Dracula the Undead (video game)
Dracula the Undead | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Hand Made Software |
Publisher(s) | Atari Corporation |
Composer(s) | Paul Tonge Tony Williams |
Platform(s) | Atari Lynx |
Release | |
Genre(s) | Adventure |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Dracula - The Undead is a video game released in 1991 for the Atari Lynx handheld system. The game is loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and features Bram Stoker in the story as the narrator.
Gameplay
The player takes on the role of Jonathan Harker as he explores and later tries to escape from Dracula's Castle.[1] In the game you wake up and can explore the castle by moving from room to room. The game controls are like those of a point and click, where you can interact with a certain number items in each room. You can also talk and interact with other NPC characters. Certain choices can end with death and a The End screen, requiring the player to start over. The player's ability to achieve the best ending depends his or her ability to take notes of important facts and events with Harker's notebook.
Plot
The game loosely follows chapters two through four of the original novel. Jonathan Harker, a solicitor, awakens and meets Count Dracula. Dracula informs Harker that he will be out for the day and they will conduct their business later that evening. Dracula invites Harker to explore the castle except for rooms which are locked, then leaves. Harker is later astonished to look out a window to see Dracula climbing down the castle wall.
Harker climbs out of the window and scrambles across the castle wall to another window. He explores another part of the castle where he finds papers detailing Dracula's plans for settling in London and the maze-like catacombs underneath the castle. After finding Dracula's coffin, Harker retreats back across the wall.
After opening a stuck door to another room he falls asleep and is visited by three beautiful women. They move to attack him but Dracula stops them, telling them they can have him tomorrow after he is done with Harker. Harker awakens the next day to himself locked in his bedroom. Dracula is gone. Harker is now desperate to escape the castle, for if he does not then the brides of Dracula will find him and give him their "voluptuous kisses."
Development and release
An updated port of Dracula the Undead for the Atari Jaguar CD was in development by Atari Corporation and was first announced in 1994, but it never released.[2][3][4][5][6][7]
Reception
Publication | Score |
---|---|
AllGame | [8] |
GamePro | 18 / 20[9] |
IGN | 7.0 / 10[10] |
Consoles + | 65%[11] |
Digital Press | 8 / 10[12] |
GamesMaster | 90%[13] |
Game Zero Magazine | 70.0 / 100[14] |
Joypad | 93%[15] |
Lynx User | 9 / 10[16] |
Megablast | 67%[17] |
Mega Fun | 83%[18] |
Player One | 80%[19] |
Video Games | 70%[20] |
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment | 7 / 10[21] |
Robert A. Jung reviewed the game which was later published to IGN. In his final verdict he wrote "Dracula the Undead offers traditional adventuring fare with an unusual premise, with enough challenge and appeal to satisfy most adventurers. The inability to save a game in progress hurts, but dedicated players who are willing to live with this flaw are encouraged to give the Count a visit." He then gave a score of 7 out of 10.[10] Game Zero Magazine also reviewed the game giving a score of 70 out of 100.[14]
References
- ^ Dracula the Undead game manual (Atari Lynx, US)
- ^ "News - La Jaguar ronronne - On attend sur Jaguar". Génération 4 (in French). No. 64. Computec Media France. March 1994. p. 42. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ "News - Update - Around the corner... - Expected Release Dates". ST Format. No. 56. Future plc. March 1994. p. 48. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ "News - Update - New Jaguar Development System Released - Expected Release Dates". ST Format. No. 57. Future plc. April 1994. p. 50. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ "Warpzone - Jaguar - Angekündigte Jaguar-Spiele". Video Games (in German). No. 32. Future-Verlag. July 1994. p. 32. Archived from the original on 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ "News - Jaguar Plugs into the CD revolution - Jaguar CD games in development". Edge. No. 20. May 1995. pp. 14–15. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ "Breaking - Jaguar Plugs into the CD revolution - Jaguar CD games in development". Next Generation. No. 6. Imagine Media. June 1995. pp. 18–19. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-09-29.
- ^ Knight, Kyle (1998). "Dracula the Undead - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
- ^ Larry, Scary (February 1993). "Lynx ProReview: Dracula the Undead". GamePro. No. 43. IDG. p. 164.
- ^ a b Jung, Robert A. (July 7, 1999). "Dracula the Undead - Bram Stoker's novel is given life on Lynx. Robert A. Jung's full review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
- ^ Souibgui, Sami; Axel (February 1993). "Lynx Review - Dracula the Undead". Consoles + (in French). No. 17. M.E.R.7. pp. 116–117. Archived from the original on 2017-11-14. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ Villapando, Edward (July 1993). "Random Reviews Lite - Dracula". Digital Press - The Bio-Degradable Source For Videogamers. No. 12. Joe Santulli. p. 18.
- ^ Douglas, Jim (February 1993). "Reviews (Lynx/Amiga) - Dracula". GamesMaster. No. 2. Future Publishing. p. 91.
- ^ a b Man, Ferrari; ????; R.I.P.; Salamander (March 1993). "The Final Word game review - Dracula, The Undead -- Atari". Game Zero Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 6. Game Zero. Archived from the original on 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Nini, Nourdine (February 1993). "Lynx: Dracula the Undead - Dracula Mon Saigneur!". Joypad (in French). No. 17. Yellow Media. pp. 116–117. Archived from the original on 2017-09-16. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "Dracula the Undead". Lynx User. No. 6. The Hide-Out. February 1993. p. 11.
- ^ Stoschek, Monika (April 1993). "Konsolen Power - Handhelds: Atari Lynx - Dracula the Undead". Megablast (in German). No. 2. Joker-Verlag. p. 102.
- ^ Weidner, Martin (June 1993). "Test Atari Lynx - Dracula". Mega Fun (in German). No. 9. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. p. 94.
- ^ Scamps, Olivier (March–April 1993). "Tests De Jeux - Lynx: Dracula the Undead". Player One (in French). No. 29. Média Système Édition. p. 112.
- ^ Neumayer, Manfred (May 1993). "Rom Check - Lynx - Dracula". Video Games (in German). No. 18. Future-Verlag. p. 96.
- ^ Bieniek, Chris (February 1993). "Gaming on the Go - Dracula the Undead (Atari) For the Atari Lynx". VideoGames & Computer Entertainment. No. 49. Larry Flynt Publications.