''Dalek Attack'' is a 1992

computer game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

based on the long-running British

science fiction television Science fiction first appeared in television programming in the late 1930s, during what is called the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary ...

series ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', in which the player controls the Doctor and fights recurring adversaries, the

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 ''Doctor Who'' ...

s and other enemies. In most versions of the game, the player can choose between playing as the Fourth, Fifth or

Seventh Doctor The Seventh Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', and the final incarnation of the original Doctor Who series. He is portrayed by Scottish actor Sylvester McCoy. W ...

; in the

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

and Amiga versions, the player can play as the

Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

, Fourth or Seventh Doctor, and in the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...

version only the Seventh Doctor was available. A second player may play as the Doctor's companion (

Ace An ace is a playing card, Dice, die or domino with a single Pip (counting), pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit (cards), suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large a ...

or a UNIT soldier, although in the Spectrum version only Ace is available). K-9 also makes appearances later in the game as does

Davros Davros () is a character from the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was created by screenwriter Terry Nation, originally for the 1975 serial ''Genesis of the Daleks''. Dav ...

, creator of the Daleks in the TV series, as the final end of level boss. The game is set in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Skaro. The game was released on all major formats of the time except for the

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sin ...

, which was announced but never released. It was designed and storyboarded by 221B Software Development. Graphics were by John Gyarmati and Wayne Dalton. Nick Kimberley programmed the PC, Spectrum and (unreleased) Amstrad versions. The Amiga and Atari ST versions were programmed by Richard Turner. Jason Heggie was in charge of the Commodore 64 version. Music was by Paul Tankard. On the PC and

Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...

versions, there was a

secret room ''Secret Room'' is a 2013 Nigerian direct-to-video thriller film directed by Eneaji Chris Eneng and starring OC Ukeje, Jide Kosoko, Linda Ejiofor and Lilian Esoro. Cast * O. C. Ukeje as Kingsley Ojei *Jide Kosoko as Ambassador John Furiye *Lil ...

behind some blocks. The room gave some of the programming credits for each game, in particular the graphics and music. The credits were hidden in this way due to the BBC not wanting individual credits for the game development team to be included in the game. The ZX Spectrum version was released in 1993 after a successful campaign by

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The ...

readers as

Alternative Software Alternative Software is a British software developer and publisher founded in 1985. From the mid 1980s to the early 1990s, the company published well over a hundred games, primarily for the 8-bit computer formats in the budget (£1.99 to £3.99) ...

were unsure whether the Spectrum release would be commercially viable. ''Dalek Attack'' became the last full-price licensed game to be released for the machine. It differed from all the others in its first level; in all the other releases the first level involved the Doctor on a hoverboard going along the sewer. The Spectrum version had the

Doctor Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

on foot running around collecting hostages and avoiding globes. The Spectrum version also lost out on other features such as different enemies; only the

Robomen This is a list of henchman, henchmen, fictional characters serving List of Doctor Who villains, villains and/or List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens, monsters and aliens in the long-running British science fiction on television, science ficti ...

Ogron Ogrons are a fictional extraterrestrial race from the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. Ogrons are low-intelligence, ape-like hominids who live in scattered communities on the rocky planet Ograviss, on the outer fringe ...

s and standard Daleks featured. The end-level guardians were also different. Before its release Spectrum owners who wrote to Alternative Software pressing for a release received a letter back stating that the game was in production, and were sent a sticker depicting the game's box front emblazoned with the legend "I've Been Exterminated!" Other versions of the game featured special Daleks such as hovering Daleks from the ''

TV Century 21 ''TV Century 21'', later renamed ''TV21'', ''TV21 and Tornado'', ''TV21 and Joe 90'', and ''TV21'' again, was a weekly British children's comic published by City Magazines during the latter half of the 1960s. Originally produced in partnership ...

'' comics strips of the 1960s. 1960s "movie" Daleks also made an appearance, as did the special weapons Dalek from ''

Remembrance of the Daleks ''Remembrance of the Daleks'' is the first serial of the 25th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. The serial was first broadcast in four weekly episodes from 5 to 26 October 1988. It was written by Ben Aaronovi ...

''. Another special Dalek also featured, based on a sketch by Dalek designer Ray Cusick in an article from the 1989 ''

Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the followi ...

'' 10th Anniversary Special showing how a Dalek might look in the 1990s. The game was later re-released, first in a three pack compilation set called the Sci-Fi Collection with two other titles (Galactic Warrior Rats, Suburban Commando) for the PC. The front cover was in a "Y" shape with ''Dalek Attack'' in the bottom right and the instruction booklet was photocopied. This was followed in 1994/95 by another re-release, which was the same as the original except for a purple and black border added to the front and back covers.

References

External links

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