Developed and published by System 3 in 1989. Last Chance to Support Matt Gray's Kickstarter Project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1289191009/reformation-c64-track-remakes-by-matt-gray-last-ni Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Al82_Retro Add me on Google+: http://bit.ly/1tPwL1u Loader Music: 0:00 Title Music: 3:40 Main Game: 9:40 Somewhere in the outer reaches of deepest, darkest space exists an evil alien life-form capable of destroying entire galaxies. You are the titular "Dominator", the sole surviving member of a an elite fighter squadron who is sent on a mission to save planet Earth from imminent destruction by destroying the alien menace. To do this, the pilot must find a way inside the creature and destroy it from within. Being a shoot' em up, Dominator is a relatively simple game concept when compared to other titles from System 3. The first level features vertical scrolling gameplay (the only one in the game) where the play controls a carrier-class ship towards the alien organism. Wave after wave of enemy fighters must be destroyed whilst avoiding collision with the strange, organic structures of the organism. Should you be successful in destroying the end-of-level guardian, a smaller fighter craft will detach from the main player ship and make it's way inside the alien to continue the mission. Once inside, the game switches to a side-on perspective. The player's fighter craft now has the ability to upgrade on-board weaponry with a range of equipment and power-ups left behind by destroyed enemies, including a much welcomed auto-fire upgrade that prevents blistered trigger fingers. The first available weapon upgrade is a rear-facing cannon designed to hit those enemies creeping up from behind; the angle of fire can be changed by flying forwards and backwards, which is a neat feature and is useful for protecting the ship from enemies or meteors that appear from the top of the screen. The horizontal sections of the game are as much about avoiding the the scenery as dealing with the aliens themselves. The level design features many spiky appendages and narrow corridors that become increasingly difficult to navigate as the game progresses. Navigating the levels becomes even more difficult if the player collects too many of the ship speed power-ups, since the speed of the craft no longer affords the level of precision needed to fly through some of the narrower corridors. It's fair to say that you'll spend a great deal of time cursing at the game by the time the fourth level appears where there are many enemies on screen and you are forced to fly between rows of fang-like teeth (which also ooze lethal blobs of acid). The game does feature destructible scenery, which is a nice touch. While seeing parts of the level get blown ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM4ux9cjF4M

Game Info --------------------------------------------------- Developer: Probe Software Publisher: Virgin Mastertronic Year of Release: 1990 Coding: Nick Jones Graphics: Hugh Binns Music: Jeroen Tel Game Review & Impressions --------------------------------------------------- Based on The Eagle comic book character, Dan Dare III sees the return of the intrepid space pilot doing battle with the nefarious Mekon once again. The green, spherically-domed overlord has captured Dan, who is now held prisoner onboard a satellite orbiting Venus. Dan somehow escapes from his incarceration, straps on a jetpack, then sets off in search of fuel with which to gas up a nearby escape shuttle. The satellite is divided into a series of zones, each interconnected by a teleporter. Each zone is full of aliens to blast, and each fuel cannister is guarded by the Mekon itself, so Dan best be ready with his blaster. Extra equipment and juice for Dan's jetpack can be acquired from terminals located in the central hub area, although you have limited funds available, so spend wisely. Dan Dare III is a competent, if basic shooter. It feels reminiscent of the Cybernoid games, which I guess should come as no surprise when Nick Jones and Hugh Binns both worked on the C64 conversions for Hewson. I think the standout feature has to be the graphics, which are far more colourful and detailed than a lot of contemporary C64 titles. However, what makes Dan Dare III particularly interesting is the involvement of Dave Perry and Nick Bruty -- of Earthworm Jim fame -- who are credited with the original concept. The teleport sequence where players guide Dan through a tunnel-like series is a design that crops up in Earthworm Jim (Andy Asteroids levels) and MDK, both designed by Bruty, so I suspect the origins of those sequences can be traced to this particular game. Video Notes --------------------------------------------------- Related Longplays & Videos --------------------------------------------------- Chapters --------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Main menu & music 04:35 Gameplay 13:27 Ending #dandare #c64 #retrogaming ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1C33dp3oJY