Realtime Software‘s classic Carrier Command is an early real-time strategy game that first came out for the Amiga and Atari ST in 1988 through Rainbird Software. In it you control a futuristic aircraft carrier battling for domination of a group of islands with an AI-controlled enemy carrier.
Tag Archives: Rainbird
Carrier Command, ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum conversion of Realtime Software‘s classic Carrier Command is arguably even better than the 16-bit originals. Mostly because it’s been tweaked a little to accommodate it on the humble Speccy, and as a result it plays really well as a strategy game, with extra action elements. Carrier Command on the Spectrum is for 128K machines only and was first published by Rainbird Software in 1989.
Elite, Atari ST
Developed by Mr. Micro and published by Firebird in 1988 the Atari ST version of Elite is pretty much identical to the Amiga version – in terms of graphics and gameplay.
Elite, Amiga
The 16-bit versions of Bell and Braben‘s classic space trading game, Elite, are a nice step up from their 8-bit counterparts.
The Amiga and Atari ST versions are faster and more colourful versions of Elite. Both were developed by Mr. Micro and published by Firebird in 1988.
Fish!, Atari ST
Fish! is the fifth and final Magnetic Scrolls text adventure, of their successful Rainbird period at least.
Please note: I do know that they did make a sixth, called Myth, although this was not made available commercially and was distributed only to fan club members on personalised floppy disks. It was also a ‘mini’ adventure, rather than a full game.
Corruption, Atari ST
Corruption is a modern-day adventure thriller where you play a partner in a company that is embroiled in a series of crimes. You don’t know about them and are innocent, and must investigate your suspicions (and colleagues) carefully. And do it to a strict timetable, because Corruption must be played-out over the space of one full day.
The deeper you dig, the more dangerous your situation becomes.
Jinxter, Atari ST
What can I say about Jinxster? It’s surreal. It’s short. It’s funny, at times. At other times it’s infuriatingly obscure. Which you come to expect from a Magnetic Scrolls text adventure, I guess…
The Guild of Thieves, Atari ST
The second Magnetic Scrolls game – first released in 1987 – is called The Guild of Thieves, and is another text-based fantasy adventure, set in the same place as The Pawn (Kerovnia).
The Pawn, Atari ST
The Pawn was the first Magnetic Scrolls game, and the one that set the company up, in terms of its extremely high standards.
Starglider 2, Atari ST
Starglider 2 was met with pretty much universal acclaim when it was first released in 1988. And – as a 3D shooter – it broke new ground in a number of different areas.