Games That Weren't^®

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

Icon Software 1984

What is it with fantasy games from the 1980s and the letter Z? So many characters, particularly in American fantasy (so it seemed to me) start with the letter Z. The wizard from the American version of Heroquest was called Zargon (The UK version had Morcar, which is much better!); Beastmaster had King Zed and lets not forget the many trips made to Zork. The UK chipped in with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain being called Zagor and at least one other effort, Zorakk the Conqueror, which was released on the BBC Electron and CPC but not on the Spectrum or C64. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1987 Kele Line Games

Pirates of the Ocean was one of four games slated for release by Kele Line in 1987, alongside Force of the Vulcan, that never made it to release. The only two games they released in 1987 were Tiger Mission and The Vikings, which were to be their last released before going bankrupt in the same year. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1983-85 Palace Software

• Code – Chris Neary, Stuart Brown
• Graphics – Duncan Rigden
• Sound – Unknown

Pegasus had its beginnings in the basement of a kebab shop in Gravesend in Kent, where Chris Neary, who had done the graphics for The Evil Dead in 1983, along with Duncan Rigden and Stuart Brown, got together to make the best game ever. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1984 Triffid Software Research

For a more detailed analysis of Triffid Software Research and the Runemagic Adventure Series, read the entry for The Secret River. A quick summary is that a series of eight adventures were planned, the first two of which, The Secret River and The Wizards Citadel, were released on the BBC Micro and had planned releases for the Spectrum 48k, the Commodore 64 and the BBC Electron. However, none seem to have been released for unknown reasons. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1984 Triffid Research Software

When it comes to RPGs one of the obstacles computer games have always had to overcome is how to proficiently transfer the unlimited experience of playing a pen and paper RPG, such as Dungeons and Dragons, to a computer, especially in the early days when you were limited to 32k, 48k, 64k and so on. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

Dungeons and Dragons was a gaming phenomona that started in the 1970s when historial gaming enthusiasts, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, created their own rules to tabletop battlefield gaming and focused it on a small group of heroes sneaking into a castle.

The game proved popular and to this day remains a huge influence on popular culture, though few people realise it. All modern computer games owe something to Dungeons & Dragons. Any game with even a casual structure that involves hit points, experience or levelling, in fact owes it’s existence to the original RPG game that introduced these concepts.

Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

The idea of making a computer game for The War of the Worlds seems obvious, aliens come to Earth and attack everything and everyone and a hero who is just trying to survive while Earths governments try to beat off the aliens (ooh er!), and several attempts have been made throughout the years. However, making a game based on Jeff Waynes The War of the Worlds struck me as a little odd. I dont know if theres ever been a computer conversion made of what is essentially a double album musical, even if it is based on a best selling sci-fi novel. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1987/88 Avalon Hill game company

The only information we have on this game comes from a CES show in Chicago, USA in 1987. Basically the game was to be a chess game, with the background being shown as a landscape.

Avalon Hill made its name as a board game company, and is famous for its historical war games. They still operate today and are a subsidiary of Wizards Coast.

Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1988 Firebird

In 1987 Firebird released Arcade Classics, a compilation of (wait for it) four classic arcade games, namely Space Invaders, Asteroids, Snake and Space Wars. It was neatly packaged with a front-end title screen with each game represented by its own arcade cabinet. It also featured excellent music from the legendary Rob Hubbard, who I saw a picture of just now and he looks freakily like one of the brothers from The Sparks. Not the singer, the guy on the keyboards who looked a bit like Hitler and seemed completely mental. Continue reading →

A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives

1987 Diamond Software

Xtron was due to be released by Diamond Software, along with various other releases, Diablo, Hollywood Poker and Kaos. However, it seems only Diablo received a release, judging by entries on Lemon64 and the preservation site, GB64. That means that Xtron, Hollywood Poker and Kaos are all Games That Werent. Continue reading →