Jackal by Konami on the Commodore 64 is an interesting and unusual case. Two different versions exist, both produced by UK developers – yet only one ever saw release, and that was in the US several years later. No one has ever surfaced with a physical copy of a UK release, raising the question: was the UK edition ever properly released, or is the version we know today something that leaked after cancellation?
This wasn’t something we’d seriously questioned until JazzGhostrider got in touch, following a Lemon64 thread discussing the matter and asking for our thoughts.
While there’s no concrete evidence that a UK Commodore 64 version was released, there’s still a possibility that it had a very limited run – though if so, no copies have yet come to light. What does suggest intent is that the ZX Spectrum version was released in the UK with Konami-branded packaging (the same used for Jail Break and Nemesis) and it even includes Commodore 64 instructions.
I’ve a vague recollection of reading that Konami’s attempt to publish games directly in the UK was ultimately deemed a failure. Sales were reportedly poor, and conversions such as Jail Break and (according to some) Nemesis – underperformed. Konami subsequently pulled back from UK publishing, opting instead to license titles to third parties such as Imagine Software for later releases like Salamander.
Jackal was originally expected to appear on a Konami C64 compilation, but was oddly swapped out for Iron Horse. That title itself never appears to have received a full release on any platform – with ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions still missing. This suggests that neither game may have seen a full standalone C64 release due to Konami pulling out of the UK market, or at least that Iron Horse was affected. It’s particularly strange that Jackal made it to release on the ZX Spectrum, which could imply that the C64 version was delayed, unfinished, or perhaps never delivered to Konami at all (possibly due to non-payment).
We spoke to John Buckley about Iron Horse, though they couldn’t recall why it never received an individual release, suspecting only that it was tied to Konami’s withdrawal from the UK market.
An interesting side note is that both Jackal and Salamander feature music by Mark Cooksey. This could suggest that Salamander was originally commissioned under Konami’s UK publishing arm before the rights were sold to Imagine – potentially explaining how Imagine may also have ended up holding the licence for Jackal. Of course, it could equally be coincidence.
In the STIL entry for his Jackal music, Mark notes that he believes he was never paid, as the developer collapsed and the rights were transferred elsewhere. That could refer either to Konami exiting the UK market and transferring rights to Imagine, or to the C64 development team itself collapsing – possibly explaining why the UK version was never released.
What we do know is that the UK C64 version was developed by James Keeley, with graphics by Reaper Grafix Company. Somehow, this version has been in circulation for many years. It’s possible it was leaked by the developer to a cracking group following cancellation. Those who’ve played it often comment that it feels incomplete compared to the later US release. Perhaps that was the case – though the game can be completed.
What remains particularly odd is that a different C64 version – again by a UK developer – was released in 1989 by Konami in the US. This version was developed by Mike Hutchinson and lists “Imagine” on the title screen, yet was never released in the UK by the label.
Mike explains to us that he received the Jackal commission after completing several C64 projects for Ocean/Imagine that were either shelved or relegated to compilations. He had previously completed an 8-bit Atari version of Arkanoid (which was released), along with Flashpoint and Quondam, neither of which saw release on C64 despite their ZX Spectrum versions appearing on magazine cover tapes. He was initially offered Victory Road, which never materialised, before being assigned Jackal instead.
Mike worked alone on the conversion and sourced music from Mark Cooksey. While it might seem an odd coincidence given Mark’s earlier involvement with Jackal, Mike already knew Mark from their time at Elite and had used his music on previous projects. Mark it seems just simply passed along music he’d already composed for Jackal roughly a year earlier.
After some difficulty securing payment, Mike was eventually paid and heard nothing further. This was around 1989, when Ocean decided to retire the Imagine label. That timing may explain why his Jackal conversion never received a UK release – though it’s still odd that it didn’t at least appear under the Hit Squad label.
Instead, the game was released solely in the US by Konami, whose American publishing arm continued into the early 1990s and issued several titles that never appeared in the UK, such as The Simpsons Arcade. It’s possible that Imagine never intended to publish the game locally and that the work was carried out specifically for Konami USA.
Ultimately, the key unanswered questions remain whether the original UK version ever had a limited release, and whether we can track down James Keeley or Reaper Grafix Company to shed more light on its development and cancellation.
At present, it seems likely that Iron Horse was the title most directly affected by Konami’s withdrawal from the UK market, which would explain why it never received a standalone release on any platform. Jackal, however, feels like a slightly different case. Its removal from the C64 compilation, combined with its inclusion in the ZX Spectrum version’s instructions, suggests that a C64 release was about to happen.
This leans more towards the idea that Jackal ran into development or contractual problems rather than being quietly dropped as part of a wider pull-out. A delay, internal dispute, or even a “Plotting” style leak via the cracking scene could explain why the game exists in the wild yet never saw an official UK release. That said, it’s harder to justify removing it from the compilation on those grounds alone.
An alternative explanation is that Konami never actually received a deliverable version suitable for release. If so, the decision to swap Jackal out of the compilation may simply reflect that there was nothing viable to include at the time. This would fit more closely with the idea of a payment dispute, or with Mark Cooksey’s recollection that the developer ceased trading before the project could be properly handed over.
If anyone can help us make contact with James/Reaper Grafix, we’d love to hear from you so that we can learn more about what happened exactly.
Contributions: JazzGhostrider, John Buckley, Mike Hutchinson, Lemon64 (Screenshots)
