Tag Archives: 8-bit

H.E.R.O., Atari 2600

John Van Ryzin‘s popular H.E.R.O. (Helicopter Emergency Rescue Operation) first made its appearance on the Atari 2600 (aka Atari VCS), via Activision, way back in 1984.

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3D Monster Maze, ZX81

3D Monster Maze was developed by Malcolm Evans for J.K. Greye Software in 1982.

This classic black and white maze game was one of the first ever video games to use a first-person viewpoint inside a 3D maze.

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Everyone’s A Wally, ZX Spectrum

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.

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Driller, ZX Spectrum

Driller first appeared on the ZX Spectrum in 1987. This version is where it all began.

Driller‘s engine – called Freescape – was to go down in history as one of the first to make 3D gaming a real possibility.

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Driller, Amstrad CPC

Driller was the very first Freescape game. A very important game for its time. It first came out in 1987.

It was one of the first ever games that allowed you to explore a full 3D environment, and Freescape was the engine that made it possible.

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EarthBound Zero, NES

This classic NES game was initially released in Japan in 1989 under the title of Mother.

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Academy, ZX Spectrum

Sub-titled “Tau Ceti II“, Pete Cooke’s stunning Academy is a brilliant mission-based surface shooter that combines great presentation and atmosphere, with interesting use of light – quite radical for a humble ZX Spectrum.

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