Mackscrane, the Great Demon, has stolen the chalice of binding
and hidden it deep within the Dunjunz.
Four fearless adventurers must risk their lives to save the
chalice... and the world.
Dunjunz is the arcade/adventure game to top them all.
It is based around a dungeons and dragons type scenario
in which up to four players compete simultaneously.
This is achieved by dividing the screen into four separate
action windows, all of them looking into the same dungeon,
but each showing the progress of one particular adventurer.
This system enables groups of players to explore the
dungeon as a fighting unit, protecting each other against
attack by the guards, increasing their fire power when
destroying objects or even killing each other.
The adventurers are provided in four different guises: The
Ranger uses a magic bow; the Wizard is hot stuff with a
fireball; the Barbarian is an axe-wielding maniac; and the
Warrior is a mean swordswoman.
The weapons all have different attack values - the higher
the value the greater the damage inflicted with each blow.
This value is increased if the adventurer locates the magic
sword or a pile of weapons.
Similarly each character's armour has different values: The
Warrior's chain mail and shield offer great protection from
most blows, but not so the Ranger's robe which is of little
defence against the guards attack.
A game such as this would not be complete without a
smattering of magic, so both the Wizard and the Ranger are
endowed with mystical powers. These manifest themselves
in smart-bomb fashion, destroying every guard on the screen
when a certain key is pressed.
The Wizard expends a great deal ofenergy incasting such
a spell, though the Ranger's energy value remains
mysteriously unaffected.
As well as the obligatory treasure chests the dungeon is
littered with magical objects and keys. Keys will open doors
to new areas of the dungeon, and eating food boosts your
energy rating by 10 points, up to a maximum of 99.
The magic helmet and the cross of resurrection increase
the strength of your armour and the Boots of Speed will
double a character's rate of travel.
Not all objects you discover are beneficial. For example,
the dungeon is riddled with trap doors from which new guards
appear to replace their dead comrades.
Most dangerous of all are the energy drainers, innocent
looking squares which relieve you of 20 energy points when
touched and are sometimes used to bar your way to a new
section of dungeon.
Drainers can be destroyed by multiple blows from a
weapon but great care has to be taken as they have a
defence mechanism which reflects a weapon back on the
attacker. A shoot-and-sidestep technique is essential if you
are to survive.
When I first played the game I was under the impression
that I had to collect all the treasure on a level before I could
jump through the trap door to level two. This is not so: If you
want to you and your three comrades can exit level one in
under 30 seconds.
However, in doing so you pass up the opportunity of
improving weapon and armour ratings.
Dunjunz comes complete with 25 different levels, each
loaded individually from tape as required. This may sound
tedious but each level takes only five seconds to load.
Loading occurs automatically when all surviving characters
have jumped through the exit trap door. It is only necessary
for one adventurer to survive to progress to the next level.
Once loaded, all dead characters are reincarnated with a
full bill of health but with only the default values for weapons
and armour. A surviving character is restored to full strength.
A save game option would have been appreciated as you
are unlikely to fight your way through all 25 levels in a single
session.
Ignoring the problem of cramming four people into an area
of three square feet there is no denying that Dunjunz is a
stunning piece of programming.
The action is smooth and fast and the levels tortuously
difficult. This game will sell and sell.