Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors

Short description: 1997 video game

Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors

Developer(s)| Studio Fish
Publisher(s)| BBC Multimedia
Director(s)| Nick Holden
Producer(s)| Dave Anderson
Designer(s)| Jason White
Series| Doctor Who
Engine| BRender
Platform(s)| Microsoft Windows
Release| 5 December 1997
Genre(s)| Action
Mode(s)| Single-player

Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors is an action video game based on the BBC British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was released on 5 December 1997 by BBC Multimedia.

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Cast
* 3 Plot
* 4 Gameplay
* 5 Reception
* 6 Other releases
* 7 References
* 8 External links
* 9 Features
* 10 History
* 11 See also
* 12 References
* 13 External links

## Overview

A collaboration between BBC Multimedia and the British developer Studio Fish, Destiny of the Doctors is a CD-ROM which received an ELSPA classification indicating suitability for ages 11 and over.[1] It is supported by Microsoft Windows 95 and works on all subsequent forms of Windows, though some PCs running XP and Vista experience compatibility issues. It was released in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, as well as some countries in Europe, and found modest acclaim from some magazines, including the now defunct PC Planet.

The game featured extensive, newly recorded audio dialogue by Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Nicholas Courtney. William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton were represented by impersonators performing the roles of the First and Second Doctors. Jon Pertwee originally agreed to appear in the game but died before recording could take place; by agreement with his widow, Ingeborg Pertwee, he was represented in the game using audio clips from the television series. The game marked Anthony Ainley's final appearance as the Master.[2]

The story was written by longtime Doctor Who writer Terrance Dicks.

## Cast

* The Third Doctor – Jon Pertwee (archive audio)
* The Fourth Doctor – Tom Baker[3]
* The Fifth Doctor – Peter Davison[3]
* The Sixth Doctor – Colin Baker[3]
* The Seventh Doctor – Sylvester McCoy[3]
* The Master – Anthony Ainley[3]
* Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart – Nicholas Courtney[3]

## Plot

The Doctor's nemesis the Master has taken control of the planet Siralos, which is made of "pure psychic energy". With this planet's power, he plans to mould the universe into his will. To begin, he takes the first seven incarnations of the Doctor out of time and space and puts them in the Determinant, a domain he has created from the conquered will of Siralos. He plans to eradicate any trace of the Doctor from time and space, so he may be free to rebuild the cosmos as he pleases. However, the player's character, the Graak (a psychic being created by the Doctor), pledges to stop the Master's plans, and the game begins.

The Graak is an intelligent, psychic and seemingly altruistic organism, turquoise in colour and resembling a jellyfish. It floats about four feet from the ground, and has no visible organs nor any recognizable features. The Master states that the Graak is protoplasmic. Although it has no limbs, the Graak is dexterous enough to be able to handle items such as a sonic screwdriver and a radio transmitter. It only speaks when it asks the Doctor questions as part of a challenge, and has a high voice varying in tone and inflection (implying that speaking is a strain). When the Master calls the Graak "a good little doggie", it is heard to bark.

It is a matter of debate as to how the game fits into the continuity of Doctor Who. There are references to the "seven complete incarnations of the Doctor", with no reference made to either the Eighth Doctor, despite the game being released some time after the 1996 TV movie. However, the TARDIS database does vaguely mention the Seventh Doctor's regeneration. It has been speculated that the Master's imprisonment at the end of the game is by the Daleks, which would then lead into the opening of the TV Movie. This could also explain the absence of any mention of the Eighth Doctor (if the events of the game are set before the TV Movie).

The Sontarans are one of the alien races featured in the game.

## Gameplay

The bulk of the game takes place in the Doctor's TARDIS (and, on occasion, the Master's TARDIS, reached via "junctions" between the two time machines). The game begins in the Console Room of the Fourth Doctor's TARDIS, and the player must then select one of the Doctor's seven incarnations and activate the TARDIS to go in search of them.

Upon reaching the TARDIS of the selected Doctor (and also before almost every puzzle in the game), the player can use a "Time Winder" (a pyramid-like save point) and then set out into the TARDIS to find the Master (and, accordingly, the Doctor).

Upon leaving the Console Room, the player, as the Graak, must find the Great Divide: a chasm which separates the TARDIS from the Determinant. However, the Master has placed several of the Doctor's enemies in the TARDIS to make things more difficult for the Graak, such as Daleks, Cybermen, Autons, Ice Warriors, Quarks, Sea Devils, Silurians, Sontarans, Yeti and Zygons. There are weapons and implements in the TARDIS that can be used to incapacitate or kill these monsters, some of which can be kept throughout the quest (such as the sonic screwdriver, or a radio used to contact Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart for advice and hints), and others which can only be used for a limited time (such as Dalekanium and watering cans).

Upon reaching the Great Divide, the player selects a symbol and the Master gives the Graak a riddle. During the loading time, a map of the area of the TARDIS the player will explore is shown. The Graak will have to complete a certain objective (e.g. perform the Doctor Who theme on floor tiles), find certain information on monsters or Doctors (either from the Doctor's "City of Thoughts" database in his TARDIS or from the Master's "Monster Database"), or collect an item (such as a Stattenheim remote, or a Nestene Consciousness control sphere). Whilst the player is scouring the TARDIS(es), they may use telepathic links with the Doctor (resembling the TV title sequence effect of the Third Doctor's episodes) and the Doctor will give a short clue to the player. Having completed their task (out of a possible 28 tasks), the Graak then returns and gives the Master the item, or crosses a grid of tiles, or selects the true Doctor out of three possible choices, or similar. If the player fails, they will have to begin again (from the nearest Time Winder). If they succeed, they will have to face the Master in the Determinant. If they defeat the Master, that incarnation of the Doctor is freed:

* First Doctor - A chase around the Celestial Toymaker's toybox (with Quarks)
* Second Doctor - A race against the Master on London Underground trains (with Yeti)
* Third Doctor - Seek and destroy the Dalek spaceship
* Fourth Doctor \- Search around the maze that is the Doctor's mind (with Raston Warrior Robots)
* Fifth Doctor \- A joust in a medieval ring against a Sontaran on a hoverbike
* Sixth Doctor - Search the icy wilderness of Mars to find the Doctor
* Seventh Doctor - Race against the Master's car in the Doctor's Edwardian car, Bessie (with Autons)

## Reception

The game received mixed reviews. In a 2011 retrospective feature for PC Gamer, Richard Cobbett described the game as part of a broader pattern of unsuccessful Doctor Who adaptations, arguing that the Doctor’s character lends itself more naturally to puzzle-solving and dialogue-driven gameplay than action-oriented mechanics.[4]

In a retrospective article for Destructoid, Anthony Burch said the game was "one of the most unplayable, unenjoyable games ever created".[5]

Despite the mixed reviews, Anthony Ainley's performance as the Master was widely praised by audiences.

## Other releases

All of Anthony Ainley's recorded scenes as the Master from this game were included on the DVD release of Survival but without the background music played in them.[6]

## References

1. ↑ Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors (Back cover). BBC Multimedia. 1997.
2. ↑ Hayward, Anthony (10 May 2004). "Anthony Ainley". The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/anthony-ainley-38450.html.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Smith, Tony (7 November 2013). "The Curse of Who: Why has there never been a decent videogame with the Doctor?". https://www.theregister.com/2013/11/07/antique_code_show_doctor_who/?page=3.
4. ↑ Cobbett, Richard (26 February 2011). "Saturday Crapshoot: Destiny of the Doctors". https://www.pcgamer.com/saturday-crapshoot-destiny-of-the-doctors/.
5. ↑ Burch, Anthony (30 September 2021). "Games time forgot: Destiny of the Doctors". https://www.destructoid.com/games-time-forgot-destiny-of-the-doctors/.
6. ↑ They were also on Warriors' Gate VHS.BBC - Doctor Who (David Tennant and Billie Piper) - News

## External links

* Template:TardisIndexFile
* MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

## Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

## History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

## See also

* IGDB - game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/.
2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/.
3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1.
4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521.
8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media.
9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned.
10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner.
11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames.
12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games.
13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/.
14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/.
15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/.
16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/.
17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames.
18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628.

| Wikidata has the property:

* NO LABEL (P1933) (see uses)

|

## External links

* No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.

* v
* t
* e

Atari

Corporations|

| Primary|

* Atari, Inc. (1972–1992)
* Atari Corporation (1984–1996)
* Atari SA, Atari, Inc. (2003–present)

|

Subsidiaries and
spin-offs|

* Atari Games
* Atari Interactive
* AtariAge
* Chuck E. Cheese (1977–1978)
* Cyan Engineering
* Digital Eclipse
* Kee Games
* MobyGames
* Nightdive Studios
* Tengen

Arcades games
and amusements|

* Anti-Aircraft
* Asteroids
* Asteroids Deluxe
* Atari Basketball
* Atari Football
* Avalanche
* Battlezone
* Black Widow
* Breakout
* Canyon Bomber
* Centipede
* Cloak & Dagger
* Crash 'N Score
* Crystal Castles
* Destroyer
* Dominos
* Fire Truck
* Firefox
* Food Fight
* Gotcha
* Gran Trak 10
* Gran Trak 20
* Gravitar
* Hi-way
* I, Robot
* Indy 4
* Indy 800
* Jet Fighter
* LeMans
* Liberator
* Lunar Lander
* Major Havoc
* Millipede
* Missile Command
* Night Driver
* Outlaw
* Pin-Pong
* Pong
* Pong Doubles
* Pursuit
* Quadrapong
* Quantum
* Quiz Show
* Qwak!
* Rebound
* Red Baron
* Return of the Jedi
* Shark Jaws
* Sky Diver
* Space Duel
* Space Race
* Sprint 1
* Sprint 2
* Sprint 4
* Sprint 8
* Star Wars
* Starship 1
* Steeplechase
* Stunt Cycle
* Super Breakout
* Super Bug
* Super Pong
* Tank
* Tank 8
* Tempest
* Tournament Table
* Triple Hunt
* Ultra Tank
* Video Pinball
* Warlords

| Prototypes|

* Tank II

|

Software and utilities|

* Atari BASIC
* Atari Calculator
* Atari DOS

Video game
consoles|

* Home Pong
* Stunt Cycle
* Atari Video Music
* Video Pinball
* 2600
* 2800
* 5200
* 7800
* XEGS
* Lynx
* Jaguar
* CD
* VCS (2021)
* 2600+

| Prototypes|

* Game Brain
* Cosmos
* 2700
* Atari Mindlink
* Panther
* Sierra

|

Personal
computers|

* Atari 8-bit computers
* Atari ST
* MEGA STE
* TT030
* Transputer Workstation
* Falcon

| Portables|

* STacy
* ST Book
* Portfolio

|

Prototypes|

* Sierra

Peripherals|

| Printers|

* 825 80-Column Printer
* 1020 Color Printer

|

Gaming devices|

* CX40 joystick
* Atari joystick port
* XG-1 light gun

Other|

* Atari Democrat
* Atari Flashback
* Intellivision
* Sears

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MobyGames. Read more

|

* Destiny of the Doctors on IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Doctor Who

Programme|

| Development|

* History
* Canada and the U.S.
* Australia
* Music
* theme music
* composers
* soundtrack releases
* featured music

|

Episodes|

* 1963–1989 episodes
* 1996 film
* 2005–present episodes
* Christmas and New Year's specials
* Supplementary episodes
* Missing episodes
* Unmade serials

Production|

* Producers
* Script editors
* Writers

Concepts|

* TARDIS
* Regeneration
* Sonic screwdriver
* Time War
* Torchwood Institute
* UNIT
* personnel
* Blinovitch Limitation Effect

Releases|

* Radio stories
* Home video releases
* VHS releases

Miscellaneous|

* Fandom
* Whoniverse
* Popular culture
* Merchandise
* Awards and nominations

Plot devices|

| Primary|

* The Doctor
* Doctors
* Companions
* Time Lord
* The Master

|

Secondary|

* Cast
* Supporting characters

Creatures|

* Dalek
* Cyberman
* Sontaran
* Weeping Angel
* Davros
* Silurian
* Creatures and aliens

Narrative devices|

* Villains
* Henchmen
* Robots
* Items

Related media|

| Spin-offs|

* Spin-offs
* Spin-off companions
* K-9 and Company
* Tardisode
* Torchwood
* The Sarah Jane Adventures
* K-9
* Class

|

Specials|

* Dimensions in Time
* The Curse of Fatal Death
* Scream of the Shalka
* An Adventure in Space and Time
* The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot

Films|

* Dr. Who and the Daleks
* Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

Documentaries|

* Whose Doctor Who
* Thirty Years in the TARDIS
* Dalekmania
* Confidential
* Totally Doctor Who
* Torchwood Declassified
* The Commentaries
* The Science of Doctor Who
* Extra
* The Fan Show

Stage|

* The Curse of the Daleks
* Seven Keys to Doomsday
* The Ultimate Adventure
* A Celebration
* 2008 Prom
* 2010 Prom
* Live

Novels|

* Novelisations
* New Adventures
* Missing Adventures
* Virgin Decalog
* Eighth Doctor Adventures
* Past Doctor Adventures
* BBC Short Trips
* New Series Adventures
* Telos novellas
* Big Finish Short Trips

Audio|

* Big Finish audio plays
* Big Finish spin-off audio plays
* Audiobooks
* Audio releases

Video|

* Wartime
* P.R.O.B.E.
* Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans
* Mindgame
* Downtime
* Auton
* Dæmos Rising
* Zygon: When Being You Just Isn't Enough
* Dead and Buried

Video games|

* The First Adventure
* The Warlord
* The Mines of Terror
* Dalek Attack
* Destiny of the Doctors
* Top Trumps
* The Adventure Games
* Return to Earth
* Evacuation Earth
* The Mazes of Time
* Worlds in Time
* The Eternity Clock
* Legacy
* Lego Dimensions

Miscellaneous|

* Comics
* Faction Paradox
* Death's Head
* Dalek illustrations
* Pinball
* Card game
* Spoofs
* Star Trek crossover
* Exhibitions

Publications|

| Magazines etc.|

* Magazine
* Adventures
* Battles in Time
* The Black Archive

|

Publishers|

* Big Finish Productions
* Reeltime Pictures
* BBV
* Mad Norwegian Press
* Magic Bullet Productions
* Obverse Books

* Portal
* Category
* Book

Template:Doctor Who supplementary episodes

Links to related articles

Template:First Doctor stories Template:Second Doctor stories Template:Third Doctor stories Template:Fourth Doctor stories Template:Fifth Doctor stories Template:Sixth Doctor stories Template:Seventh Doctor stories Template:Cyberman stories Template:Dalek stories Template:Ice Warrior stories Template:Master stories Template:Silurian stories

Template:Sontaran stories

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctors. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Software:Doctor_Who:_Destiny_of_the_Doctors&oldid=4290874"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template