Dynamite Dux

n/a

System 16 Master System Amiga Amstrad CPC Atari ST Commodore 64 ZX Spectrum
Dynamite Düx
System(s): Sega System 16, Sega Master System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
Publisher: Sega Activision (UK) MCM Software (ES)
Developer: Sega AM2 Whiteboard Core Design
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code JP 1988-12 ¥? ? UK 1989 £19.9919.99 UK 1989 £24.9924.99 ES (Cassette) 19xx ES (Disk) 19xx UK (Cassette) 1989 £9.999.99 UK (Disk) 1989 £14.9914.99 ES (Cassette) 19xx UK (Cassette) 1989 £9.999.99 UK (Disk) 1989 £14.9914.99 ES (Cassette) 19xx UK (Cassette) 1989 £9.999.99 EU 1990-01 7029 FR 1990 329F329 7029 PT 19xx UK 1990-02 £24.9524.95 7029 AU 19xx $69.9569.95 MX 19xx BR 19xx

For the unreleased Mega Drive version, see Dynamite Dux (Mega Drive).

Dynamite Düx (ダイナマイトダックス) is a video game developed by Sega's AM2 division for their Sega System 16 arcade platform. It follows two anthropomorphic blue and red ducks named "Bin" and "Pin" respectively as they attempt to rescue a girl called Lucy from the clutches of the evil Sorcerer Achacha.

Gameplay

Dynamite Dux is a beat 'em up game, though rather than relying purely on one-on-one combat the ducks can equip themselves with a variety of weapons, from water pistols to bazookas. The game is also populated with a variety of odd looking enemies and bosses. Colonel Sanders, for instance, can be seen at the very beginning of the first level.

Stages

	Stage 1: Down Town
	Stage 2: Japan
	Stage 3: Jungle
	Stage 4: Chicago
	Stage 5: Texas
	Final Stage: Achacha

History

Legacy

Dynamite Dux was ported to Sega's Master System in 1989 for European and Brazilian markets. This version removes Pin entirely, claiming Bin (renamed "Mickael Bin") was the boyfriend of Lucy, transformed into a duck (rather than in other versions, where Bin and Pin are Lucy's pets). The Master System version also lacks two player co-operative support and omits stage 3 (Jungle) due to cartridge size limitations.

A Mega Drive version was planned for December 1990, but cancelled for unknown reasons.

Activision, under license from Sega, brought versions of the game to several home computer platforms in Europe, including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

Bean the Dynamite, a character from AM2's later Arcade title Sonic the Fighters is based off Bin and Pin. He also appeared in the Sega Saturn title Fighters Megamix, and there is an unlockable Bin costume for him in that game.

A North American Master System release was planned and advertised, but did not materialise.

Versions

None of the 8-bit (including the Sega Master System) versions include the bonus rounds from the arcade.

With the exception of the Commodore 64 version which supports mapping this feature to a second joystick, jumping in all home computer versions requires the use of the keyboard's space bar, as the standard joystick layout for computers at the time was only to include one button.

An issue possibly affecting multiple versions of the game (but only definitely confirmed for the Amstrad CPC) is that should the player take damage while holding a water pistol (for the fire boss), there is a chance that the pistol will be knocked off screen, making the fight unbeatable.

Amstrad CPC version

The Amstrad CPC port lacks any in-game music and runs in a much smaller window than its siblings. While it retains the forks in the road, the user always has a choice of taking the upper or lower paths - neither are blocked off at any point, as is the case in the arcade original.

Amiga and Atari ST versions

The Amiga and Atari ST versions are the only ports of Dynamite Dux to support co-operative play. Both were created simultaneously by Core Design, and save for differences in audio, are nearly identical.

These versions of Dynamite Dux are infamous for hidden nudity. One such example is if the player types "NUDE" during the bonus stages, the dancing rabbits will reveal their breasts.

More controversial is a hidden introduction sequence, in which a naked Lucy is carried off to a brothel. While reported by numerous magazines at the time, none sought to check their facts, as the code provided does not work. This "dirty" cheat soon became an urban legend, until several decades later when hacking revealed the hidden intro.

In order to activate dirty mode, the disk images need to be opened with a hex editor, replacing a string of five dots (.....) with "DIRTY". Sega were never made aware of this Easter egg, and it is not known if publishers Activision had any more knowledge than the end user.

Commodore 64 version

On the C64, Dynamite Dux has some unexplained music issues, in which some audio channels can't be heard during normal play.

ZX Spectrum version

The Spectrum port also lacks music, and the gameplay (minus the HUD) is presented entirely in two colours.

Production credits

System 16 version

• Main Program: bin_chan_san
• Assistant Programmer: duke
• Ranking Program: oka_chan "punk boy"
• Character Design: kiyo_chan
• Back_Ground Design: "fixed_time_man"
• Sound Design: hiro
• Game Check: Ji_san "senior citizen"
• "Achacha's Model": match
• Special Thanks: sada "monster of marsh"

Source:

In-game credits

• Producer: Yu Suzuki

Source:

List of Yu Suzuki works

Magazine articles

Main article: Dynamite Dux/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

System 16 JP flyer

Home computers IT print advert

Master System print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #100: "March 1990" (1990-02-16)

Master System print advert in Computer & Video Games (UK) #101: "April 1990" (1990-03-16)
also published in:

• ACE (UK) #32: "May 1990" (1990-04-xx)

Home computers print advert in Commodore User (UK) #72: "September 1989" (1989-08-xx)
also published in:

• Commodore User (UK) #73: "October 1989" (1989-09-26)
• Computer & Video Games (UK) #95: "October 1989" (1989-09-16)

Home computers print advert in Power Play (DE) #1989-11: "11/89" (1989-10-09)

Artwork

• 

  Master System cover

Physical scans

System 16 version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Sinclair User (UK) 90

	90
Based on 1 review

Dynamite Dux

System 16, JP
Instuction card(s)

Master System version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score Complete Guide to Consoles (UK) 79 The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL 79 Console XS (UK) PAL 86 Computer & Video Games (UK) 90 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 33 The Games Machine (UK) 85 Joystick (FR) 85 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 80 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 79 Megazone (AU) PAL 70 Player One (FR) 70 Power Play (DE) 73 S: The Sega Magazine (UK) 64 Sega Power (UK) PAL 50 Sega Pro (UK) 86 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 58 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 86

	74
Based on 17 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Master System, EU
Cover

Master System, EU (Sega®)
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, PT
Cover

Master System, AU
Cover
Cart Manual

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart

Master System, MX
Cover
Cart Manual

Amiga version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score ACE (UK) 84 Amiga Computing (UK) 71 Amiga Format (UK) 64 Amiga User International (UK) 50 Commodore User (UK) 71 The Games Machine (UK) 83 Games Preview (DK) 73 New Computer Express (UK) 100 The One (UK) 65 Zero (UK) 72 Zzap!64 (UK) 65

	73
Based on 11 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Amiga, UK
Cover

Amstrad CPC version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Amstar (FR) 70 Amstrad Action (UK) 88 The Games Machine (UK) 84 Zzap! (IT) 85

	82
Based on 4 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Amstrad CPC, UK (cassette)

Amstrad CPC, UK (disk)

Amstrad CPC, ES (cassette) (MCM)
Cover

Amstrad CPC, ES (disk) (MCM)
Cover

Amstrad CPC, ES (cassette) (The Hit Squad)
Cover

Amstrad CPC, ES (cassette) (Erbe)
Cover

Atari ST version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Aktueller Software Markt (DE) 58 Computer & Video Games (UK) 82 The Games Machine (UK) 83 Micromanía (segunda época) (ES) 70 The One (UK) 65 Power Play (DE) 68 Zero (UK) 71

	71
Based on 7 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Atari ST, UK
Disk 1 Disk 2

Commodore 64 version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source Your Commodore (UK) 91

	91
Based on 1 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Zzap!64 (UK) 57 Zzap! (IT) 72

	65
Based on 2 reviews

Dynamite Dux

Commodore 64, UK
Cover

Commodore 64, ES

ZX Spectrum version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Sinclair User (UK) 82 Your Sinclair (UK) 81

	82
Based on 2 reviews

Dynamite Dux

ZX Spectrum, UK
Cover

ZX Spectrum, ES (MCM)
Cover

ZX Spectrum, ES (The Hit Squad)
Cover

Technical information

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 0e1cc1e0 MD5 5cb7ebaee5952ebfcdc42e7093072063 SHA-1 2a513aef0f0bdcdf4aaa71e7b26a15ce686db765	256kB		Cartridge (EU)