First of all, I would like to say that the Daleks program I have seen has been written for nearly every type of computer currently available (Mac, PC, Amiga, etc) and there is a version I have seen (albeit in text only) for use with a Text Adventure system which can be run on virtually any computer with text (ie, all of them). While I don't think this was originally meant to be a Doctor Who game, as I have seen it in many versions, only a few of which were called Daleks, it was one of the earliest of these simple games that became widely available.
Next Up, Pyramids of Mars. I finished this text adventure, and although it is very buggy (one bug allows you to get an infinite number of points) it is very impressive for a piece of work written in two weeks and meant to be a test. I only wish it had been beta tested. Anyway, although the plot is based on the show, and there are some well written cut-away scenes (wherein the plot moves without you doing anything), It is advisable that you watch the show first. Some of the puzzles are a lot easier to solve if you've seen the show, although it's not impossible if you haven't. In fact, only a few of the puzzles come from the show, some aren't. If anyone needs hints, email the author, or myself.
Next. Mines of Titan is an action game for the C64 (and BBC, I think). I played it briefly and don't think much of it. Basically, you jump and walk in different directions, and you have a cat with you (Wosely???). I couldn't get past the first level.
Finally: games similar or borrow from Doctor Who.
Among the Games I could think of (I probably have forgotten some):
Beneath a Steel Sky: (PC CD-ROM) A graphic adventure where you play a human who must discover the terrible secret of a Big Brother Society. The Artist is David Gibbons (from Doctor Who Weekly) and there is a reference or two Doctor who. One of the characters companions is a robot similar to K9, and when he receives a laser add on, he says "Ex-ter-min-ate" as a joke. A good game, if a tad short (for me, anyway)
Star Trek 25th Aniv (or the other one) (PC, Mac) Several of the plots borrow heavily from DW episodes. One in particular tells about a colony, where people are being attacked. It turns out that the previous inhabitants went into hibernation when a moon approached them... Hmmm.
Edan Harel edharel@eden.rutgers.edu
You said that you thought it was a text adventure. Not so.
It was a glorious effort at the time to produce an animated arcade adventure game on the Beeb, and even came with a 16K memory chip that was necessary for the game to run ! The game was pretty involving and complex, which put many non-serious gamers off at the time, which is why it didn't sell well.
The game was set on the second moon of the planet Rija, home to extensive caves and a Dalek-controlled mining complex. Somewhere in the complex the Master was constructing a chaos weapon, and as the Doctor it was your task to stop him (Dr. portrayed as Colin Baker). Movement was platform-orientated but this was not a platform game in the get-to-the-end-of-each-level style. There were game objects, such as oxygen masks for using in the vacuum outside the complex, which you needed to find and use - like objects in an adventure game. Graphics were actually very good for the time. There was even a cyber-cat sort of companion who you could give instructions to for difficult-to-perform tasks.
On the whole, if you could get into it, a very enjoyable game. Trouble is, I upgraded to a BBC Master and the Dr. Who chip was not compatible with this. Therefore I never finished the game.
According to the Box which I have in front of me, there were also versions of the game on other formats : Spectrum 48K and Commodore 64, on cassette and disk. The game was produced by Micropower in the UK.
Hope this info was useful to you, (I'm actually impressed somebody else remembered this game at all)
Jamil Ismaili jamil.ismaili@ukonline.co.uk
Our thanks to Edan and Jamil for their letters. If there's something you'd like to tell us or our other readers, then just drop us a note at the editorial address.
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