First published by Hit-Pak (the ‘budget’ label of Elite Systems) in 1988, the C64 version of the classic bat-and-ball action game, Batty, is more or less the same as the ZX Spectrum original, but with chunkier graphics. And, like the original, it is an excellent Breakout/Arkanoid clone.
Tag Archives: Single-Player
Batty, ZX Spectrum
Written by Mark Crane and first published by Hit-Pak (the budget label of Elite Systems) in 1987, Batty is a clone of the games Breakout, and Arkanoid, but with a few of its own unique features.
The game was a minor hit on the ZX Spectrum and was also released for the Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64.
The Addams Family, Game Boy
Holy moley… I don’t know what happened with the Game Boy version of The Addams Family, but somebody, somewhere dropped the ball with it. The game was developed by Ocean Software (like most of The Addams Family games), and first released in 1991, but unlike most of the other versions of this game: it looks terrible and plays even worse…
Qix, Game Boy
The Nintendo Game Boy version of Qix was developed by Minakuchi Engineering. It was first published by Nintendo in 1990.
Spindizzy, ZX Spectrum
Originating on the Amstrad CPC, Spindizzy is a genius piece of coding and game design. It is an isometric exploration game, where you play as a spinning gyroscope (called GERALD) trying to collect gems across a large map of screens. It was designed by Paul Shirley, and the Spectrum port was handled by Phil Churchyard. Spindizzy on the Spectrum was published by Electric Dreams in 1986.
Wee Ninja, Atari 8-bit
Wee Ninja is a homebrew scrolling platform game for Atari 8-bit home computers (with 32K of RAM). It was written by Paul Lay and first released by Playsoft in June 2025, to rapturous applause.
Venom Wing, Amiga
My jaw nearly hit the floor when I first saw Venom Wing on the Amiga. It’s a late release from legendary software house Thalamus, coming out in 1990, and it’s a real stinker…
Turrican, Game Boy
Developed by The Code Monkeys and published by Accolade in 1991, Turrican on the Game Boy is a decent scrolling run-and-gun shooter.
Strider, PC Engine
The PC Engine/Turbografx-16 version of Capcom‘s classic arcade game, Strider, was programmed by Capcom themselves, and first published by NEC Avenue in 1994.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire, Sega 32X
Developed by BlueSky Software and Zono, The Amazing Spider-Man: Web of Fire is a Marvel-licensed platform/action game featuring the infamous web-slinger. It was released exclusively for the Sega 32X in 1996.
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