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Avg: 8.4 - Good
File Size: 2.64 MB
Released: 2002-07-01
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Description: "A short romp - that sorta turns into a quest. Dink is summoned by King Daniel to find out why the world is becoming a desert. This DMOD started out as being a project I wanted to spend only 24 hours on. Basically start it one night and have it finished the next. I didn't make it. Bugs (hopefully all the really nasty ones are killed now) and the desire to add new graphics (so shoot me, I can't help myself) meant it took just over 72 hours. Mind you this was not non-stop." Awards:
June 2002 DOTM NOTE: To install .dmod files, please read the updated Installation Instructions. |
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Excellent Reviews
SimonK
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 9.3 - Exceptional | July 14th, 2002 |
This is a romp - a one quick quest thing. So don't expect too much in that regard. The task is too find out what is causing the sands to creep. There are plenty of secrets to find and their are new graphics and new sounds - silly toilet humour abounds. If you don't like that sort of thing don't play this DMOD. If you're looking for a quest then this is not the DMOD you're looking for.
Graphics: new stuff. Enemies that are from Stone of Balance, plus Eyeball makes an appearance and a new boss. The first of it's kind. Walks in all 8 directions and has it's own unique attack sequence and death sequence. Added bonus is the ability to burn the cactus - some of which reveal secrets. 10 out 10
Sounds: New sounds for selecting choices and menus, new sounds for monsters, and the end boss. Midis are nice and suit the theme 9 out of 10.
Mapping - High level of detail, realistic with the sands that creep, but probably too large for a romp 9 out of 10
Specials - the burning cactii and the riddle. Although the riddle made it's first appearance in SOB it is still an interesting addition - for those that like riddles. There are plenty of clues to help. 9 out of 10
Overall: a fun if slightly long romp. The winner of Download of the Month, it will appeal to some but not all. |
redink1
 
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| 8.9 - Good | June 19th, 2002 |
A fun, if slightly tedious adventure, with quite a lot to discover.
Pros: I suppose the greatest part for me was the imagery... the desert and red world were simply well done. A lot of detail throughout. And the tons of secrets were also appreciated.
The ability to burn cacti with the fireball was quite fun... I don't recall being able to do that in Stone of Balance, but perhaps I just never tried.
The enemies were also good, though most were straight from Stone of Balance. It was nice to see the Eyeball Enemy in action, though I was hoping for Eyeball Junior to show up. And while the Knights and Red Scorpions seemed hard at first, leveling up was quite quick.
The new midis and sound effects also fit with the desert theme quite well.
Cons: It is primarily an adventure in leveling up, with a few breaks in the action. Trying to fight some of the monsters before Dink is strong enough does make leveling up a bit tedious, but the incentive to find secrets releaves it quite a bit.
The riddle... wasn't up to Stone of Balance quality. Sure, there are hints for it, but it just didn't hit this reviewer as very clever.
The shop seemed rather worthless; the items given to Dink and ones he found elsewhere seemed much more valuable.
The ending animation was funny for a few seconds... but grew tedious as it went on for eternity. Thankfully Simon gives the ability to skip it before it starts.
I also found a few very minor bugs, but they were hardly of any signifigance.
Overall: A good, challenging action D-Mod focused on leveling up. While it does have a few nags... the good outweighs the bad by far. |
Binirit
 
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| 8.7 - Good | June 6th, 2003 |
Storyline: The world is turning into desert and Dink has to stop this.
Map and graphics: The map is done nicely. Lots of details and new tiles. New graphics too; some are from SOB, but the end boss is new and looks not only funny but also very good. You can burn the cacti, which is a nice change to the trees. The title screen is very good.
Music: The music fits the different kind of situations. There are new sound effects in this D-mod, which is always very good, since so few D-mods have sound effects, let alone new ones.
Good: The tiles and graphics make up a very nice desert scenery. The beginning of Dinks end dance is very good and plain hilarious, but it takes too long and the boobies and slurpers do not add much. There are plenty of goodies and secret areas.
Not so good: The not-so-good part can also be the good part, depending on what you like: this D-mod is all about fighting. If you like to just fight, then this D-mod is the one for you, but if you like some adventuring, good gameplay and some puzzles, then you will not like this game. I would like to have seen more of those, and not just fighting so you can level up to do some more fighting so you can level up to defeat yet another, stronger monster.
The monsters are way too strong and there are not enough of them to level up rather quickly so you spend a lot of time waiting until they appear again on screen. The knights are ridiculous strong and they will kill you just touching them.
I got stuck in the castle due to incorrect hardness.
Overall: A D-mod with beautiful graphics and tiles, but too much fighting to my liking.
Fit for: If you like action. |
theprophet
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| 8.5 - Good | July 7th, 2002 |
This dmod is excellent, and its only done in 3 days, everything was outstanding.
Here are my ratings:
The sound effects were really cool, but somehow my computer plays them way to lout, so when I want to hear a midi and turn up the volume and dink plays a wav, the whole street hears it. Lol.
The midi's are the best thing in the whole dmod. It gave the dmod a better mark.
The map is very good. It really looks like a desert. The ability to burn those cacti. However, I burned all of them and I found a lot of secrets. Thats even better!
The story is simple yet very good. Just go to the desert and kill that a***[censored]hole who made the desert. <cries> I really liked those stonegiants. Now they are gone <cries more> lol.
The rock puzzle is very good scripted, selecting the letters. However, I dont know the answer. The riddle was much to hard. Im dutch and I dont know "all" english words, I thought it was a enemy or something, but I dont know the name.
The knights were funny too, hey pigfarmer, that really made me laughing, but when they said it again, I killed them.
Some enemies are way to strong in this dmod. Those jumping beasts are very fast, but difficult to kill, but if you find that >secret sword< you can kill them fast and easy.
However, you must level up a lot in this dmod. I dont like that. Those beasts were strong too, so leveling was difficult, not for me, but there are some dinkers who aren't good in fighting with dink but when they need to solve a riddle or something, they are faster than people who are good at fighting.
This dmod is OK for me. I really liked it. 8.5 |
mimifish
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| 8.0 - Good | June 21st, 2002 |
One of the best dmod authors, SimonK, finally decided to release something new for the hungry Dinkers.
Unlike his famous SOB, TCS is a short dmod. It starts with a normal "king quest": Dink is summoned by King Daniel to find out why the world is becoming a desert...
Not surprisingly, the strongest part of this dmod came from the graphics. Although many of the "new" graphics and tiles came from SOB, it suits the game quite well. As a romp, the appealing of this dmod is excellent. There are quite a lot of secrets and bonus in such a small dmod. You can become very strong if you can find all secrets. The new sound and midi are fine, although sometimes they are not very pleasant. The dogfight of the final "boss" is great although currently there would be a bug that might prevent players from killing the boss too early.
Unfortunately, the good things stop here. Although it is a romp, I expect a better concept or plot behind those amazing graphics. It is fine to me about the blocking rock or the puzzle, which is not that intriguing though. I like the twist how you get the answer from the wizard. But other than that, all you need to do is to try to find enough portions and secrets to get you stronger. And to kill enough (more than once) badies to get enough gold to buy better weapon. This reminds me the story 2 of SOB which many people didn't enjoy it.
The knights would be too powerful if you hit them with a light sword, but if you initiate the fight with your fist or a throwing weapon, they become a little too easy to stand up against light sword or a throwing hammer especially if you have the herb boot.
If you just want to beat this game quick, all you need to do is to try to find the bonus and run past almost every enemy unless the screen is locked. You should be good enough without doing anything else to beat the final boss.
Ending animation is funny but seems to be a little too long. I think it is just a personal taste.
A few bugs can be found in this version. I just don't know if Simon is going to add a lot of more things in this dmod. One of the best things about SOB, or maybe the best in my opinion, is the richness of the stories. Maybe I hold a little bit higher standard for the author of SOB, but I expect more plot in his work even if it was supposed to be a 24-hour project. |
IceMan
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| 7.8 - Good | August 6th, 2002 |
Ah, another SimonK D-MOD. Suprisingly he has done a romp, and a very good romp at that. It isn't a brilliant romp, and that's why I don't think it should have won DOTM but it is still a very good one. Basically, Dink is sent on a mission up north to see what's causing the sands to 'creep'. A typical D-MOD plot, Dink goes to investigate something, and something bas happens. Normal plot, nothing special. Lot's of new graphics, which is good. There are goods, and there are bads, here's what I think...
Strengths
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There are plenty of new graphics here, some much better than others. As usual though with SimonK's average D-MOD quality they are all at a high standard. Some have been taken from Simon's Stone Of Balance, and some have been taken from other D-MODS, but there are some new graphics that are only seen in this D-MOD. Bouncing boobies is an example of new graphics. Also, Simon's eyeball graphics make an appearance in this D-MOD, and I like the way that they have been used. There are lots of new scripts in this D-MOD and they are all of a very good standard. The plot here has been developed well, and has been well thought out and well constructed. There are quite a few new midis, and there is a very cool title screen which is made to resemble the theme of the D-MOD, it is bsically a black screen that is then covered by sand, hence the D-MODS name, "The Creeping Sands". For the strengths section I feel the graphics here are the best thing about the D-MOD, but that is a normal thing if you look at some of his other D-MODS. They have all been done well and the game has been made very well. But, the weaknesses....
Weaknesses
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There are quite a few times where you just walk around in this D-MOD. Simply walking around doing nothing, I found a small amount of hardness errors and some strange bits which I did not like. The rock on the bridge is very strange as it is the only place where I got stuck, but I got stuck for quite a bit not knowing what to do as the part hadn't been explained very well. When I got through however, the rest of the game was at an average standard, which is also not the best thing. This D-MOD is also a bit long to be classed as a romp, I'd put it closer to a quest. There were some midis that didn't fit some parts very and some that were in the right place but were not lively enough to set the mood for anything special in the D-MOD. Lower marks here for the music. I couldn't find any more weaknesses but can assure you there are more, I played through the D-MOD quickly as I didn't have much time so I was bound to have missed some.
Overall
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A good, fun enjoyable romp. Using SimonK's usual D-MOD style. Basic plot, well developed, lots of new graphics, but some midis were bad. Lots of walking around is not also good.
Total 7.8
Grade B (Passing with good marks)
End Comment "A fun, enjoyable romp, worth the short download" |
SabreTrout
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| 7.2 - Good | June 26th, 2002 |
I myself cannot understand these rave reviews that have been submitted. To me, this was not a fun d-mod at all. The extra sound effects really gave me a headache, and while they were not too bad, they detract from the d-mod. The midi's are very good though, especially one of them, which I loved. The mapping is nicely thought out, and gives a good impression of the desert. The enemies are very nice, especially the ickle Dink/scorpians and the strange tree. But on the whole, the enemies were much too hard. The main problem I found with this d-mod was that the gameplay is very tedious and unsatisfying. I don't like going around killing the same enemies over and over just so I can stand a chance against other enemies. Now that the rock puzzle has been made more obvious, it is much better as a part of this d-mod. Though I still think d-mods which require heavy levelling up are a very bad idea. Another thing that annoys me is this. Why have the knights call you a pig-f***er?? It adds nothing and just annoys me. Swearing does not fit right in d-mods, especially when it is not even for any specific purpose. So essentially, this d-mod shapes up to be good, but quickly becomes average as you get bored out of your skull gaining levels. I have re-read my review, and found that the bad points outweigh the good by more than I thought, I have therefore reduced the score. This d-mod looks like it could have been good, but it was a bad idea to do a d-mod that fast and as a result, it is very annoying, levelling up many times is a bad idea, and it is too difficult. This d-mod has good potential, and by version 1 it should be very nice, but only with some radical changes. |
Arik
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 6.3 - Fair | August 10th, 2002 |
I came to this D-Mod rather worried - rather than be impressed by the short time the D-Mod took to create, I worried that the result may have been pretty cack-handed. Thankfully Simon's skills as an author show through, but the game in no way validates the concept of a 24-hour (or 3 day) D-Mod.
Upon loading, I was immediately confronted by the HILARIOUS COMEDY SOUND EFFECTS. Simon has seen fit to replace the fairly neutral sounds of the original Dink with a series of farts, beeps and buzzers, and whilst some may find these amusing, I found them completely repellant, and as a result dreaded attempting to manage my inventory in-game, which would result in a torrent of AMAZING COMEDY.
The play style is very much that of a romp, with little dialogue. The combat is enjoyable, if unexciting, and what NPC interaction there was is enjoyable. The riddle -thankfully- doesn't play an essential role in the game, leaving you to get on with the chopping.
Probably the strongest part of the D-Mod is the atmosphere - the scenery is lush, which is some achievement for a desert. As long as you avoid the AMAZING COMEDY, the sound varies from average to excellent, with some of the music very atmospheric indeed. The only problem is that there is too much of it by far, resulting in music changes every few screens and never letting the sound build up.
In the end, however, the game is danged by a lack of interesting material. The graphics may be novel, but their function isn't - burnable cacti replace trees, scorpians boncas, etc. There are few surprises, and the game mechanic is that of killing hordes of erratically challenging monsters. Simon's obvious talent is constrained by his own desire to create a short game. It's more than an average experience, but it's never less than disappointing. |
Good Reviews
irit
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| 9.9 - Exceptional | June 18th, 2002 |
After a long time without any new dmod we have to congratulate SimonK on his new quest.
This quest is one of the best. Lots of secrets, some new creatures, a lot to burn, we love to burn.It's a must play dmod. The storyline and gameplay is balanced out. The final boss is something unusual, you will enjoy the scene. No bugs. You have to use your head and imagination to solve a riddle, you have to pay attention to rocks, you have to talk to each and everyone in game. You will love this game. |
halo
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| 9.9 - Exceptional | July 11th, 2002 |
This is the first DMOD I played (besides Mystery Island) and my first review 
I really liked this DMOD. It wasn't too long or too short and although hard there were plenty of secrets which really, really helped.
I liked the new sounds, both the midis and the wav files. Music really helped set the mood in this DMOD and the new sounds gave it all a unique life.
I liked the fact you could burn trees and cactus. I love to burn things And I liked the fact that the ground keep changing with the sand getting closer and closer to the castle.
The end boss was funny, in that crass way, and the end dance made me laugh.
All the new enemies were very well done. I've got to play the Stone of Balance now. Even if it is such a large download.
I recommend this DMOD to anyone who wants a fun one to play. |
TA
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| 9.6 - Exceptional | February 12th, 2004 |
A very good romp. No serious hardness errors of any kind, no huge monsters you have to walk over to get a hit at, nothing too bad. Nothing too good either though. keeps the player playing-playing-playing and playing the dmod all the way till the bitter end.
This Dmod rules!!
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PureEvil
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| 9.5 - Exceptional | June 18th, 2002 |
This DMOD has what I consider to be a nearly perfect balance of difficulty. Some of the baddies were very hard to kill and others went quietly. Some of the creatures and gfx from SOB make another appearence, and thats good because the gfx are way too good to waste on just one mod.
There isn't really much of a plot, but it didn't need one; relying mostly on map design, common sence, and a few mind teasers, TCS sends you in the right direction. As a romp, this DMOD is probably better than any romp to date. In the quest catagory, TCS still holds its own amoung the best. I found no major bugs (small ones like a missing "s" on a word, and the like), and I experienced no hardness errors.
The author started and completed TCS in a mere 3 days, incredible when considering how good, and how fun this mod was to play.
It was nice to get another offering from Simon, and his latest proves that he not only still has 'it', but that romps and quests can be just as fun and just as well made as an epic. |
Kat
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| 8.9 - Good | August 22nd, 2002 |
A short romp, that turned into a mini-quest. Quite enjoyable, with a lot of secrets to discover.
Highs: Nice opening, with very nice graphics. Midi's were good, as were the *enemies*, that you have to battle. Paying attention was important as clues were given out. All my favourite weapons were there, and the *monsters* old and new were a nice change of pace. No bugs that I could find, but I was sure happy when I found the *herbal boots*
Lows: Took awhile to save up the money for the special weapons, even the hardest enemies didn't seem to want to fork over the coins.
Overall: A highly enjoyable DMOD, filled with surprises and secrets. I couldn't help butlaugh at Dink's Dancing. Good work Simon >^..^< |
VaultDweller
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| 8.5 - Good | June 26th, 2004 |
Ok first of all the desert theme was wonderful. The midi's, tileset, and graphics fit perfectly. The new enemies are interesting...if disgusting. The humor is also very nice...
I must especially note how scary that ugly looking baby was! I also thought the dance was the best part! I always thought Dink's egotism would eventually lead him to dance to show off and the animation for it is great!
Sincerely,
The Vault Dweller |
Mishanya
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| 7.5 - Good | June 20th, 2002 |
I played other DMods by SimonK and so decided to download this one. So here is my humble opinion:
Pros: There were some good graphics (mostly from SOB), and the new ones. That strange boss... Well, that was a romp, yes?
The music - OK.
Cons: Some hardness errors found, also some places where the hellfire stood on end hitting the wall. Too tedious (all that getting levels) - bad gameplay, I think. And that end boss reminded me the childish fight between Dethlord and SimonK a while ago...
Why did such a good author as SimonK did the game that is neither romp (too big), nor quest (too primitive)? That was not a good idea to do it in 24 (72) hours. |
KeithGittins
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| 7.5 - Good | January 24th, 2003 |
In this DMOD, Dink is told to stop the sand from turning the world into a giant desert!
Graphics: I thought most of the new graphics were cool, but some needed a bit of work. Take the Throwing Hammer, for example.
Enemies: Pretty strong, but nothing Dink couldn't handle! Nice boss too. he was hard, and a bit nutty!
Items: I only saw one new item in this entire game! The Throwing Hammer. I used this weapon the most, as the Light Sword only affected certain enemies.
Magic: Nothing new here! The only spells were Fireball, and Multiblast.
Gameplay: Normal. Took me an hour and a half to beat this! The hardest part was finding how to move the rock, but I figured it out!
Overall, I rate this nice game 7.5 for nice, hard, mysteries, and good gameplay. |
matrice
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| 7.5 - Good | November 16th, 2003 |
Just a short review:
The good:
* Good story concept
* The music: I normally don't notice music much, this time I did and I liked it.
* Lots of secrets
* Burnable cacti
* You start with some goodies instead of empty handed
* Hilarious end dance
* Gorgeous red tiling for the underground bits
* Well worked out map
The bad:
* The sound effects are a bit cras
* The end dance is a tat long
* Lots of fighting, few people to talk with and hardly anything to do (but fight)
I really like the concept (evil being making the desert take over the land). This could possibly be a great quest/ romp if there was more to do in relation to the concept.
It kept me entertained by how well the mapping and graphics had been worked out. Shame there wasn't more to do. |
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