Quite simply, the Greatest game ever! Dungeon Master is a great action game (RPG), where you choose 4 characters (out of 24) with various abilities, to fight your way through the dungeon.
One of the best things about the game was the way you trained your characters up, in the skills of Fighter, Ninja, Wizard, or Priest. There were magic spells that you could learn, either as weapons (such as fireball), or potions (such as health potions if your characters get injured).
Another aspect of the game that was so far ahead of its time was the real-time element.
The monsters in the dungeon didn’t wait for you to show up; they had their own minds, and could easily sneak up on you. Fights weren't turn-based, but every man for himself, as you tried to attack the enemy, pray that your character was good enough to cast that precious fireball spell, make sure they had enough manna to conjure up a health potion when the monster attacked you, and pray that you had the hand-eye coordination to cast the said spells in time! There were also many puzzles involving pressing the right combination of buttons, stepping on the right pressure plates in the right order, or putting certain items in the correct alcove.
Then, you had to make sure
your team had their basic needs taken care of. They would get hungry, or thirsty, so you had to make sure you had enough food and water to last you, especially if you didn’t know when you might come across any more in the dungeon. Your characters also had a limit to the amount of baggage they could carry! So some strategic thought was needed to decide what items could be left behind.
Taking a time-out to let your characters sleep was a quick way to replenish their manna (spell casting energy) and their health, but they would get hungry very quickly, and it also meant they would be at the mercy of any monsters that happened to be walking around that part of the dungeon.
The vast range of monsters in the game is another thing to rave about. Mummies, blue ogres, giant worms, odd tree-like things called screamers, giant rats, demons, and the famous Red Dragon. Some of these creatures, when killed, would leave behind their edible remains! Whereas others may be holding items, perhaps that key you need to get through a particular door. To summarize... you must play this game!
