The ZX Spectrum version of Argonaut‘s classic Starglider is actually surprisingly good. Or, rather: the 128K version is very good (the 48K version plays well enough, but it lacks the digitised speech and other enhancements, so is a little plain). And the main reason Starglider on the Speccy is respectable, is because it was converted by Realtime Games Software, who were pioneers in the field of Spectrum-based 3D games, having created the legendary Starstrike, Starstrike II and Carrier Command (among others).
Tag Archives: 3D graphics
Three-dimensional graphics, usually constructed of polygons. Not two-dimensional.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, PC
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a “reboot” of the Castlevania series, developed by Spanish studio MercurySteam and first published by Konami in 2010. Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear series, helped produce the title.
In Lords of Shadow you play as Gabriel Belmont, a member of the Brotherhood of Light, an elite group of holy knights who protect and defend the innocent against the supernatural. His quest is to defeat a malevolent order known as The Lords of Shadow, and to resurrect his dead wife, Marie.
Starglider, Amiga
Argonaut Software‘s Starglider, when it first came out, was a flashy release. It came in a big blue box, with a novella, a manual, and a single floppy disk. Magazines were raving about it, and I remember buying it… for the ZX Spectrum. LOL.
Starglider, Atari ST
The Atari ST version of Argonaut Software‘s pioneering 3D shooter, Starglider, first came out in 1986 – a year before the Amiga version (for some reason – I don’t know why).
Stunt Car Racer, Atari 8-bit
Geoff Crammond‘s classic Stunt Car Racer was converted to Atari 8-bit systems by homebrew coders Fandal and Irgendwer in 2018. And it is an excellent port that plays identically to the C64 version it is based upon.
Dungeon Master Nexus, Sega Saturn
Released exclusively in Japan for the Sega Saturn in 1998, Dungeon Master Nexus is a 3D dungeon-crawler based on the classic 16-bit RPG, Dungeon Master. And although FTL Games – the American developer of the original Dungeon Master – have been credited with creating this game, they actually had no involvement in the production of it. Dungeon Master Nexus was developed entirely in Japan, by Victor Interactive Software, and a fan translation into English was released in Sept 2023.
X, Game Boy
This game – called simply “X” – was a Japan-only release, in 1992, on the original black and white Game Boy, but its conception and development would later have a profound effect on Nintendo‘s confidence in producing 3D-based games.
X was created by British developer Argonaut Software (specifically, by Dylan Cuthbert, who was later infamously ‘poached’ by Nintendo from Argonaut), and was a demonstration of their ability to produce 3D-based games on home video game systems. This impressed Nintendo, who then tasked Argonaut with creating a new 3D game on their Super Nintendo console, which eventually became the classic Star Fox. And the rest is history… Sort of.
Xanadu Next, PC
Xanadu Next was developed by Falcom and published for Windows PCs in Japan in 2005. It is a continuation of the Dragon Slayer series and a spin-off from Xanadu: Dragon Slayer II. The game remained untranslated into English until a worldwide release by XSEED Games in 2016. And I have to say: it’s a wonderful game, and is arguably the pinnacle of the long-running franchise.
Road Rash, 3DO
Road Rash on the 3DO is a remake of the classic Megadrive/Genesis motorbike racing game. It first came out in 1994 through Electronic Arts and was developed by Monkey Do Productions in association with The EA Advanced Technology Group.
Shadow Squadron, Sega 32X
Developed and released by Sega in 1995, Shadow Squadron (also known as Stellar Assault in Europe) is a first-person, 3D space combat game with fast-moving filled polygons. The game can be played by one or two players and features a co-op mode where one player steers the ship and the other mans a gun turret.
The King of Grabs 