Criminals are not friendly buddy-buddy types for the most part. We know this. However, the Grand Theft Auto series previous to the new incarnation know as Grand Theft Auto 4 gained criticism because it gave an impression that it is fun being Carl Johnson, a psychopathic criminal! But now, with the newly released Grand Theft Auto 4, the game becomes legit – parents love it and we love it. However, the fun is still there because you still have the chance to shoot crooked cop cars, blow up buildings, and go to gentlemen’s clubs (also known as strip clubs – also known as places where hot girls take off their clothes and give you lap dances).

In Grand Theft Auto 4 you play the part of Niko Bellic, an immigrant that originates from Eastern Europe with a portentous past. His cousin convinced him to have a new start by moving out of his old town and staying at Liberty City, USA. Unlike the former three parts of the series of GTA, the fourth release is considered a new start. Everything is new, the graphics engine, characters, mission style and a whole lot more.

GTA4: The Rise of Niko Bellic

In GTA 4, the game gives players the chance to do almost anything one would expect to do in a huge virtual city, from taking a trip in seedy neighborhoods down to visiting strip clubs and even killing Mafia goons. Because it was excellently made, it has been one of the best reviewed games of the decade, acquiring wide range of critical praise because of its fluid controls, graphics, and mature storyline. The game is so easy to learn that even a man in his 40s can get along with the game!

Being a game buff all my life, I would whole-heartedly recommend Grand Theft Auto 4 to everyone including kids because it won’t give them a wrong impression of thinking criminals are superfun best buddies. There are massive new features that Niko can do, he can use his mobile phone to call his contacts if he aims to arrange missions with them, call taxis, and even buy weapons. On the phone’s LCD you’ll have access to phonebook, organizer, messages, and camera. The phone can also be used for multiplayer. Moreover, you’ll be amazed on how pedestrians on the screen perform realistic actions like read books, smoke cigarette, put their litter in trash cans, and walk in and out of their houses. Indeed, they look and surely act like real people!

In order to make the game even more fun, you can switch it to multiplayer modes that can be accessed on the mobile phone. By doing this, you can play with your friends and family for a more interactive game. It can support up to 16 players and the modes include Cops n’ Crooks, Mafia Work, Deathmatch, and Free Mode. Moreover, you’ll won’t just be absolutely confined within the game because in GTA 4, you have the chance to browse the internet in internet cafes. There are almost 100 in-game internet websites.

Overall, playing GTA 4 is a real-like experience. You’ll be carried with the game and the character played by Nick Bellic. You can even stay in one area of the city and after some time, you’ll see traffic and pedestrian flow changes. You want to know why that scene looks familiar? It’s like a scene from real people’s day to day living – this is what the developers of Grand Theft Auto IV want to achieve with this game.

Grand Theft Auto Cheats and GTA Codes, Passwords, and Hints

Enter these GTA4 cheats during gameplay using Niko Bellic’s cellphone. Be careful to not save your game after using these cheats as they may disable game achievements.

GTA4 Cheat Codes

1. Enter www.whattheydonotwant youtoknow.com into any in-game computer to view maps for all weapon, health, armor, vehicles, pigeons, ramp/stunts, and entertainment locations
2. Change Liberty City’s weather: HOT-555-0100 (4685550100)
3. Restore Niko’s Health: 4825550100
4. Give Niko Armor: 3625550100
5. Weapons #1 (Baseball Bat, Handgun, Shotgun, MP5, M4, Sniper Rifle, RPG, Grenades): 4865550100
6. Weapons #2 (Knife, Molotovs, Handgun, Shotgun, Uzi, AK47, Sniper Rifle, RPG): 4865550150
7. Remove Wanted Level (Blocks “Walked free” achievement): 2675550100
8. Raise Wanted Level (Adds a star to Niko’s wanted level): 2675550150
9. Change Weather/Brightness: 4685550100
10. Spawn Annihilator: 3595550100
11. Spawn Jetmax: 9385550100
12. Spawn NRG-900: 6255550100
13. Spawn Sanchez: 6255550150
14. Spawn FIB Buffalo: 2275550100
15. Spawn Comet: 2275550175
16. Spawn Turismo: 2275550147
17. Spawn Cognoscenti: 2275550142
18. Spawn SuperGT: 2275550168

GTA4 Secrets

1. Easy Money: Go to an ATM, then cause a traffic jam to the area. Wait for someone to take money from the ATM, then kill him or her. Block any nearby roads so the ambulance cannot get to the murdered victim. Take the money they dropped on the ground. Run a short distance and then go back. The money should have respawned on the ground. You can repeat this as many times as desired. You can also kill more people taking their money from the ATM to increase the amount of money that respawns.
2. Repairing Engine: If the vehicle you are driving breaks down and the engine will not start, call 911, and your engine should start again.

Grand Theft Auto IV is currently available for purchase online for Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360. Grand Theft Auto 4 is also available for rental online through Blockbuster Total Access and GameFly.

Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition is also available for purchase that includes a limited edition version of the Grand Theft Auto IV game, a Rockstar keychain for the safe deposit box keys, a limited edition Rockstar duffel bag, production artwork from GTA IV in the Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book and soundtrack CD from Grand Theft Auto IV, featuring new material from top artists, only available on this release.

The Craziness of Mario Kart Wii

Unlike some other modern video games that no doubt complicate first-time users, the game presentation of Mario Kart Wii is simple. The visual and audio presentation underwent a modest development. Basically, the game is similar to the GameCube version (Mario Kart: Double Dash), the Nintendo 64 version (Mario Kart 64) and the Nintendo DS version (Mario Kart DS) - notwithstanding its 480p video resolution and widescreen support. Players can get ahold of wide-encompassing gaming choices. A player can get into the modifying fun by stuffing the game with a wide-range of content, since the moment when the license has been established and your game character has been linked to a Mii avatar, the game will then track the statistics about online and offline results. You can then choose various vehicles and characters that will make the game more exciting. Overall, the player can have access to 12 characters, 6 vehicles, and 16 courses. However, as stated above, by playing as a single player you’ll get the chance of unlocking more courses, better vehicles, and characters.

Moreover, Wii MarioKart embraces the ability to use race bikes to drive FAST but of course, you can still make use of the usual racing cars. Not just an ordinary feature to the series, bikes possess a whole lot of different characteristics than the standard characteristics karts do. For one, bikes are livelier when traversing paths as well as goes through curves smoothly. To go through curves even better, activate the power slide that can help you provide a super sharp turn that will feel as if you’re flying through the track. Indeed, these bikes can allow you to move down the track faster than usual.

The Mario Kart Multi-Player Party Time Fun Obsession

As a Wii MarioKart player, you’ll no doubt be developing a fascination with rocket-powered speed that is just not found in other racing games. You’ll always find yourself searching for the craziest and weirdest path of the track looking for any opportunity to maximize your ability to go faster and push your kart to the max. Moreover, the storyline is safe and sensible even for kids so parents won’t feel that their kids are into computer games that promote war and chaos. In Wii MarioKart there’ll always be something fun – in fact, by only playing a single day, I suddenly become so addicted because this game is so damn totally exhilarating! It’s able to expertly mix cartoon silliness with a fiercely random cruel streak.

Even though I’m a bit old for cartoons, Mario Kart Wii still expertly able to bring out the kid in me, I’m pretty sure that everyone will feel the same towards this awesome game! You’ll never have a dull moment because every sharp curve and super-fast straightaway spells nothing but F-U-N!

The Point of Being a Bully

The game focuses on a 15-year-old boy named Jimmy Hopkins who is a troublemaker himself. Since his mother has newly remarried a new guy, they are staying for a whole year trip; your character has been left in an institution - he calls it a prison - with browbeat boys all around him. Being a bully himself, he is now faced with the responsibility of balancing school’s different factions while at the same time trying to attend classes, getting rid of authorities, and sometimes seeing those kissing girls.

In a whole, Bully is a good example of an open-ended mission-based game; nevertheless it should not give you an impression that it lacks structure. Since the storyline features a school backdrop, you can expect the character to attend mission based classes and during the free time he is free to do whatever he pleases. However, to make the setup more interesting, you can go beyond these rules as long as you can do your stealth and carefully be away from the prefects who wander around the campus or the policeman who patrols the nearby town. The character can even wander until 2 a.m. – if you stay any longer than that this’ll automatically leave your character in extreme exhaustion since he has to wake up around 8 a.m. the following day. Cutting class is an exciting thing to do in Bully, however if you do this too often then you’ll lose the chance of gaining bonuses that are only given after you’ve completed five minigame sessions.

Why Being a Bully is Fun

This Bully game teaches me how fun school might’ve been if I was the bully well as brings back the memories of my high-school days. Everyone for sure has their own exciting story about their high-school life and I’m glad I’m feeling the same old feeling of excitement and thrill that I had before, during my younger years. The moral lesson of the story will be appreciated by parents because it tenders the idea that being a bully isn’t funny at all! Now, I have reasons to stay late during weekends because of this game – great excitement that never fails to keep me entertained. Moreover, this also differs from other video game because of its realistic concept.

Overall a great game to play!

Bully: Scholarship Edition video game is currently available for the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, and the PC.

If you are one of the many gamers who rarely leave their seats when playing because you can’t bear missing the action of the video game they you’re playing, and walking to the local game store is just too long of a trip and headache, then you can renting these video games online easily and quickly. The only time you have to walk is to get your games from your mailbox, which is not really so far away anyway.

The GameFly Game Rental Experience

A recommended website for you to rent your video games from is Gamefly.com. Gamefly.com is a must-try for extreme gamers because they have a huge selection of games that you can choose from. They have over 5000 game titles so you can feast your gaming heart out and even have these games for the many different gaming consoles available today, including Microsoft XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS, and GBA. Because of their huge selection, Gamefly.com is currently one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) game renting facilities online. It’s every gamer’s dream to try everything and anything that gets launched in the market first, and Gamefly.com offers this possibility to us gamers.

The turnaround time for Gamefly.com to get the games that you want stuffed in your mailbox is done at a pretty good rate. It takes approximately five days from the time you sent the games to be returned to Gamefly.com to the postman for the new games to arrive in your mailbox. Game rentals are also very affordable at Gamefly.com because they offer four types of monthly subscriptions for various kinds of gamers – whether you’re a casual gamer or an extreme gamer.

The GameFly Video Game Rental Monthly Subscription

Since online video game rental services are different from tradition rental stores, Gamefly.com offers their rentals through monthly subscriptions. As mentioned, there are four monthly subscription rates that Gamefly.com is offering to their clients, these rates ranges from $15.95 to $36.95 per month, depending on how many games you want to have at the same time, with four games being the maximum. The amount of games you can play each month is unlimited as long as you return the games you have rented first.

Renting games is easy at Gamefly.com, you just have to select 50 games that you want to play and these games will be on queue. Depending on your plan, you will get these games either 1, 2, 3, or 4 games at a time. After you are done with a game, you have to return it to Gamefly.com through a prepaid envelope provided by the company. Only when you send back the games you have rented first will Gamefly.com send the next video games in your queue. An advantage of renting games from Gamefly.com is that they handle all the shipping fees so the only thing you have to worry about is how to beat the games you have rented. If you decide to purchase the game you have in your hands, then you can do so easily.

Renting is also very easy at Gamefly.com because their web site is very user-friendly and navigable. Overall, Gamefly.com will definitely hook you up with the video game rental service you need.

The Progression of Halo 3

Halo 3 is definitely better than the first two installments of the game. However, if you haven’t had the chance to play the first two games (Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2), then you might be confused with the storyline presented in Halo 3, as there are no recaps whatsoever to give a new player the rundown of what’s going on and who the key players in the game are. As with the other two installments of the game, humans lead by Master Chief are out to save the world from destructive aliens which are named the Covenant. Indeed, this is achieved not with a feel-good ending that is common and usually expected in most game endings. Instead, Halo 3 sets itself apart by giving an ending that is based on sophistication, and if you don’t understand what the ending is all about then you haven’t played the other two Halo video games long enough. Here’s a hint: watch what happens after the Halo 3 credits are done rolling.

The quality of action that happens in Halo 3 is far better than its two previous predecessors. Gameplay is improved with superb graphics, excellent ambient and action sounds, newer weapons, enemies and better artificial intelligence. Yet even with the seemingly better environment that Halo 3 is offering its avid gamers; the third and final installment just does not give the overall awesomeness that the first installment gave, which is very understandable as Halo 1 was a landmark videogame.

What is for sure though, is that Halo 3 is going to hold onto its place in the video game market because of the online gaming it offers its players. Although it can use some improvements for a better game play, it is undeniably much better than Halo 1 and Halo 2 in this regard. There are so many features that Halo 3 has that the other two do not have. It’s really up to you to figure it out for yourself - this way when you play the game you’ll get that incredible, “Oh wow, I didn’t think that could be done in video games” moment.

How Halo 3 Compares to Halo 1 and Halo 2

Halo 3 will mark its place in the Halo trilogy history and deservedly so. However, it would not be here today if the other two Halo installments did not pave the way for it. Props have to be given to the Halo predecessors but Halo 3 is a superior product that will definitely keep all gamers in their seats obsessing until the end. What’s even better is that even after finishing the game, you know that the legacy of Halo as a game will continue to live on and continue to amaze future generations of video game players. Players are even going crazy about the Halo books (The Flood, First Strike, & The Fall of Reach), Halo 3 soundtrack, Halo 3 Official Strategy Guide, and the Halo 3 Xbox 360 special edition system!

We can all assume that another version of the Halo trilogy will come out in the near future - with the Master Chief having better weapons and the Alien enemies becoming even more sophisticated. Of course, only the people at Bungie Studios (the masterminds behind Halo) will know for sure about any future development. Halo fans will definitely be looking forward to it, no matter how long the development of the new Halo version takes.

Super Smash Bros Brawl: Video Game Overview

For new players of Super Smash Bros that might want to know some basics on the game, it’s basically a multi-player game that allows different characters of the Nintendo universe to battle it out with each other. If you had thought of an unlikely match-up between Mario and Pikachu, then you can try playing Super Smash Bros Brawl to see who wins between the two. There are also non-Nintendo characters that make the cut to the roster of the characters to pit with each other such as Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series and Sonic the Hedgehog from the Sega series of the same name.

The controls are extremely easy to get a hold of and learn in the new Super Smash Bros Brawl, just like with the old Super Smash Bros. You only have to take note of two attack buttons to get that signature attack going. You can even control your characters with the controller type you are most comfortable with.

Multiplayer Smashing and Brawling

Playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl will be an enjoyable experience because you can play this game with three of your friends - creating that ultimate party fighting experience. The setting of the game play is at a pre-selected arena, where the point is to knock each other out of the play area. This is a very competitive yet highly fun game to indulge in. At times, there are special things that will be launched in the play area and will be given to the first character that can get to that bonus. Generally, the battles that are being fought in Super Smash Bros Brawl are crazy and chaotic. With the huge variety of characters in the game, you might assume that most of the characters just look different but have the same abilities. Nintendo has actually done a great job in differentiating all of the characters. Each character has their own specific weaknesses and strengths which you as a player have to take note of and strategize your way around.

The Overall Brawling Experience

One aspect that I really love about Super Smash Bros. Brawl is that beginners are given the chance to win against the more seasoned players due to the well-balanced game engine. The games can also be customized according to a players’ specification. This customization feature will even add more excitement to the game as players can try to get the best out of their agreed rules. Teams can even be formed with the new Super Smash Bros. Brawl and even the play arena is customizable. Online match-ups are also possible for a more complete gaming experience. If you are wondering if you can play the Super Smash Bros. Brawl on your own, indeed you can, because it has a sort of adventure game for single players to enjoy.

Gamers who are in the look out for a good game will not be failed by Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If you have the Nintendo Wii then you most definitely have to put this in your video game wish list (if you don’t own the game already) as it is one game that is sure to be a huge hit for a long time.

Took me a day and a half. Of literally not stopping until I beat the freaking game.

Gotta say, it’s a fun game. You play as your favorite x-men (wolverine, cyclops, colossus, etc) and brotherhood of evil mutants (magneto, juggernaut) characters and those oh-so-beloved characters you’ve never heard of in your entire life (sunfire?).

It’s a simple game, so if you like games that you’re throwing your controller at the screen in frustration at, well this ain’t the game. But if you like messing around, spinning barrels around the room at the enemy (magneto) or teleporting around and randoming punching people in the face (nightcrawler) then you’ll like the game.

It’s also got a mini-RPG (role playing game for you non-nerds) element to it. Your characters level up and you can get items for them to wear - so yes, you budding fashionistas can outfit wolverine with your oh-so-chic belts and gloves!

All in all, a fun game I’d recommend to you non-hardcore gamers out there. It has a great two player action to it too so that’s another fun thing.

So yes, especially if you liked the first game, grab this one!

The only negative I can think of is that Juggernaut never says, “I’m the Juggernaut bitch!”

Currently available for Xbox, PlayStation 2, N-Gage, PSP, and GameCube video game consoles as well as the PC.

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Voyage: Lush graphics, awesome story, great puzzles, witty dialog…Bon voyage!Kheops Studio’s “Voyage: Insired by Jules Verne,” published in the US by the Adventure Company in 2005, is one of the best graphical adventure games I’ve seen in recent years. It features compelling gameplay, multiple ways to solve puzzles, and a good, solid story based on the works of celebrated French author Jules Verne (one of the true godfathers of science fiction). The puzzles are clever, the script is fun–in short, it’s worth checking out, even if you aren’t normally a fan of Myst-style games.

I first encountered one of Kheops Studios about two years ago, when I was just embarking on my adventures into graphical adventure games. The game I played was Return to Mysterious Island (also 2005), another Jules Verne-inspired game which actually takes long after the action in Voyage. My wife and I were so impressed with that game that we quickly realized GAGs were fun again, and it’s been the rare game that has surpassed that original thrill. It was a real treat to find both games on GameTap, which several high-quality GAGs released within the past few years. The game ran flawlessly under XP (on a bootcamped iMac). As you can see, the graphics look great, and the interface is quite intuitive. I also enjoyed the music, which was definitely of the subtle, Schulze/Tangerine Dream ambient style found in games like Myst and Schizm. However, occasionally you’ll hear bouncier ditties reminiscent of 19th century Europe to help lighten the mood.

The game is based on one of Verne’s lesser known works, “From the Earth to the Moon,” (one that I had actually read as a teen) about a group of explorers who take off to the moon. Instead of rockets, the adventurers are shot out of a cannon in a “shell,” or hollow bullet armed with retrorockets for the re-entry. It’s been awhile since I read the story, but Kheops’ version seems fairly compliant with my memories of it. At any rate, when your character awakens, the shell is just about to crash land on the surface of the moon–and two of your companions are dead. You’ll need to investigate their deaths as well as tend to the more basic but pressing goals, such as exploring the moon and finding a way back home.

What’s really brilliant about the game is the rather enthralling vision of an alternate reality; I guess the phrase might be “retro science fiction.” Obviously, our scientists today know there is no atmosphere on the moon, much less intelligent life. However, what Kheops has done is built a sort of “what if” world, where Verne’s beliefs about the moon (Verne wrote his story in 1865). So, even though the setting is not plausible according to our current science, it all makes perfect sense given the science of Verne’s day. Besides, it’s just fun seeing 19th century technology against alien backdrops; it’s quite charming, actually.

One of the game’s key strengths is its humor, wit, and story-telling. The “cut scenes” are narrated shots of yellowed illustrations that look exactly what you’d expect to find in an original Verne manuscript. The dialog is also kept to a reasonable minimum, with just enough to build the characters without boring you. Along the way, Ardan interacts with all sorts of creatures, from strange aliens to a rooster! He also learns about the history of the “Selenite” civilization, and why it has fallen into decline. In this way, the game is similar to Myst or Riven, since there is a great deal of broken down old machinery lying about that Ardan must understand and repair. I suppose the game it reminded me of the most was Schizm, released in 2001, or perhaps the much better The Dig. While Voyage is certainly amusing, it’s not a satire or zany, really, and the surrealistic feel of the settings help counterbalance the occasional bit of silliness. The voice acting is excellent, particularly Ardan’s and the narrator. Their talents add considerably to the game.

As far as gameplay is concerned, Ardan plays three basic parts: archaeologist, zoologist, and chemist. Most of the puzzles involve the five types of fruits and plants Ardan finds. Each plant has its own characteristics, and the five exist in a stasis. A big part of the game is learning about the properties of the fruit, and the effects of the many possible combinations (you can cook them, grow and graft them, and eventually transmute them). There are also several puzzles involving the odd aliens, who perform a variety of roles (at first they just block you; then you must use them to access certain areas). As the game progresses, Ardan finds several shortcuts as well as a helpful insect sidekick. What’s more, the game does a good job of recording important details in Ardan’s log for later reference. Other puzzles involve learning about and repairing the ancient machinery Ardan finds. The Selenites were once a space-faring race who visited the Earth with their own cannon. Everything Michael needs to get back to Earth is present on the moon, assuming he can recognize it. There are also some logic and math puzzles, as well as a rather difficult sound puzzle (the difficulty is greatly reduced if you find a certain key first, though). In general, though, there are few puzzles that had me stumped for long.

Selenite Technician: The aliens speak in musical notes and are quite entertaining.There were only two points in the game that had me so stumped I had to resort to online hints. One was very unfortunately in the first few minutes of the game. The shell is falling too fast, and Ardan must find some way to lighten the shell so the retrorockets can function properly. I dumped everything out that I could, and still kept dying (on a positive note, the game automatically restarts just before death and gives you infinite chances to get it right, so dying is not really painful at all). After looking at the hints, I realized I had to get rid of my wrench, but couldn’t do so until I had unbolted all of the steel panels from the windows. The other point involved simple pixel hunting. After nearly an hour of wandering around to no avail, I consulted hints and found that I had neglected to see a small key lying in a coffin (alongside several other treasures). I had missed this key because it was difficult to see. Once I had it, I literally flew through the rest of the game.

Some of the better innovations are a “lunar IQ” meter, which hearkens back to the “score” in Zork and the Sierra games. There are many ways to raise the IQ that are entirely optional; for instance, instead of just solving a puzzle, you can try to solve it in as few steps as possible, or play it again at an increased difficulty level. This is a nice feature, since players will be able to select the puzzles they like best rather than being forced to do them all. The game also seems to be quite non-linear. For instance, at one point you can buy several of the items that you would otherwise have to find as you went along; it’s possible to buy these early and solve puzzles out of sequence. Since it’s fairly easy to earn money in the game (just sell stuff you don’t need or can produce an infinite supply of), I found this to be a very nice alternative.

All in all, I found Voyage to be one of the better GAGs I’ve played, and would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed MYST and other first-person GAGs. Forget about people who claim the genre is dead; give Voyage a chance and see if you agree with me that those claims are highly exaggerated! This is a thoroughly engrossing and satisfying way to spend a weekend or a few of those long summer afternoons. Now, back to Tomb Raider Anniversary Edition!

FTL’s Dungeon Master, released in 1987 for the Atari ST and a year later for the Amiga, represents a defining moment in the evolution of the computer role-playing game. Although it is certainly not the first 3D real-time computer role playing game (see Dungeons of Daggorath), it’s probably the first such game to really hit the mainstream. It was the #1 best selling product on the Atari ST platform, and remains one of the best-known and playable of the early CRPGs. Indeed, I’ve recently become addicted to the game and will probably not be happy until I’ve completed it! What I intend to do here is discuss some of the game’s more innovative features and try to get at what makes this game so endearing and important.

Story
Many fans of the game were impressed that the storyline was penned by a “real” novelist, one Nancy Holder (one is reminded of the hype surrounding Raymond E. Feist’s Krondor games). This story is presented in the game’s manual (in italics, of course), and goes on for nearly 20 pages. I suppose it might be “gripping” for those who enjoy artful prose like, “The figure visibly jerked.” Suffice it to say, it’s a fetch quest for the “Firestaff.” Hey, at least it’s not an orb.

Perhaps one interesting twist is that the party will be made up of adventurers who have already met their demise in the dungeon. It’s your job to either resurrect or reincarnate up to four of these fallen heroes to do your dirty work. It’s a nice conceit that probably could’ve offered substantial replay value–but, ultimately, the only real differences among the heroes are their stats and blocky little portrait. Then again, it’s certainly possible for a player to dream up whatever story he or she wishes for the heroes (I’m not sure when it became so unusual for developers to expect more imagination from their gamers!)

From what I’ve managed to gather, the only version of the game that features an end sequence is the PC port. I’ve made it to the fourth dungeon and have seen no real evidence of a meta-narrative or internal references to any of the folks mentioned in the story (we could contrast this game with the story-intensive Krondor games mentioned earlier). Fortunately, this isn’t the kind of game that needs an intriguing story to engage the player.

Suffice it to say, there are 14 monster, puzzle, and trap-infested levels that you need to explore. Doing so will take time, strategy, and persistence–they don’t call it a dungeon crawler for nothing!

Engine
By 1987, the CRPG was a fairly well-developed genre of computer game. There were several popular series, such as Origin’s Ultima, Sir-Tech’s Wizardry, and Electronic Arts’ Bard’s Tale, and SSI’s first Gold Box game, Pool of Radiance, would show up just a year later. While some of these games offered first-person, 3D perspective and “random encounters” that could happen even if the player was away from the keyboard, they were primarily “turn-based” games. In other words, game time proceeded in discrete segments, a setup which was great for strategy but not so good for generating tension and anxiety. What FTL Games did with Dungeon Master was to return to the arcade-like action of earlier 3D games like the aforementioned Dungeons of Daggorath and 3D Monster Maze.

The Door Trick: If you can’t beat’m with brawn, try closing a door on their heads!The monsters living in the dungeons in Dungeon Master don’t just stand around as the player explores the dungeon. They roam about, picking up objects and tracking the player. Furthermore, they don’t wait for the player to make decisions during combat. It’s up to the player to plan ahead, and be ready to move the mouse quite furiously once the action begins. The combat sequences demand a great deal of attention and reflexes from the sweaty-palmed player. Those familiar with NES games like Final Fantasy know something of the speed and precision this game requires.

Dungeon Master is also one of the first CRPGs to make extensive use of the mouse as an input device. In the Atari ST version, this is implemented somewhat clumsily, with the directional keys located on-screen. To move about, players have to continuously click these buttons with the mouse, which gets tiresome pretty quickly. The Amiga version improves on this by allowing movement with the numeric keypad (there also two “rotate” buttons that come in very handy). Everything else is controlled via a fairly intuitive system of left and right-button mouse clicks. Although a bit overwhelming at first, after fifteen minutes or so, the system begins to make sense and everything falls into place.

Dungeon Master offers an interesting party creation system. Rather than allowing the player to create his own characters from scratch, they are chosen from mirrors in the “Hall of Champions.” There are a great many possible heroes to choose from. There are four basic character classes (fighter, ninja, priest, and wizard), but many characters are hybrids of two or more. Later in the game, players will gain more expertise in these areas by practicing the corresponding skills; casting lots of wizard spells, for instance, will build up that skill, whereas throwing lots of shurikens will spike the ninja skill. Furthermore, rather than rely on a number-based system of levels, the characters go through stages like “novice,” “journeyman,” and “artisan.” It’s a very intuitive and logical system that reminded me quite strongly of that in the Elder Scrolls games (which seem to me to be an almost direct descendant).

Another interesting aspect of Dungeon Master is the magic system. Rather than memorizing spells or choosing them from a menu, players cast spells by combining strings of symbols. Although there are thousands and thousands of possible combinations, only certain strings have effects. Wizards or priests must start off casting a new spell at a very weak level, only gradually gaining the skills to really do impressive magic. Players learn new spells either by trial and error or finding scrolls sprinkled throughout the dungeon. These scrolls contain “spell recipes” that the player can look-up in the manual and put to use. However, I’m sure that many players will prefer to find the spell listings in an online FAQ (or hunt down the original clue book).

Players can also enhance their characters by finding armor, weapons, and magical items. Some of these items are acquired by killing monsters, but others are hidden in secret rooms or just lying about on the floor. Unfortunately, here again players will no doubt want a FAQ or cluebook, since there is no way of telling in-game which items are better than others (save doing some very complicated math!) (Note: The manual claims that eventually characters will be able to provide more info about items when they examine them, but I’ve yet to reach this point).

Finally, adding to the game’s realism is the need to find food and water. Most games that try to incorporate eating and drinking do so in a thoroughly irritating fashion, with players spending more time worried about acquiring sustenance than slaughtering orcs. Thankfully, the characters use up these resources pretty slowly, and there is an abundance (at least on the early levels) of food and water available (do you really want to eat that turkey leg that’s been sitting on the floor of this dungeon for God knows how long? Sure!) Players can usually get food from the corpses of fallen creatures as well, though this food doesn’t have as strong an effect. Another bit of “realism” is your player’s vulnerability to wounding. Every so often during a battle, a character will take enough damage to one of his or her body parts; the wound reduces the character’s stats and must be healed with a potion. It’s a small thing, but does add just another bit of complexity to an already involving game.

One thing I noticed after playing this game for awhile was the sheer interface intensity of playing this game. Although it’s really fair to call it a “clickfest” like Diablo, there is very little “automatic” here. Even while not engaged in combat, you’re either eating, drinking, making potions, swapping out torches, shuffling inventories, preparing spells, or healing. All of this requires an extraordinary amount of mousing, but also a good deal of concentration. In short, you’re either “in the zone” while playing this game, or you’re monster meat.

Puzzles, Maps, and Secrets
In addition to a fairly standard assortment of monsters, there are quite a few puzzles here to challenge a wily player. Most of these seem to involve various arrangements of pressure plates, though others require special items to activate.

Dungeon Master is also a map maker’s delight, so if you’re into that kind of thing, break out the graph paper and get to work. Personally, I must prefer an auto-mapping system, but there are plenty of maps online to let lazy folks like me to get through. Unfortunately, most maps also spell out the locations of the many secret rooms, so it’s a trade-off. Obviously, it’s quite a thrill to stumble into a secret treasure room and get some of the very-rare magical items that’ll give you an edge in combat. The fact that even so vital an item as the compass was in one of those secret rooms really makes it necessary to kick every wall.

While the puzzles I encountered weren’t exactly of Myst quality, they provide a nice diversion from the hack and slash. There are also lots of small buttons and levers for players to keep an eye out for, as well as cryptic (or not so cryptic) inscriptions to provide clues.

Graphics and Sound
So far, I’ve played the Atari ST and Amiga versions of this game, and must admit that I much prefer the latter. For one thing, the ability to use the numeric keypad is a huge boon (ST fans, please chime in if there’s a way to do this with the ST version). The graphics are perhaps a bit better on the Amiga, but not enough to make a difference.

The sound in both games is a bit limited. You spend the majority of your time in silence, though when monsters are near you can hear them shuffling about. Supposedly, the Amiga version was the first to offer “3D Sound Effects,” and I remember reading reviews asking players to wear headphones to intensify them. At any rate, I didn’t notice much with my surround sound system, and I’m not so sure what all the fuss was about.

One aspect of the graphics I especially like is the character screens. It’s logically laid out (in the sort of paper-doll setup common in many of the Might and Magic games), and each item has a unique graphic.

Dungeon Master (Amiga): An innovative, mouse-driven “paper doll” system for managing inventory and survival needs.The dungeon walls tend to all look the same, a fact that makes it tricky to keep one’s bearings (I managed to find a compass that has proven its weight in gold!). The monsters look convincing enough, though at this early stage I’ve yet to encounter much more than mummies, “screamers,” and “magenta worms.” However, there are 27 creatures in the game, many with special powers or weaknesses that call for smart tactics. Check out this page for a list of them. There’s everything from beholders (”Wizard Eyes”) to dragons to keep D&D fans happy.

I noticed no music in either version, though apparently the FM Towns game features quite a nice soundtrack. This fact doesn’t bother me, since I’m quite happy playing my own music instead. Besides, we all know how repetitive a twelve-second melody can get after about the 50,000th repetition.

Other Thoughts
One thing I can definitely say about Dungeon Master is that it remains quite playable even in 2006. This is one of those rare titles that can really get its hooks into you. At first, the game is only just interesting enough to keep you playing for a few more minutes–the old, “just a bit more, then I’ll go do something else” vibe. However, once you start leveling up and getting a feel for how the game works, you’re in the for the long haul.

Most of the older CRPGs are all but unplayable today thanks to a cumbersome interface and snail-pacing. I’ve tried to go back and play classics like SSI’s Gold Box series many times and found myself questioning my sanity–why put up with such an outmoded control scheme? I’m sure that many of today’s CRPGs will suffer a similar fate, particularly ones that rely too heavily on extended “tutorial” segments and take forever to get moving. There is something to be said for a CRPG like The Sword of Fargoal that gets you up and running in just a few minutes. Games with more elaborate and non-intuitive rules and interfaces tend to age rather ungracefully. Dungeon Master is somewhere in between these extremes. True, you will need to print out a copy of the manual in order to cast spells and probably a hint site to help you choose equipment, but beyond that, the rest is “easy to learn; hard to master.”

In the end, what’s so impressive about Dungeon Master is what’s relatively unimpressive about the many CRPGs that follow it–they’ve barely innovated on the paradigm set by FTL in 1987! Indeed, I’ve seen plenty of modern games fall short of the standard set by Dungeon Master (Ruins of Myth Drannor, anyone?). Although it’s not without its flaws, a CRPG designer could do worse than to carefully study FTL’s interface.

If you’re ready to give Dungeon Master a try yourself, you have lots of options. There’s a Java version for folks who don’t want to bother with emulation. However, as long as you’re going to the trouble, you might as well go back to the roots. The Dungeon Master & Chaos Encyclopedia has the ROMs for each release, and it’s pretty easy to get an Atari ST or an Amiga emulator up and running. The game worked beautifully in Win-UAE, though it was a bit tricky getting the ST roms working in Steem (I blame this on my ignorance concerning the ST platform rather than the emulator or ROM, however). As I mentioned earlier, the Amiga version allows movement with the numeric keypad, which is much easier than moving the pointer each time you want to move. However, a purist will definitely want the ST version, since that’s where it all got started.