SPACE DUNGEON
This was one of the games that made it difficult to get rid of
the Atari 5200. I really enjoyed it and especially that it was a
dual joystick game (along with Robotron the only other dual
joystick game on the 5200). When I saw it was on MAME, I was
shocked! I didn't know it originally was an arcade game. So now
I easily got over that lingering feeling of despair because that
game along with the best version of Star Trek on the home
consoles was lost to me.
Space Dungeon has your ship flying through a dungeon of sorts,
looking for treasures to boost your end of the level bonus. Much
like Robotron, you move with one joystick and shoot with the
other. It takes a bit to get used to as you are moving from room
to room, but once you do, it is very effective. No more having
to turn around in order to shoot an enemy. Speaking of enemies,
there are lots of them moving around. Some shoot at you and
some, like the thief will just annoy you. There are some that
need multiple shots to kill and others that take just one well
placed shot.
Part of the fun of the game is looking up on the map and seeing
what sections of the dungeon you have yet to explore. I like to
try and conquer the whole level before moving on, but you can
complete as little or as much as you like. It really is up to
you. But be warned as if you die, all your treasure is left in
that room and you must go and recover it. Can be a bit of a
bummer if it is way in the corner and the way out is in the
other direction.
One tough element of the game is that the enemy don't just sit
there and wait. If you enter a room, they are coming after you.
Even more exciting is if you run away, some of them will chase
you. Plus, others will come from other rooms to join in the
battle. We are talking a dungeon full of battle crazed ships.
There is no welcome mat in this place.
It is a game that takes some reflexes to get used to the dual
controllers, but if you can do Robotron, you can do this. The
action is also fast paced and keeps you moving. While you can
run away from your enemies, unlike Robotron, the moment of rest
will be fleeting. It is only a matter of time before the Space
Dungeon engulfs you. Bwahahahaha!
This is just a review of the arcade machine.
If you are looking for the actual arcade machine, you may want
to check out ebay. Click below to see if you can find this
game.
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