Frank Herbert's Dune: Ornithopter Assault

[Dunenewt]

[Khan]

Wow... blocky...

[Dunenewt]

Well,it was on the GBA.  But the pictures don't work anymore.

[Dunenewt]

Anybody else got comments on the pictures?

[Vanguard3000]

For some reason, it reminds me a bit of the Magic Carpet games, except hundreds of times crappier (Not that the MC series was crappy by any means).  It looks like it would be a pretty weak game, even if it is for the Gameboy.

[Khan]

I agree.

But MC owned. :D

[Vanguard3000]

Indeed it did.  I think just about any game including the ability to smite opponents with volcanoes that formed at your whim is a pretty decent game.  ;)

Five out of six heads agree... Magic Carpet rules!

[Jack Leaf]

They have to work on the graphics, they can't be that blocky in GBA screen...

[Dunenewt]

The game was cancelled...

[Dunenewt]

How hard do you reckon this game would be to make on the PC?

[erjin999]

These days games are made by huge teams, with credits in a game looking more and more like a films ending credits. It would need to be of a standard that people expect these days. I guess that would be a huge investment.

Anyway, it would take a lot of work, I am shure.

[Andrew]

I think he meant the game having similiar quality as was being produced, but playable on the PC. Not a big type of game. :)

[Dunenewt]

Someone's made an ornithopter game of their own haven't they?

[Khan]

http://www.dune2k.com/forum/index.php?topic=13926.0

This one?

[tag]

I don't know what it is about Ornithopter games.  I remember creating one, myself, for my Freshman year programming class. 

In any event, I think the particular game that Dunenewt is referring to is Usul's Ornithopter game.  This unfortuantely is no longer available as I believe it was removed for copyright infringement of the Dune license.  Others would know more on the subject than I; however, you can view a few images Orlok rendered for the game at FED2k's gallery here:

http://www.dune2k.com/?page=community-fanart&show=orlok

--Bashar

[Dunenewt]

I was on about the one Khan posted a link to, but nevertheless Usul's one is also interesting.  I wonder if it would be possible to somehow create a simple online ornithoptor game.

It's a shame Ornithoptor Assault never materialised, and it seems most of the pictures for it are no longe4r available. I'll have to check my old computer to see if I have any of them saved.

It seems SoftBrigade, the Hungarian company that was to have made tha game, has also dissapeared.

[Dunenewt]

Finally, this is the official line from the Dunenovels website:

I can't give you any more information on this, unfortunately. Not because I can't, but simply because we don't know. Once a company has the rights to work out a game, they have them and can do whatever they like. It also means they can NOT do whatever they like. Some rights get exercised while others do not. It's in the hands of the company we sold the rights to, not the Herbert Partnership's. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Andrew]

link?

Since I have no idea who said that.

[Dunenewt]

Oh, sorry, it was just a post on the forum after I posted a topic addressing the Herbert Limited Partnership on the issue, and Bryon Merrit responded.

http://www.dunenovels.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2467

[Dunenewt]

As I noticed a lot of people are viewing this thread, I thought I'd provide some more information on the game seeing as the official site was no longer available.  The notorious Cryo spelling is as evident as ever.

Trained by Gurney Alleck, the most efficient and honoured officer of the House of Atreides, you are going to become a specialist in piloting and fighting ornithopters. Involved in all-out war for the spice, you must surpass all of your flying skill to survive the fall of the House of Atreides and help Paul and the Fremen in their fight for Arrakis.

Spectacular 3D Universe on Advanced Game Boy, seen from the cockpit of the ornithopter.

More than 20 different missions with various objectives: simple recounting, escort duties, guarding, destroying troops and buildings, capturing vehicles, collecting spice and water, etc.

5 solo and multiple player modes (using 2 cable linked Advanced Game Boy) with various levels of difficulty: solo mission, campaign, joint campaign and deathmatch.

The first adaptation of Dune, the most famous of all science fiction universes, on hand held console.

It is a real shame that this game never got released, as it was practically finished.  I wonder if there are some finished game cartridges floating around somewhere.

[Dunenewt]

Bump...

So it turns out the game really was pretty much finished - and the ROM was leaked. If anyone has a GBA emulator (used to have one on my old phone), then you can now download and play the game.