Dick Tracy (video game)
Encyclopedia
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
appeared in three video games released as tie-ins for the motion picture, one for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
, one for the Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
(also by Bandai) and also one the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
by Sega themselves.
NES version
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
. 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 give 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.
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 GunThompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
s and tear gas
Lachrymatory agent
Tear gas, formally known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator , is a non-lethal chemical weapon that stimulates the corneal nerves in the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even blindness...
, the latter of which eliminates all on-screen enemies. If the player shoots unarmed crooks, then some of life energy is lost. The game provides two ways to restore health. One, if the players is down to 1/2 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."
The Usual Suspects
Fifteen Dick Tracy villains are featured in the game, with their respective level(s) in which they are a suspect:- Breathless Mahoney: 1, 2, 5
- FlattopFlattop (Dick Tracy villain)Flattop Jones, Sr. is a fictional character, a villain created by Chester Gould for the Dick Tracy comic strip and is the most popular one in the strip's history...
: 1, 3 - The Rodent: 1, 4, 5
- Steve the Tramp: 1, 4
- Numbers: 1
- Shoulders: 1, 3, 4
- Lips Manlis: 2
- Littleface: 2, 4
- The Brow: 2, 4
- Influence: 2, 4
- Itchy: 2, 3, 5
- PrunefacePrunefacePruneface is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Dick Tracy, drawn by cartoonist Chester Gould.-Fictional character biography:...
: 3, 5 - The Blank: 3, 5
- Stooge Viller: 3, 5
- Big Boy Caprice: 5
Game Boy version
In 1990, Bandai also produced and released a version of the game for the Game BoyGame Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
. The game's introduction shows that Big Boy has escaped from the state penitentiary and kidnapped Tess, Tracy's love interest. The game play itself is purely level-based platforming, foregoing the overhead driving sequences of its NES counterpart. Both games share the same cover art.
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 the NES version. Each of the five levels contains twelve 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
Flattop (Dick Tracy villain)
Flattop Jones, Sr. is a fictional character, a villain created by Chester Gould for the Dick Tracy comic strip and is the most popular one in the strip's history...
, Pruneface
Pruneface
Pruneface is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Dick Tracy, drawn by cartoonist Chester Gould.-Fictional character biography:...
). 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 isn't 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
1990 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Bonk's Adventure is released for NEC's TurboGrafx-16 and is the first US appearance of Bonk, the mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.*February 12 — Nintendo releases the NES game Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America...
for the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
and 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
for the Sega Mega Drive, was a side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
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
Thompson submachine gun
The Thompson is an American submachine gun, invented by John T. Thompson in 1919, that became infamous during the Prohibition era. It was a common sight in the media of the time, being used by both law enforcement officers and criminals...
to hit enemies and objects in the background. Each level had a series of sublevels to it and bonus points awarded if you could avoid hitting any of the various objects in the background, i.e. windows, fire hydrants and street lights. One of the levels switches from the action up slightly by having you control Tracy during a police chase. Several of the villains from the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
appear and the final battle with Big Boy takes place in a scene similar to the climax of the feature film.