| Space Dungeon | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Taito America Corporation |
| Publisher(s) | Taito America Corporation |
| Year released | 1981 |
| System(s) | Arcade, Atari 5200 |
| Japanese title | スペースダンジョン |
|---|---|
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
| Players | 1-2 |
| Modes | Single player, Multiplayer |
Space Dungeon is a multi-directional shooter arcade game, released by Taito America Corporation in 1981; it runs on an altered version of the company's Qix hardware (two Motorola M6809s running at 1.25 MHz and a Motorola M6802 running at 921.6 KHz, with an added Motorola M68705 running at 1 MHz). The player must use two eight-directional joysticks (one for moving, and one for firing) to take control of an armed spaceship which must be directed through 36-room dungeons to collect as many treasure items as it can (an automatic map of the current dungeon is also displayed at the top of the screen along with any treasure items currently in the player's possession) - and all rooms are connected by open doors which differ in size, so the player can select which room they want to visit next by going through the appropriate door from the room they are currently in. In order to escape a dungeon, the player must find its "Collect Bonus" room, which contains an exit; once the player has gone through the exit they will receive a bonus determined by how many treasure items are in their possession. However, if the player is killed by an enemy or anything fired by one before finding this room, all their treasure items shall be dropped in the current room - and when they are resurrected, this room will be indicated on the map with a flashing cross. If the player visits all thirty-six rooms in a dungeon, they will receive a 10000-point bonus regardless of how many treasure items they may have in their possession; they will also be awarded an additional life every 10000 points by default, and after they have reached 990000 points they will receive an additional life for every enemy they shoot (however, they should not shoot too many, as the life count will roll over to 0 after 255 lives).
There are five types of treasure items: Iron Crosses (which are worth 500 points), Copper Pieces (which are worth 1000 points), Silver Stars (which are worth 2000 points), Golden Fleeces (which first appear in the fourth level and are worth 4000 points) and Platinum Arks (which first appear in the sixth level and are worth 8000 points); a total of sixteen items are also present in all dungeons.
Furthermore, there are eight types of enemies: Pikers (which are worth 100 points and can only be killed if shot in their cores, but their surrounding spikes may also be destroyed for 10 points apiece, and if the player leaves a room without killing one, it will be regenerated if they return there), Corner Zappers (which are worth 25 points and always appear in groups of four, one in each corner of a room, but if the player leaves a room without killing all of them, the ones they did kill shall be regenerated if they return there), Deathsquares (which are worth 25 points), Guards (which are worth 125 points and usually seen close to treasure items), Executioners (which are again worth 125 points), Enforcers (which are worth 250 points, and if the player leaves a room while one is present, it will reappear in the one they moved to), Thieves (which first appear in the second level, try to pick up treasure items for themselves and are indestructible, but if the player shoots one for 50 points, it will drop any treasure items in its possession and change its direction, and it may also leave Guards behind if shot more than once) and Spore Cases (which appear in every room from the third level onwards and are worth 500 points, but when the player kills one it will explode into three spores which must be avoided); also, if the player clears the ninety-ninth level, the level count shall roll over to 0 and the text "YOU'RE A HERO ON LEVEL ZERO" will appear on the screen.
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The game's title screen.
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Upright arcade cabinet.
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Screenshot of the game.
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Alternative arcade flyer.
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Atari 5200 cover artwork.
