Software:Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom

From HandWiki
Short description: 1994 arcade game
Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom
European arcade flyer
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
Designer(s)Tomoshi Sadamoto
Magigi Fukunishi
George Kamitani
Artist(s)Kinu Nishimura
Writer(s)Alex Jimenez
Composer(s)Isao Abe
Takayuki Iwai
Hideki Okugawa
SeriesMystara
Platform(s)Arcade, Sega Saturn
ReleaseArcade
  • JP: 13 January 1994
  • NA: 25 January 1994
  • EU: 12 April 1994
Saturn
  • JP: March 4, 1999
Genre(s)Beat 'em up/role-playing video game
Mode(s)Up to 4 players, cooperative
Arcade systemCP System II

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom (Japanese: ダンジョンズ&ドラゴンズ タワーオブドゥーム, Hepburn: Danjonzu & Doragonzu Tawā obu Dūmu), published in 1994, is the first of two arcade games created by Capcom based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game and set in the Mystara campaign setting.[1] It is a side scrolling beat 'em up with some role-playing video game elements for one to four players. The game was also released on the Sega Saturn, packaged with its sequel, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara, under the title Dungeons & Dragons Collection, although the Saturn version limited the gameplay to only two players. In 2013, both games were re-released for modern platforms as Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara.

Gameplay

Tower of Doom is a side-scrolling arcade game featuring four playable characters (cleric, dwarf, elf, fighter) with classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters as opponents.[2] Bosses include a troll that regenerates unless burned, a large black dragon, the dreaded Shadow Elf (Mystara's equivalent of the drow), a beholder, the optional superboss Flamewing (a great wyrm red dragon) and the final boss Deimos (an archlich).

The Fighter (center) in combat with skeletons.

At points in the game the players are presented with a choice of paths to take to continue progress. Each path goes to a different area, and it is impossible to visit every area in a single play.[3]

The gameplay is more technical than the average on beat'em up games. In addition to the usual basic attacks and jumping it includes blocking, strong attacks, turning attacks, dashing attacks, crouching and evading. It also requires the use of careful tactics, as most enemies have the same abilities as the heroes and can out-range them, too.

Daggers, hammers, arrows and burning oils can be used as throwing weapons, and many enemies have similar weapons. Spells can be used by means of magical rings or by the two playable spellcasters (a cleric and an elf).

Characters

  • The Fighter is a balanced character with great range and power, and has the highest amount of health.
  • The Elf has a short range with her sword and packs noticeably less power than the fighter, but has seven arcane spells at her disposal: Magic Missile, Invisibility, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Polymorph Others, Ice Storm, and Cloudkill.
  • The Cleric has fighting skills comparable to those of the elf. He can turn undead and use five divine spells: Hold Person, Striking, Continual Light, Sticks to Snakes, and Cure Serious Wounds. He is the most adept at using a shield, being able to block many vertical attacks that the other characters cannot.
  • The Dwarf has short horizontal range (but the best vertical reach), and he is the most powerful character in close combat thanks to his quick combo speed.

Plot

The Republic of Darokin in Mystara is under a terrible siege as the number of monsters and their attacks rise. A group of four adventurers step forth to rescue various areas, then are sent by the merchant lord Corwyn Linton to investigate the attacks, revealed to be masterminded by the Arch Lich Deimos. Eventually the adventurers make their way to Deimos' Tower of Doom and ultimately destroy him.

Development

At the beginning of the 1990s, Capcom acquired the license to create D&D games. As part of the deal, they ported Eye of the Beholder to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The Japanese branch of Capcom were having difficulty getting TSR's approval for creating a D&D game, so they turned to Capcom USA to negotiate.[4] Capcom and license-holder TSR met in January 1992 to discuss how the game should be approached. They decided to write the game's story first, and build the game around the story.[5] Most of the staff at Capcom USA were not familiar with D&D rules and lore, so assistant James Goddard turned to D&D enthusiast Alex Jimenez to come up with a concept and make it understandable to a Japanese audience, all the while testing the product. Some of Jimenez's inspirations for the beat em up' style came from Golden Axe, while the multiple paths were based on Thayer's Quest. There was debate between Capcom and SSI on whether to make the game Asian-themed or Western-themed, which Jimenez himself managed to resolve. Jimenez supplied concept art for the characters. One of his biggest difficulties was trying to help the Japanese developers grasp the D&D elements. Originally the game was supposed to have two buttons in the arcade controls, but two more were needed to accommodate the inventory system.[4]

Once the initial game design was complete, Jimenez translated it into an actual Dungeons & Dragons scenario and had his gamers group in San Jose play it, with himself as gamemaster. Capcom of Japan then revised the scenario design based on the players' reactions.[5]

Home releases

Dungeons & Dragons Collection

Dungeons & Dragons Collection is a two-disc compilation of Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara. It was released only in Japan on March 4, 1999, exclusively for the Sega Saturn. The ports have minor differences in gameplay, and there is a maximum of two players instead of the original four.[6] Originally Capcom planned to release Tower of Doom as a standalone title on Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation,[7] but cancelled the plan early on. It was initially announced that the collection would be released for both the Saturn and PlayStation,[6][8] with the PlayStation version due for a U.S. release,[9] but the PlayStation version was shelved in early 1998 so that Capcom could focus on other projects.[10]

In 1999, GameSpot's James Mielke criticized the loading times as "horrendous", with mid-level battles occasionally pausing to let data stream in, and "as a very basic scrolling hacker", he called it simply "OK" and average.[11] In 2005, IGN picked the Dungeons & Dragons Collection as one of the top ten co-op games.[12] Retro Gamer included it on their list of ten essential Saturn imports, praising its "stunning animation thanks to using the 4MB ram pack" and opining that while it suffers from lengthy loading times, they called it the best scrolling fighter game on the system, and felt to be superior to Taito's PuLiRuLa and Capcom's own Dynasty Warriors (the Retro Gamer team were confusing Dynasty Warriors with Dynasty Wars).[13] In 2023, Time Extension included the collection on their top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time" list.[14]

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara

Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara were released as part of the Dungeons and Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara compilation for the Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows in the summer of 2013.[15]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom on their March 1, 1994 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the month, outperforming titles like Raiden II and Fatal Fury Special.[16] In North America, RePlay reported Tower of Doom as the most-popular arcade game at the time.[17] Play Meter also listed Tower of Doom as the fourteenth most-popular arcade game at the time.[18] The game received a rave review from GamePro, who commented that the game's action is not as fast as it could be, but rather furious, smoothly controlled, and intuitive. They also praised the game's length, complexity, and non-linear nature, and its faithful recreation of Dungeons & Dragons elements.[19]

According to GameSpy's Allen Rausch, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom was "equally good, though not as well remembered" as other "Final Fight-style beat-'em-ups at the arcade" like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons. Rausch felt that combat was fun and had more depth, and "came loaded with secrets to find and treasures to swipe" and that after the players beat the game's seven levels, they find that the game's ultimate bad guy was actually just the pawn of an even bigger bad guy.[20]

Sequel

See also

  • List of Capcom games

References

  1. ↑ "Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom". The International Arcade Museum. http://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=7668. 
  2. ↑ Tresca, Michael J. (2010), The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games, McFarland, p. 144, ISBN 978-0786458950, https://books.google.com/books?id=8H8bzqj6S4sC&pg=PA144 
  3. ↑ "D and D Tower of Doom by Capcom". Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM Media, LLC) (54): 78. January 1994. https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_54. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Damien McFerran (2013-03-25). "The Making of Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom & Shadow Over Mystara". http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2013/03/feature_the_making_of_dungeons_and_dragons_tower_of_doom_and_shadow_over_mystara. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Indill the Incredible (May 1994). "One-on-one with D&D's Real Dungeon Master". GamePro (IDG) (58): 122. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_058_May_1994. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Dungeons & Dragons Collection: Elves, Dwarves, Clerics and Knights". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (97): 94. August 1997. 
  7. ↑ "Next Wave - Tower of Doom". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Sendai Publishing) (80): 99. March 1996. https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c7/EGM_US_080.pdf. 
  8. ↑ Ogasawara, Ken (July 1997). "Tokyo Game Show '97". GamePro (IDG) (106): 32–33. 
  9. ↑ "Dungeons & Dragons Collection". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (104): 48. March 1998. 
  10. ↑ "Saturn Gets Resident Evil 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (105): 26. April 1998. 
  11. ↑ Mielke, James (17 March 1999). "Dungeons & Dragons Collection Review for Saturn". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/saturn/adventure/dungeonsdragonscollection/review.html. 
  12. ↑ IGN Staff. "Game Help Editors' Picks Co-Op Games". http://au.faqs.ign.com/articles/623/623396p1.html. 
  13. ↑ "Top Ten Essential Saturn Imports". Retrogamer.net. 2015-01-09. http://www.retrogamer.net/top_10/top-ten-essential-saturn-imports/. 
  14. ↑ Banks, George (14 February 2023). "Best Beat 'Em Ups Of All Time". Hookshot Media. https://www.timeextension.com/guides/best-beat-em-ups-of-all-time. 
  15. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (2013-03-22). "Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons collection confirmed". http://www.gamespot.com/news/capcoms-dungeons-and-dragons-collection-confirmed-6405781. 
  16. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (Amusement Press, Inc.) (467): 29. 1 March 1994. 
  17. ↑ "Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software". RePlay (RePlay Publishing, Inc.) 19 (8): 4. May 1994. 
  18. ↑ "Equipment Poll - Video & Pinball Combined". Play Meter (Skybird Publishing) 20 (7): 10. June 1994. https://archive.org/stream/play-meter-volume-20-number-7-june-1994/Play%20Meter%20-%20Volume%2020%2C%20Number%207%20-%20June%201994%20%28Compressed%29#page/10/mode/1up. 
  19. ↑ Indill the Incredible (April 1994). "Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom". GamePro (IDG) (57): 122–123. https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_057_April_1994. 
  20. ↑ Rausch, Allen (2004-08-17). "A History of D&D Video Games - Part III". Game Spy. http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/539/539722p2.html. 
  • 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. 
  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.




Warning: Default sort key "Dungeons and Dragons: Tower of Doom" overrides earlier default sort key "Mobygames".



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Dungeons_%26_Dragons:_Tower_of_Doom&oldid=704778"