Dungeon Master Encyclopaedia

This page contains reviews published in various paper magazines. At the end of the page, you can also find links to online and video reviews.
You should also check Dungeon Master and Chaos Strikes Back Compilation Reviews.

Dungeon Master and Oids for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'Michigan Atari Magazine', Vol 3 No 2 February 1988, Pages 14-16

[Source: Internet Archive]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in German magazine 'Happy Computer', February 1988, Page 84

[Source: kultmags.com]

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Kultboy.com]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in German magazine 'Power Play', February 1988, Pages 78-79

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot (Greatstone), Source: Kultpower]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'ST X-PRESS', Vol 2 No 2 March 1988, Pages 17-20, 77

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'Current Notes', March 1988, Pages 54-56

[Source: Internet Archive]

Dungeon Master Preview published in American magazine 'Computer Gaming World', Issue #45 March 1988, Page 52

[Source: Computer Gaming World Museum]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Gen4', Issue #3, March-April 1988, Pages 100-101

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'STMag', Issue #17, March 1988, Page 110

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master Review published in French magazine 'Game Mag', Issue #5 March 1988, Pages 64-65

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Preview published in British magazine 'The Game Machine', Issue #4, March 1988, Page 17

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Old Computer Mags]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #52, March 1988, Pages 96-97

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]
A transcript of this article is available here: Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #52, March 1988, Pages 96-97

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in German magazine 'ASM', April 1988, Pages 84-85

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Kultpower]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Atari 1ST', Issue #8, April 1988, Pages 64-66

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'Computer and Video Games (CVG)', Issue #78, April 1988, Page 92

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'Computer Gaming World', Issue #46, April 1988, Pages 18-19

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Computer Gaming World Museum]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'The Games Machine', Issue #5, April 1988, Pages 64-65

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in Swedish magazine 'Svenska Hemdatornytt', April 1988, Page 32-33

[Supplied by Johan Källberg]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'Advanced Computer Entertainment (ACE)', Issue #8, May 1988, Pages 54-55

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Old Computer Mags]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'Atari ST User', Vol 3 No 3 May 1988, Page 49

[Source: Atarimania]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'ST Action', Issue #1 May 1988, Pages 56-57

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Arcades', Issue #8 May 1988, Pages 44-45

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Atari 1ST', Issue #9 May 1988, Page 62

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Science et Vie Micro', Issue #50 May 1988, Page 151

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in Dutch magazine 'Atari Magazine (Stichting Atari Gebruikers)', Issue #5 May 1988, Pages 36-39, 41-43

[Supplied by Bastiaan]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'Page 6', Issue #33 May-June 1988, Page 40

[Supplied by èné, Source: Atarimania]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'QuestBusters', Vol 5 No 6 June 1988, Page 4, 15

[Supplied by Museum of Computer Adventure Game History, Source: Museum of Computer Adventure Game History]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in French magazine 'Atari magazine (First Version)', Issue #6, June 1988, Page 67

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'Page 6', Issue #34 July-August 1988, Page 42-43

[Supplied by èné, Source: Atarimania]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST / Amiga / Apple IIGS Review published in British / American magazine 'Dragon Magazine', Issue #136 Vol. XIII, No. 3, August 1988, Pages 76-79

[Supplied by Relig]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'ST-Log', Issue #22 August 1988, Pages 90-91

A transcript of this article is available here: Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'ST-Log', Issue #22, August 1988, Page 90

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'Start', Vol 3 No 2 Special issue #4 September 1988, Pages 23-24

[Supplied by èné, Source: Retromags]
A transcript of this article is available here: Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in American magazine 'Start', Vol.3 No.2 (Special issue 4), September 1988, Page 23

Dungeon Master for Atari ST-Amiga Review published in Finnish magazine 'Pelit', Issue #2 1988, Page 101

[Source: Internet Archive]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in British magazine 'Atari Monitor', Issue #19 April 1988, Page 35

[Supplied by èné, Source: page6.org]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in French magazine 'Micro World', Issue #2 January 1989, Page 59

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in British magazine 'Commodore Computing International', Vol 7 No 6 February 1989, Page 90-92

[Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #63, February 1989, Page 103

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in American magazine 'Amiga World', Vol 5 No 3 March 1989, Pages 74, 76

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in French magazine 'A-News', Issue #11, March 1989, Page 39

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in Italian magazine 'K', Issue #4, March 1989, Page 40

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Old Computer Mags]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in German magazine 'Power Play', March 1989, Page 52

[Source: Kultpower]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in American magazine 'Info', Issue #25 March-April 1989, Page 47

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in British magazine 'Advanced Computer Entertainment (ACE)', Issue #19, April 1989, Page 85

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in British / American magazine 'Amiga Computing', Issue #11 (Vol. 1 No. 11), Pages 14-18

[Supplied by Adamo, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in Swedish magazine 'Datormagazin', Vol. 1989 No. 5, April 1989, Page 18

[Supplied by Joakim Andersson]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in Italian magazine 'The Game Machine', Issue #8, April 1989, Pages 38-39

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Old Computer Mags]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in British magazine 'Zzap', Issue #48, April 1989, Cover and Pages 60-62

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in British magazine 'The Game Machine', Issue #18, May 1989, Page 45

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Apple IIGS Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #66, May 1989, Page 108

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in British magazine 'Your Amiga', June 1989, Pages 44-45

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in American magazine 'Amazing Computing', Vol. 4 No. 7, July 1989, Pages 47-49

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in American magazine 'Amiga plus', Vol. 1 No. 3, August-September 1989, Pages 52-53

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in Australian magazine 'ACAR', Vol. 6 No. 10, October 1989, Page 71

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot, Source: ACAR & PAU Scans]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST-Amiga-Apple IIGS Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #72 November 1989, Page 51

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master Review published in German magazine 'Power Play', Die 100 Besten Spiele 1989, Page 34

[Source: Kultpower]

Dungeon Master Review published in Japanese magazine 'Technopolis', Vol 9 No 1 01 January 1990, Pages 10-12

Dungeon Master for Super Famicom Preview published in Japanese magazine 'Famitsu', Issue #137, February 1991

Missing: Scan of Dungeon Master for Super Famicom Preview published in Japanese magazine 'Famitsu', Issue #137, February 1991
If you can help, please E-mail me! Also check other missing content.

Dungeon Master And Chaos Strikes Back Review published in Czech magazine 'Excalibur', Issue #4 July 1991, Pages 3-4

[Supplied by DJ Oldgames, Source: oldgames.sk]
Chaos Strikes Back is awarded 'Game of the year 1991' in this issue.

Dungeon Master for Super NES Preview published in French magazine 'Consoles +', Issue #2 October 1991, Page 24

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Super Famicom Preview published in French magazine 'Player One', Issue #17 February 1992, Page 26

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in German magazine 'PC Joker', May 1992, Page 28

[Source: Kultboy.com]

Dungeon Master for PC-Amiga-Atari ST Review published in Finnish magazine 'Pelit', May 1992, Cover and Pages 30-31

[Source: Internet Archive]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in German magazine 'Power Play', August 1992, Page 134

[Source: kultmags.com]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in American magazine 'VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (VG&CE)', September 1992

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in French magazine 'Joystick', Issue #30, September 1992, Page 255

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in Canadian magazine 'Game Player's PC Entertainment', Vol 5 No 5 September-October 1992, Page 72

[Source: Retromags]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in British magazine 'PC Format', Issue #13 October 1992, Pages 60-61

[Source: YouTube video screenshot: https://youtu.be/vyVv9VA8vOY?t=4806 ]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in German magazine 'ASM', October 1992, Page 54

[Source: Kultpower]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in German magazine 'PC Games', October 1992, Page 65

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in British magazine 'Zero', Issue #36 October 1992, Page 54

[Supplied by Steve Hood]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #106, October 1992, Pages 134-135

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST-Amiga-PC Review published in Greek magazine 'User', Issue #29 October 1992, Pages 58-59

[Source: Greek Retro Computer Magazines]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in British-American-Canadian magazine 'Computer Games Strategy Plus', Issue #24 November 1992, Page 80, 82

[Supplied by Johan Källberg]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in Greek magazine 'PC Master', Issue #34 November 1992, Page 76-77

[Source: Greek Retro Computer Magazines]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in French magazine 'PC Review', Issue #2 November 1992, Page 48-51

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in German magazine 'Play Time', November 1992, Page 77

[Source: kultmags.com]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in American magazine 'Computer Gaming World', Issue #100 November 1992, Pages 94-96

[Source: Computer Gaming World Museum]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in French magazine 'Consoles + Tilt', Issue #5H November 1992, Page 60

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in American magazine 'QuestBusters', Vol 9 No 12 December 1992, Page 8-9

[Supplied by Museum of Computer Adventure Game History, Source: Museum of Computer Adventure Game History]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST-Amiga-PC Review published in French magazine 'Tilt', Issue #109 December 1992, Page 60

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST / Amiga Review published in German magazine 'Amiga Joker', Sonderheft #3, 1992', Pages 36-37

[Supplied by Pierre Monnot]
Here is an english translation of this review:
[Supplied by Trantor]

Dungeon Master

There are games that you should have seen. And then there are those which you just cannot miss. Poetically spoken: On the long road of role-playing games, FTL left a highly visible milestone!

Dungeon Master sort of reinvented the dungeons - a huge deal of later fantasy adventures is based on this classic among classics! With games like Bloodwych, Eye of the Beholder or Xenomorph, this can be seen on first sight, but even colleagues from other genres (like Rings of Medusa 2) can't deny a certain similarity. So let's look back into the year of 1988 when a jolt went through the dungeon walls of this world...

In order to understand the buzz that Dungeon Master created back then, you have to know that the good old block graphic ruled the role-playing games back then. The sound was on a similar level: with all the bleeping, you could never be sure if a monster just died or if it was your speakers! And for the controls, you usually had three quarters of the keyboard used, most of it unlogically. But suddenly, fantasy was not fantasy anymore: beautiful 3D graphics, excellent ambient sound and an interface that is still exemplary today fulfilled long-fostered adventurer dreams! First, only the ST owners were to enjoy, a year later, the new role-playing age also dawned on the Amiga. Only the PC users still wait for their version, even if FTL is supposed to mean "Faster than Light"... ((this shows the article was written somewhat before 1993 or 1994)). On the Amiga, Dungeon Master was one of the first games to require 1 MB memory - one of the few unpleasant innovations of the program, especially since the announced 512 K version hasn't come out until today.

After this banter now on to the story: Lord Grey, a true wizard through and through, overstrained a bit and created some sort of magical maximum credible accident. While experimenting with the "Power Gem", his bad half suddenly made itself independent and terrorized the lands as "Lord Chaos". Add the fact that the Power Gem has vanished, and we all know what the player's task is...

Before the quest for the crystal commences, a visit in the Hall of Champions is due, where 24 heroes that are frozen in mirrors and have 4 character classes (Fighter, Wizard, Ninja, Priest) expect us. You choose 4 of them and then march into the dungeon - which consists of 14 levels! The adventure begins relatively harmless (on the first level, you practically only meet cannon fodder), but rises greatly to a Grande Finale that challenges the last of the player's skill and cleverness.

The finely tuned difficulty level is but one of the reasons for the legendary reputation of our dungeon master; without claim of completeness, here are some more: The fighting sequences which take place in real time are fine-tuned to the last detail. You see mummies, worms, dragons etc. crawling along from a distance, you can use any item you want for their destruction (for example, the mobs can be lured under a portcullis!), and the fighting itself is pure fun thanks to the elaborate mouse controls. Add a for that time revolutionary magic system that works like a construction kit, an inventory management that is just as brilliant, countless of secret passages and findings in them, and traps en masse.

Enough praise, now to the weak points of the game: You cannot talk, there are no locations to explore apart from dungeon (always with the same wall-look), and the genre-typical gauges for the characters stats are also missing - there is only a short message when you gained a level of experience. But the possibilities of development are nearly unbounded, it is perfectly possible to turn a wizard into a super-ninja via tough training. And such mega-heroes are needed at the latest in:

Chaos Strikes Back

The expansion disk mainly differs in difficulty from the main program - it is extraordinarily hard! Apart from a good intro, (almost) nothing has changed in terms of graphics, sound, and controls, there are just even more monstrous monsters, even more puzzling puzzles, even more magically spells and even more malicious traps. Even hardened veterans are known to have thrown in the towel, even though two little easements were built in: An "oracle" gives you hints how to proceed, and you may import old veteran characters from the first game, only a mix of old and new is sadly not allowed. The portraits of the heroes can be altered with a little editor.

Because of the close connection to the veteran, the rating box also goes for the new dungeon - with one exception. "For advanced players" should read "for super-experts".

Amiga: The main difference to the ST version is the stereo sound.
ST: Completely in German (as Amiga), but the translation could have been better. Also runs with 512 K. Color monitor required.
C64: Sorry, no chance.
PC: One can still hope...

Dungeon Master for Amiga Review published in German magazine 'Amiga Joker', March 1993, Page 101

[Source: Amiga Magazine Rack]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in American magazine 'Electronic Games', July 1993, Page 66

[Source: Retromags]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in British-American magazine 'Dragon Magazine', Issue #195 Vol XVIII No 2 July 1993, Pages 58, 60

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in American magazine 'GamePro', Vol 5 No 7 July 1993, Page 98

[Source: Retromags]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in German magazine 'PC Games', Sonder Heft 1 July 1993, Page 38-39

[Source: kultmags.com]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in French magazine 'Super Power', Issue #13 September 1993, Page 125

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in British magazine 'Super Play', Issue #12 October 1993, Pages 34-35

[Supplied by Steve Hood]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in German magazine 'VideoGames', October 1993, Page 89

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in German magazine 'Total!', October 1993, Page 75

[Source: kultmags.com]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in French magazine 'Consoles +', Issue #25 November 1993, Pages 134-135

[Source: Abandonware Magazines]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in British magazine 'Nintendo Magazine System', Issue #19 April 1994, Pages 44-45

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in British magazine 'Nintendo Super Gamer', Issue #2 May 1994, Page 54-55

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for Super NES Review published in British magazine 'Total!', Issue #29 May 1994, Page 42-43

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in Czech magazine 'Score', Issue #14 February 1995, Page 50

[Supplied by DJ Oldgames, Source: oldgames.sk]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in German magazine 'PC Player', April 1995, Page 104

[Source: Kult Cover Disks]

Dungeon Master for PC Review published in British magazine 'PC Format', Winter 1995, Page 26

[Source: Internet Archive]

Dungeon Master for Atari ST-Amiga Review published in British magazine 'Edge', Issue #30 March 1996, Page 83

[Supplied by Gambit]

Dungeon Master Review published in British magazine 'Edge Presents Retro The Guide To Classic Videogame Playing And Collecting', December 2002, Pages 102-103

[Supplied by Steve Hood]

Links to reviews available on the internet

Dungeon Master first review in The Amiga Games Database
Dungeon Master second review in The Amiga Games Database
Dungeon Master third review in The Amiga Games Database
Dungeon Master review on A2central.com
Dungeon Master review by Quandary
Dungeon Master review at www.textfiles.com
Dungeon Master for Amiga review at www.emunova.net (French)
Dungeon Master for Super NES review at www.emunova.net (French)
Description of Dungeon Master on the Gros Pixels web site (French)
Dungeon Master review on Atari Legend
Dungeon Master review on Armchair Arcade
Dungeon Master review on 'The Joy of Sticks'
Dungeon Master for Atari ST Review published in Disk Magazine 'ST News', Vol 3 No 2 06 April 1988

Links to video reviews

Dungeon Master for DOS review by R.F.R.
Dungeon Master for Super NES review in Tony's Forest of SNES
Dungeon Master for Atari ST review by interghost
Dungeon Master review - In Retro #4