Dashin' Desperadoes

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Dashin' Desperadoes
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Data East
Developer: Data East
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code US 1993-09 $54.9554.95 T-13066

Dashin' Desperadoes is a 1993 platforming/racing game developed by Data East and released exclusively in North America for the Sega Genesis as a spin-off of SpinMaster. When running on a Japanese Mega Drive, the title screen calls the game Rumble Kids, but there is no indication a separate official Japanese release existed.

Gameplay

The game is a platforming game where players control one of two cowboys, Will or Rick, who run and negotiate various obstacles to reach the maiden Jenny. Whoever arrives first receives a kiss from her. The game is always presented in split-screen, even when playing single-player. Characters move with and and squat with . They jump with ; holding hops. They jump down from platforms with +. They toss a weapon with , which is a bomb by default but additional weapons can be picked up in the levels. They can perform a rolling dash with , which gives them a burst of speed and can be used to trip their opponent. Each character has a dashing power meter, and using the rolling dash expends it. Energy recharges over time or by collecting an item. Characters are invulnerable; taking damage from enemies, hazards, or falling from great heights slows them, but the only way to lose is by losing the race.

In a single-player game, the cowboy Will races his nemesis Rick through a variety of obstacle-filled platforming levels to get to the girl of their dreams, Jenny. In the finale of each world, Jenny is kidnapped by Rick, who attempts to take her away. The player, as the hero Will, must destroy Rick's vehicle before it escapes. To keep the game competitive, Rick waits for the player at certain points if he gets too far ahead; likewise, he can catch up to the player extremely quickly if he falls too far behind. The game ends if the player loses a race. The player has a limited number of credits with which to continue the game, and there is no password or save feature.

In a two-player game, the second player takes over as Rick, and they both race after Jenny. They race through the same worlds as in the single-player game, but the levels are different. Some levels are a race to Jenny, as in the single-player game, but there are also levels to retrieve an item that must be brought back to Jenny at the beginning of the level or to collect a certain number of a certain item within the level.

Levels are generally designed so that the higher path is clearer but harder to stay on and the bottom path is more perilous. Some platforms recede after a player steps on them, forcing the trailing player to take the lower path. Conversely, some items only appear after a player has already passed them, giving the other player an opportunity to catch up.

Items

Bombs

All bombs stun opponents momentarily if they make contact.

	Bomb
	The standard weapon. Thrown in an arc and burns opponents.
	Fire
	Thrown farther than standard bombs and burns opponents.
	Thunder
	Bounces twice along the ground before exploding and shocking the opponent.
	Energy
	Rolls along the ground and shocks opponents.
	Freeze
	Slides along the ground and freezes the opponent.
	Barbell
	A large projectile that flattens opponents.
	Special
	A special bomb given for boss fights.

Power-Ups

	Power Chicken
	Fully restores the character's dashing power meter.
	Speed Boots
	Increases the character's running speed.
	Invisible Potion
	Makes the character invisible to the other player and increases his running speed.
	Bonus Coin
	Gives the player 5,000 bonus points.
	Honeycomb
	Releases a bee that tries to sting the other character.
	Thundercloud
	Releases a thundercloud that chases the other character and shoots lightning at him. The other player can evade the thundercloud by squatting.

Levels

	Town
	Wilderness
	Ocean
	Jungle
	Iceberg
	Ruins

Bonus Games

Bonus minigames can be played by starting a two-player game and entering certain passwords.

	Rock Fall
	Password: ROCK
	Player one controls Will and tries to avoid falling rocks. Birds occasionally fly by and drop barbells. The player is scored based on how many rocks have fallen.
	UFO
	Password: UFO
	Player one controls Will and jumps from cloud to cloud trying to avoid the UFO. The screen autoscrolls right and clouds dissipate after standing on them for too long, so the player must keep moving. The score is calculated based on how many clouds have passed by. Player two can optionally shoot the UFO with but cannot control its direction.
	Mine A
	Password: MINE_A
	Both players control UFOs and try to knock each other into a field of stationary mines.
	Mine B
	Password: MINE_B
	Both players control UFOs and try to avoid homing mines.

Production credits

• Programmer: Hisatada Ohta, Syuji Ishimaki
• Graphic Designer: Manabu Yokoi, Yukie Shiraiwa
• Game Designer: Eisuke Tsuzawa
• Sound Programmer: Hiroyasu Fujimaru
• Sound & Music: Koremasa
• Go Go Tomtom': Manabu Yokoi, Hiroyasu Fujimaru
• Special Thanks to: Masato Noguchi, Steve Miller, Koichi Ota & Data East USA, Inc., Yasuro Koideya, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Akira Ohtani, Ayumi Kitazawa, Mari Matsuzaka, Megumi Shinya, Mutsunori Sato, Youichi Kodama

Magazine articles

Main article: Dashin' Desperadoes/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Print advert in Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) #50: "September 1993" (1993-xx-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 40 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 65 Game Players (US) NTSC-U 71 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 83 GamesMaster (UK) NTSC-U 64 Mega (UK) NTSC-U 45 MegaTech (UK) NTSC-U 72 Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-U 75 Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U 88 Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U 59 Super Juegos (ES) 86 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 48 Video Games (DE) NTSC-U 53

	65
Based on 13 reviews

Dashin' Desperadoes

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

Main article: Dashin' Desperadoes/Technical information.