lloyd, Simon Phipps, Dave Pridmore, Jeremy Heath-Smith and Greg Holmes...
for the Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
-based PCs. It was released in 1990 and published
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by Micro Style.
Plot
At the 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 game play 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, until the player quits the game, but the endgame movie only plays if the player completes all five levels in order.
Unclosed ending
The end of Rick Dangerous 2 does not complete the story. The game finishes with a sort of a cliffhangerCliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
, with the Fat Guy escaping at the final moment through a teleporter
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
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 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game called Danger Dan, which was also unfinished. Both games were re-released on the budget label Kixx.
Reception
Both games were highly received in most magazines; for example, Amstrad ActionAmstrad Action
Amstrad Action was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console....
gave Rick Dangerous 2 a 97% rating. However, Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
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." Amiga Power
Amiga Power
Amiga Power was a monthly magazine about Amiga computer games. It was published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and ran for 65 issues, from May 1991 to September 1996....
were highly critical of both games and the reliance on pattern learning.
Initial reaction
Your SinclairYour Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
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.", while Computer and Video Games
Computer and Video Games (magazine)
Computer and Video Games is a video game magazine and website published in the United Kingdom.- History :...
gave the Spectrum game an 87%, plus a "C+VG Hit" award, saying that it was "An excellent platform game ..."
The C64 version met with lukewarm reviews; an 84% from CU Amiga-64
Commodore User
Commodore User, known to the readers as the abbreviated CU, was one of the oldest British Commodore magazines. A publishing history spanning over 15 years, mixing content with technical and games features...
and a 73% from Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
. Zzap!64 pointing out that the game was "A playable and fun platform-style game but not much more than that."
The Amstrad version also received the same response getting a 76% from The Games Machine
The Games Machine
The Games Machine was a video game magazine that was published from 1987 until 1990 in the United Kingdom by Newsfield, which also published CRASH, Zzap!64, Amtix! and other magazines.-History:...
, although the game fared slightly better with Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console....
who rated it 83% and awarded it with an "AA Rave" accolade.
Amiga reviews were generally positive, ACE giving a 890 rating and Amiga Format
Amiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
giving an 89%.
As with the Amiga, the Atari ST version received positive reviews; 88% and 87% from The One for 16-bit Games
The One (magazine)
The One was a video game magazine in the United Kingdom which covered 16-bit home gaming during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was first published by EMAP in October 1988 and initially covered computer games aimed at the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, and IBM PC markets.Like many similar magazines,...
and Computer and Video Games
Computer and Video Games (magazine)
Computer and Video Games is a video game magazine and website published in the United Kingdom.- History :...
respectively. The One magazine explaining that "Rick Dangerous rates as one of the most enjoyable 16-bit arcade games in a long time."
Sequel response
The ZX Spectrum version fared well amongst its respective magazines. CRASHCRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
awarded the sequel game a "CRASH Smash" accolade with 90% in their issue 82. "A number one platform game returns with smashingly equal results." While Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
also gave the game a 90 rating, stating "More explore-and-collect frolics, but a whole lot better than the original. " 90 rating.
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action
Amstrad Action was a monthly magazine, published in the United Kingdom, which catered to owners of home computers from the Amstrad CPC range and later the GX4000 console....
, 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. Computer and Video Games
Computer and Video Games (magazine)
Computer and Video Games is a video game magazine and website published in the United Kingdom.- History :...
also gave the CPC version a high rating of 90%.
Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
reviewed the C64 version in issue 67 and gave it a 75%, ACE(Advanced Computer Entertainment magazine) awarded the same C64 game an 889 (out of a possible 1000) overall rating.
The Amiga game scored highly as well. CU Amiga gave an 89% rating and a "CU Screen Star" award in their November 1990 issue. Amiga Format
Amiga Format
Amiga Format was a British computer magazine for Amiga computers, published by Future Publishing. The magazine lasted 136 issues from 1989 to 2000. The magazine was formed when, in the wake of selling ACE to EMAP, Future split the dual-format title ST/Amiga Format into two separate publications...
awarded the Amiga game their 'Gold' award with a 92% rating.
Atari ST reviews were also positive; The One
The One (magazine)
The One was a video game magazine in the United Kingdom which covered 16-bit home gaming during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was first published by EMAP in October 1988 and initially covered computer games aimed at the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, and IBM PC markets.Like many similar magazines,...
gave the game an overall rating 90%. while Zero magazine gave an overall 84% rating in their October 1990 review.
External links
- Rick Dangerous fan site
- Screenshots from Rick Dangerous
- AGDB review of Rick Dangerous 2
- Article revisiting Rick Dangerous 1 & 2
- xrick - open-source clone of Rick Dangerous for Linux/Windows/etc.
- Rick Dangerous - Rick Dangerous for Windows based on XRick
- Flash version of Rick Dangerous
- Rick Dangerous mobile at Magic Productions
- Complete video play-through of Rick Dangerous at recordedamigagames.ath.cx