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showing 1 - 50 of 100 games

name	publisher(developer)	year	description
Football Manager	Addictive Games	1982	The original and best football management game. Without this, the Championship Manager series would not be here. Simple but fantastic. In the top 5 all time influential spectrum games without a doubt. [Nev]
The Hobbit	Melbourne House (Beam Software)	1982	[b]Once you begin, you may never want it to end[/b] Now, the book by which all other fantasy adventures must be measured has come to life as the ultimate computer program. Now you can enter into one of the most incredible fantasy adventures the world has ever known. As Bilbo, the reluctant hobbit, you suddenly find yourself on a wonderful, frightening, magical journey. You, Gandalf the wizard, and Thorin the dwarf are off to slay the evil dragon and return the treasure he is hoarding. Along the way you will meet trolls and goblins, wizards and elves, Gollum, Bard, and other creatures of Middle-earth. What’s more, through your computer, you will actually be able to talk to these creatures, make friends (and enemies!), share meals, and collect treasure. You will visit many incredible places; some familiar, some new and strange, but all exciting. For those who do not know of hobbits and their world, J. R. R. Tolkein’s book [b]The Hobbit[/b] is included in this package. It will introduce you to the marvelous, magical adventures of Bilbo and guide you throughout your journey in Middle-earth. And you can visit Wilderland again and again, and each time your adventure will be new and exciting.* [190]* [74]* [4]* [130]* [48]* [48]***One of the classic text adventures of the early eighties, The Hobbit came to be a major influence on the European adventure market in particular.
Ant Attack	Quicksilva	1983	The Walled City of Antescher has rested for a thousand, thousand years in the midst of the Great Desert inhabited by only the deadly Ants who have made it their home. The sands have piled up at the walls but for some reason have never encroached upon the city proper. The City rests dreaming of past glories, solid and unmoving; the signature of a long dead race. The City washed clean by the sun's rays. The city lost from the world of men for days without number. Then one day, one year, one hour, He arrived and She arrived, some say that they are descended from a race of wizards, some say that they are descended from a race hidden in a green valley at the North Pole. Who can really tell these days, how much do we really know about the world as it was, or as it is, after so long in the cold Dark Ages. Only Antescher seems to stand inviolate after all this time, teeming with secrets, yet silent. He and She arrived to play their games through the wind-swept streets, ousting the ants from their exclusive occupation. He and She are now wreaking havoc through the ants who for their part kill and kill again without thought or consideration, just carrying out a biological imperative. He and She run to and fro, climbing in and out the buildings, the sound of their feet stretching from block to block. They laugh and cry out in fear walking with each other just ahead of the Ants and Death. And above all the drama within it's walls the City of Antescher watches and watches waiting for the next renaissance and the next Golden Age. The City seems to have a presence, a huge brooding entity which hangs over the buildings and which in some mysterious way controls the destiny of those below...* [4]* [48]* [48]* [6]***For the time, Ant Attack had possibly the best graphics seen in a Spectrum game using a technique devised by Sandy White called Soft Solid. It was also one of the few games of the era that allowed you to play as a female character, although your choice of gender made no difference to the gameplay. [arrgh]
Atic Atac	Ultimate Play The Game	1983	INTRO I never did believe in Ghosts or Monsters... Not until now, not until the Main doors of the Castle closed and locked themselves behind me... There's no key here!!! I'm trapped!!! HELP!!!... HEELLLPPPP!!!!... No-one can hear me... I'm alone... Why do the doors open and slam shut??!!... Is anybody there??... HHEELLLLPPPP!!!!... I can see strange shapes materialising on the other side of the room... Evil eyes glaring at me... Footsteps... Somethings coming down the corridor... Something large... Something cold... I must run quickly... QUICKLY... HHEELLLLPPPP!!!!... I must escape before it's too late!!!!! THE CASTLE Now that you have been trapped in the evil haunted Castle, your object is to find the hidden Golden Key of A.C.G. and escape via your only exit, the Main Doors. The Castle consists of 5 floors, including the 'Atic' and the caverns, which contain countless rooms. Within the many rooms you may find furniture, food, drink, objects, Ghosts, Ghouls and Monsters. Eat and drink sparingly so that you do not deplete your food supply. Collect and utilise any objects you find to your best advantage, be wary of slamming doors and working trapdoors which will try to trap you and avoid contact with all the Ghouls and Monsters, as each of these will use their best endeavours to hamper your search. YOUR WARRIOR Each of the characters, Knight, Surf and Wizard, are armed with their own specific weapons, individual movement type and use of one set of secret passages, unbeknown to the others.* [152]* [150]* [48]* [4]* [6]* [48]*** [48]
Chuckie Egg	A&F Software	1983	[6]* [48]* [48]
Computer Scrabble	Psion Software;Leisure Genius	1983
Cruising on Broadway	Sunshine Books	1983
Death Chase	Micromega	1983	[62]* [8]* [48]* [48]* [6]*The game involved you riding through forests trying to shoot people on motorbikes. The game tried to emulate the Speeder-bike chase on Endor from 'Return of the Jedi'. The game was surprising compelling and addictive (well, it seemed so at the time...)*One of the first first-person shooters ever. Ride on a motorcycle and gun down the other bikes in the level, but watch out for trees! [Jacquismo]
G-Force	Euro-Byte;EMM Software (BB Design)	1983
Jumping Jack	Imagine	1983
Knot in 3D	New Generation Software	1983
Manic Miner	Bug-Byte;Software Projects	1983	Miner Willy, while prospecting down Surbiton way, stumbles upon an ancient, long forgotten mine-shaft. On further exploration, he finds evidence of a lost civilisation far superior to our own, which used automatons to dig beep into the Earth's core to supply the essential raw materials for their advanced industry. After centuries of peace and prosperity, the civilisation was torn apart by war, and lapsed into a long dark age, abandoning their industry and machines. Nobody, however, thought to tell the mine robots to stop working, and through countless aeons they had steadily accumulated a huge stockpile of valuable metals and minerals, and Miner Willy realises that he now has the opportunity to make his fortune by finding the underground store. In order to move to the next chamber, you must collect all the flashing keys in the room while avoiding nasties like POISONOUS PANSIES and SPIDERS and SLIME and worst of all, MANIC MINING ROBOTS. When you have all the keys, you can enter the portal which will now be flashing. The game ends when you have been 'got' or fallen heavily three times.* [150]* [151]* [132]* [6]* [4]* [48]* [48]*Great platform game, in its era one of the very finest, was followed up by Jet Set Willy and Jet Set Willy 2. This game will be remembered for its simplicity and its gameplay. Matthew Smith, the Author, sold the game to two companies at once, (Bug Byte and Software Projects) hoping one would buy it from him. Both sold the game, but only Software Projects had the capital to continue with the sequel.
Maziacs	dk'tronics	1983
Mined Out	Quicksilva	1983
Pheenix	Megadodo Software;Alternative Software	1983	[8]*** [10]
Splat!	Incentive Software	1983	[4]*** [6]
The Train Game	Microsphere	1983
Wheelie	Microsphere	1983
Zzoom	Imagine	1983
Alien	Argus Press Software (Concept Software)	1984
All or Nothing	Abbex Software	1984
Antics	Bug-Byte	1984
Avalon	Hewson (ST Software)	1984
Boulder Dash	Front Runner (Dalali Software)	1984	The ultimate underground journey, but be forewarned—nothing less than perfection is required! Boulder Dash™ will challenge your mind and reflexes like no other game! The objective of Boulder Dash is to search throughout each CAVE and collect as many jewels in as short a time as possible. Once the indicated amount of jewels have been collected, the door to the mysterious escape tunnel is revealed and you go to the next level. Strategy and planning will help you master the "physics" of Boulder Dash. Boulders drop predictably enough, but you and Rockford also have to block growing Amoebas, transform Butterflies, outmanoeuvre Fireflies, and overcome other numerous obstacles.* [192]* [152]* [136]* [6]*** [4]
Bounty Bob Strikes Back!	U.S. Gold	1984
Codename Mat	Micromega	1984
Dark Star	Design Design Software	1984
Deus Ex Machina	Automata UK	1984	Based on "The Seven Ages of Man" from the Shakespeare play, As You Like It, this game charts the life of a defect as it evolves within the machine from inception, through growth, and eventually death
Eric and the Floaters	Sinclair Research;Hudson Soft	1984
Hyper-Action	Silversoft	1984
Jet Set Willy	Software Projects	1984	Miner Willy, intrepid explorer and nouveau-riche socialite, has been reaping the benefits of his fortunate discovery in Surbiton. He has a yacht, a cliff-top mansion, an Italian housekeeper and a French cook, and hundreds of new found friends who REALLY know how to enjoy themselves at a party. His housekeeper, Maria, however, takes a very dim view of all his revelry, and finally after a particularly boisterous thrash she puts her foot down. When the last of the louts disappears down the drive in his Aston Martin, all Willy can think about is crashing out in his four-poster. But Maria won't let him into his room until ALL the discarded glasses and bottles have been cleared away. Can you help Willy out of his dilemma? He hasn't explored his mansion properly yet (it IS a large place and he HAS been VERY busy) and there are some very strange things going on in the further recesses of the house (I wonder what the last owner WAS doing in his laboratory the night he disappeared). You should manage O.K though you will probably find some loonies have been up on the roof and I would check down the road and on the beach if I was you. Good luck and don't worry, all you can lose in this game is sleep.* [193]* [192]* [190]* [132]* [130]* [4]* [6]* [48]* [48]*The hugely successful sequel to Manic Miner. Jet Set Willy may not look like much today, but it was hugely influential on its release, spawning dozens of clones on various formats. Its wacky sense of humour was also typical of many British games during the Eighties. [arrgh] Can't be completed because it is impossible to reach some objects.
Knight Lore	Ultimate Play The Game	1984	[6]* [4]* [41]* [48]My journey's end is near; as the last few ebbs of daylight dance fleeting in the cooling twilight, and then suddenly dart off to chase the red sinking sun. Behind me I feel night's dark icy fingers slither up long looming shadows, hiding behind large mounds and boulders, watching my every move... silently waiting.... For days I have journeyed from the realms of the jungle wulf to 'KNIGHT LORE' castle to seek the old dying wizard and ask for his help to free me from this deathly curse... For countless nights I have slept chained to trees to keep my deathly curse at bay, but now I am here...**Released in December along with `Underworld` as part of Ultimate's Christmas 1984 software lineup, this received a coveted `Crash Smash` by the now defunct Spectrum magazine and wowed the gaming press and public with the since much imitated isometric 3D perspective. Knightlore was actually ready months before its Christmas release date but was kept back as the Stampers decided that the gaming public were just not ready for it!
Lode Runner	Software Projects ( Platinum Productions)	1984
Lunar Jetman	Ultimate Play The Game	1984
Match Point	Psion Software;Sinclair Research	1984
Robotron: 2084	Atari	1984	THE ROBOT REVOLT HAS BEGUN THE THRILL OF THE ARCADE GAME It's the year 2084, and robots are turning against their masters. Saved by a genetic accident, only you can resist their mutant re-programming and defend humanity. Grunts close in. The Brains launch missiles. Tanks, Sheroids, and Electrodes spell death. And then, there's the Hulk--immune to your laser. Your mission is to rescue, evade, and destroy. Good luck.* [193]*Never officially released.
Sir Lancelot	Melbourne House	1984
Stop the Express	Sinclair Research (Hudson Soft)	1984
Technician Ted	Hewson	1984	[28]* [6]* [6]* [4]* [48]
The Lords of Midnight	Beyond Software	1984	[6]* [48]* [48]
Tornado Low Level	Vortex Software	1984	[4]* [6]* [48]*Costa Panayi had an excellent understanding of the limitations of Spectrum graphics and in his early titles he managed to create stylish looking games without resorting to monochrome. TLL was the best example of his approach. [arrgh]*One aspect of the game that Costa was particularly proud of was the shadow cast by the plane. When you fly over a building the shadow climbs up the wall, which, if you think about it, means suddenly it has to move faster than the plane to keep up.
Trashman	New Generation Software	1984
Underwurlde	Ultimate Play The Game	1984	[4]* [48]* [48]***Underwurlde was released in December 1984 and received a Crash Smash in the same issue as Ultimate's other Christmas `84 release - `Knightlore`. It was possible to escape from the Underwurlde via three separate exits with each leading onto a separate game (Knightlore, Pentagram and Mire Mare). Unfortunately, Mire Mare never made it past the drawing board although a scan of the cover can be seen on the official Rare (who were `Ultimate Play The Game`) website.
Back to Skool	Microsphere	1985	In this sequel to popular Skool Daze once again you must try and save your own neck! Having managed to steal your report during the last few skooldaze of term, you've spent the whole holiday forging teachers' signatures and handwriting to make yourself look like the brightest, sweetest natured, most helpful little soul ever to carry a satchel.... Now all you've got to do is get it back into the Headmasters's safe! Back to Skool follows the same gameplay style as its predecessor, but this time the school is bigger (there's a girl's section to explore) and there's a larger cast of characters. There's also more to do this time around, with more objectives to complete before you can finish the game. [Moby Games]* [147]* [127]* [6]* [4]* [10]* [8]***A sequel to the brilliant 'Skool Daze'. Ingenious game, showing excellent early AI techniques. Things are happening all the time throughout the school on screen and outside the screen. First of all find the water pistol, then wait until you get a lesson in the 'Blue Room', then, when everyone has settled, go outside the room so as you can see Einstein snitching on you. Run back to your seet before he finishes. The teacher will speedily return to the blackboard in the wrong position and start rubbing (It's all about timing so it may take a few attempts). He will go too far and go out the screen, leaving only a frozen image of himself that will dissappear if you walk through it. Quickly run down to the cloakroom, below the toilets, make sure you're on the very left of the screen. Turn so as you are facing right, but still on the very left of the screen. Shoot your water pistol. You will notice that the screen will scroll to the right. Keep pressing right and the screen will scroll all the way to the girls school without you. Wait a while and, Hey Presto, the teacher will come through the upper right hand side of the screen into the headmistress' staff room. [Cozo]
Dun Darach	Gargoyle Games	1985
Elite	Firebird (Torus)	1985	Command your Cobra space ship in a fantastic voyage of discovery and adventure, a supreme test of your combat, navigational and entrepreneurial skills. Trade between countless planets, using the proceeds to equip your ship with heat-seeking missiles, beam lasers and other weapons - corporate states can be approached without risk, but unruly anarchies may be swarming with space pirates. Black market trading can be lucrative but could result in skirmishes with local police and a price on your head! However you make your money, by fair means or foul, you must blast onwards through space annihilating pirate ships and hostile aliens as you strive to earn your reputation as one of the Elite!* [150]* [147]* [6]* [4]* [10]* [48]*** [10]
Frankie Goes to Hollywood	Ocean	1985
Gyron	Firebird (Torus)	1985
Gyroscope	Melbourne House (Catalyst Coders)	1985
Highway Encounter	Vortex	1985	In this isometric 3D action-strategy game, the player uses a Vorton droid to push a bomb to the end of the highway into an alien base. There are 30 screens, most of them filled with hazards trying to block (like barrels) or destroy (mines and aliens) your bomb. The perspective and guidance concept are not the game's only original features; there are 4 more bombs with you, representing your extra lives - pushing you forward on your mission. If these other Vortons are destroyed, one of your extra lives is lost without the player being able to use it. [Moby Games]* [150]* [147]* [6]* [4]* [48]* [10]***The stunning, colour-filled 3D graphics and game plot (in its basic concept) predated the 16-bit smash Lemmings by five years. So tricky that only the most dedicated of gamers ever saw the last of the 30 screens of zapping-and-puzzling action, but every second of it was a joy.

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