Superfrog is an Amiga-based platform game, developed by Team 17 and first published in 1993, although this CD32 conversion followed later, in 1994.
Tag Archives: bees
Kid Chaos, Amiga CD32
Kid Chaos is a scrolling platform game created by Shaun Southern and Andrew Morris of Magnetic Fields, and published by Ocean Software in 1994.
Domino Man, Arcade
This strange 1983 arcade game from Bally Midway is based on the bizarre-but-satisfying craze of ‘domino toppling’.
Phantasy Star II, Megadrive/Genesis
Released in 1989 for the Sega Megadrive/Genesis, Phantasy Star II is a pioneering RPG for its time. It’s a sequel, obviously; to the classic Sega Master System release of 1987, Phantasy Star.
Antics, ZX Spectrum
This 1983 sequel to Bug-Byte‘s The Birds and the Bees is a simplistic maze game, but with excellent controls as you control a bee (with plenty of inertia), on the lookout for a kidnapped friend (kidnapped by ants, no less).
The Birds and the Bees, ZX Spectrum
The Birds and the Bees is a simple, side-scrolling collect ’em up, with you playing a bee, out collecting pollen from nearby flowers. It was released by Bug-Byte Software on the ZX Spectrum in 1983.
720 Degrees, Arcade
A colourful, isometric arcade game from 1986 – 720 Degrees (aka 720°) is a skateboarding action game where you control a kid on a board, trying to complete tricks and courses in his local neighbourhood, before moving on to compete in a proper skate park.
Wheelie, ZX Spectrum
Who programmed Wheelie? That’s a question I’d like an answer to.
Having played and enjoyed this side-scrolling motorbike game back in 1983, when it was originally released by publisher Microsphere, and having played it again recently, I would like to at least mention the person who made it. Balls to publishers – they were the “bad actors” of the software scene in the 80s and 90s – in my mind it is the programmers and actual game designers who deserve the credit for classic retro games such as this.
And – having searched the internet for an answer – and found only countless warbling commentators recycling the same old (lack of) information, I’d like to address this. Does it say on the original packaging who programmed Wheelie? Does anyone know the person responsible personally? If anyone knows: please drop me a message.
Wheelie is a ZX Spectrum classic – fondly remembered by me and all the people who played it back in the Thatcher years. And it is still worth a play nowadays. Sadly the game doesn’t even have its own Wikipedia page. Definitely an oversight as it deserves one.
Kolibri, Sega Megadrive/Genesis 32X
Kolibri was developed by Hungarian company Novotrade International and released by Sega in 1995 for the Sega 32X only (which required the extra add-on for the Sega Megadrive/Genesis).
It is a hummingbird-themed shoot ’em up with interesting ideas and a enigmatic mix of gentleness and challenge. You fight wasps and bees and other insects. And the graphics are stunning. As can be seen from these screen grabs.
Lead designer, Ed Annunziata, was also the Producer of Ecco the Dolphin (which was also developed by Novotrade).
More: Kolibri on Wikipedia
Kolibri Sega Megadrive 32X title screen, 1995.
Everything seems a little off-colour. I wonder what’s up.
Nothing going on down here. No sign of life yet.
First sign of life: a toad. Can it hurt me? Surely it can.
Picking up some power-ups.
Found my first enemies, near the flowers. Of course!
The hummingbirds are battling it out with the wasps.
Exploring a cliff face.
Bumble bee alert! Is it aggressive?
Shooting it out with bigger insects.
Some kind of spiky alien insect end-of-level boss!
Another toad. This one deep in the forest.
Exploring over the water.
Where there’s water there’s life. Or enemies.
Someone’s spitting bullets by the waterfall!
Humming bird versus flying alien insect/snake? You don’t see that every day!
Beautiful artwork at the start of the game.
