Software:Tunnels of Doom
| Tunnels of Doom | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Texas Instruments |
| Publisher(s) | Texas Instruments |
| Designer(s) | Kevin Kenney |
| Composer(s) | Hank Mishkoff |
| Platform(s) | TI-99/4A |
| Release | December 31, 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing |
Tunnels of Doom is a role-playing video game programmed by Kevin Kenney for the TI-99/4A home computer and published by Texas Instruments on December 31, 1982.[1] It was available in two formats: cartridge with accompanying disk and cartridge with cassette.[2]
Based loosely on the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, it is a dungeon crawl in which players control the fates of 1–4 characters as they navigate a maze of tunnels.[1][3] Texas Instruments used the game in its marketing, citing it as entertainment software involving "strategy and logic".[4]
Gameplay
The game has four character classes: hero, fighter, rogue, and wizard. In a single character game, only "hero" is used.[1]
Upon encountering an enemy, the game transitions to a separate, graphical, overhead battle screen, where a tactical turn-based combat system is used that allows for movement and positioning. It's possible to listen at doors for sounds of monsters, which can be negotiated with in combat as well.[5]
Legacy
In 2008, Howard Kistler of DreamCodex developed a revised version of the game with the permission of Kevin Kenney.[6]
Notes
References
- Tresca, Michael J. (2011). The Evolution of Fantasy Role-Playing Games. McFarland. ISBN 9780786460090.
- Wolf, Mark J.P., ed (2001). The Medium of the Video Game. University of Texas Press. ISBN 029279150X. https://archive.org/details/mediumofvideogam0000unse.
- 1984 complete sourcebook of personal computing. Bantam Bowker. 1984. ISBN 0835217655. https://archive.org/details/bowkerscompletes00bowk.
- The Milwaukee Journal. 14 June 1984.
- National Geographic (National Geographic Society) 163. 1983.
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