DMA Design/Rockstar North
DMA(Doesn't Mean Anything) Design hasn't made a huge number of games but they have certainly left their mark on game design, inspiring many other developers. I doubt many(if any) of the same people are at the company today compared to their early years but I think it's still interesting to look at the evolution of the company.
David Jones founded this Scotland-based developer in 1989 and started making computer games for a publisher called Psygnosis. Their first games were the computer shooters Menace and Blood Money, best known by their Amiga versions. These games weren't among the best shooters of their time but they were still pretty good.
Menace(1988)
Blood Money(1989)
In 1991, DMA changed the puzzle game landscape forever with their Amiga game Lemmings. In this game you had make sure as many lemmings made it to the goal as possible. You could assign skills to them like bridge-building or parachuting. The little guys were so appealing because they were so smoothly animated. They don't look anything like real-life lemmings though.
Lemmings had several ports and sequels and managed to be a hit wherever it went.
Hired Guns came out for Amiga and PC in 1993. It was a unique sci-fi Action/RPG in which you controlled four different characters using four different first-person view screens. It could even be played multiplayer by four people simultaneously.
Walker was released for the Amiga in 1993. I consider this DMA's most underrated game. It was a side-scrolling mech action game controlled with a mouse/joystick combination. The detail was incredible and I loved shooting down those puny humans.
DMA ventured out of Psygnosis' hand and into console territory in 1994 when they made SNES unicycle racing game Unirally for Nintendo of Europe. I did think it was funny back then that the game wouldn't let you choose "Sega" or "Sonic" as your name. Unirally was released in North America as Uniracers.
DMA is no stranger to controversy. I read in an interview with David Jones that many people were offended by the 666 level in Lemmings and it was even complained about on American TV by people claiming the game was Satanic. DMA knew their next game might cause some controversy.
In 1997, the first Grand Theft Auto game was released for PC, a "mission based crime sim" as the box says. It was an overhead view action game where you stole cars and did various crime missions. I never thought much of it. It was more than just a violence gimmick but I never really got into it or considered it a great game.
GTA was ported to Playstation soon afterwards and had a similar 2d sequel.
Body Harvest(Nintendo 64, 1998)
This was a nice mix of third-person alien bug shooting and vehicular action. I have the game but I haven't played much of it yet.
Space Station Silicon Valley(Nintendo 64, 1998)
I haven't played this yet but it's supposed to be a good platform game.
Wild Metal Country was released for PC, Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast in 1999. I only played the demo but it seemed like a decent vehicular action game.
Love it or hate it, 2001's Grand Theft Auto III for the Playstation 2 has left its mark on gaming big-time. Personally, I think it's one of the best games of this era. The game was in such a league above its 2d predecessors that it doesn't even seem right to talk about them in the same breath. The huge 3d city was a joy to explore and the player freedom was something console gaming needed. GTA3 was also ported to PC and Xbox.
DMA Design was bought by Take-Two Interactive, the publisher that owns Rockstar Games. DMA officially changed their name to Rockstar North in 2002.
GTA3 was followed by the glitchy but still very impressive Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. It was a prequel in story to GTA3 and took place in the '80s.
Manhunt was a violent stealth game for PS2, Xbox and PC.
Currently I'm playing through GTA: San Andreas. It can never wow me to the extent that playing GTA3 for the first time did but there are so many improvements to make it the best one yet. I love vast and ambitious games like this.
Anyway, what are your thoughts on DMA/Rockstar North?
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I've never come across a game that could destroy your thumbs faster than that one...
Originally Posted by Kaine23
