Rick Dangerous

Rick Dangerous is a 1989 platform adventure starring an explorer who seems to have taken Indiana Jones' job description and removed the health-and-safety section. Players guide Rick through ancient ruins filled with traps, enemies, collapsing floors, and other extremely unfriendly archaeological discoveries. The game relies heavily on precise movement and memorization, making patience just as important as reflexes. Rick can jump, shoot, and use dynamite, but even the best equipment will not save a player who walks blindly into a trap. The cartoon-like presentation keeps the tone light despite the constant danger, while the unforgiving gameplay provides plenty of opportunities for spectacular failure. Rick Dangerous is a classic example of British platform design: charming, funny, inventive, and occasionally cruel enough to make you wonder whether the developers actually liked their players.