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Dirk Dashing

Vitals

Developer: My Game Company
Publisher: My Game Company
Genre: Adventure > Platform
Released: Jun 29, 2006
Players: 0

My Game Company is a development company that wanted to focus their gaming resources around family oriented gaming for all ages. The goals of their products are to be entertaining and content friendly, without the gratuity often found in mainstream titles. The side-scrolling platform title, Dirk Dashing is proof that blood and guts aren�€™t always necessary to make a game fun, challenging, and entertaining.

Dirk Dashing is a hot-shot agent looking to recover some stolen diamonds from the villainous Pique Pockette. The story centers around Dirk�€™s exploits of platform hopping and friendly ways of incapacitating enemies as he tries to uncover the location of the stolen goods. As he progresses through each stage Dirk uncovers secrets as well as information about the stolen property. Of course as the stages progress, the enemies become tougher and the platforming puzzles become more hazardous.

A wholesome James Bond
Dirk only uses non-violent means for defeating his foes. No rocket launchers, knives, machetes, dusters, or blood-inducing utilities. I�€™m also shocked to report, so far, that the game works really well with its non-violent way of progressing players through challenging stages and well-placed enemies. The gameplay itself is mirrored from the likes of classic 2D games that many gamers from the 90's fell in love with for being so fun, replayable, and cartoon-ishly entertaining.

The updated beta I played featured some amazing promise. The pacing was a whole lot smoother, and the overall gameplay mechanics seemed a bit more refined. For instance, bad-guy placement and object arrangements gave the player more freedom, and intensity, for completing the stage. I was able to complete the stages quicker in comparison to the original public beta. The game�€™s multiple routes and platform variety work really well together creating a variety of ways to traverse through each of the stages.

Looking sly and playing smooth
While the head honchos of the mainstream plat forming genre have gone 3D (for better and for worse), there haven�€™t been many follow-ups to titles like the classic 2D versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario. So it was a bit of fresh air taking on an adventure game where the adventure wasn�€™t fighting with pre-placed and other frustrating camera issues or struggling with scene clipping issues.

The play style of Dirk Dashing is very similar to other 2D platform titles that consist of running around and jumping from one platform to the next. However, in a neat twist that we haven�€™t seen in a while, perhaps since Sierras�€™ Hunter Hunted, Dirk Dashing allows players to move into and out of certain areas within a stage. Dirk, for instance, might come up to a door that you can walk into or out of by moving up or down, depending on the position of the door. So while traversing through certain maps you might find yourself having to explore the local buildings, backdrops, and houses for items, secrets, and access to other parts of the stage. This definitely gives the game more depth in its playability and a lot more immersion into the overall stage appeal.

The more I played, though, the more I realized that the current version of the game is more reminiscent of Jazz Jackrabbit than Sonic or Mario. This is due really to pacing of the game. Dirk Dashing provides a unique platforming experience within the routine realm of object retrieval, plateau hopping, and enemy dispatching. What helps make the experience unique is that it is done without forcing players into the same routine each time it�€™s played. Some areas can be skipped altogether and you can still complete the mission. Care must be taken though as your score may suffer greatly for neglecting areas full of useful items that would have expanded your abilities such as the spring-operated shoes for super jumping, and the x-ray glasses that allow you to see hidden areas for extra bonuses for a limited time.

Exotic Locales
The stage design itself is almost free-roaming, while still staying linear. Some stages will require you to run back and forth collecting items and accessing other areas by flipping switches or finding ways to areas that almost seem impossible to reach. However, the plat forming puzzles are designed to keep players on their toes, and require a bit of thought before lunging right into them. Such puzzles are a good offset to the straightforward mechanics of platform gaming. Some stage layouts will even require a bit of scouting with looking up and down before making any blind leaps or platform hops. The �€œsave anywhere�€? feature works well to inch you forward, so the ever more difficult stages don�€™t become a frustrating challenge.

One of the obvious differences, between a game like Dirk Dashing and other mainstream, classic 2D titles, would have to be the graphics. The backdrops fit into the environment seamlessly with lots of visible detail especially in the amazingly detailed 16 layered parallax backdrops featured throughout the game. Dirk himself is also very well animated with fluid movements and reactions that are spawned from a very simple control scheme that consists of moving left and right, jumping, and lobbing grenades.

The cartoon-y characters fit the theme and overall look of the game well and create a unique visual look that draws you into the world. Enemies are also constructed well with cartoon-like qualities. Furthering the comic theme, you will sometimes comic-book clouds or call-outs appear over the heads of your enemies that provide text for the enemies as they talk about apprehending Dirk.

If you could find any fault with the visual aspect of the game, it would have to be with the camera struggling at times to keep up with Dirk. This is common in most side-scrollers; as the character may run or jump faster than the screen moves. It�€™s nothing major, but it can get you killed unsuspectingly when you run too far out of the screen and into an E.V.I.L. henchman. However, since we are still a good ways from the game being completed, I suspect this minor camera issue may be fixed when the final build comes around.

Between the two builds I played, the baddies underwent some A.I enhancements. In the new version your enemies can spot you while on patrol. They will then alert the troops creating what ends up being a lot of fun as you try to outrun a pursuing enemy in search of a gas grenade or other helpful item.

In addition to the other useful items in the game, Dirk can use boxes to his advantage to try to subdue foes by pushing it onto them. If they so happen to be standing underneath the box while it drops, it knocks them out.

One of the things that work in favor for Dirk Dashing, is the inclusion of pseudo stealth elements. I benefited greatly in some situations by waiting and timing the attack, rather than just acting immediately. Since some enemies have patrol-patterns that you can wait, watch, and time, it gives you a bit of an alternative on how to plan your attack.

Secret agent soundtrack
The music, first and foremost, is very cool. I love good music and in this game I love the way it was used. The secret agent-type tunes and James Bond-styled instrumentals matched the light-hearted yet intense missions. The soundtrack is extremely effective and works well with each aspect of the game. Dirk�€™s theme is especially snazzy in an old-school spy sort of way. The cartoon-like sound effects are also impressive and add to the game�€™s appeal.

Overall, Dirk Dashing is a platform action title with puzzle elements that, so far, work well together. We�€™re told that in the completed game we can expect secondary weapons, new spy gadgets, new characters, puzzles, hidden treasures, and up to 30 missions. Gamers will also have access to a hint sheet, and a lifetime of free upgrades. You can expect Dirk Dashing�€™s full release sometime in the second quarter of 2006. Until then, everyone can preview the beta version of the game at the company�€™s main site!

By: William Usher
Posted: Wednesday April 12, 2006