Random Dungeon Crawls (Or... Games Like Cloudy Mountain)

[llabnip]

Ok... I'm a big fan of Atari 2600 Adventure (Atari 1980) and Intellivision's AD&D Cloudy Montain (Intellivision 1982). Something about a simple quest within a reasonably small world with random dungeons is appealing. It seems that most of these types of random-dungeon crawls faded with the various early console-RPGs on the NES - games like Dragon Quest and Zelda (yeah, I realize this is up for debate) seemed to have massive worlds but always in the same size and shape. Games like AD&D cloudy mountain seem somewhat more replayable for me since they keep the goal simple, the overworld map is small and it uses a random system of monsters and dungeons to hinder the quest. Anyway, I did a bit of research and found other games "like" (and I use this term loosely) Adventure and Cloudy Mountain:

AD&D Treasure of Tarmin (Intellivision)
Tower of Doom (Intellivision)
Swords and Serpents (Intellivision)
Gateway to Apshai (Colecovision)
Dungeons of Daggorath (TSR80)
Tunnels of Doom (TI99/4a)

I love all these. So... does anyone have any suggestions for games (any system - though console is preferable to PC) that are "like" the games mentioned above? Basically, I'm looking for fairly simple dungeon crawls with a simple goal (e.g. retrieve chalice, escape the tower, etc). randomly generated areas, monsters and items.

I realize this is a somewhat vague request and appreciate any help in locating more games along these lines!

[blissfulnoise]

I've got to recommend Fatal Labyrinth on the Genesis.

I don't ever hear this game getting any sorts of praise, but it plays exactly like a 16-bit version of Hack (NetHack, ADOM, or any other rogue-like game), just scaled back in scope.

Random levels as you descend further down into the dungeon. Random items, a decent selection of weapons and spells, and pretty cool enemies.

Other games in this vein are Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon 2 on the PSX, Dragon Crystal on the Game Gear (essentially a sequel to Fatal Labyrinth), or if you're not totally opposed to PC gaming, you can look into Ancient Domains of Mystery (my personal favorite of the rogue-like games).

If you've never played NetHack or any of its ilk, you're in for a great time. Incredible depth and possibilities all playable on your 286 for free.

[Damaniel]

This is my favorite type of game! On the PC, I'm a big Angband fan, though all of the roguelikes fit the bill.

Also on the PC:

- Dungeon Hack (an early 90's game by SSI, and nothing like the other, more well known PC games they made)

And on consoles:

- Torneko: The Last Hope (PSX) - a lot like Chocobo's Dungeon 2
- Dragon Crystal (Master System) - this game didn't come out in the US as far as I know, but isn't hard to find.

EDIT:

Chun Soft did other games in the same style as Torneko: The Last Hope, starting back in the Super Famicom days. All of these were Japan-only though, as far as I know.

Other dungeon crawls that I liked (but don't strictly fit your definition):

- Demise (PC) -- the levels in this game aren't randomly generated, but this is still very much a dungeon crawler. The company that makes it is now defunct, but the person that bought the rights to the game still sells it.

- The Nightmare of Druaga (PS2) -- contains *some* randomly generated areas, but the main levels aren't. However, the game borrows many of the mechanics of roguelikes (especially the turn-based movement and combat).

[Daria]

And on consoles:

- Torneko: The Last Hope (PSX) - a lot like Chocobo's Dungeon 2
- Dragon Crystal (Master System) - this game didn't come out in the US as far as I know, but isn't hard to find.

EDIT:

Chun Soft did other games in the same style as Torneko: The Last Hope, starting back in the Super Famicom days. All of these were Japan-only though, as far as I know.

Other dungeon crawls that I liked (but don't strictly fit your definition):

- The Nightmare of Druaga (PS2) -- contains *some* randomly generated areas, but the main levels aren't. However, the game borrows many of the mechanics of roguelikes (especially the turn-based movement and combat).

Games like Tower of Drugega, Torneko's, Fatal Labyrinth, & Dragon Crystal are a subgenre all there own. Other games of like these include:

Azure Dreams (PSX)
Time Stalkers (DreamCast)
Chocobo's Dungeon (PSX)
Evolution Worlds (Dreamcast)
Evolution Worlds 2 (Dreamcast)
Digimon World 2 (PSX)

ANd then there's Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter which also is completely randomized.

[llabnip]

I've got to recommend Fatal Labyrinth on the Genesis.
Amazingly enough, this sounded farmiliar. It turns out I have a copy in a box of recent trades - had no idea what it was! I'll give it a try tonight - but it does look like it would be a good match for the type of games I'm looking for.

I still have a copy of PC Nethack running on an XT in my basement. Great stuff indeed.

Thanks kindkly to all for the good suggestions - and I'm happy to take additional suggestions - especially for console games.

[Damaramu]

Heh. I find Fatal Labyrinth completely addictive. Hope you enjoy(ed) the game! It's an amusing way to kill some time. LOL

[Kid Ice]

AD&D Slayer (3DO)

The other 3DO AD&D game (Deathkeep) does not have random dungeons.

[Aussie2B]

Chun Soft did other games in the same style as Torneko: The Last Hope, starting back in the Super Famicom days. All of these were Japan-only though, as far as I know.

You're thinking of Fushigi no Dungeon (AKA "Mysterious Dungeon"). It's a link between a whole bunch of series actually. The first one they did was for Enix and was a Torneko game. The second, Furai no Shiren (AKA "Shiren the Wanderer" but there's some double meanings going on in the title since "shiren", the hero's name, means "trial"), was Chun Soft's own original creation. That game got a direct sequel on N64. I'm not quite sure if the same developers were involved in the later Torneko dungeon crawlers, though. Also of note is the fact that the Chocobo Dungeon games are called "Chocobo no Fushigi Dungeon" in Japan. Is that just a rip-off, coincidence, or an actual connection to the Fushigi no Dungeon series? One definite connection, though, is Nightmare of Druaga, which was a collaboration between Namco and Chun Soft. There's a funny mistake on the US packaging too, which subtitles the game as "Fushigino Dungeon".

[digitalpress]

In addition to the games listed above, the Tobal series (PSX) also has random dungeon features. Not something you'd expect in a fighting game until you realize the games are by Square. Tobal No. 1's quest mode is kinda pointless but Tobal 2 nails it, and has that Rogue-like style of random that I think we both enjoy.

Fatal Labyrinth was the first game that came to my mind as well, and in my opinion is the best of the genre.

I also liked Dungeon Hack on the PC, which shares quite a lot of the elements and engine found in Slayer on the 3DO.

[Blitzwing256]

ergiez for psx has the random dungeons (and is hard as hell sometimes)
lufia for gbc has totally random dungeons, even if you go back up the stairs to a previous level its re-randomzied very strange.
the new pokemon mysterious dungeon as well.

and i'm surprised nobody has mentioned the original diablo, same concept.

[Ed Oscuro]

Tobal No. 1's quest mode is kinda pointless but Tobal 2 nails it, and has that Rogue-like style of random that I think we both enjoy.
Ooh, interesting.

I also third (?) Dungeon Hack. Pretty good game actually!

The randomness doesn't really matter to me, though, so I've got to get out my other Silver Anniversary discs and play some of the games on them.