Daemon's Gate for Lynx

[Alex]

http://www.myatari.comB&C ComputerVisions has announced the availability of Daemon's Gate for the Lynx. Although there are no instructions, the game reportedly appears complete. Here is what they had to say:

 

"Ready now! Lynx Daemon's Gate Test Cartridge. This appears to be a complete working Deamon's Gate for the Lynx. It is a Role Playing Game by Imagitec, the same people who did Viking's Child. Now shipping at $49.95 S&H."

[SwedenLynxer]

I just hope that Songbird Productions gets their hands on a copy of this game so we can get a big release of this game.

[ataribob]

Cool

I hope it's a lot quicker than Viking Child.

and I know that game won't last long anyway

[Ze_ro]

Man, I'm glad to see the Lynx finally getting a (hopefully) good RPG game... this game looked awesome in screenshots.

 

--Zero

[Gunstar]

I doubt very much that you'll see this come from Songbird, especially now that B&C is releasing it. Songbird goes through all possible licensing chanels and does things the right way, which takes time and is 100% legal. B&C seem to think that they suddenly have the right to release any old game they find on an old computer they bought, with no consequences and no thought to the original developers that really own the rights...unless this somehow falls under the Atari Jag&Lynx are now public domain catagory and all games owned by Atari for the systems are the same...but I think these games were being licensed by Atari, and therefore the rights still belong to the development house...B&C could be just assuming that no one is going to bother sueing or causing a problem because it isn't worth the time and effort, and they may very well be right... Any way I look at it though, I'm glad it's being released, just like Off Road Riot(Lynx) and SpaceWar2k (JAG), I own both and both are great and I'll buy this one too. Songbird has it's own RPG in the works anyway: Distant Lands, which looks great, and WILL have full support, including instructions, box, guides, etc. Fully published. The only thing I don't like about all these great Lynx and Jag titles coming out so far this year is that they just had to all be released at a time that I've never been more broke and unable to afford them, being a returning college student now, and back to being very poor without a full time job. Hopefully they will all still be availbale in a month or two when I'm working fulltime for the summer again.

[Harry_Dodgson]

> B&C seem to think that they suddenly have the right to release any old game they find on an old computer they bought, with no consequences and no thought to the original developers that really own the rights.

 

I agree with this. They also release games they find on the 'net as "prototypes"

with no regard to who the original author

is. Buying games from them only supports

this type of activity. I'll wait until someone dumps their game to the 'net which

would serve them right IMHO.

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Gunstar:

unless this somehow falls under the Atari Jag&Lynx are now public domain catagory and all games owned by Atari for the systems are the same...

---

 

Nope, Jaguar and Lynx games produced by Atari are most certainly not in the public domain. I think this commonly held belief (especially for the Jaguar) comes from the announcement that Hasbro made a while back removing any restrictions on creating games for the Jaguar. Basically, Hasbro stated that you no longer needed to obtain permission (and properly license) a game to sell it on the Jaguar. This means that anyone can create software for the Jaguar and use the Jaguar logo without obtaining permission or paying money to Hasbro. It does not mean that anyone can just start pumping out existing Atari games.

 

..Al

[ataribob]

The time is 1992 you see an add for a cool system called the Atari Lynx, You like Rpg's you see the ad for one comming soon.

you pay over $100 for the system.

The game never comes

 

I would buy it now .

I have no problem.

[Tempest]

quote

No I have not spent hours playing it to make sure it works. I have been spending hours making them so you can play them. I do not need people complaining to me about these. I have many more programs that will end up erased if I get more complainers.

 

WTF is up with that? I can understand that Bruce doesn't want anyone whining about the game (who does?), but is he really holding other unreleased games hostage? I mean threatening to erase one of a kind games if anyone complains is just plain low. What prompted Bruce to threaten this?

 

Tempest

[Ze_ro]

So, does anyone actually have any information about this game? All I can find at B&C's site is a picture of the cartridge, and a screenshot (of the title screen at that). Anyone have any idea what the gameplay is like? Storyline? etc?

 

Here's some information that *I* have about the game: I found it in a Lynx flyer that I have. There's two screenshots, one of an inventory/status screen for a character, and one of what looks to be a fight scene in a graveyard. The description it gives is:

 

quote

Search the land of Daemonsgate and discover magic spells, mystical creatures, hidden treasures, and special items to help you along your way. An epic adventure adapted for the Lynx's amazing graphics and sound capabilities. [1-2 players]

 

--Zero

[Nimtene]

Well, I know I wrote to Bruce just before he added the extra comments about

"many more programs that will end up erased if I get more complainers:"

 

Here's what I wrote to him:

On Fri, 26 Apr 2002 15:10:42 -0700 "chris vick"

writes:

> It says on your site:

> >Ready now! Lynx Daemon's Gate Test Cartridge. This appears to be a

> >complete working Deamon's

> >Gate for the Lynx.

>

> I'm confused. Haven't you guys played through

> it yet? Is it complete, or does it simply 'appear'

> to be complete, so once you start playing it,

> there's obviously things missing? Because, if it

> was complete, why is it being called a 'Test

> Cartridge?' I'd appreciate any additional info

> you could provide on this subject. Also, are these

> on official Lynx cards, green pcb, black pcb,

> or what? An image of the cartridge itself would

> be great. Sorry if I sound skeptical about this

> game release, but I am a dedicated lynx fan, and

> your anouncement was made rather quickly.

>

> Thanks,

> Chris Vick

> nimtene@hotmail.com

 

And Bruce Replies:

"No I do not have time to test games. I have had this for 5 years and

just got time to make them up. I spent 4 hours today answering E-mail.

I have lots of other stuff but just not enough time.

We are shipping now so watch for tons of reviews and pictures.

I made up 10 to ship to Philly Classic for it's official announcement and

due to a communications glitch they are sitting here in my kitchen.

I just updated the web site with a screen shot and picture of cart.

http://www.myatari.com/"

 

I didn't mean to sound harsh to Bruce, but I was just excited

about the release, and wanted to learn more information about

it. I think my questions sounded reasonable. But I'm thinking

that Bruce got overwhelmed with similar questions from a lot

of other people, and has been overworked lately, and mistook

these inquires to be complaints.

 

Personally, I just think it's bad business to put something on

sale, while having little to no knowledge of the product itself.

Even worse, to provide essentially no information to the buyer.

I mean, I'm interested in this game, just like all the other lynxers,

but I'm not one to just blindly buy something. How am I supposed

to know what his definition of "appears to be a complete working"

is? My mom could spend two minutes playing the Lynx "Alien vs.

Predator" prototype, and say that it "appears to be complete."

 

Obviously, I have mixed feelings about this unofficial release. But I

am happy with the prospect that Bruce has a few lost 'games' that

might not be lost forever; and I sincerely hope that Bruce might find

the time to enjoy them himself someday.

[Alex]

Glenn Brunner just sent us nine screenshots for your enjoyment:

 

Dameon's Gate Slideshow

 

And no, we don't have a ROM.

[Tom-Lynx]

quote

 Search the land of Daemonsgate and discover magic spells, mystical creatures, hidden treasures, and special items to help you along your way. An epic adventure adapted for the Lynx's amazing graphics and sound capabilities. [1-2 players]  

 

Well.... whether it is a legal game or not, I bought two carts. I'm a collector and I like to have one plus an extra.

 

I highly doubt this game is as finished as we hope it is. First of all, the original ad Atari published quoted this as 1 - 2 players, and it is most definitely not a two player game. I tried comlynxing the two carts several times and they did not sync up... each ran independently.

 

I did not see any options anywhere to have two players share the same Lynx either.

 

The title screens and music are nice, but then you immediately start the game. Obviously the storyline was never fully developed and included on the cart because there are none of the typical text screens would you see starting a new RPG adventure.

 

As you start, you have a short dagger to kill enemies, a bit like Zelda. I assume as you go through the game you accumulate armor, magic and better weapons. I haven't found any place to get upgraded yet.... hopefully the game is developed more past the initial village ("Tormis")!

 

I would be interested in comparing notes with any other players.

 

Tom

[GrizzLee]

quote

As you start, you have a short dagger to kill enemies, a bit like Zelda. I assume as you go through the game you accumulate armor, magic and better weapons. I haven't found any place to get upgraded yet.... hopefully the game is developed more past the initial village ("Tormis")!

 

I just recieved my copy and I played it for an hour or so. I can't seem to get any upgrades or leave the village of Tormis as well. The game seems a little bland. It doesn't appear to be complete at all.

 

One note of caution here: DO NOT use this on your Lynx I unit. I plugged mine into a Lynx I that I recently found at a local thrift and I had one hell of a time removing the board. I wish B&C would use thinner PCBs or at a minimum file the end at an angle (as I have seen others do) to aid in insertion and removal.

 

Use with caution.

 

Regards,

-Lee

[eric_ruck]

This game is definitely not complete and only semi-playable. This doesn't detract from the value for a collector, but don't buy it as an RPG to play and finish.

 

I saw one or two graphic glitches, but mostly it seems that the story and levels aren't complete. I managed to get to three cities, and buy weapons and herbs. It seems like after I left the first city my character stopped taking damage.

 

It also seems like talking to characters isn't finished, and I didn't find any useful recipes for the herbs I found. There's basically no sound except for the background music.

 

But there is a lot to explore. The three cities are large and have lots of stuff in them. There are a fair number of characters floating around. Given a few more weeks of polish this probably would have been a decent game.

 

Oh well, maybe someone here will win the Lottery and quit their job so they can write an RPG.

 

Rick

[Tom-Lynx]

quote

I managed to get to three cities, and buy weapons and herbs. It seems like after I left the first city my character stopped taking damage.

 

 

How did you get to the 3rd city? I played for an hour last night and managed to hit about every open building in Tormis and Anchor. I noticed that I stopped taking damage after I bought the short sword at the shop in Tormis. In Anchor I bought the chain mail and knives, but it didn't make any difference.

 

I also bought some herbs, but like you, I haven't found any use for them. Here is clearly the place where the instruction manual would be crucial if it lists all the potion recipes.

 

Is there a way to restore your health points? That seems to be another unfinished item (unless there's a potion that does it).

 

One big disappointment with this game....there is NO way to recover the state of your game when you turn off the Lynx. No password, no memory....nothing. If this game is actually playable to the end (which I doubt), you would have to devote a whole day to nothing else.

 

There is an old DOS version of this game released by Imagitec back around 1991. If you search online for the cheats and FAQ, you get a good sense of what the storyline is supposed to be. However, the cheats mention picking up companions right away at the inn at Tormis and taking them with you (including a lock picker), and this is clearly something you can't do in the Lynx version. The more I play, the less finished I think the game is.

 

Some of the critique of the DOS version is that the cities are nice and big, but everything looks the same. The buildings, the landscape, etc. I must agree... the game does get boring. It is a great start of what is possible on the Lynx in the RPG genre, but the game itself was never destined to become a classic. Something with a bit of variety like Zelda or Ultima would be cool.

 

Tom

[animallyson]

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am by these reviews-it's sad to hear how unfinished the game really is.

 

Keep us posted on what the game is like-I'm feeling hard-pressed to drop the cash on a game in that state...

 

[ 05-06-2002: Message edited by: animallyson ]

[eric_ruck]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tom-Lynx:

How did you get to the 3rd city? I played for an hour last night and managed to hit about every open building in Tormis and Anchor.

---

 

 

I talked to people until someone mentioned the third city (name starts with "J", I forget what it is exactly).

 

Interesting, the sword stopped the damage? Could be the same for me...I just noticed at some point the damage wasn't accumulating.

 

Eric

[ataribob]

Just Got the game today.

Pretty fast in my mailBox.

Now to explore.

 

well after 30 minutes of dieing and never making it out of the first city.

No one to talk to, it was kill or be killed.

Instructions would have helped.

It's now on my trade list.

 

[ 05-08-2002: Message edited by: AtariBob ]

 

[ 05-08-2002: Message edited by: AtariBob ]

[animallyson]

Bob-check my page on gametz. I'd trade for it :-)

[Curt Vendel]

Just received word, Bruce at B&C Computervisions has lowered the prices of Demon's Gate to $29.95 and Demolition Man to only $14.95!!!

 

Anyone who already purchased them is entitled to a refund of the difference or a credit towards a future purchase.

 

I think Bruce is doing a great thing by lowering the prices, he's obviously listening to people's comments (whether constructive criticism or harsh words)

 

As for the release of them, as Bruce had explained to me over the years, upon the purchase of containers of eproms and computers from Atari's labs, he was given consent from Atari (I never asked if its in written form) that he could release any content found on those eproms or workstations) so whether its legal or Atari even had the right to grant Bruce this right I can't say, but this is what has been explained to me.

 

Bruce is a VERY busy guy, please please give him a little, actually a LOT of slack, his wife handles shipping & accounting, and Bruce does literally everything from finding parts, pieces and product, to repairs, to fielding dozens of phone calls and hundreds of emails daily (I know this for a fact from being at his place many times and having phone conversations with him, the phone's never stop ringing) and then trying to sort through things and to make his own effort to put things out, while not in the high grade efforts of Songbird, he is doing things the best he can. Why doesn't Bruce hire more people you might add, come'on... B&C is an Atari only dealer, a physical warehouse and business, not somebody selling stuff out of their basement on the side, business is minimal and therefor its just him and his wife trying to support the Atari community which they both have strong loyalty to. Bruce tries very hard and does mean well, again him slashing the prices is a sign of him listening and trying, so while I understand a lot of the comments, I thought it best that everyone knows a little bit more about the man before being too judgemental of his efforts.

 

 

Curt

[Tom-Lynx]

quote

Just received word, Bruce at B&C Computervisions has lowered the prices of Demon's Gate to $29.95 and Demolition Man to only $14.95!!!

 

What's Demolition Man? Is that a game for a different Atari platform?

 

Tom

[Ze_ro]

For information about Demolition Man, go here, and scroll all the way to the last paragraph. It's not really a game, but just a collection of video clips Atari was working on that are on a Jaguar CD. Apparently, there's no gameplay.

 

--Zero

[Nimtene]

myatari2@juno.com wrote:

>>As of now the release of Daemon's Gate was a bust. I have lost

>>thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours and received negative E-mail.

>>I spent over $70K buying all of the computers from Atari

>>Engineering whem they layed everyone off. I have many more unreleased

>>Atari titles. However for now, all future releases are on hold and

>>I'm not shipping anymore Daemon's Gate at any price.

>>For those faithfull Atari fans that did buy DG from us, please pick

>>2 titles for each Daemon's Gate you bought at $49.95 and I will send them

>>to you new in the box at my cost, except to UK( ship with next order).

[Ze_ro]

Ouch... that certainly does suck... I was thinking $30 would have been a pretty decent price, even if it is unfinished

 

--Zero