Tag Archives: 8-bit

Mega Apocalypse, Commodore 64

Mega Apocalypse is the sequel to Crazy Comets. It was programmed by Simon Nicol, with graphics by Bob Stevenson and music by Rob Hubbard, and was published for the Commodore 64 by Martech in 1987. It is a single-screen shooter in which you have to destroy a series of planets to complete each stage.

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Crazy Comets, Commodore 64

Programmed by Simon Nicol, with music by Rob Hubbard, Crazy Comets is the beginning of Simon Nicol‘s preoccupation with the arcade game Mad Planets.

Crazy Comets was first published by Martech in 1985.

After Crazy Comets, Nicol then made Mega Apocalypse, and then Apocalypse II (which never got released). Each game a clone of Mad Planets, although with Nicol‘s own twist.

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Zoids: The Battle Begins, Amstrad CPC

Zoids was a range of popular children’s toys during the 1980s. They were dinosaur robot-type things that fought each other and looked really cool (if you were six years old). The toys spawned TV shows and computer games, and this one – designed by The Electronic Pencil Company – is notable as one of the best.

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Impossible Mission, ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum version of Dennis Caswell‘s classic platform/puzzle game, Impossible Mission, was first published in 1985 by US Gold. It is an okay adaptation. Playable, but nothing special.

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Pool of Radiance, Commodore 64

Developed by Strategic Simulations, Inc., Pool of Radiance is a ground-breaking AD&D RPG for 8-bit computers. It was first released in June 1988, in America, and later published in Europe by US Gold, and in Japan by Pony Canyon.

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Rick Dangerous 2, Commodore 64

Rick Dangerous 2 is the 1990 sequel to the original platform game, Rick Dangerous. It was published by Micro Style (a sub-label of Microprose), and was once again developed by Core Design of Derby.

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Rick Dangerous, Commodore 64

Rick Dangerous is a well-known platform game that parodies the tomb-raiding adventures of Indiana Jones. It was developed by Core Design and first published by Firebird Software in 1989.

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Koronis Rift, Amstrad CPC

The Amstrad CPC version of Koronis Rift is very similar to the Atari 8-bit original. The Amstrad‘s multi-colour graphics mode emulates the Atari graphics so well that you’d have to wonder if it’s a clone of Atari‘s graphics mode… It probably is. 🙂

Koronis Rift was ported to the Amstrad by Mr. Micro Ltd. – for Lucasfilm Games – and first published by Activision in 1987.

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Delta Charge!, ZX Spectrum

This is a conversion of the infamous Commodore 64 shooter, Delta. It was inexplicably re-titled as “Delta Charge!” by Thalamus and was first released for the ZX Spectrum in 1990 – very late in the machine’s initial lifetime.

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