Defenders of Dynatron City#Comics
{{Short description|1992 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Defenders of Dynatron City
| image = Defenders of Dynatron City Cover.jpg
| developer = Lucasfilm Games
| publisher = JVC Musical Industries
| designer = Gary Winnick
| composer = George Sanger
David Warhol
| series =
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|July 1992}}
| genre = Action
| modes = Single-player
| platforms = NES
}}
{{Video game reviews
|EGM = 14/40{{cite magazine|last1=Harris|first1=Steve|last2=Semrad|first2=Ed|last3=Alessi|first3=Martin|author4=Sushi-X|date=January 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Gaming_Monthly_30/page/n19/mode/2up|title=Defenders of Dynatron City|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|page=20|volume=5|number=1|accessdate=January 5, 2022}}
|GamePro = 12.5/20{{cite magazine|last=Groovy|first=Feline|date=June 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_035_June_1992/page/n35/mode/2up|title=Defenders of Dynatron City|magazine=GamePro|issue=35|pages=34–35|accessdate=January 5, 2022}}
|NP = 11.3/20{{cite magazine|author1=George|author2=Rob|date=June 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/nintendo-power-issue-127-december-1999/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20037%20June%201992/page/102/mode/2up|title=Now Playing|magazine=Nintendo Power|issue=37|pages=102–105|accessdate=January 5, 2022}}
|TOT = 37%{{cite magazine|author=Steve|date=December 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/total-12/page/n107/mode/2up|title=Defenders of Dynatron City|magazine=Total!|issue=12|page=108|accessdate=January 5, 2022}}
|VGCE = 6/10{{cite magazine|last=Wen|first=Howard H.|date=June 1992|url=https://archive.org/details/video-games-and-computer-entertainment-issue-41-june-1992-600dpi/Video%20Games%20and%20Computer%20Entertainment%20-%20Issue%2041%20-%20June%201992/page/n37/mode/2up?q=%22Defenders+of+Dynatron+City%22|title=Defenders of Dynatron City|magazine=VideoGames & Computer Entertainment|issue=41|pages=38, 42|accessdate=January 5, 2022}}
|rev1 = N-Force
|rev1Score = 39%{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/nforce-magazine-V202/page/n61/mode/2up|title=Full Force: Your NES Game Directory|magazine=N-Force|volume=2|number=2|date=August 1993|pages=62–65|accessdate=January 5, 2022}}
}}
Defenders of Dynatron City is a video game released for the Nintendo Entertainment System by JVC Musical Industries and Lucasfilm Games (later, LucasArts) in August 1992.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_2.htm|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060623025112/http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_2.htm|archive-date = 2006-06-23|title = Games}} This was Gary Winnick's first project as sole designer after co-designing Maniac Mansion with Ron Gilbert.{{cite book |title=Rogue Leaders: The Story of LucasArts |last=Smith |first=Rob |year=2008}} It was supported by a brief media franchise consisting of an animated TV pilot and a six-issue comic book series.
Video game
The game centers on a team of superheroes who protect a futuristic metropolis from Dr. Mayhem and his robotic henchmen. The Defenders are:
- Ms. Megawatt (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg in the animated special), who can generate electrical energies.
- Jet Headstrong (voiced by Pat Fraley in the animated special), who can fire his head like a rocket.
- Buzzsaw Girl (voiced by Candi Milo in the animated special), who has a buzzsaw blade instead of legs and feet.
- Toolbox (voiced by David Coburn in the animated special), a robot with a smashing hammer head and a litany of useful tool options he can use in combat.
- Monkey Kid (voiced by Brian Stokes Mitchell in the animated special), a blue monkey armed with exploding bananas and leader of the team.
- Radium Dog, who can fly and has jaws strong enough to pick up cars with his mouth.
=Critical response=
The game won praise in its preproduction by many video game magazines for the creation of an original superhero team, but when the game was released it was widely panned by video game critics for, among other things, having a notoriously poor hit detection that required extremely precise aim for attacks to hit enemies.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/defenders-of-dynatron-city/mobyrank|title=Defenders of Dynatron City for NES (1992) MobyRank}}
TV special
The animated pilot was produced by DIC Animation City and was aired on the Fox Kids block on February 22, 1992.{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=2009 |publisher=Checkmark Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8160-6600-1 |edition=3rd |page=288}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.veoh.com/browse/videos/category/animation/watch/v15913870n8xzBbrm|title = Whoops, looks like something went wrong}} It featured the voices of Whoopi Goldberg and Tim Curry. Originally, Doctor Mayhem was voiced by Christopher Walken. Steve Purcell recalled that the producers at the last minute replaced him with a more cartooney voice.{{Cite web|url=http://spudvisionblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/cartographers-cabin.html|title = SPUDVISION: Cartographer's Cabin|date = 16 June 2009}} It failed to be picked up as a series, but was subsequently released on VHS.{{cite book | title=Defenders of Dynatron City | asin=6302878470}} No official DVD or digital download release has been announced as of yet.
Comics
The comic book adaptation was published Marvel Comics. Written by Steve Purcell and penciled by Frank Cirocco, it ran for six monthly issues, dated from February through July 1992.{{cite web |url=http://www.centaursite.com/comics/dynatron/ |title=Centaursite.com - Defenders of Dynatron City |accessdate=2009-06-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213165215/http://www.centaursite.com/comics/dynatron/ |archivedate=2009-02-13}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/defenders-of-dynatron-city|name=Defenders of Dynatron City}}
- [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/data/584296.html GameFAQs]
Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Nintendo Entertainment System-only games
Category:North America-exclusive video games
Category:Science fiction video games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Television pilots not picked up as a series
Category:Victor Entertainment games
Category:Video games adapted into comics
Category:Video games developed in the United States