From the twisted minds of those who gave us Sanitarium, Veil of Darkness and Menzoberranzan comes this sweet little Disney game. DreamForge Intertainment had an illustrious career all through the 90s. While their RPGs based on the Dungeons & Dragons rule set did well, their adventure gaming output were arguably some of the greatest of their time. Sanitarium still sits among the top of my list.
Out of their strong line up, there's one game that stands out like a cat in a doghouse - 101 Dalmatians: Escape from DeVil Manor. Released in 1997, this game was commissioned to coincide with the live-action movie starring Glenn Close, but the designs are more akin to the original 1961 movie or the animated television series which aired later that same year.
The plot takes place half-way through the classic story when the Dalmatian puppies have been kidnapped and kept at Cruella DeVil's run-down mansion. Two pups named Patches and Wizzer escape their confines determined to get outta there. What follows is an incredibly short adventure that may be aimed at 6-year-olds, but there's also a lot to like for us grown ups too.
First and foremost is the graphics. Each location is stunningly realised with detailed pre-rendered backdrops and a quality of animation that befits a Disney game. I would even go and say that it outshines any of the Animated Storybooks from the same period. The downside is that it's perhaps a bit too dark making some interactions hard to see. The backdrops are all from the height of the puppies, which makes tables, beds and suits of armour daunting behemoths to behold. In a bizarre choice of marketing spiel, the developers promoted this artistic choice as "puppyvision". I guess kids get a kick out of it.
There are apparently multiple ways to escape the mansion, allowing for some replayability, but most will probably be satisfied with their first playthrough. It certainly left me wanting more, but I'd rather have a meatier game than multiple endings. I very much doubt I'd revisit it to find all of the different possibilities. Nevertheless, this is sure to while away an hour or two quite nicely. More so if your six.
To download the game, follow the link below. This custom installer exclusive to The Collection Chamber uses DOSBox to bring the game to modern systems. Tested on Windows 10.
File Size: 299 Mb. Install Size: 422 Mb. Need help? Consult the Collection Chamber FAQ
Download
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101 Dalmatians: Escape from DeVil Manor is © Disney Interactive
Review, Cover Design and Installer created by me
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I'm blown away at how easily this installed and plays!
ReplyDeleteThanks Robin, that's my mission statement for this site (though a couple are sadly not as successful as this one for all users :( ).
DeleteI want to install it
DeletePleasee
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Hello! There seems to be an error while installing. It gets stuck at 81% and says that Data2.z is corrupt or unreadable :C
ReplyDeleteHello, you'll need to have both files downloaded and in the same folder for it to install properly. Data2.z is contained within the second .001 file. If it still fails, try downloading it again.
Deletewont open due to invalid data? how do i fix this?
ReplyDeleteAre you trying to install it or run it? There are two files you need to download, Install-DEDM.exe and Install-DEDM.001. Both need to be placed in the same folder before running.
DeleteThis won't work at all it's just taking me in an endless stupid loop and won't install anything.
ReplyDeleteHello. I'm going to need a bit more information. Does the custom installer run when you launch Install-DEDM? Are both files in the same folder before you begin to install? Did they download properly?
DeleteI've just done a test install and all appears to be fine. Try looking at the FAQ to see if any info there helps.
It won't download at all. I finally got them into the same zip folder, but it won't download. I have tried hitting everyone. There are 7 different download buttons. 2, don't work at all. One spins the page over and over again and does nothing, and the rest take me to different sites.
DeleteRead the instructions on the FAQ. 4Shared is a little too busy IMO so it's best to turn on ad blocker (my recent installers use the better Mega.nz).
DeleteI recommend downloading the two files separately, not as a zip file. Click on the icon for each file, the click the download. It will be next to the 'share' and 'add to account' buttons. Then click on 'Free Download' underneath the 20second counter. It will begin to download once the timer reaches 0.
http://collectionchamber.blogspot.co.uk/p/faq.html
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ReplyDeleteI've got a bit of a problem with this game. It installs and runs well on my computer, but when I chose to turn the music off on the Options Menu, it won't let me go back to the main menu or start a new game. Is something wrong or something?
ReplyDeleteHello, the 'back' button is named 'Go On' here. Disney like to mix things up like that in their games.
DeleteI tried to press that button, but still, nothing happens. I dunno if the copy I downloaded is glitched or something...
DeleteThe other 101 Dalmatians game does work fortunately, but the only problem is when I quit the game it gives me "CANNOT LOAD" messages from it (which is odd as I was able to play it) and once gave me on the DOSBox what would have been the Blue Screen of Death.
Hello, maybe it didn't install properly. Unlike the animated storybook, this one doesn't rely on an emulated OS like Windows 3.1. It's plausible that it will play with a couple of corrupt files and not see the effects until those files are needed in-game. I did test it before my last post so I know it works.
DeleteI see, thanks.
DeleteMaybe it doesn't work on Windows 8 properly or something...I'll try uninstalling and re-installing it again.
YOU HAVE MADE MY INNER CHILD VERY HAPPY with this!!! I still have the CD but it just won't work on my modern Windows 10. I am so glad you did this. Thank you thank you thank you!!
ReplyDeleteDo you have 102 Dalmatians Puppies to the Rescue? I have the game & it will install onto my laptop but when I try to open it it just comes up as a black screen that closes in about 5 seconds. I troubleshot it and found out it's incompatible with my laptop :(
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing this! I tried to use my CD years ago (with Windows 7) and never could get it to work and now I can relive this little piece of my childhood again! It works very well for me, as it should, since at the time of you posting this, I have a very similar set up as you did. LOL. Thank you thank you thank you! I will be enjoying this and getting all the endings again as I did as a wee one. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're Welcome!
Deletethank you so much <3 very appreciated
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for fixing this game up! It's been a longtime favorite of me and my sister, and we were heartbroken when it wouldn't run on modern computers.
ReplyDeletei playd it before to
ReplyDeleteand i like the game
Thank you for putting this together. I spent quite a bit of time trying to run this game through DOS on a vm using VirtualBox, but I just couldn't fix the sound issues. Your download works great, and I'm running it on 64bit Windows 10 which is amazing. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm trying to download this - I have DOSBox 0.74-3 downloaded, I have both of your files (Install-DEDM.exe and Install-DEDM.001) downloaded into the same folder. I can't seem to open or execute anything with Install-DEDM.001 and when I run the Install-DEDM.exe I get the following error - "101 Dalmatians - Escape from DeVil Manor has not been totally installed because of the following reason: File corrupt or unreadable CD/DEDM/DATA2.Z You will have to run this utility again to completely install 101 Dalmatians - Escape from DeVil Manor."
ReplyDeleteI have tried to download and redownload but It is giving me the same issue. All instances of windows applications are closed while attempting the install as well. I haven't done anything with DOSBOX 0.74-3 since installing. Am I missing a step within there? Any help is greatly appreciated. thank you!
Hello. Everything is pre-packaged so you don't need DOSBox. Any errors during install are usually because it cannot find the other files (.001 etc) which should be in the same folder, though it appears you've tested that already. My best guess is that you need to run it as admin and/or choose a folder outside of Program Files. That could ve the cause of a conflict.
DeleteI have just downloaded and tested the install so I know it should work.
Is there a 64bit version? It won't work for me because it says it's incompatible. :(
ReplyDeleteI only run a 64-bit version of Windows so my installation package certainly works. If you have a 32-bit version (refered to as x86 - right click This PC and Properties to check), you can download that version of DOSBox from their page and plonk the DOSBox.exe in the install folder. Then run that executable to play. Due to it being for lower-spec hardware it may not play as smooth but if that's the issue it should work.
DeleteOkay, I can try that. Thank you! <3
DeleteThanks for this! I had the sudden urge to play...(after years and years). I still have my original CD but I couldn't get it running, not even on VMware running Win98. Runs smooth, thanks for the nostalgia!
ReplyDelete