Dangerous Dave
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Dangerous Dave series |
Dangerous Dave is a platform title from 1988, created by John Romero for the Apple II and MS-DOS systems. It was developed as a showcase for GraBASIC, an extension to Applesoft BASIC, and appeared within the UpTime disk magazine.
Gameplay
The gameplay centers on collecting golden trophies to progress through the stages. Since its initial release in 1988, Dangerous Dave has led to three follow-up games and numerous adaptations.
Romero drew inspiration from Super Mario, deliberately echoing its level layouts, enemy types, and gameplay mechanics. The player’s goal is to navigate Dave across ten levels to retrieve trophies hidden in the lair of his adversary, Clyde. Among the sequels, Romero considers Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion the standout installment.
In 2008, the title Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion was reimagined for mobile phones, broadening its audience.
Games
- Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate's Hideout, 1988, Apple II, UpTime (original release)
- Dangerous Dave, 1990, DOS (CGA, EGA, VGA), Softdisk (DOS adaptation)
- Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement, 1990, DOS (EGA), unreleased demo that paved the way for Commander Keen and id Software
- Dangerous Dave GS, 1990, Apple IIGS, incomplete port
- Dangerous Dave in the Haunted Mansion, 1991, DOS (EGA), Softdisk
- Dangerous Dave in Trophy Trouble, 1991, Apple II, Softdisk (16-color version)
- Dangerous Dave Returns, 1992, Apple II, Softdisk
- Dangerous Dave's Risky Rescue, 1993, DOS (EGA), Softdisk
- Dave Goes Nutz!, 1993, DOS (EGA), Softdisk
- Dangerous Dave Goes Nutz!, 1995, Apple II, Softdisk
- Dangerous Dave Pack (compilation), 2012, Windows, Softdisk Publishing
- Dangerous Dave in the Deserted Pirate's Hideout, 2015, iOS, Alfonso Romero
Dangerous Dave's Risky Rescue
Published by Softdisk in 1993, Dangerous Dave's Risky Rescue—also known as Dangerous Dave 3—marks the first entry not developed by John Romero. By this time, Romero had departed Softdisk alongside John Carmack, Adrian Carmack, and Tom Hall to establish id Software. This game was succeeded by a sequel titled Dave Goes Nutz!, which maintains similar gameplay elements.
The narrative continues with Dangerous Dave’s quest to save his brother Delbert from the antagonist "Dr. Nemesis," a character also appearing in Softdisk’s Catacomb franchise.
Dave Goes Nutz!
Released in 1993 by Softdisk, Dave Goes Nutz!, informally known as Dangerous Dave 4, picks up directly after Dangerous Dave's Risky Rescue. In this installment, Dave attempts to rescue Delbert from "Dr. Nemesis" within a zombie-infested psychiatric hospital.
Reception
In issue #200 of Dragon (1993), Sandy Petersen awarded Dangerous Dave's Risky Rescue a rating of two stars out of five, indicating a mixed critical response.