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DAN DARE: PILOT OF THE FUTURE (SPC)
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Publisher: Virgin Games.
Developer: Gang of Four. Released: 1986. Genre: Run 'n' Gun. Other versions: C64. Posted 14th January 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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36 years on from his iconic, prodigiously-chinned appearance gracing the first issue of the Eagle comic, Dan Dare was back in the big time. Britain’s answer to Buck Rogers headlined a clutch of popular and critically-lauded home computer games during the mid-to-late eighties. As luck and numerical coincidence would have it, a further 36 years down the road I decided to revisit Pilot of the Future, to see how this childhood favourite fares.
A fast-paced run ‘n’ gun, Dan Dare remains as breathless and frenetic as I remember. If anything, its visual design is more impressive and nuanced. Perhaps when we’re young, we have a tendency to miss subtler details, but I was quickly struck by how well Pilot of the Future captures the comic book vibe. True to the source material, Dan Dare’s nemesis is the Mekon, an alien who has planted a bomb-within-a-fortress-within-an-asteroid. Dan must find five keys within said fortress to allow him to detonate the base before it reaches Earth. The Mekon can regularly be found in a little boxout in the right-hand corner, taunting Dan over the communicators. Further advancing the cool, comic-inspired aesthetic are some marvellous text boxes, which lend the super-colourful levels a stylish bit of framing. They’re not merely for decoration, however, as the player can glean small chunks of dialogue and storyline, as well as the odd hint, too.
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Dan's got to keep moving. The clock is ticking and he has an army of Treens and a glut of fort defences to contend with, too.
Several creative aspects help elevate the gameplay. Rather than being restricted to lives, Dan’s biggest enemy is the clock, which ticks down from the beginning of your adventure. At the outset, two hours appears quite generous, but here’s the rub: should he lose all his health, Dan will be rendered unconscious and plonked in a holding area. When he comes to, a chunk of time has been stripped from the countdown. This is a tense and unusual metric, one that lets players get used to the game without being booted to a Game Over screen within the first few minutes, but also creates excitement as you head for the latter stages, aware a single slip-up could cost Dan his chance of escape. There are two energy bars, one for health and one for ammunition: the preservation of both is hugely important.
The levels look an absolute treat. The ZX Spectrum’s black backgrounds make for a convenient fit for both sci-fi planet surfaces and moody alien bases, but the Gang of Four really went to town on the little details. Lights flash red as Dan descends into the heavily-guarded base, a clear sign he’s tripped security alarms. Rooms exhibit a nifty faux-3D effect as the hero (and his enemies) passes behind pillars and checkpoints, or through the background via elevators, whilst health and ammunition icons are clear and easily distinguishable.
The levels look an absolute treat. The ZX Spectrum’s black backgrounds make for a convenient fit for both sci-fi planet surfaces and moody alien bases, but the Gang of Four really went to town on the little details. Lights flash red as Dan descends into the heavily-guarded base, a clear sign he’s tripped security alarms. Rooms exhibit a nifty faux-3D effect as the hero (and his enemies) passes behind pillars and checkpoints, or through the background via elevators, whilst health and ammunition icons are clear and easily distinguishable.
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The sprites are impressive, too. The Treens prove an effective and dangerous opposition, moving speedily about the screen as they pack similar laser weaponry to Dan himself. Speaking of which, Dan Dare’s appearance and little animated behaviours fit the bill nicely. As well as being able to take lifts, Dan can jump and crouch, combining both with shots from his laser pistol. There’s little to grumble about in terms of movement response, though some of the jumps can be a little marginal and Dan is sluggish to turn around, which can prove troublesome as enemies occasionally attempt pincer attacks. There’s a slight delay in firing that’s exploited by the AI, some of whom will crowd him to inflict damage.
Dan Dare is a great game, but it isn’t a classic. Not quite. After the first couple of levels see things start so brightly, frustration starts to creep in by the time the game decides to throw robots into the mix. Whilst the graphics and the platforming sequences in Sector 3 represent high points for the game, it also marks the point at which Pilot of the Future begins its descent into unfairness. Soldiers who proved a nuisance beforehand now kill on impact, regardless of Dan’s health. This might not seem so bad, but seemingly at random, they’ll charge into Dan from off-screen, just a couple of seconds after he’s entered. Whilst deaths from falling or accumulating damage from pesky robots can be seen as tough but fair, the soldier AI can be hugely trying. Compounding matters is the fact you’ll need to pass through Sector 3 no fewer than six times to beat the game, because the final two keys see you having to pass back through to retrieve the keys in Sectors 4 and 5.
Dan Dare is a great game, but it isn’t a classic. Not quite. After the first couple of levels see things start so brightly, frustration starts to creep in by the time the game decides to throw robots into the mix. Whilst the graphics and the platforming sequences in Sector 3 represent high points for the game, it also marks the point at which Pilot of the Future begins its descent into unfairness. Soldiers who proved a nuisance beforehand now kill on impact, regardless of Dan’s health. This might not seem so bad, but seemingly at random, they’ll charge into Dan from off-screen, just a couple of seconds after he’s entered. Whilst deaths from falling or accumulating damage from pesky robots can be seen as tough but fair, the soldier AI can be hugely trying. Compounding matters is the fact you’ll need to pass through Sector 3 no fewer than six times to beat the game, because the final two keys see you having to pass back through to retrieve the keys in Sectors 4 and 5.
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Pilot of the Future is neat, detailed and packed with cool, 3D-effect scenery
Sectors 4 and 5 are a bit of a free-for-all as Dan gets assailed by floor lasers, mounted guns, guards and floating robots, bringing about a messy and slightly disappointing final act to an otherwise excellent adventure. If you can make it to the end, the ending’s well worth catching: the player is greeted by an ear-splitting explosion and an impressive visual representation of the effects of the bomb you’d helped detonate.
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future will be remembered as one of the great run ‘n’ gun games of its time. Yes, its difficulty becomes overwhelming in the latter stages and some of Dan’s deaths feel cheap and unsatisfying. However, the good considerably outweighs the bad. The ZX Spectrum version is worth playing for its fantastic, ode-to-comics visual design, swashbuckling shooting gameplay and innovative use of a bomb countdown in place of traditional lives.
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future will be remembered as one of the great run ‘n’ gun games of its time. Yes, its difficulty becomes overwhelming in the latter stages and some of Dan’s deaths feel cheap and unsatisfying. However, the good considerably outweighs the bad. The ZX Spectrum version is worth playing for its fantastic, ode-to-comics visual design, swashbuckling shooting gameplay and innovative use of a bomb countdown in place of traditional lives.
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VERDICT
"...one of the great run ‘n’ gun games of its time. Yes, some of Dan’s deaths feel cheap and unsatisfying. However, the ZX Spectrum version is worth playing for its fantastic, ode-to-comics visual design and swashbuckling shooting." OVERALL: 8/10 |