Summary

• Release Year: 1983
• Genres: Adventure, Arcade
• Platforms: Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum
• Developers: John Howard Palevich
• Publishers: Atari, Electric Dreams Software

Dandy: The Granddaddy of Dungeon Crawlers

Released in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit computer line, Dandy is one of the earliest examples of a dungeon crawl video game. It was developed by John Palevich and published by Atari in their APX catalog. Dandy is a cooperative game for up to four players, and it tasks players with exploring a dungeon and defeating monsters.

The game is played from a top-down perspective, and players control one of four characters: a fighter, a thief, a wizard, or a cleric. Each character has their own unique abilities and strengths, and players must work together to overcome the challenges of the dungeon.

Dandy’s dungeon is randomly generated, so no two playthroughs are ever the same. The dungeon is filled with a variety of monsters, traps, and treasures. Players must use their wits and teamwork to survive and reach the end of the dungeon.

Dandy was a critical and commercial success upon its release. It was praised for its innovative gameplay, its challenging difficulty, and its replayability. Dandy was also one of the first games to feature cooperative multiplayer, which allowed players to work together to overcome the challenges of the dungeon.

Dandy has been ported to a number of different platforms over the years, including the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. It has also been released on a number of compilation discs and retro gaming consoles.

Dandy is considered to be one of the most important and influential dungeon crawl games ever made. It inspired a number of other games in the genre, including Dark Chambers and the Gauntlet series. Dandy is still a lot of fun to play today, and it is a must-play for fans of dungeon crawl games.

Gameplay

Dandy is a cooperative dungeon crawl game for up to four players. Players control one of four characters: a fighter, a thief, a wizard, or a cleric. Each character has their own unique abilities and strengths, and players must work together to overcome the challenges of the dungeon.

The game is played from a top-down perspective, and the dungeon is randomly generated. The dungeon is filled with a variety of monsters, traps, and treasures. Players must use their wits and teamwork to survive and reach the end of the dungeon.

Players can attack monsters with their weapons, or they can use magic spells to defeat them. Players can also find items in the dungeon that can help them in their quest. Items can include weapons, armor, and healing potions.

Dandy is a challenging game, but it is also very rewarding. Players who are able to work together and overcome the challenges of the dungeon will be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment.

Legacy

Dandy is considered to be one of the most important and influential dungeon crawl games ever made. It inspired a number of other games in the genre, including Dark Chambers and the Gauntlet series. Dandy is still a lot of fun to play today, and it is a must-play for fans of dungeon crawl games.

Dandy’s legacy is not just limited to its influence on other games. The game is also notable for its innovative gameplay and its challenging difficulty. Dandy was one of the first games to feature cooperative multiplayer, and it is still one of the best examples of the genre.

Dandy is a classic game that deserves to be remembered and celebrated. It is a game that has stood the test of time, and it is still a lot of fun to play today.

Review Score

8.5/10

Art

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