Dungeon Explorer (1989 video game)

Dungeon Explorer[lower-alpha 1] is an action role-playing game released for the PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 in 1989. It is considered a pioneer title in the action role-playing game genre with its co-operative multiplayer gameplay, which allowed up to five players to play simultaneously.[3]

This article is about the 1989 TurboGrafx-16 video game. For the 1995 video game, see Dungeon Explorer (1995 video game).
Dungeon Explorer
Developer(s)Atlus
Publisher(s)
Director(s)Kazutoshi Ueda
Yōsuke Niino
Programmer(s)Takashi Hasegawa
Uni Arato
Artist(s)Hideyuki Yokoyama
Hiroshi Tsuji
Yoshiaki Kitamura
Composer(s)Tsukasa Masuko
SeriesDungeon Explorer
Platform(s)TurboGrafx-16
Release
Genre(s)Action role-playing game, dungeon crawl, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer (up to five players via TurboTap)

Gameplay
Gameplay screenshot.

Players can play as a fighter, thief, warlock, witch, bishop, elf, bard, or gnome.[4][5][6] Special classes, like the princess and hermit, can also be unlocked as the game progresses. The classes vary primarily in their black and white potion abilities. For example, the bishop's white potion heals nearby allies, whereas the bard's black potion has the ability to change the music. The game supports up to five players simultaneously. All extra lives are shared between players. The game also features a password system that tracks the player's level, class, and four base stats (attack, strength, agility, and intelligence).

Synopsis

It is centered on the quest of several heroes to find the Ora Stone for the king of Oddesia. When the alien race that now rules the land invaded, the stone was hidden deep in the dungeons of the land by the King to keep it safe. Now, however, the king wants the players to recover the stone, which can bring life, light, and happiness, and to kill the alien king, Natas: King Satan. The heroes progress through several different dungeons and fight fearsome bosses such as Bullbeast and Grimrose, and finally recover the Ora stone. Upon giving it to the king, however, the king reveals himself as Natas and steals the stone. Additionally, a guard named Judas also betrays the heroes, but is defeated by them. The adventurers then chase and confront Natas, killing him and taking back the Ora stone and ushering in a time of peace.

Development

Release

Dungeon Explorer was released for the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console in Europe on December 8, 2006 and in North America on January 8, 2007. The game is rated E by the ESRB and 3+ by the PEGI. The Wii version can be played with 5 players, with at least one person using a GameCube controller. The game has also been released on the Japanese and North American PlayStation Network.

Reception
Contemporary reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[7]
CVG94%[8]
Dragon[9]
EGM28 / 40[2]
Famitsu29 / 40[1]
ACE890 / 1000[10]
Aktueller Software Markt9 / 12[11]
11 / 12[11]
Hobby Consolas84 / 100[12]
Marukatsu PC Engine27 / 40[13]
PC Engine Fan23.66 / 30[14]
Power Play75 / 100[15]
TurboPlay[16][17]
Tilt15 / 20[18]

Dragon reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.[9]

Retrospective reviews
Retrospective assessments
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame(Wii) [19]
(PSN) [20]
Eurogamer(Wii) [21]
(Wii) 3 / 5[22]
GameSpot(Wii) 5.4 / 10[23]
IGN(Wii) 6.0 / 10[24]
Nintendo Life(Wii) [25]

Dungeon Explorer has been met with a more mixed reception from reviewers since its re-release on digital platforms.

Legacy

A sequel to the game, Dungeon Explorer II, was later released for the TurboGrafx-CD console in 1993. A heavily modified port of Dungeon Explorer II was made for the Super Famicom, titled Crystal Beans: From Dungeon Explorer, and was released in Japan in 1995.

There was also a Sega CD game which goes by the name of Dungeon Explorer. It is related to the series, but not a port of any previous game, and very different from the others. Developed by Westone Co, Dungeon Explorer for the Sega CD is far closer to Gauntlet than the other games. Weapons and armor may be bought with the gold found in dungeons.

In 2007, two related games, again different from the original titles, were released to coincide with the release of the original Dungeon Explorer on the Wii Virtual Console. The first game, Dungeon Explorer: Meiyaku no Tobira, was released for the PlayStation Portable in November 2007. The second game, Dungeon Explorer: Jashin no Ryouiki, was released for the Nintendo DS in December 2007. Both games were localized, but were both released as Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts.

Notes
  1. Japanese: ダンジョンエクスプローラー Hepburn: Danjon Ekusupurōrā

References
  1. "ダンジョンエクスプローラー (PCエンジン) - ファミ通.com". Famitsu (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage. 2020. Archived from the original on 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  2. Harris, Steve; Semrad, Ed; Nauert, Donn; Stockhausen, Jim (November 1989). "Review Crew - Dungeon Explorer". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 4. Sendai Publishing. p. 12.
  3. Aihoshi, Richard (8 January 2008). "Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts Interview - Hudson tells us about bringing back a classic property with two different versions for the PSP and DS platforms". RPG Vault. IGN. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. Dungeon Explorer manual (TurboGrafx-16, US)
  5. "Dungeon Explorer". TurboForce. No. 1. Sendai Publishing. June 1992. pp. 16–17.
  6. Kalata, Kurt (December 13, 2009). "Dungeon Explorer". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  7. Weiss, Brett Alan (1998). "Dungeon Explorer (TurboGrafx-16) - Overview". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 2014-11-14. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  8. Rignall, Julian (June 1989). "PC Engine - Mean Machines: Dungeon Explorer". Computer and Video Games. No. 92. Future Publishing. pp. 90–91. Archived from the original on 2016-04-03. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  9. Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (November 1990). "The Role of Computers - Reviews - Dungeon Explorer" (PDF). Dragon. No. 163. TSR, Inc. p. 49. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-22. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  10. Rignall, Julian (July 1989). "Screen Test - Dungeon Explorer: PC Engine out-Gauntlets Gauntlet". ACE. No. 22. EMAP. p. 56. Archived from the original on 2016-03-26. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  11. Braun, Peter; Kleimann, Manfred (August–September 1989). "Konsolen - "Rollenadvencade"". Aktueller Software Markt (in German). No. 34. Tronic Verlag. p. 70.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  12. Herranz, Sonia (July 1993). "Lo Más Nuevo - Turbo Grafx: Dungeon Explorer – La Piedra Mágica". Hobby Consolas (in Spanish). No. 22. Hobby Press. pp. 120–121.
  13. "ダンジョンエクスプローラー". Marukatsu PC Engine (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten.
  14. "PC Engine All Catalog '93 10月号特別付録 - ダンジョンエクスプローラー". PC Engine Fan (in Japanese). Vol. 6 no. 10. Tokuma Shoten. October 1, 1993. p. 43.
  15. Hengst, Michael (August 1989). "Videospiele-Tests: Dungeon Explorer". Power Play (in German). No. 17. Future Verlag. p. 60.
  16. Nauert, Donn (February–March 1991). "TurboPlay Rates the Games - Dungeon Explorer". TurboPlay. No. 5. L.F.P., Inc. p. 26.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  17. "TurboPlay Rates the Games - Volume 2: Dungeon Explorer". TurboPlay. No. 11. L.F.P., Inc. February–March 1992. p. 27.CS1 maint: date format (link)
  18. Huyghues-Lacour, Alain (November 1989). "Rolling Softs - Dungeon Explorer (Console NEC, carte Hudson soft)". Tilt (in French). No. 71. Jean-Pierre Roger. p. 87.
  19. Weiss, Brett Alan (8 January 2007). "Dungeon Explorer [Virtual Console] - Overview". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  20. Weiss, Brett Alan (3 June 2011). "Dungeon Explorer [PlayStation Network] - Overview". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  21. Reed, Kristan (January 24, 2007). "Virtual Console: TurboGrafx-16 - PC-Ingenuity?". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  22. Bohn-Elias, Alexander (February 1, 2007). "Retro auf Raten - Wii Virtual Console – Teil 2: Mit Siebenmeilenstiefeln in Richtung 16Bit - TurboGrafx-16". Eurogamer (in German). Gamer Network. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  23. Mueller, Greg (10 April 2007). "Dungeon Explorer Review - Dungeon Explorer's rudimentary design and unforgiving difficulty make it a tedious and often frustrating game". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  24. Birnbaum, Mark (February 22, 2007). "Dungeon Explorer Review - Some short-lived, shoot 'em up fun". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  25. McFerran, Damien (December 8, 2006). "Dungeon Explorer Review (TG-16) - Dungeon Explorer is a multiplayer action/role-playing game where up to five players can play at the same time". Nintendo Life. Nlife Media. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
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