Software:Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep

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Short description: 1993 video game
Dungeon Master II:
The Legend of Skullkeep
Developer(s)FTL Games
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions
Director(s)Doug Bell
Composer(s)Allister Brimble
Rick Jackson
Brian Luzietti
Platform(s)PC-98, FM-Towns, Sega CD, Amiga, MS-DOS, Classic Mac OS
ReleaseDecember 23, 1993 (PC-9801)[1]
January 28, 1994 (FM Towns)[2]
March 25, 1994 (Mega CD Japan)[3]
September 22, 1994 (PC-9821, DOS/V, Mac Japanese)[4][5][6]
August 16, 1995 (MS-DOS)[7]
1995 (Amiga, Mac English)[8][9]
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep, also released as Dungeon Master II: Skullkeep, is the sequel to the dungeon crawler role-playing video game Dungeon Master.[10] It was released in 1993 in Japan and in 1995 in other countries.[10] It is available for MS-DOS,[11] Amiga, Mac,[12] Sega CD, PC-9801, PC-9821, DOS/V, and FM Towns.

Development

FTL's Wayne Holder said in 1994 that FTL considered a free-movement engine like Doom or Ultima Underworld for Dungeon Master II ("it's not that hard to do"), but "we prefer puzzle-oriented game design", while free-movement was "tedious to play" and complicated puzzle design.[13]

Ports

MS-DOS screenshot

There are many graphical differences between the MS-DOS and Amiga versions. For example, the title and endgame animations are very different. Items graphics also change: the Amiga version, while marked as an AGA game, is actually running in 32 color ECS mode (evident by the fact that it runs on Amiga 600 computers with 2MB RAM) colors, whereas the MS-DOS version has 256 color VGA graphics. While the PC-9821 has 256 color graphics, the PC-9801 version uses dithered graphics to fit within the PC-9801's palette.

The Mac version includes two screen layouts: a normal and a compact layout.

The game music is different in each version of the game: the PC version uses MIDI music (which therefore sounds different on different sound cards), the Amiga version uses MODules, and the Sega CD version uses CD Audio tracks.

Reception

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
Next GenerationStarStar[15]
PC Gamer (US)65%[14]
PC Zone59% (DOS)[16]
PC GamesB[17]
The One93%[18]
Computer Game Review63/42/56[19]

Dungeon Master II received mediocre reviews and sold poorly.[20] Reviewing the Sega CD version, GamePro commented that the standard Genesis controller does not work well with its point-and-click interface, and that a Sega Mouse is needed to fully enjoy the game. They also criticized the need to maintain light sources and food supplies.

However, the bulk of their review was devoted to praise for the enemy AI, which they contended is so intelligent and naturalistic that it's "almost like playing against another person."[21] Reviewing the later PC version, a Next Generation critic said that while the original Dungeon Master was an outstanding game, Dungeon Master II retained aspects of the original that had long since become outdated. Noting the "refreshingly different magic system" as one of the few bright points, he gave it two out of five stars.[15][20]

The One gave the Amiga version an overall score of 93%, praising the game's atmosphere and 3D sound effects. The magazine criticized FTL's attempt to add smoother movement, stating that "it simply isn't as good as any of the Doom clones that there are around at the moment". Noting that Dungeon Master II was a much deeper game than the Doom clones, however, The One concluded that Dungeon Master II was "an excellent game well worthy of its high scores".[18]

References

  1. ↑ "PC-9801 release date announced on page 14-15 in magazine Login (Japan), November 19, 1993". 19 November 1993. https://archive.org/details/LoginVol221993/page/14/mode/2up. 
  2. ↑ "FM-Towns release date on advertisement in magazine Popcom (Japan), February 1994, Page 36". https://archive.org/details/popcom-1994-02/page/36/mode/2up. 
  3. ↑ "Magazine: Beep! MegaDrive (Japan), April 1994, Page 20". April 1994. https://archive.org/details/beep-megadrive-1994-04/page/20/mode/2up. 
  4. ↑ "PC-9821 release date in Micom BASIC Magazine (Japan) October 1994, 'Super Hot Soft Information' section Page 7 (Page 273 in the PDF)". https://segaretro.org/File:MicomBASIC_JP_1994-10.pdf. 
  5. ↑ "Macintosh release date in Micom BASIC Magazine (Japan) October 1994, 'Super Hot Soft Information' section Page 14 (Page 280 in the PDF)". https://segaretro.org/File:MicomBASIC_JP_1994-10.pdf. 
  6. ↑ "DOS/V release date in Micom BASIC Magazine (Japan) October 1994, 'Super Hot Soft Information' section Page 16 (Page 282 in the PDF)". https://segaretro.org/File:MicomBASIC_JP_1994-10.pdf. 
  7. ↑ "Interplay Releases Dungeon Master II". 1997-10-09. http://www.interplay.com/press/dm2pcpr.html. 
  8. ↑ "Macintosh USA edition". http://dmweb.free.fr/games/dungeon-master-ii/editions/macintosh/usa/. 
  9. ↑ "Amiga release (copyright date 1995 in manual)". http://dmweb.free.fr/games/dungeon-master-ii/editions/amiga/united-kingdom/. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 McFerran, Damien (2006). "The Making of Dungeon Master". Issue 34. Retro Gamer Magazine. pp. 30–31. http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/retrogamer_dungeonmaster.pdf. Retrieved 2011-01-19. 
  11. ↑ "Dungeon Master II". interplay.com. 2001-04-14. http://www.interplay.com/games/dmii.html. 
  12. ↑ "Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep". macplay.com. 1997. http://www.macplay.com/website/titles/dmii.html. 
  13. ↑ Meston, Zach; Arnold, J. Douglas (1994). Dungeon Master II Skullkeep: The Official Strategy Guide. Sandwich Islands Publishing. https://www.amigalove.com/viewtopic.php?t=739. Retrieved 2024-09-21. 
  14. ↑ Ward, Trent C. (November 1995). "Dungeon Master II". PC Gamer US. http://www.pcgamer.com/reviews/369.html. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep". Next Generation (Imagine Media) (12): 188. December 1995. 
  16. ↑ Burgess, McCandless (September 1995). "CD Review - Dungeon Master II". PC Zone (Future plc) (30): 76. https://archive.org/details/PC_Zone_30_September_1995/page/n75. 
  17. ↑ Olafson, Peter (October 1995). "Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep". PC Games. http://www.pcgamesmag.com:80/games/Oct95/dunge1095.html. Retrieved July 30, 2019. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Dungeon Master II: The Legend of Skullkeep Review". The One (emap Images) (85): 22–27. November 1995. https://archive.org/details/theone-magazine-85/page/n21. 
  19. ↑ "Entropy Beckons". Computer Game Review. October 1995. http://www.nuke.com/compent/reviews/octarc/dmii/dmii.htm. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Maher, Jimmy (2015-12-11). "Dungeon Master, Part 1: The Making of". The Digital Antiquarian. http://www.filfre.net/2015/12/dungeon-master-part-1-the-making-of/. Retrieved 11 December 2015. 
  21. ↑ "ProReview: Dungeon Master II: Skullkeep". GamePro (IDG) (62): 125. September 1994. 
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

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 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]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

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. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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