Best original BBC micro games?

Jeremy Grayson · Post by **Jeremy Grayson** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:50 pm

ivor_the_injun wrote:

...And were there any other computer game/board game hybrids before Brian Clough's Football Fortunes?

Definitely not on the Beeb, no. Brian Clough creators CDS later revisited the hybrid format with Tank Attack - both were written by Mike Williams, formerly one third of MRM Software and also the write of most of Blue Ribbon's original arcade games.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

Jeremy Grayson · Post by **Jeremy Grayson** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:52 pm

TomWalker wrote:Bumble Bee was a clone of the arcade game Lady Bug. The other two were original though I think.

Yep, although in fairness to Micropower they were comfortably first to convert this coin-op to the Beeb. Icon's Chrysalis came a year later.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

Jeremy Grayson · Post by **Jeremy Grayson** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:58 pm

Kecske Bak wrote:

And I thought that Elixir was a very original game too - and given that one of the things I do for some pennies is produce platform games in Flash using vector graphics I think it's pretty much ahead of its time. It wasn't the gameplay in Elixir but the way it was done technically. And as I said, it took until Flash came along for games like this to become common - it was WAY ahead of its time!

Mmmm, I like Elixir too, but its juddery execution and irritating sound makes it hard to put up with for prolonged periods. It had a very difficult birth, passing through three authors - including Chris Hyde (Zany Kong) and John Llewellyn (Percy Penguin, Mr Wiz) - and didn't sell at all well when it finally came out in early 1988. A proper kicking in Acorn User won't have helped its cause.

A pity. It deserved better than it got from start to finish.

Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

Kecske Bak · Post by **Kecske Bak** » Fri Apr 14, 2006 8:30 am

I remember an article in "The Micro User" claiming a "first" for "Micro Olympics", a game released in 1984 by their publisher Database publications.

It was supposed to be the first game that sold advertising space on hoardings seen within the game.

Although whether this is true or not I don't know.

AJW · Post by **AJW** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 12:38 am

Jeremy Grayson wrote:
Kecske Bak wrote:
And I thought that Elixir was a very original game too - and given that one of the things I do for some pennies is produce platform games in Flash using vector graphics I think it's pretty much ahead of its time. It wasn't the gameplay in Elixir but the way it was done technically. And as I said, it took until Flash came along for games like this to become common - it was WAY ahead of its time!
Mmmm, I like Elixir too, but its juddery execution and irritating sound makes it hard to put up with for prolonged periods. It had a very difficult birth, passing through three authors - including Chris Hyde (Zany Kong) and John Llewellyn (Percy Penguin, Mr Wiz) - and didn't sell at all well when it finally came out in early 1988. A proper kicking in Acorn User won't have helped its cause.
A pity. It deserved better than it got from start to finish.
Jeremy
(graysonscolumn)

Why did the original author stop developing it?

Post by **Samwise** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:49 am

Ah-hah!

Another one struck me last night. Again, it's not really genre-defining but how about the 100% pure beeb classic Frak! by Orlando? That got converted to the C64 at least and I'm pretty sure was a completely original game. Can't say I ever got into it myself, but it was certainly a graphical feast ...

Sam.

CMcDougall · Post by **CMcDougall** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:59 am

yeah its that, quality game

also the rude Frak , but instead of saying 'Frak!' it says 'Feck!'

Quote from music forum off topic ='Frak - I couldn't believe the cartoon graphics on this '

Tue Jun 27, 2006 11:39 am

Also, how about Imogen? I don't really think I've seen anything like it on any other platform - neither in graphical style nor in the imaginativeness of the puzzles.

Cybershark · Post by **Cybershark** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 12:42 pm

not a commercial release and i didn't have enough patience to see it all through but i'd definitely give props to Mike Goldberg's 'Blue Meanie' as being a very original piece of Micro User type-in lunacy. i suppose it was perhaps just a very twisted version of Repton though

still, he turned out some real gems later in the Micro User's life. 'Dickie Brickie' was another more enjoyable one. and he made such pretty sprites

oh and put me down as another Elixir supporter

i too found the press reviews to be rather harsh. almost finished this bugger... think there was just one thing i couldn't figure out somewhere...

CMcDougall · Post by **CMcDougall** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 1:08 pm

Some1 on the Music forums said

Sphinx
Twin Kingdom Valley
Snapper
Chuckie Egg
Monsters
Escape From Moonbase Alpha
Estra
Swoop
Ghouls
Frak
The Hobbit
Pole Position
Sabre Wulf
Copter Capers
Attack from Alpha Centurai
Atic Atack
Acid Drops
Colussus Adventure (sometimes known as Classic Adventure)
Kissin Cousins
Jet Boot Jack
Repton 1 & 2
Elite (best game ever)

andy.ho · Post by **andy.ho** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 3:58 pm

Rich Talbot-Watkins wrote:Also, how about Imogen? I don't really think I've seen anything like it on any other platform - neither in graphical style nor in the imaginativeness of the puzzles.

Agreed, Imogen was very original and a lot of fun. A bit too short if I remember correctly.

AJW · Post by **AJW** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 12:00 am

Although it was converted I believe. Who was the original author?

Kecske Bak · Post by **Kecske Bak** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 6:56 pm

AJW wrote:Although it was converted I believe. Who was the original author?

No, I think Imogen was an original game by Michael St. Aubyn.

AJW · Post by **AJW** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 11:25 pm

That name sounds right although I'm almost certain it was converted for the Spectrum!

ghbearman · Post by **ghbearman** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:15 am

Well if it was the worldofspectrum.org site hasn't got it listed. (Edit: I've also checked their Missing In Action list.)

Kecske Bak · Post by **Kecske Bak** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 8:18 am

AJW wrote:That name sounds right although I'm almost certain it was converted for the Spectrum!

I don't think it was. Look at ovine by design's website - the history of the game is given there.