Deepstone Catacomb Year: 2021 Developer: Mick Muze System: Atari 2600
Deepstone Catacomb, by programmer and developer Mick Muze, is a new Dungeon Crawler set for physical release on the Atari 2600. At the time of writing, the game is still available for pre-order over at AtariAge.com, but I've had the great pleasure of playing a copy that Mick kindly sent to Fusion for review.
Deepstone sees you take on the role of an unnamed warrior who must rescue the fair Princess Robyn, who has been imprisoned deep within the underworld realm of the evil Dark Lord Kram. Having lay undisturbed for millennia, Kram, along with his undead army and three dragons, are all somewhat miffed at a bunch of would-be thieves who foolishly attempted to steal their priceless treasures. As a result, Lord Kram has waged war upon the Kingdom of Traidon and taken their beloved princess hostage.
Upon starting the game, you are met with a colourful title screen and the option to select between three gameplay modes. Mode 1 is standard play, mode 2 features stronger monsters and mode 3 is for endless dungeons, ideal for working on your high score. Once the game mode is selected, it is then off into the catacombs, where you immediately find a sword dropped by one of the less fortunate thieves.
The aim of each level is simple, move through the various rooms and locate the stairway that leads down to the next catacomb. Sounds simple enough, but standing in your way is a whole host of Monsters that range from mere scorpions to fire elementals, mummies, orgg's, hoods, and the most challenging of all deadly drakal's who spit projectiles at you and hunt you across the screen. All this, of course, before you even think about facing off against the Dark Lord himself and his three dragons.
For killing an enemy, you'll be rewarded with treasure or some food to replenish your energy with. Energy is represented as a bar on the bottom right of the screen. Your lives, which you start with three of, are to the left. Each time you die, you start back at the entrance of the catacomb your currently in. The levels also randomly generate each time you play, making for some excellent replay value.
Traversing the catacombs, you must also find switches that will unlock doors and deal with trap rooms that lock you in until the inhabitants have been slain. As well as food and treasure, you can collect mushrooms that give you an extra life and a ‘legendary sword' that gives you the ability to shoot from your sword for a limited time.
Graphically the game is colourful and well laid out, with the animations of each of the characters well-drawn. The gameplay is fast, smooth, and varied, with some simple yet effective sound effects thrown in for good measure. There are also enough changes in the level design and gameplay that keep you returning for just one more go.
Overall, Deepstone Catacomb is an excellent addition to the Atari 2600 family and to the adventure genre. Mick's passion for his creation is clearly evident, and he has done a fine job in capturing the look and feel of a classic 2600 title, yet he has also managed to elevate it to a whole new level. Great looking, a joy to play and professionally presented. Go order your copy now.