Previous Next

Hmm, now where have I seen screenshots like these before?

Two-player tactical action, a hundred omni-scrolling dungeon levels, assorted keys, food, magical items, and of course the nasties... Instead of ghosts, demons, lobbers and sorcerers, we've got ghosts, dervishes, snappers and mages.

As you (and your partner, if you choose) explore the mazes and vaults of Doomfane in search of the dread Calvrak, there are monster-generating vortexes to destroy with your ever-ready crossbow, doors to unlock, walls to destroy and exits to find.

Though there are no potions, there are 'smart bomb' death scrolls to collect, as well as extra units of strength, armour and magic. There are four mighty artifacts - sword, shield, Ring of Willpower and Staff of Life - hidden in Doomfane, and there are treasure chests full of goodies (a feature of the just-released Gauntlet II).

So what's new? And why should anyone want to buy such an obvious clone of a game released well over a year ago?

Without exactly over-taxing their collective imagination, the programming team of Micro Forte have added some new twists to the formula. All the frantic mayhem has been retained, but there's a strong emphasis on problem-solving.

On every level cryptic scrolls can be picked up, mostly containing useful or even essential information about the current level, its dangers and layout. It's usually a good idea to collect these first, and thus avoid eating food wihch might be poisoned or opening chests containing ghosts.

But some of the scrolls are themselves booby-trapped, and I got carved up on Unlucky Thirteen when I picked up a Slow Death Curse scroll, giving me only seconds in which to reach the exit. The next scroll cheerfully told me that I'd also selected the longest route.

Sandwiched between certain levels are messages left by the last visitors to Doomfane, and these should be read carefully as you'll be questioned about them before you can progress to the next dungeon. And you'll also be asked a singularly bizarre question along the lines of 'what is the magical name of a frothing dusty koala?' I kid you not.

It is now that the curious circular gadget which fell out of the package when you opened it comes in useful. This is the legendary Magical Cypher, the sort of code-breaking device which sued to be given away with Eagle and TV21. You rotate the wheels, line up the words, and read the resulting code through a little window. Partly a bit of fun, and also a highly effective anti-piracy device.

But Demon Stalkers' main attraction I've left until last. Included within the program is a comprehensive dungeon construction set, enabling you to create hundreds of new levels from scratch - right down to colour and pattern of the floor tiles.

You can build walls, place objects, choose monsters and set their speed, damage and killing capacities - you can do everything, in fact, that is included in the game itself.

This is all done with smooth, simple and fast pull-down menus and editing windows, and the finished dungeon can then be substituted for one in the game by using a back-up disk (full instructions provided).

As a Gauntlet lookalike with knobs on, Demon Stalkers isn't too much to write home about, particularly as the graphics and sound are nothing special. But as a DIY Gauntlet construction set which happens to have a 100-level game as a bonus, it's got to be good value.