Dick Tracy (video game)

Last updated

Dick Tracy patrolling the city (NES version) Dick Tracy NES.png
Dick Tracy patrolling the city (NES version)

Dick Tracy appeared in the following video game tie-ins for the motion picture:

Contents

NES version

NES box art Dick Tracy NES game.jpg
NES box art

Bandai released their version of Dick Tracy in August 1990, [1] which was developed by Realtime Associates. The game was loosely based on the comic strip, and not the movie. The objective is to solve several mysteries without accusing the wrong person or shooting too many unarmed villains.

Each level starts out with a case to solve and some possible clues. The player drives Tracy's vehicle through the city, avoiding snipers and other cars, to various locations mentioned in the clues, where the action shifts to a side-scrolling adventure game. If the player goes to the right location, he will find, during the course of his side-scrolling fighting, a clue icon that provides additional clues for the case, or the player will be able to speak with a character from the comics who gives clues. There is one car chase in each level. Once the player has collected enough clues, he can drive to the location where the perpetrator is and arrest him. The game will end if Tracy's energy meter is depleted, or if Tracy commits three abuses of power in one case, such as interrogating someone who was not involved or arresting someone without complete evidence.

Side-scrolling mode

In the side-scrolling mode, Tracy can jump, duck, punch, shoot from his pistol, or collect more powerful weapons (with limited ammo). These include full-auto Tommy guns and tear gas, the latter of which eliminates all on-screen enemies. If the player shoots unarmed crooks, then some life energy is lost. The game provides two ways to restore health. One, if the player is down to half a life point, he can visit one of the police stations and recover an additional half-point. The second requires a "first aid", an icon found in some levels that looks like a heart and is used by pressing B and Select at the same time. The game is considered very difficult to win, but there is a password feature to help players continue at a later time, as the game does not have any extra lives or continues.

Game Boy version

In December 1991, [1] Bandai also released a version of the game for the Game Boy which was also developed by Realtime Associates. The game's introduction shows that Big Boy has escaped from the state penitentiary and kidnapped Tess, Tracy's love interest. The gameplay itself is purely level-based platforming, foregoing the overhead driving sequences of its NES counterpart.

Stylistically, the Game Boy version bears a strong resemblance to the side-scrolling mode of the NES version. Dick Tracy can punch and use the same weapons (hand gun, Tommy gun, tear gas), as well as grenades (which will instantly kill all non-boss enemies on the screen). This game also shares some common music with the NES version. Each of the five levels contains 12 hidden pieces of a photograph used to solve a puzzle at the end of each level.

At the end of each level, Dick Tracy would fight one of the antagonists from the film, including Shoulders, Flattop, and Pruneface. After defeating the boss, the player would need to solve the twelve-piece puzzle using the pieces found throughout the level to reveal a photo of the next boss to be pursued. If the puzzle could be solved within the allotted period of time, the player would be awarded a bonus life. For every two pieces placed correctly, the player would be awarded with one extra hit point. If any of the missing pieces were missed or if the puzzle is not solved in time, then the game will automatically piece the whole image together (without any bonuses, of course). Then, Tracy would interrogate the fallen boss for where to search next for clues leading to Big Boy and Tess.

Sega version

Genesis box art Dick Tracy Genesis game.jpg
Genesis box art

Dick Tracy, released in February 1991 for the Sega Genesis and Master System, was a side-scrolling arcade video game where players control the famous hero through various stages to bring down Big Boy. Tracy can walk, jump, duck, shoot a pistol, and use a Tommy gun to hit enemies and objects in the background. Each level had a series of sub-levels to it and bonus points awarded if the players could avoid hitting any of the various objects in the background; i.e., windows, fire hydrants, and street lights. One of the levels switches the action up slightly by having control Tracy during a police chase. Several of the villains from the comic book appear, and the final battle with Big Boy takes place in a scene similar to the climax of the feature film.

The Sega Genesis version of the game was developed by Sega Technical Institute as their first game [2] while the Master System version was developed by BlueSky Software, based on the 1990 movie for which Sega obtained a license. Sega gave STI five months to complete development, while STI still had only two employees, Mark Cerny and Yutaka Sugano—who had developed Shinobi—on staff. American staff were hired to program the game, and Japanese graphic artist Takeshi Doi worked on the animation. Despite STI's efforts, which including having each character's likeness approved by their actor in the movie—including Warren Beatty, Madonna, and Al Pacino—Dick Tracy did not sell well. The game's late release in February 1991, eight months after the movie debuted in theaters and two months after its home video release, prompted Sega to insist on being a part of movie-based projects at least a year before the film's release date. [3]

MS-DOS and Amiga version

Dick Tracy: The Crime Solving Adventure was developed by Distinctive Software and released in 1991 for MS-DOS and Amiga by Walt Disney Software. Players are encouraged to rise through the ranks of the detective bureau by using their detective skills, as well as their arcade prowess, to solve a series of crimes. Those familiar with the movie will recognize an approach to closer famous Warren Betty incarnation of Tracy rather than the square-jawed comic strip caricature. Basic comic strip colors are used. Voice balloons are employed for dialogue. Pointer balloons indicate objects that might otherwise have been obscured.

Game elements

The first of two major mechanics of gameplay is driving the squad car through the city. Detectives must steer their squad car through traffic, avoiding collisions with other cars. The second of the major gameplay mechanics is shooting out with bad guys. Once the player has stopped a villain in his car (either by pulling him over or colliding with his car and running him off the road) or entered a villain's hideout, he will almost invariably fin himself in a shootout with the villain, who shouts something like, "Eat lead, copper!" once he has shot the villain's strength down to nothing, the villain will surrender, leaving it up to Tracy whether to arrest or interrogate him. All in-game villains are male.

Interrogation plays a major role solving crimes. Tracy will find clues at the crime scene and at various criminal hideouts. Clues must be processed by the crime lab.

Game objective

The goal of the game is to advance through the four ranks in the detective bureau, which range from detective junior grade to Chief of Detectives.

Reviews

David M. Wilson from Computer Gaming World Magazine said that Dick Tracy: The Crime-Solving Adventure offered an interesting blend of action and puzzle, but criticized the arcade action and the limited difficulty. [7] Megatech reviewed the Sega Genesis version and gave a score of 89% summarizing: "A sort of Shinobi-style game with guns, Dick Tracy is a challenging and addictive action game which should appeal to fans of the movie and game players alike." [8]



Related Research Articles

<i>Dick Tracy</i> American comic strip starting 1931

Dick Tracy is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror, and was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate. Gould wrote and drew the strip until 1977, and various artists and writers have continued it.

<i>Comix Zone</i> 1995 video game

Comix Zone is a 1995 beat 'em up video game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis. It is set within the panels of a comic book with dialogue rendered within talk bubbles and sprites, and backgrounds possessing the bright colors and dynamic drawing style of superhero comics. This style is in previous video games, for example Ocean Software's Batman: The Caped Crusader in 1988, but Comix Zone stretched the idea to such an extent that Sega applied for and was granted a patent for a "videogame system for creating a simulated comic book game".

<i>Batman Returns</i> (video games) 1992 video game

Batman Returns is the name of several video games for various platforms based on the 1992 film of the same name.

<i>Sonic X-treme</i> Canceled video game by Sega

Sonic X-treme was a platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute from 1994 until its cancellation in 1996. It was planned as the first fully 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game, taking Sonic into the 3D era of video games, and the first original Sonic game for the Sega Saturn. The storyline followed Sonic on his journey to stop Dr. Robotnik from stealing six magic rings from Tiara Boobowski and her father. X-treme featured open levels rotating around a fixed center of gravity and, like previous Sonic games, featured collectible rings and fast-paced gameplay.

<i>Last Action Hero</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Last Action Hero is a series of action video games based on the 1993 film of the same name. Versions were released for the NES, Super NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear, and MS-DOS. Versions were also planned for the Sega CD and Master System, but ultimately were not released.

<i>Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse</i> 1990 video game

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is a 1990 platform game developed and published by Sega and released for the Mega Drive/Genesis. An 8-bit version of the game was later released for the Master System and Game Gear. The game follows Mickey Mouse on a quest to save Minnie Mouse from the evil witch Mizrabel. It is the first game in Sega's Illusion video game series starring Mickey.

<i>Captain America and The Avengers</i> 1991 arcade game

Captain America and the Avengers is a beat 'em up arcade game developed and released by Data East in 1991. It features the Avengers team of Marvel Comics characters in a side-scrolling brawling and shooting adventure to defeat the evil Red Skull. The game received ports for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy and Game Gear. A different Data East game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

<i>Puzzle Bobble 3</i> 1996 arcade game

Puzzle Bobble 3 is an action puzzle video game developed by Taito. The second sequel to Puzzle Bobble, it was released for arcades in September 1996 and later ported to the Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Game Boy, Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows. Like its predecessors, the player is tasked with shooting balls at groups of balls, creating groups of three or more, which are then removed from play. Further ports for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in February 2023 by City Connection alongside Puzzle Bobble 2.

<i>Hook</i> (video game) Video game based on the eponymous 1991 film

There have been several video games based on the 1991 film Hook. A side-scrolling platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Game Boy was released in the United States in February 1992. Subsequent side-scrolling platform games were released for the Commodore 64 and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and an arcade beat ‘em up by Irem later in 1992, followed by versions for the Sega CD, Sega Genesis, and Sega's handheld Game Gear console in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega Technical Institute</span> Video game developer

Sega Technical Institute (STI) was an American video game developer owned by Sega. Founded by the Atari veteran Mark Cerny in 1990, STI sought to combine elite Japanese developers, including the Sonic Team programmer Yuji Naka and his team, with new American talent. STI developed games for Sega Genesis, including several Sonic the Hedgehog games, before it was closed at the end of 1996.

<i>The Lion King</i> (video game) 1994 video game

The Lion King is a platform game based on Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King. The game was developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment for the Super NES and Genesis in 1994, and was ported to MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Gear, Master System, and Nintendo Entertainment System. The Amiga, Master System, and NES versions were only released in the PAL region. It is the final licensed NES game worldwide. The game follows Simba's journey from a young cub to the battle with his uncle Scar as an adult.

<i>Iron Man and X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal</i> 1996 video game

Iron Man / X-O Manowar in Heavy Metal is a video game published by Acclaim Entertainment and developed by Realtime Associates for the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy, Game Gear, and MS-DOS in 1996. It is a one or two-player side-scrolling action game in which the player battles villains from Marvel Comics' Iron Man and Valiant Comics' X-O Manowar comic book series. It was met with negative reviews which criticized it for dull gameplay and outdated graphics.

<i>Batman Forever</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Batman Forever is a beat 'em up video game based on the film of the same name. Though released by the same publisher at roughly the same time, it is an entirely different game from Batman Forever: The Arcade Game. The game was followed by Batman & Robin in 1998.

<i>Mickeys Ultimate Challenge</i> 1994 video game

Mickey's Ultimate Challenge is a puzzle video game developed by Designer Software and co-published by Walt Disney Computer Software and Hi Tech Expressions for the Super NES, Game Boy, Genesis/Mega Drive, Master System, and Game Gear. The Master System version, released in Brazil by Tectoy in 1998, was the last game released for that console. All other versions were released in 1994. Players move Mickey through the game by making him walk, jump, and go through doors. There are five major challenges, a segue, and a final challenge. It was met with mixed reviews from gaming magazines.

<i>Mighty Morphin Power Rangers</i> (video game) 1994 video game

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is the title of five different video games based on the first season of the television series of the same name, one for each of the following game platforms: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Game Gear, and Sega CD. The Nintendo versions of the game were released by Bandai, while the Sega versions were published by Sega itself and the production of the cartridge versions was carried by Banpresto, a pseudonym of Bandai. The Green Ranger is only playable on the Genesis and Game Gear versions of the game.

<i>Toxic Crusaders</i> (1992 video game) 1992 video game

Toxic Crusaders refers to three separate side-scrolling video games released in 1992 which are all based on the American cartoon series Toxic Crusaders (1991) and Troma Entertainment's 1984 film The Toxic Avenger. The Nintendo Entertainment System version was developed by TOSE, the Game Boy version by Realtime Associates, and the Genesis/Mega Drive version by Infogrames. A Super NES version was planned by Bandai, but it was not released.

<i>Tom and Jerry: The Movie</i> (video game) 1992 video game

Tom and Jerry: The Movie, also known as Tom and Jerry, is a platform game developed and published by Sega in 1992 for the Master System. In 1993, the game was converted to the Game Gear with completely different level stages, but the same gameplay. The film Tom and Jerry: The Movie has the same name but no relevance to the game content.

As the Sonic the Hedgehog series of platform games has grown in popularity, its publisher Sega has expanded the franchise into multiple different genres. Among these are several educational video games designed to appeal to young children. The first attempt to create an educational Sonic game was Tiertex Design Studios' Sonic's Edusoft for the Master System in late 1991, which was canceled despite having been nearly finished. When Sega launched the Sega Pico in 1994, it released Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld and Tails and the Music Maker for it. Orion Interactive also developed the 1996 Sega PC game Sonic's Schoolhouse, which used a 3D game engine and had an exceptionally large marketing budget. In the mid-2000s, LeapFrog Enterprises released educational Sonic games for its Leapster and LeapFrog Didj.

Cluedo, known as Clue in North America, is a murder mystery-themed multimedia franchise started in 1949 with the manufacture of the Cluedo board game. The franchise has since expanded to film, television game shows, book series, computer games, board game spinoffs, a comic, a play, a musical, jigsaws, card games, and other media.

References

  1. 1 2 Website Staff. "completeoldgameslist" (PDF). Nintendo. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (June 11, 2007). "Developer's Den: Sega Technical Institute". Sega-16. Ken Horowitz. Archived from the original on April 8, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ Horowitz, Ken (2016). Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games. McFarland & Company. pp. 77–86. ISBN   9780786499946.
  4. ↑ "Dick Tracy". Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved November 3, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ "Computer & Video Games Issue 112" (112). March 1991: 78. Retrieved July 6, 2016.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ↑ "Dick Tracy review". MegaTech (1). EMAP: 77. December 1991. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  7. ↑ Wilson, David M. (April 1992). ""Calling Dick Tracy! Calling Dick Tracy!": Walt Disney Software's Dick Tracy". Computer Gaming World. Vol. 1, no. 93. pp. 62–63.
  8. ↑ "Dick Tracy review". MegaTech (1). EMAP: 77. December 1991. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.