D/Generation

Mindscape

Industry	Video game publishing
Products	D/Generation (video game)

D/Generation is an action-adventure game incorporating puzzle mechanics, originally created for the 8-bit Apple II during the late 1980s. It was subsequently released by Mindscape in 1991 for platforms including MS-DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST. The game takes place in a cyberpunk-inspired 2021 and was later adapted for the Amiga CD32 in 1993, featuring support for the CD32's 6-button gamepad.

An updated version named D/Generation HD, boasting improved visuals, was launched by West Coast Software on October 23, 2015, for Microsoft Windows. This edition also became available on the Nintendo Switch in North America on March 27, 2018, followed by a European release on April 3, 2018.

Gameplay

D/Generation employs an isometric viewpoint spanning multiple levels composed of labyrinthine rooms. Players progress by navigating these chambers, eliminating hostile bioengineered creatures, deactivating security systems, and rescuing trapped individuals. The initial stages grant access to a laser gun with infinite ammunition capable of killing enemies, activating switches, ricocheting off walls, and utilizing teleporters. Additional tools such as limited-use grenades and specialized gadgets assist in overcoming security obstacles and adversaries.

Advancement through floors (excluding the last) requires reaching gravity lifts while managing doors operated via switches and security keys. Players face hazards including automated turrets, mobile laser barriers, and must seal air vents after clearing bioweapons from an area. Death caused by enemies or security devices results in losing a life and restarting at the current room. Extra lives are rewarded by safely escorting rescued individuals to exits indicated by red arrows. Engaging with certain characters provides narrative insights and access to computer terminals.

Plot

Set in an alternate future where technological progress triggered a nuclear conflict in Asia, leading to a United Nations (UN) ban on atomic and biological weapons, D/Generation unfolds in June 2021. The protagonist, acting as a courier, is assigned to deliver an urgent package from Paris to Genoq’s biomedical research center in Singapore. Upon reaching the facility’s 80th floor, the courier discovers chaos stemming from a catastrophic incident and encounters bioweapon infestations on the upper levels.

As the courier moves through floors rescuing survivors and confronting security measures alongside three types of bioweapons—A/Generation (a red amorphous entity that engulfs targets), B/Generation (a blue pillar that crushes victims), and C/Generation (which imitates humans and objects)—they uncover Genoq's covert illegal bioweapon experiments disguised as legitimate biomedical research. A survivor reveals Genoq’s intention to detonate the building to cover up the accident.

On the 89th floor, the courier meets an imposter claiming to be Dr. Jean-Paul Derrida who attacks and traps them within a psychotropic illusion. Inside this false reality, the real Derrida explains that the disaster originated from a prototype fourth-generation bioweapon called D/Generation—an advanced terrorist weapon that gained consciousness. Although immobilized by a security mechanism, it sought assistance to heal itself. Derrida had planned to destroy it using microwaves emitted from a modified antenna before being captured.

Equipped with a passcode that grants access to a jetpack enabling escape and alerts authorities, the courier exits the hallucination, lures D/Generation into a trap, and eliminates it. These actions prevent Genoq from obliterating its laboratories and earn commendations from both the UN and those rescued.

Development

The initial development of D/Generation targeted the 128K Apple IIe platform, utilizing Double-Hi-Res mode and originally titled D-Generation. Although a version was finalized in 1990, following its inception in 1989, it never saw a public release. The game’s debut to the public occurred with the 1991 MS-DOS edition.

Reception

The Amiga CD32 iteration of Electronic Gaming Monthly received a score of 7.25 out of 10, remarking on the controller’s suboptimal compatibility with the isometric viewpoint but commending the engaging combination of action and puzzle elements.

In 1994, PC Gamer US ranked D/Generation as the 32nd greatest computer game ever made, emphasizing its successful fusion of arcade-style gameplay and puzzle challenges. That same year, PC Gamer UK positioned it at number 44, describing it as the "best game of its genre on the PC." By 1998, PC Gamer US had improved its standing to 38th place, noting that its gameplay continued to feel innovative and captivating.

Moreover, in 1996, Amiga Power honored it as the 40th greatest game of all time.