Rick Dangerous

STORY
The game is largely based on the Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Set in 1945, British agent Rick Dangerous travels to the Amazon jungle to search for the lost Goolu tribe. His plane crashes in the jungle and Rick must now escape from the enraged Goolu. When the game starts Rick finds himself inside a cavern running as hell away from a rolling boulder (a scene taken from the Indiana Jones movie).

GAMEPLAY
Rick can jump, climb and carry a limited amount of bombs and ammunition for his pistol. The gun is mostly used to shoot enemies, although most traps that can kill Rick can also kill his enemies if used correctly. The bombs are generally used for puzzle solving, such as blowing out certain blocks. The difficulty level is quite high since you have to always be aware of traps and foes, so it might frustrate some players. But showing some patience and giving the game some time, you may learn the patterns and, perhaps, finish it.

GRAPHICS
The Spectrum version is the only 8bit entirely made in single pixel graphics, but this is compromised by the way the Spectrum itself handles its graphics mode; only two colors (for foregrounds and backgrounds) are allowed per 8x8 square, so Rick tends to blend with the background. This notorious color clash can either positively or negatively affect gameplay. Movable walls are shown in markedly different colors to the surrounding scenery and are far more visible compared to the C64 and Amstrad versions and also, the background color has a nasty habit of masking other hazards, such as spikes. The sprites, on the other hand, move fast and pretty smooth, which makes the game very playable.

SOUND
The game utilizes the 128k (and +2/+3 models) Spectrum's sound quality, offering the epic intro tune (missing on the CPC version) while there are also several in-game sound effects along with some short tunes playing at the beginning of each stage (also found on the C64, Amiga and Atari ST!). The sound rating on this review is given for the 128k version. The 48k version is limited to sound effects only.

GAMEPLAY SAMPLE VIDEO
On our video below you may watch both Rick Dangerous and Rick Dangerous 2 versions on the ZX Spectrum.