The best modern Speccy game beginning with D: vote

[PeteProdge]

Right, we're now ready to vote for the D games.

I've had to do a bit of pruning. The Dark was nominated, but that came out in 1991, which is in what I consider to be the Speccy's classic (commercial) era.

Also, I've had to bring in consideration for .TRD (TR-DOS) disk titles. Are they 'canon' for the Spectrum? I mean, if we were considering titles that required Spectrum-ish hardware, like Sam Coupe; ZX81; QL; Spectrum Next; unofficial clones, then it's not really a Speccy game in my eyes. However, I don't want to be totally hardline purist and only considering things that come on tape. If it can be loaded in on +3 disk, or DivMMC into an official ZX Spectrum, then I guess it is a Speccy game. Hence I am allowing those fan-made Dizzy games in.

Oh, I've fallen down a big rabbit hole for the past two hours. This is because someone nominated Doom. Now, I'd appreciate it, when people suggest games where there are a number of differing versions using the same name, to put in some differentiator, like the software house.

Doom on the ZX Spectrum is a rather convoluted thing. It's never come out as a full game. Doom by Cobra Soft is a tech demo rather than a game, you can't get killed in it, you're just wandering around a 3D space. Technically impressive, I take my hat off, but there is no game there. Likewise,
Doom by Andrey Sharin is along the same lines.

The closest we have is Digital Reality's Doom. A full version has never come out, but there is a 'Pre-Releaze' (sic) game that can be downloaded. It does offer a gaming experience, so I'm including this in the poll.

Here we go...

D'Veel'Ng by The Mojon Twins


Dark Castle by kas29


Dark Tricks by Dazman


Darkwing Duck by U99


Dead By Dawn by Monsterbytes


Dead Flesh Boy by Vanbsoftware


Dead or Alive by Jonathan Cauldwell


Dead Space


Dead Zone


Death Valley by Green Bit


Deep Blue by Errazking


Deep Core Raider


Descending Dungeons


Dingo by Tardis Remakes


Diver: Mystery of the Deep by HorrorSoft


Dizzy and The Mushroom Pie by Verm-V


Dizzy and the Mystical Letter


Dizzy XII: Underground by Gogin


Dogmole Tuppowski - The New Adventures by The Mojon Twins


Dogmole Tuppowski vs. the Mesmerizing Meemaid From Miskatonic by The Mojon Twins


Dome, The by Perspective Group


Dominetris


Donkey Kong Jr


Donkey Kong Jr. II


Donkey Kong Reloaded by Gabriele Amore


Donkey Kong Reloaded Again


Doom (Pre-releaze) by Digital Reality


Doom Pit by Monument Microgames


Double Bubble by Miguetelo


Dr Who - Surrender Time


DreamWalker: Alter Ego 2 by RetroSouls


Dredd Over Eels by Monsterbytes


Droid Buster by Ariel Endaraues


Dune II by Inforcom


Dung Darach by The Death Squad


Dungeon Raiders


LATE ENTRY!
Dark, The by Oleg Origin


Poll closes in seven days time, at about 11am UK time, Sun 7th July 2019.

[djnzx48]

Very interesting selection of games here. I'll have to make my choice carefully as there's no one standout title for me.

As for 'The Dark', I think the game that was meant was The Dark, written by Oleg Origin in 1997. Although I believe it was left unreleased and wasn't publicly available until 2016.

[PeteProdge]

As for 'The Dark', I think the game that was meant was The Dark, written by Oleg Origin in 1997. Although I believe it was left unreleased and wasn't publicly available until 2016.

Gah! I didn't see that. Should I restart the poll with that included?

[djnzx48]

Is the poll editable? If not, then it might be worth posting it again.

[PeteProdge]

Is the poll editable? If not, then it might be worth posting it again.

Yes! I've tacked it onto the end, but unfortunately all votes have been reset because of this.

Now, thankfully, there was only vote (it was for Dreamworld : Alter Ego 2), so whoever voted for that, please vote again for it (or The Dark, if you prefer).

[Spud]

Is the poll editable? If not, then it might be worth posting it again.

Yes! I've tacked it onto the end, but unfortunately all votes have been reset because of this.

Now, thankfully, there was only vote (it was for Dreamworld : Alter Ego 2), so whoever voted for that, please vote again for it (or The Dark, if you prefer).

Was me, have re-voted.

[PeteProdge]

Yes! I've tacked it onto the end, but unfortunately all votes have been reset because of this.

Now, thankfully, there was only vote (it was for Dreamworld : Alter Ego 2), so whoever voted for that, please vote again for it (or The Dark, if you prefer).

Was me, have re-voted.

Thank you, nice to know we're back on track!

[Morkin]

Some real programming feats in that list, The Dark and Dreamwalker spring to mind immediately as ones that I played with my gob hanging wide open, watching the moving graphics.

After a bit of thought I've voted for Descending Dungeons. Just because it's one of the types of games that I always liked, and would have been happy to save up my pennies and rushed out to buy, if it were released 30+ years ago.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

I voted for Doom Pit.

My faves are:

1 - Doom Pit
2 - Dingo
3 - Doom

[R-Tape]

Thanks for the poll Prodge.

These are my favourites:

Deep Core Raider - simple but tremendous fun. The level design tailed off a bit towards the end for me.
Dingo - great arcade conversion, and a very impressive debut from Sokurah.
Double Bubble - inventive idea, done very well.
DreamWalker - superb puzzly platformer (have Retrosouls ever done a bad game?!). It does look pretty good, but I see this as Alter Ego: Reloaded, and I don't think it improves on the original.

I'm voting Dingo. I played it until about level 80 while listening to the cricket once, so it must be fun.

Top 3 would be:

1 - Dingo
2 - Dreamwalker
3 - Double Bubble

[Pegaz]

Too many great games here.
Its very difficult to decide between Dark Castle, Doom Pit, Donkey Kong Jr. II and DreamWalker.
Still, in the end i voted for Donkey Kong Jr. II, narrowly ahead of Doom Pit, which is equally great.

[WIWC]

I enjoyed Dead By Dawn.

[Ivanzx]

Very difficult to understand that The Dark by Oleg Origin has only 1 vote, when it is a super impressive game and something unique in the Spectrum :O

[Hank Scorpio]

1. The Dark
2. Dizzy And The Mystical Letter
3. Doom Pit

[Nick]

1. Doom Pit
2. The Dark
3. Donkey Kong Jnr

[PeteProdge]

Well, that's easily a runaway success for DreamWalker: Alter Ego 2, over twice votes as many as its nearest contenders, it's solidly in first place with eight votes.

Jointly second with 3 votes each - Dingo and The Dark.

In third is Doom Pit, 2 votes.

Lots are jointly placed fourth with 1 vote each: Dead By Dawn; Descending Dungeons; Donkey Kong Jr II; Doom (Pre-releaze) and Double Bubble.

Of course, some wanted a proportional vote. Well, two people did, so here are the results, which are very different to the forum's FPTP poll...

5 The Dark
2 Dizzy And The Mystical Letter
4 Doom Pit
1 Donkey Kong Jnr

[Juan F. Ramirez]

A good excuse for playing the winner, an unknown game for me.

[R-Tape]

Dreamwalker is fair winner. It's curious the proportional vote is so different.

Very difficult to understand that The Dark by Oleg Origin has only 1 vote, when it is a super impressive game and something unique in the Spectrum :O

It won the proportional vote in the end, but I have to say - as technically impressive as it is, I didn't find it fun to play (sorry Oleg!).