Black Crystal is infamous for being an overpriced and under-produced RPG from the early days of home computing.
This Commodore 64 version plays pretty much the same as the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum versions, in that: it’s absolutely awful and will have you both tearing your hair out in minutes, and also wondering who on earth would make such a game…
Action Biker was created to market Skips Crisps in the UK, and therefore features KP Skips Crisp’s mascot “Clumsy Colin” as the playable character.
As good as International Soccer is (well, isn’t), International Basketball is on a whole ‘nother level when it comes to playability…
Again written by Andrew Spencer for Commodore, International Basketball looks very similar to its predecessor but is leagues better, in terms of gameplay.
Chris Hinsley‘s 1985 follow-up to Pyjamarama sees the return – once again – of Wally Week. The mechanic turned mundane video game hero.
The unique thing about Everyone’s A Wally is that you can switch between five different characters and go about your adventuring business – two years before Maniac Mansion.
Arguably game designer Steve Crow‘s finest hour, Starquake is a brilliant platform action game first released through Bubble Bus Software in 1985.
Sequel to Mike Singleton‘s classic fantasy war game Lords of Midnight, Doomdark’s Revenge is much bigger and more complex than its predecessor, although essentially it still follows the same style of play as the original – with unique, turn-based movement and tactical combat.
Steve Crow‘s colourful and fun Wizard’s Lair is clearly a tribute to the brilliant Ultimate Play The Game title Atic Atac. It has the same overhead viewpoint, similar gameplay and graphics and sound effects.
First released in 1985, Roller Coaster – by S. Brocklehurst – is a fun and jaunty platform game in which you play a small, agile character who has to explore a huge theme park looking for bags of gold.
Known as Gradius in Japan – but Nemesis everywhere else – Konami‘s classic 1985 shoot ’em up is one of the earliest progressive weapons blasters, with distinct levels and boss battles.
The game is somewhat reminiscent of the classic side-scrolling Scramble (also by Konami), but in Nemesis you fly a ship called the “Vic Viper”, and which has a variety of different weapons which can be powered-up by collecting capsules left by destroyed enemies.
Created by Pete Harrap and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1985, Monty On The Run is the sequel to Wanted: Monty Mole, and a real step up in quality from the first game, in terms of satisfying platform action.
The King of Grabs 