Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future
Encyclopedia
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future is a 1986
computer game by Virgin Interactive for the ZX Spectrum
, Amstrad CPC
and Commodore 64
home computer
systems. It is based on the classic British comic strip
Dan Dare
. The game is noticeably different on each platform.
reveals his typically dastardly plan: Earth must submit to his terms or he will propel a hollowed-out asteroid
the size of a small planet into Earth. Dan and his sidekick Digby fly to the asteroid in Dan's spaceship, the Anastasia. Arriving at the asteroid they find small buildings and structures and realise it must be inhabited. Digby remains on the ship whilst Dan is lowered down to the asteroid's surface. Once again, Earth is relying on him to defeat the Mekon.
. He must progress through the levels, acquiring the five pieces of an explosive device
. Each piece is hidden somewhere within a section of the game, the first piece collected unlocks the door to the area containing the second piece and so on. On the way he encounters foot soldier
s, also known as Treens, (which he can shoot but which shoot back), floorguns (which can be destroyed by jumping on them) and wall guns (which can usually be destroyed by shooting them).
Any enemy contact or getting shot will cause Dan to lose energy. If it reaches zero, Dan is "captured" and returned to a prison cell from which he then escapes, however it is some distance from most of the accessible parts of the complex and also causes lost time. Should Dan fire too much, his gun will run out of ammo (which can be replenished by collecting ammo powerups). Should Dan run out of time before he can assemble the five parts of the bomb, the Mekon has won again.
skills. He must progress first through the planet's surface and subterranean lakes, where he must solve various puzzles and collect items to enable him to progress down into the Mekon's heavily guarded base. Here he must fight hordes of Treen guards, find and free Digby and the Professor, before destroying three supercomputers with a giant laser. The final scene sees Dan tackling the Mekon in a hand-to-hand grenade
battle. Having destroyed the Mekon, he has just two minutes to return to the planet's surface and escape.
The whole game takes place over 25 minutes in real time. Dan fails the mission if he has not destroyed the Mekon and escaped within this time.
1986 in video gaming
-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
computer game by Virgin Interactive for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
systems. It is based on the classic British comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Dan Dare
Dan Dare
Dan Dare is a British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson who also wrote the first stories, that is, the Venus and Red Moon stories, and a complete storyline for Operation Saturn...
. The game is noticeably different on each platform.
Plot
The MekonThe Mekon
The Mekon is the arch-enemy of the British comic book hero Dan Dare, first appearing in 1950 in the Eagle comic strip Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future and created by Frank Hampson. Apart from Dan Dare himself, he is the only character to appear in every one of the numerous versions of the comic strip...
reveals his typically dastardly plan: Earth must submit to his terms or he will propel a hollowed-out asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
the size of a small planet into Earth. Dan and his sidekick Digby fly to the asteroid in Dan's spaceship, the Anastasia. Arriving at the asteroid they find small buildings and structures and realise it must be inhabited. Digby remains on the ship whilst Dan is lowered down to the asteroid's surface. Once again, Earth is relying on him to defeat the Mekon.
Spectrum and Amstrad CPC
Dan is armed with only a laser gunRaygun
Rayguns are a type of fictional directed-energy weapon. They have various alternate names: ray gun, death ray, beam gun, blaster, laser gun, phaser, etc. They are a well-known feature of science fiction; for such stories they typically have the general function of guns...
. He must progress through the levels, acquiring the five pieces of an explosive device
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
. Each piece is hidden somewhere within a section of the game, the first piece collected unlocks the door to the area containing the second piece and so on. On the way he encounters foot soldier
Foot Soldier
The term foot soldier may refer to:* A generic term for members of the infantry* Characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television series belonging to the Foot Clan* The Foot Soldiers, a comic book originally published by Dark Horse Comics...
s, also known as Treens, (which he can shoot but which shoot back), floorguns (which can be destroyed by jumping on them) and wall guns (which can usually be destroyed by shooting them).
Any enemy contact or getting shot will cause Dan to lose energy. If it reaches zero, Dan is "captured" and returned to a prison cell from which he then escapes, however it is some distance from most of the accessible parts of the complex and also causes lost time. Should Dan fire too much, his gun will run out of ammo (which can be replenished by collecting ammo powerups). Should Dan run out of time before he can assemble the five parts of the bomb, the Mekon has won again.
Commodore 64
Dan does not use a gun in this version, preferring to deal with Treen guards by using his boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
skills. He must progress first through the planet's surface and subterranean lakes, where he must solve various puzzles and collect items to enable him to progress down into the Mekon's heavily guarded base. Here he must fight hordes of Treen guards, find and free Digby and the Professor, before destroying three supercomputers with a giant laser. The final scene sees Dan tackling the Mekon in a hand-to-hand grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
battle. Having destroyed the Mekon, he has just two minutes to return to the planet's surface and escape.
The whole game takes place over 25 minutes in real time. Dan fails the mission if he has not destroyed the Mekon and escaped within this time.
External links
- Review of the Spectrum version from a 1986 issue of CRASH magazine.
- Review of the Spectrum version by Phil South from Your SinclairYour SinclairYour Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
magazine. - A PC remake of the C64 version by Ovine by Design.