Software:Dun Darach

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Short description: 1985 arcade adventure game
Dun Darach
Developer(s)Gargoyle Games
Publisher(s)Gargoyle Games
Designer(s)
  • Greg Follis
  • Roy Carter
Platform(s)
Release
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Dun Darach[lower-alpha 1] is an action-adventure game developed and published in 1985 by Gargoyle Games for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers. It is a prequel to the 1984 game Tir Na Nog. The plot has Celtic hero Cuchulainn on a search to find his companion Lóeg in the mysterious city of Dun Darach. Inspiration for the game came from the works of Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock.

The background history is based on Celtic folklore about the demigod Cuchulainn and his battles against the people of Connachta in ancient Ireland. Dun Darach was critically acclaimed upon its original release, with praise singling out its graphics. Retrospective reviews were less than positive, with one reviewer preferring Tir Na Nog. It was re-released on different game compilations and cover tapes in issues of British video game magazines.

Plot and gameplay

ZX Spectrum screenshot, Cuchulainn is in a trader's shop.

One day Cuchulainn travels home with his charioteer companion Lóeg from a battle against the Connachta. On the way, they stop off at an inn and Lóeg is persuaded to help a young woman named Skar, whose chariot is damaged. Cuchulainn realizes that Lóeg is missing after taking refreshment at the inn. He later discovers that Skar is a sorceress and ally of the Connachta, and has taken Lóeg to the Secret City of Dun Darach in retribution for the death of Prince Amhair, who perished in the battle. Cuchulainn goes on a long search for the mysterious city, eventually discovering it and entering to find Lóeg.[5]

Dun Darach is an action-adventure game. The player guides Cuchulainn through Dun Darach and interacts with the environment by performing keyboard commands. The main objective is to find Lóeg, taking side quests from non-player characters (NPCs). These NPCs can give short hints to Cuchulainn, rob him, and confiscate his belongings if he carries stolen goods. Commands the player inputs can have him buy, steal and sell from shops in the city, bet at a casino (Iomain Ludum), and deposit money at a bank with daily compound interest. Dun Darach is large and consists of different quarters. The current time of the day is indicated by torches in the wall and by the greetings of characters.[6]

Development and release

Dun Darach was developed by Greg Follis and Roy Carter, the co-founders of game developer Gargoyle Games, as a prequel to their previous title, Tir Na Nog. It had the working title Cú Chulainn – The Early Years.[7] Development first began on 10 February 1985.[8] Follis claimed that the biggest complaint for Tir Na Nog was its huge setting, resulting in it being scaled back to one city.[7] Inspiration for Dun Darach came from the works of Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock,[9] with Gargoyle wanting the atmosphere to be similar to Leiber's book The Swords of Lankhmar.[7] It was showcased at the LET trade show at the Olympia London, showing screenshots of the game.[3]

One area had to be censored before release. There is an empty area in the centre of the city, the pleasure quarter "Iomain" which was originally intended to be a brothel called "Lady Q's" and would have opened into a whole red-light district. This was replaced with a sign saying "Forbidden".[8] Dun Darach was launched for the ZX Spectrum in 1985. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC later that year. Carter remarked that it took ten days to do the conversion for the system.[10] It was re-released by different software companies; Hewson Consultants' Rebound imprint in 1986, Gremlin Graphics in 1986 as part of their 4 Crash Smashes compilation, and on cover tapes in issues of Sinclair User and Your Sinclair.[11]

Reception and legacy

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Amstrad Action90%[12]
Amtix93%[13]
Crash97%[5]
CVG29/30[14]
Sinclair UserStarStarStarStarStar[9]
Awards
PublicationAward
Sinclair UserSU Classic
CrashCrash Smash
C+VGHit

The original release of Dun Darach received critical acclaim, particularly for its graphics.[5][13] The ZX Spectrum version was voted number 57 in the Your Sinclair Official Top 100 Games of All Time.[15] Richard Price for Sinclair User, while describing the game as "less abstract" as Tir Na Nog, said it was more interesting and eventful than its predecessor.[9] Computer And Video Games considered it a worthy successor to the first, calling it "entertaining".[14] A reviewer for Crash declared it an essential purchase for ZX Spectrum owners and saw it as a contender for game of the year.[5] Retrospective appraisals were less agreeable. Eurogamer contributor Peter Parrish offered an average score overall, dubbing it "mystifying".[16] Ian Marks from Retro Gamer compared it to Tir Na Nog, saying both were fun to play but Dun Darach was not as good. Marks also noted the novelty of the graphics wore off.[17]

Notes

  1. ↑ Dún Darach is Irish for "Fort of the Oak",[1][2] though mistranslated as "Hill of the Oak" (Cnoc Darach or Droim Darach).[3] Darach can also be a boy's name.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Dara". Dictionary and Language Library. Foras na Gaeilge. https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/dair. 
  2. ↑ "Dún". Dictionary and Language Library. Foras na Gaeilge. https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/d%C3%BAn. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "LET Show Report". Popular Computing Weekly 4 (8): 4. 21–27 February 1985. https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1985-02-21/page/n3. 
  4. ↑ Ó Séaghdha, Darach (7 February 2019). "The Irish For: What do these popular boys' names mean - and what can we learn from them?". TheJournal.ie. https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/what-do-these-irish-boys-names-mean-4496333-Feb2019/. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Reviews". Crash (18): 16–18. July 1985. https://archive.org/details/Crash_No._18_1985-07_Newsfield_GB/page/n15. 
  6. ↑ Dun Darach instruction manual. Gargoyle Games. 1986. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Gargoyle". Micro Adventurer (16): 7. February 1985. https://archive.org/stream/micro-adventurer-16/Micro_Adventurer_Issue_16_1985_Feb#page/n6/mode/2up. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bourne, Chris (November 1985). "The Gargoyle Speaks". Sinclair User (44): 112–115. https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-044/page/n111. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Price, Richard (August 1985). "Adventure". Sinclair User (41): 92–94. https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-041/page/n91. 
  10. ↑ "Special". Amstrad Action (1): 14. October 1985. https://archive.org/details/amstrad-action-001/page/n13. 
  11. ↑ Jankiewicz, Joshua (8 August 2015). "Dun Darach". Hardcore Gaming 101. http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dun-darach/. 
  12. ↑ Wade, Bob (August 1985). "Action Test". Amstrad Action (1): 94. https://archive.org/details/amstrad-action-001/page/n93. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Reviews". Amtix: 7. October 1985. https://archive.org/details/amtix-magazine-00/page/n5. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Reviews". Computer And Video Games (46): 28. August 1985. https://archive.org/details/ComputerAndVideoGamesIssue046Aug85/page/n27. 
  15. ↑ "Let the People Decide! The Results!". Your Sinclair (Dennis Publishing) (93): 11. September 1993. https://archive.org/stream/your-sinclair-93/YourSinclair_93_Sep_1993#page/n57/mode/2up. 
  16. ↑ Parrish, Peter (16 October 2007). "Dun Darach". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/dun-darach-review. 
  17. ↑ Marks, Ian (20 January 2009). "Dun Darach". Retro Gamer. https://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/dun-darach/. 

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
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