Dungeons, Amethysts, Alchemists ‘n Everythin’ was to be a simple text adventure created in GAC and converted from the Amstrad/Amiga/ST (Amiga we don’t think was GAC related) release of the same name. We have confirmation that a C64 version was in fact planned, and even Gamebase 64 have an entry which anticipates that a C64 version may have existed…
Apart from details about the actual game from other websites talking about the Amstrad/Spectrum versions, we know little about the C64 conversion or if anything was actually ever started. It seems odd that a simple GAC game would not have got completed or hit production troubles.
Thanks to contributor Strident, we learn that the game originated on the Amstrad CPC and was written by Richard Robinson, using GAC. Barry Jones produced the Atari ST port using STAC (ST version of GAC) and Justin Leck was responsible for the Amiga version. The ZX Spectrum version is still at large.
Strident confirms that the only other two mentions of the C64 version they have spotted are in the Adventurers Club Limited Dossier 23 & 24, in a news articles saying the game was coming to Spectrum & C64. Also in a review in the German publication ASM October 1987 (page 88) where it’s listed as one of the formats the game is available in.
The game itself was a typical adventure and described by some as being quite easy and for beginners. It is a bit silly in places and pokes fun at the adventure genre in general. There are also plenty of sexual innuendos throughout the game.
Still very much early days for this one, but here’s a rubberstamped GTW entry so we can find out just what happened to it…
Contributions: John Christian Lønningdal, Paul Morrison, Strident
Just had a look at this one.. Might attempt a port of it – it’s possible to reverse engineeer it to get the GAC code..
The only two other mentions of the C64 version that I’ve spotted so far are in the Adventurers Club Limited Dossier 23 & 24, in a news articles saying the game was coming to Spectrum & C64.
and in a review in the German publication ASM October 1987 (page 88) where it’s listed as one of the formats the game is available in (although I don’t believe the C64 is the version reviewed)
(links deleted to get past the spam filter)
Contrary to the news piece in Zzap!64, the correct title for this game is Dungeons, Amethysts, Alchemists ‘N’ Everythin’ as shown on the box art for the three published versions, see https://www.mocagh.org/loadpage.php?query=%5Bname_exact%5DDungeons%2C+Amethysts%2C+Alchemists+%27n%27+Everythin%27
The game originated on the Amstrad CPC and was written by Richard Robinson, created using the GAC. Barry Jones produced the Atari ST port, using STAC (the ST version of GAC). Justin Leck was responsible for the Amiga version of the game… I’d be interested in finding out more about that version as Incentive did not produce an Amiga version of GAC. The graphics of the Amiga version look very similar to the ST ones.
As you say, a C64 port should’ve been easy to produce but there are no signs of that and I also can’t find a trace of a Spectrum version. Perhaps sales of the existing three versions weren’t good enough… From reviews back in the day, it appears to have been a very “Marmite” game.
Thanks Strident – can’t believe I had the title incorrect for so long! Now fixed, and also included a lot of the details you have kindly shared.
There’s a small entry for this at the bottom of Page 46 of Issue 31 of ZZAP! 64. Says it was by Atlantis Software…
Cheers for the heads up Paul! Adding that scan now :)