Denton Designs

Batman Returns

Batman Returns

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1993

Similar to some versions on consoles, the Amiga adaptation of Batman Returns is a side-scrolling beat'em up with platform elements. To defeat the Penguin, Batman must make his way through a number of levels, usually beating up henchmen from the Red Triangle Circus Gang with punches and kicks. There are also some special weapons, which must be collected and have limited ammunition: these include Batarangs, throwing disks or a Batrope. Some special enemies can only be defeated by applying the correct weapon. Some levels give more weight to platforming than fighting, such as a rooftop chase with Catwoman or navigating the sewers while searching for the Penguin's lair.
Bounces

Bounces

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Bounces is a futuristic sports game. Two players (one of which can be computer-controlled), compete against each other in order to earn points. Each game consists of two halves of 90 seconds each, one from each side of the screen. The winner is simply the player with the most points at the end. There are two ways of earning points. The first is to catch the bouncing ball that bounces around the arena and throw it through the goal slots on the opponent's side of the screen. The further into the opponent's half of the screen the slot is, the more points it is worth, but the more difficult it is to get the ball into; particular as each player is attached to their side of the screen by a wire. The second way to earn points is to knock the other plater down, either with characters fists or with the ball. Being knocked down reduces stamina, as does straying too far into the other player's side of the screen or colliding with the wall each player is attached to. If either player runs out of stamina they are unresponsive until they recover.
Cosmic Wartoad

Cosmic Wartoad

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1985

Cosmic Wartoad is an action game developed by Denton Designs for the ZX Spectrum. It was published by Ocean and released in the UK in 1985. The queen of the cosmic wartoads has been kidnapped by the Rygellian Slime Beasts, turned into a human and is being held captive beneath the Slime King's Sludge Saw, which descends over the course of ninety minutes and will kill her if it is not stopped. The player controls the Cosmic Wartoad as he attempts to rescue the queen. To achieve this he must travel across the Rygellian Timevoid, an 8x8 grid of "nodes", by entering a node, successfully completing the minigame within, and then entering an adjacent node, all the while collecting the eight pieces of the Cosmic Toolkit that will shut down the Sludge Saw. Each node contains one of several repeating minigames, which typically involve the Cosmic Wartoad fighting one or more enemies on a pseudo-isometric screen. The game finishes either when the Cosmic Wartoad successfully collects all eight pieces of the Toolkit and navigates his way across the grid to shut down the saw; when the Cosmic Wartoad loses all of his three lives; or when the ninety-minute game period expires
Dante's Inferno

Dante's Inferno

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

Dante's poem 'Inferno' details a man's journey through hell, in the hope of reaching purgatory. This computer game interpretation takes the form of a mazelike arcade adventure. You can hold two objects at a time, to use towards solving the puzzles. The objects you need are located in the initial forest, so lots of backtracking is required. Cross the River Styx through the boatman to reach the nine circles of hell. These represent people who will not go to Heaven based on Christian theologies, from non-Christians to those who breached the Seven Deadly Sins such as sloth and gluttony. Contact with these must be avoided if you are to prove yourself pure enough to enter purgatory.
Double Take

Double Take

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1987

A shoot-em-up game. You are a professor who can fly around. The game play area is divided into different kinds of rooms. There are two parallel universes (the "good" and "bad" - or "modern" and "ancient", if you prefer - versions of the universe), and you get sent from one universe to another at times. Part of the game is to collect items from these mirror worlds that have been swapped, and return them to their correct places, thus restoring the balance. In addition to this, you also need to shoot a lot of aliens before they shoot you, culminating with the fight against the big alien end monster.
Double Take

Double Take

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

A shoot-em-up game. You are a professor who can fly around. The game play area is divided into different kinds of rooms. There are two parallel universes (the "good" and "bad" - or "modern" and "ancient", if you prefer - versions of the universe), and you get sent from one universe to another at times. Part of the game is to collect items from these mirror worlds that have been swapped, and return them to their correct places, thus restoring the balance. In addition to this, you also need to shoot a lot of aliens before they shoot you, culminating with the fight against the big alien end monster.
Eco

Eco

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1988

Eco is an action strategy game of sorts, which sets the player in charge initially of a small single-celled organism and challenges the player to guide its evolution. The initial tasks are to roam around finding food and then find a potential mate. Depending on the organism's status, different predators will be after it - a radar is displayed to indicate where these are at any given time. Once this is done, the player is taken to a screen displaying the species' genes, and has the chance to modify one of them, thus resulting in evolution. Eventually the organism can evolve far enough to become plant, insect, fish, or even human.
Eco

Eco

Atari ST - Released - 1987

Eco is an action strategy game of sorts, which sets the player in charge initially of a small single-celled organism and challenges the player to guide its evolution. The initial tasks are to roam around finding food and then find a potential mate. Depending on the organism's status, different predators will be after it - a radar is displayed to indicate where these are at any given time. Once this is done, the player is taken to a screen displaying the species' genes, and has the chance to modify one of them, thus resulting in evolution. Eventually the organism can evolve far enough to become plant, insect, fish, or even human.
Elite Soccer

Elite Soccer

Nintendo Game Boy - Released - August 1, 1994

Play Elite Soccer and revel in the greatest soccer tournament on earth! Experience the ultimate soccer game on your Game Boy. Take your favorite international team on a journey through the most prestigious soccer tournament in the world. The World Cup! - World Cup tournament incorporates 24 international teams. - Every detail and aspect of the game can be user-defined. - World League and Knockout tournaments also included - Accurate animations give an unrivaled 3D visual feel to the game. - Team edit options allow you to choose from your own team's players.
Enigma Force

Enigma Force

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Following the events depicted in Shadowfire, General Zoff, the republican dictator, has been captured, but he still had time to declare war on the empire. While five members of the Enigma team: Zark, Sevrina, Syylk, Maul and yourself; escort Zoff to face the Emperor’s wrath, the war flares across the galaxy. As you cross the imperial border, Zoff concentrates his awesome psionic powers on the Enigma craft’s guidance system. Moments later the ship is bucking and burning through the atmosphere of a planet. You awake, head throbbing, to find the Enigma craft wrecked and General Zoff missing … Gameplay is very similar to its predecessor Shadowfire. Take control of your four Enigma Force members, each with different abilities, and lead them through an underground complex filled with enemy soldiers and lots of puzzles. You will often need to combine the abilities of more the one crew member to solve a single puzzle. The user interface is completely icon-driven. Only character movement and shooting is done directly with joystick. The game is in real time and you often need to switch between the characters because the enemy troops also move to through the complex and attack.
ET's Rugby League

ET's Rugby League

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1992

E.T.'s Rugby League is an Amiga rugby sports game released in 1992 by Ozisoft.
Eye of Horus

Eye of Horus

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1989

As a mystical shaman, go through a pyramid in ancient Egypt to get the magical eye of horus. In a cool twist, by pressing the up arrow you turn into a birdy and can search through the levels. Just press the down arrow and voila! Human again. Many traps try to trick you.
Eye of Horus

Eye of Horus

MS-DOS - Released - 1989

As a mystical shaman, go through a pyramid in ancient Egypt to get the magical eye of horus. In a cool twist, by pressing the up arrow you turn into a birdy and can search through the levels. Just press the down arrow and voila! Human again. Many traps try to trick you.
Eye of Horus

Eye of Horus

Commodore 64 - Released - 1989

As a mystical shaman, go through a pyramid in ancient Egypt to get the magical eye of horus. In a cool twist, by pressing the up arrow you turn into a birdy and can search through the levels. Just press the down arrow and voila! Human again. Many traps try to trick you.
Eye of Horus

Eye of Horus

Atari ST - Released - 1989

As a mystical shaman, go through a pyramid in ancient Egypt to get the magical eye of horus. In a cool twist, by pressing the up arrow you turn into a birdy and can search through the levels. Just press the down arrow and voila! Human again. Many traps try to trick you.
Flashpoint

Flashpoint

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1989

Flashpoint is an action/strategy game that is played on two grids of 45 squares (5 lines of 9 squares each) facing each other and representing an area of the galaxy. The game is always played against an opponent which can be either computer controlled or another player. Each side places their units (80 in total) on the grid in real time so as to get to a score of 2000 first. Points are awarded when placing an unit or destroying an enemy unit. In addition to regular units, there are 5 types of weapons that can be used to destroy enemy units. Released on the covertape of "Your Sinclair" November 1989 Issue 47 Magazine.
Foxx Fights Back

Foxx Fights Back

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1988

Usually, it would be farmers who get sent out of the house by their lady to go off and shoot some potential food. Denton Designs reversed the roles here though, and put you in control of a fox, out for revenge. You'll be foraging both above and below ground, with rabbits and hens on offer to kill, and apples and milk (yes, I know foxes are purely carnivorous) can be collected. All of this must be brought back to the home before to complete each level. All manner of nasties are thrown at you, including eggs (from hens), nuts (from squirrels) and rocks (from badgers)
Foxx Fights Back

Foxx Fights Back

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

Usually, it would be farmers who get sent out of the house by their lady to go off and shoot some potential food. Denton Designs reversed the roles here though, and put you in control of a fox, out for revenge. You'll be foraging both above and below ground, with rabbits and hens on offer to kill, and apples and milk (yes, I know foxes are purely carnivorous) can be collected. All of this must be brought back to the home before to complete each level. All manner of nasties are thrown at you, including eggs (from hens), nuts (from squirrels) and rocks (from badgers).
Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1985

The game puts the player in Liverpool in search for the Pleasuredome. The player has to find and use various objects and play minigames to reach the goal. The player starts the game as a simple character, to reach the Pleasuredome one has to become a full person. To become a full person, the four attributes (sex, war, love and faith) must be filled to 99%. The attributes are boosted by completing tasks in the game. Additional pleasure points can be scored by playing the minigames. The four attributes are part of the symbols used on the covers of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's albums. During the game a murder takes place. All the rooms the player can visit contain clues in order to find the murderer. The clues are in pairs, helping eliminate suspects. For example, you may be told "The killer is an atheist" and "Mr Somebody is a regular church-goer" - so Mr Somebody would be innocent. In theory the game cannot be completed without making the correct accusation (by returning to the room with the body) - there is a large bonus of Pleasure Points for naming the killer.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Commodore 64 - Released - December 11, 1985

Playing a thoroughly drab, mundane and predictable character, your aim is to become interesting enough to reach the Pleasuredome. After discovering a gruesome murder, your interest in something greater than the routine of 80s Liverpool is awoken. You explore the streets and houses in the search of a way out. The main basis of the game involves picking up objects and using them in the correct way - most objects have more than one potential use, and misusing them is the only way the game can be lost. There are several sub-games along the way, including shoot 'em ups, a maze and a jigsaw puzzle.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1986

Playing a thoroughly drab, mundane and predictable character, your aim is to become interesting enough to reach the Pleasuredome. After discovering a gruesome murder, your interest in something greater than the routine of 80s Liverpool is awoken. You explore the streets and houses in the search of a way out. The main basis of the game involves picking up objects and using them in the correct way - most objects have more than one potential use, and misusing them is the only way the game can be lost. There are several sub-games along the way, including shoot 'em ups, a maze and a jigsaw puzzle.
Gift from the Gods

Gift from the Gods

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1984

Set in the Palace of Mycenae in Ancient Greece, it follows the trials and tribulations of Orestes who, under the directions of the Gods Zeus and Apollo, must avenge the murder of his father, Basileus Agamemnon. Orestes must fulfill his destiny by trial in the Labyrinth beneath the palace and find the solution to the puzzle, or perish in the attempt. Hidden in 16 special rooms are objects, known as Euclidian shapes, geometric designs based on triangles, circles and squares; six of which, when correctly positioned in the Guardian’s Chamber, reveal the exit. Orestes has some help from his sister Electra, who has been imprisoned in the Labyrinth, and she can guide him to where the shapes are hidden, but Orestes has to decide himself what shapes he must take to the Guardian’s Chamber. Illusionary creatures created by the Demi-Gods try to sap Orestes’ strength, but in certain rooms, life-giving water drips from the roof, replenishing energy and stamina. The Demi-Gods have also created illusory Euclidian shapes as which sit beside the real ones, and although these do not fool Electra, she isn’t always around to help. The other problem is his mother, Clytaemnestra, who has learned of his task and has entered the labyrinth to kill Electra. Orestes is able to walk or fly and protect himself with a sword. Whether it really ‘knows’ is another matter, but depending on the circumstances you are able to walk, fly or fight all from the four directions of the joystick
Infodroid

Infodroid

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1987

Infodroid is set on a planet which exclusively deals with administration and focuses on the delivery of information and packages. The player is in charge of a startup company and tries to become a big player within a established competition. All deliveries are executed by droids which travel on five streams (two forward and two backwards) with different speeds; the central being static and allowing to enter a variety of rooms: junctions, dispatch rooms in which new delivery jobs can be taken and old ones concluded, information rooms where the game options can be changed and garages for repair duties. On the way, droids from other companies try to ram the player (hence the need for repairs) which need to be avoided by jumping between the streams. With money earned by delivering packages to the correct destination, new droids can be bought or the old ones upgraded, e.g. better shields or boosts which allow to jump multiple streams at once.
Infodroid

Infodroid

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

Infodroid is set on a planet which exclusively deals with administration and focuses on the delivery of information and packages. The player is in charge of a startup company and tries to become a big player within a established competition. All deliveries are executed by droids which travel on five streams (two forward and two backwards) with different speeds; the central being static and allowing to enter a variety of rooms: junctions, dispatch rooms in which new delivery jobs can be taken and old ones concluded, information rooms where the game options can be changed and garages for repair duties. On the way, droids from other companies try to ram the player (hence the need for repairs) which need to be avoided by jumping between the streams. With money earned by delivering packages to the correct destination, new droids can be bought or the old ones upgraded, e.g. better shields or boosts which allow to jump multiple streams at once.
Madballs

Madballs

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

On the planet Orb live a gang of notorious Madballs who decide what is passed through parliament. They have no leader, and this is where a ball simply known as Dust Brain comes in. It is his quest to persuade the other Madballs on the planet to join him in his quest for power, and he does this by bumping them off the multi-directionally scrolling platforms. Once a Madball has been persuaded, it appears in a tube at the bottom of the screen. When a Madball ends up in the tube, Dust Brain must find the 'downtube' exit so that he can pursue other Madballs. While searching for other Madballs, Dust Brain encounters many obstacles that include trampolines, springboards, catapults, ramps, pyramids, and oil slicks; and these obstacles can either help or hinder Dust Brain. Each platform has its own dustbin, and if Dust Brain bounces over this, he changes into a Madball already in the tube. Also, he will make contact with three bureaucrats who will make his task harder, but they can also be pushed of the edge of platforms, giving Dust Brain plenty of time to bounce around before the bureaucrats have the chance to resurrect themselves. Each Madball has its own speed and strength, and it can be difficult for a strong Madball to fall off a platform. Each of them also have their own energy source, which include cabbages, fish heads, bones, and Coke. When eight Madballs have been persuaded, this tube is full. When the active Madball falls off the platform, another one takes its place. When the last Madball in the tube falls off the platform, his quest for power has failed.
Mutants

Mutants

Commodore 64 - Released - July 15, 1987

In the distant future, human beings have outposts all over the galaxies, but wars and aggression have not died out. Neither has opposition to potential exploitation or environmental damage; your resistance movement has discovered that Macro-Genetic Mutoids (Mutants) are being bred purely to be used as weapons.
Quondam

Quondam

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1989

You’re in control of a fighter plane far in the future, flying through the tunnels of the Quondam Matrix, viewed from overhead. Located throughout the matrix are 43 hangars, of which 15 contain pieces of a jigsaw. Your objective is to fly to all 15 hangars collect the right jigsaw pieces and slot them all together to create the Quondam picture. The other 28 hangars house weapon supplies, entering these accesses either a homing missile or a shield for your plane. Vicious aliens in many shapes and forms also fly through the Quondam matrix firing at you with their weaponry. Happily you can do the same to them and shoot them to the ground. Released on the covertape of "Crash: issue 66 - July 1989" Magazine.
Roland's Rat race

Roland's Rat race

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Roland Rat, star of British breakfast TV in the 80s, is late for work and his car won't start, so you must control Roland and guide him through the sewers of London within a time limit or face getting the sack. To make problems worse, his friends have been kidnapped and must be rescued. The game is a flick-screen platform game with various levels of platforms on each screen connected by ladders and stairs. On the edge of each screen are various exits as well as some exits which go into the screen. Roland must collect pieces of a door and a key to open a large door at the end of the sewer which contains the Inner Sanctum containing his friends. Roaming the sewers are wellington boots and if they touch Roland then he loses part of an energy bar and when it reaches zero then it is game over. Various food stuffs can be collected to increase the bar. As well as avoiding the boots, Roland can fire a glue gun which holds the boots for a short space of time, but be careful as Roland can also get stuck. Each use decreases a bar, but two glue packs can be found to top the bar up. On the bottom level of each screen, a train occasionally appears and can be caught with the glue gun, and when boarded can take Roland the length of the sewer.
Roland's Rat Race

Roland's Rat Race

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1985

Roland Rat, TV AM's furry little superstar extraordinaire, has got problems. It all started when Roland got up, late for work and not exactly feeling on top of the world. As if being late wasn't bad enough, Roly finds out that his rather decrepit car won't start. Disaster! Still, there's always the shortcut through the London sewer system, which Roly knows so well from his lurid past life as a city rat. He'll make it to the telly studios before nine o'clock, don't you worry. Being late is, however, the least of his problems. A highly disreputable bunch of nasties have kidnapped Roly's friends. Yes, you've guessed it, Errol the hamster and Kevin the gerbil are in deep trouble. Out of the goodness of his heart, Roland decides to set out and rescue Errol and Kev. To do this, he has to find the key to unlock the door to the nasties' secret hideout. However, before he can unlock the door, Roly has to actually assemble it! Pieces of the hideout door have been left lying around the sewer network, careless of the baddies, eh? Unfortunately, due to the fact rats ain't that strong, Roly can only carry one bit of the door at a time. Whenever he collects a piece he has to fit it into place before he can pick up another. Worse still, there are pairs of wellies trotting around the place that weaken Roland each time he runs into them. Fortunately though, Roland is armed with his Instant Stic-O-Matic glue gun that can eject globs of glue with deadly accuracy, c piece of equipment that is definitely not to be sniffed at. It can be used to temporarily stop the wellies in their tracks and can bring Roly himself to a halt with a badly aimed glob. If our furry friend's energy should run out, then it's curtains for him and his mates. Throughout the sewer there are apples and hamburgers which Roland can eat for extra energy, but these are in limited supply and must be eaten strategically. A few glue packs are also lying around conveniently, to boost Roly's supply. Way down in the darker depths of the sewer there runs a regular train service which Roland can catch through timely use of his glue gun. If he's not careful, though, he'll end up getting run over and lose a lot of energy in the process. Once Roland's assembled the door and opened it to release his chum, only worms and electrically charged areas stand between him, his pals and freedom. But at this point, Roly can't use his glue gun! When Errol and Kev have been saved, the trio are transported to the surface and the game starts over.
Shadowfire

Shadowfire

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1986

General Zoff is holding Ambassador Kryxix captive in his spaceship. Plans for a new type of spaceship are hidden in a micro-disc embedded in the Ambassador's spine. If Zoff had the plans, the empire would be in great danger, and it is only a matter of time until his inquisitors will discover them. The Emperor has assembled the so-called "enigma team", a group of six reckless mercenaries, to take care of the situation. Players take control of all six mercenaries and have one hour and forty minutes to rescue Ambassador Kryxix and capture General Zoff. All six characters have different abilities. Syylk is an insectoid and a strong fighter, Zark Montor, the team leader, is an expert in unarmed combat and the only translator of the group, Servina Maris is the only character who can pick locks, Torik is an avian with thorough knowledge of explosives, Maul is a slow combat droid and Manto is a weak droid, but the only team member that can operate the transporter that is vital for the mission's success. Controls are completely icon based and the screen is divided into six sections. The upper screen section is called the mission command screen and displays which character is active, the active character's location and the status of all characters: whether they are moving, engaged in combat, weak or dying or performing certain action such as picking locks. The lower half of the screen changes depending on the situation and shows additional information and all selectable actions. From the main game screen (enigma team screen) players can choose one of the six characters and access four sub-screens: Character status screen: Shows a character's speed, strength, stamina (health) and carried weight. Object screen: Shows all objects present at a location as well as all objects carried by the selected character. It can be used to drop or pick up items, equip weapons and items or use special items. Movement screen: Here, the active character can be moved by clicking on arrows that show possible directions for a character to move. Battle screen: During battles, characters can scan the location to count and identify their enemies, move, attack with their equipped weapon, defend or retreat.
Shadowfire

Shadowfire

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

General Zoff is holding Ambassador Kryxix captive in his spaceship. Plans for a new type of spaceship are hidden in a micro-disc embedded in the Ambassador's spine. If Zoff had the plans, the empire would be in great danger, and it is only a matter of time until his inquisitors will discover them. The Emperor has assembled the so-called "enigma team", a group of six reckless mercenaries, to take care of the situation. Players take control of all six mercenaries and have one hour and forty minutes to rescue Ambassador Kryxix and capture General Zoff. All six characters have different abilities. Syylk is an insectoid and a strong fighter, Zark Montor, the team leader, is an expert in unarmed combat and the only translator of the group, Servina Maris is the only character who can pick locks, Torik is an avian with thorough knowledge of explosives, Maul is a slow combat droid and Manto is a weak droid, but the only team member that can operate the transporter that is vital for the mission's success. Controls are completely icon based and the screen is divided into six sections. The upper screen section is called the mission command screen and displays which character is active, the active character's location and the status of all characters: whether they are moving, engaged in combat, weak or dying or performing certain action such as picking locks. The lower half of the screen changes depending on the situation and shows additional information and all selectable actions.
Shadowfire

Shadowfire

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1985

General Zoff is holding Ambassador Kryxix captive in his spaceship. Plans for a new type of spaceship are hidden in a micro-disc embedded in the Ambassador's spine. If Zoff had the plans, the empire would be in great danger, and it is only a matter of time until his inquisitors will discover them. The Emperor has assembled the so-called "enigma team", a group of six reckless mercenaries, to take care of the situation. Players take control of all six mercenaries and have one hour and forty minutes to rescue Ambassador Kryxix and capture General Zoff. All six characters have different abilities. Syylk is an insectoid and a strong fighter, Zark Montor, the team leader, is an expert in unarmed combat and the only translator of the group, Servina Maris is the only character who can pick locks, Torik is an avian with thorough knowledge of explosives, Maul is a slow combat droid and Manto is a weak droid, but the only team member that can operate the transporter that is vital for the mission's success. Controls are completely icon based and the screen is divided into six sections. The upper screen section is called the mission command screen and displays which character is active, the active character's location and the status of all characters: whether they are moving, engaged in combat, weak or dying or performing certain action such as picking locks. The lower half of the screen changes depending on the situation and shows additional information and all selectable actions. From the main game screen (enigma team screen) players can choose one of the six characters and access four sub-screens: Character status screen: Shows a character's speed, strength, stamina (health) and carried weight. Object screen: Shows all objects present at a location as well as all objects carried by the selected character. It can be used to drop or pick up items, equip weapons and items or use special items. Movement screen: Here, the active character can be moved by clicking on arrows that show possible directions for a character to move. Battle screen: During battles, characters can scan the location to count and identify their enemies, move, attack with their equipped weapon, defend or retreat.

Starace (Ocean Software)

Commodore 64 - Unreleased - 1987

A lot of you will remember seeing this game on the ZZap64 magazine covertape one issue… but it wasn’t specially designed for the magazine…. It was originally programmed for Ocean, but Ocean didn’t like the game as they felt it wouldn’t sell and decided not to release it, and so Denton Designs were stuck with a complete game. The main problem really was that the vector graphics were a bit slow. After Denton Designs looked for another publisher, without success, they sold the game to Zzap64 for them to spread on their covertape at a small cost to cover their losses. The game itself features some slowish vector graphics, and involves you in a race within a series of tunnels against other crafts (All looking a bit Starfox style)… A nice addictive game, if only held back by the slowness. The game’s graphics were created by the same guy who was working on Megatree, Stuart Fotheringham with fantastic music by Fred Grey.
The Great Escape

The Great Escape

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1986

The Great Escape is a video game which shares a title and similar plot to the movie The Great Escape. It was programmed by Denton Designs, who went on to produce the similarly acclaimed Where Time Stood Still. It was published by Ocean in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and DOS. The gaming environment is displayed in isometric 2.5D with the player's character initially in bed at the beginning of a day in the camp. The prisoner has a daily routine, along with all the other prisoners, which includes roll call, exercising, mealtimes and bedtime. The other prisoners will follow this routine and, if the player does not control the main character for a short period of time, their character will join in the routine. There are soldiers guarding the camp and they will attack the player if he is seen out of routine (prison guards only detect prisoners in their line of sight).
The Great Escape (Ocean Software)

The Great Escape (Ocean Software)

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

The player controls an unnamed prisoner of war who has been interned in a P.O.W. camp somewhere in northern Germany in 1942. The camp itself is a small castle on a promontory surrounded on three sides by cliffs and the cold North Sea. The only "official" entry to the camp is by a narrow road through the gatehouse and anyone passing through this must be carrying the correct papers. Everywhere else the camp is surrounded by fences or walls with guard dogs used to patrol the perimeter and guards in observation towers with searchlights posted to watch for any prisoners trying to escape. Beneath the camp there is also a maze of underground tunnels and drains although these are dangerous to enter without some kind of light. The player's task is to escape from the camp. There are a number of different ways in which this can be achieved.
The Transformers

The Transformers

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1985

Earth has been invaded by extraterrestrial shapechanging robots which have made our planet their battleground. The struggle between the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons centers around energy as the objective is to collect four pieces of the Energon Cube and getting them back to the Autobot base. The Decepticons will do their best to get in the way and use the cubes to their own nefarious means. You as the player control five Autobots that can either be in robot or vehicle form. You move around the platforms searching for the cubes. While in robot form you can either walk or fly, but while in vehicle form you drive around the platforms. Defensa-Pod can be used to switch between Autobots. Once all the cubes are collected the game repeats at a higher difficulty. Each Autobot has shields that deplete when shot at or hit by an enemy Decepticon, when all the Autobots are destroyed, it is Game Over. The Commodore 64 uses a scrolling playfield, while the Spectrum uses a flip-screen technique.
The Transformers

The Transformers

Commodore 64 - Released - 1985

Earth has been invaded by extraterrestrial shapechanging robots which have made our planet their battleground. The struggle between the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons centers around energy as the objective is to collect four pieces of the Energon Cube and getting them back to the Autobot base. The Decepticons will do their best to get in the way and use the cubes to their own nefarious means. You as the player control five Autobots that can either be in robot or vehicle form. You move around the platforms searching for the cubes. While in robot form you can either walk or fly, but while in vehicle form you drive around the platforms. Defensa-Pod can be used to switch between Autobots. Once all the cubes are collected the game repeats at a higher difficulty. Each Autobot has shields that deplete when shot at or hit by an enemy Decepticon, when all the Autobots are destroyed, it is Game Over. The Commodore 64 uses a scrolling playfield, while the Spectrum uses a flip-screen technique.
Troll

Troll

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

You are Humgruffin, a troll who has been transported to the Netherworld of Narc a land full of Goblins and crystals and ceilings to walk on. The only chance to escape is to reverse a spell that put him there. In each chamber is a crystal which needs to be collected and put in an amulet. You need to avoid the Goblins or being trapped by walls built by them. If you touch a Goblin then you start to turn to stone and transported elsewhere in Narc. To help you on your quest you can make holes appear in the ground for you to fall through into another part of Narc or make a Goblin disappear. You can use other objects as well and these include Pyramids (to jump up to the ceiling), Toadstools (summons a Dwarf to make holes in the floor) and Die (to make a random hole). Troll is a 3D isometric game which shows both the floor and ceiling that can be walked on. The game is viewed at an elevated angle. The joystick or keyboard can be used and as well as the main playing area you can also see the icons you need to help you on your quest.
Wembley Rugby League

Wembley Rugby League

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1994

Having previously recreated the more internationally famed rugby union with World Class Rugby, Audiogenic switched their attention to Rugby League, using the same game engine. The main differences in the league game is that a team has to give up possession after being tackled six times – which often leads to some bold moves on the 5th tackle, especially as if you retrieve the ball an opposition player, you get a fresh set of six tackles – and that after a tackle, play restarts by flicking the ball back to another player (inexplicably knows as the ‘Play-the-Ball’), while the entire teams (of 13 players, not the 15 in Union) remain on their side of the ball. Instead of line-outs, the ball going out of play at the side results in a scrum, as does a knock-on (fumbling attempts to control a pass or recieve a kick) if those are switched on. The gameplay is viewed from either a Kick Off-style overhead view or a forced-perspective 3D one, with a scanner on screen to show where your team-mates are (this is more important than in football). Passing is pulled off by pressing fire and directing the pass, whereas holding down fire will kick the ball up ahead. Tackling involves aiming at the player, and diving if necessary. Set-piece kicks involve aiming the direction and angle by pressing fire at the right times to stop a crosshair.
Where Time Stood Still

Where Time Stood Still

MS-DOS - Released - 1987

While flying three members of the same family, your planes crash-lands in an area where it soon becomes clear that time has stood still - dinosaurs still roam the area, and the humans are primitive and carnivorous. Your task is to guide them to safety through the complex isometrically viewed world (using the same basic game engine as Denton Designs' Great Escape license). Hazards to be faced include the aforementioned dinosaurs and cavemen, as well as sea monsters, precarious mountainous ledges and dilapidated bridges. Objects including weapons and first aid kits can be collected. Each character has his own distinct behaviors - one becomes hungry easily, while another is only really competent while his fiancé survives. Although the ultimate aim is to save all four characters, you can continue while at least one is alive.
Where Time Stood Still

Where Time Stood Still

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - May 5, 1988

A plane has crashed in a remote and unknown plateau of the Himalayas. To their horror, the survivors soon discover that it is populated by dangerous prehistoric creatures and tribes. The player must guide the party of four survivors - the pilot, Jarret, and his three passengers - to safety, avoiding dinosaurs, cannibals and natural dangers, while also ensuring they are sufficiently rested and fed during the long and difficult journey. Where Time Stood Still is an isometric 3D arcade adventure game. The game was produced by Denton Designs as a follow-up to their successful 1986 title The Great Escape.
Where Time Stood Still

Where Time Stood Still

Atari ST - Released - 1988

A plane has crashed in a remote and unknown plateau of the Himalayas. To their horror, the survivors soon discover that it is populated by dangerous prehistoric creatures and tribes. The player must guide the party of four survivors - the pilot, Jarret, and his three passengers - to safety, avoiding dinosaurs, cannibals and natural dangers, while also ensuring they are sufficiently rested and fed during the long and difficult journey.
World Class Rugby

World Class Rugby

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - January 29, 1993

Sixteen best teams compete for the World Cup, an ultimate test of your skills against the very best in the game. 3D perspective, sound effects and the atmosphere takes you to the very heart if the action. You are on the pitch battling it out with the heavies in the scrum, tackling the wingers, jumping for the ball in the line out and experiencing the triumphal sensation of scoring a Try. Single Game, World Cup and League for 3 to 8 teams. One or Two players option. Option to change team names, players names, skills and physical attributes. Instant action replay
World Class Rugby

World Class Rugby

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

Like Domark's Rugby: The World Cup, World Class Rugby was released alongside the 1991 Rugby World Cup, which was won by New Zealand in a final against England. Recreating this full 16-team event is an option, as are individual friendly matches and an 8-team league. Options are highly customisable - there are 10 skill levels, variable match lengths, the option to play without offsides, and variable pitch conditions. Replays can be enabled for each try, and then saved to disk. The accurate rules of rugby are recreated, including scrums, line-outs, penalties and drop goals.
World Class Rugby 2: Kokunai Gekitou Hen '93

World Class Rugby 2: Kokunai Gekitou Hen '93

Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Released - January 7, 1994

World Class Rugby 2: Kokunai Gekitou Hen '93 ("Home Intense Fighting Chapter") is a rugby game for the Super Famicom and the sequel to World Class Rugby. Unlike its predecessor, it was never released outside of Japan. Misawa, the publishers, based this sequel on Denton Designs' code for the original. The subtitle refers to the fact that all the teams are national Japanese teams, rather than featuring teams from across the world.
World Class Rugby '95

World Class Rugby '95

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1995

This rugby sport game by Denton Designs was released in 1995. It follows the previous releases World Class Rugby and World Class Rugby: Five Nations Edition1

World Class Rugby: Five Nations Edition

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1992

A top down view Rugby game in which you can play both World Cup and 5 Nations tournaments.
Wreckers

Wreckers

MS-DOS - Released - 1992

Wreckers is an isometric sci-fi action game with strategy elements. Robotic droids roll quietly through the corridors of space station Beacon 04523N, automated computers calculate routes for interstellar traffic. Three human officers sleep in cryogenic tanks, awakened only for routine system checks – or in case of an emergency. With a hum, the cryogenic control springs on-line as Beacon’s long-range sensors detect incoming lifeforms. Controlling one of the on-board officers, the player has to defend the station against swarms of plasmodian spores (the “Wreckers”) showering down on Beacon and seeping into its four sections. While the spores approach, they can be sucked out of space with a gigantic hoover-like space hose. Once they settle onto the stations hull, jump into the space suit and spray infected areas with a cleansing agent. Undetected spores will seep into the station’s corridors, where the protagonist must hunt them down with a plasma shots and avoid being shot in return. In addition, up to ten droids are under the player's indirect control. Ranging from cleaners to fighters to engineers, these automatons will act independently, but can be sent to key locations within the station -- i.e. infected areas. As the officer gains experience through battles, he will be promoted to higher ranks, enabling him to construct more efficient fighter robots in the station’s droid factory. Since plasmodians running rampant in the station will cause system malfunctions. The main goal in such cases is to clear infections quickly and make sure that Beacon continues to function properly. To make things worse, a self-destruct mechanism will detonate the station in sixty minutes unless all signs of spore activity cease.
Wreckers

Wreckers

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

Robotic droids roll quietly through the corridors of space station Beacon 04523N, automated computers calculate routes for interstellar traffic. Three human officers sleep in cryogenic tanks, awakened only for routine system checks – or in case of an emergency. With a hum, the cryogenic control springs on-line as Beacon’s long-range sensors detect incoming lifeforms. Controlling one of the on-board officers, the player has to defend the station against swarms of plasmodian spores (the “Wreckers”) showering down on Beacon and seeping into its four sections. While the spores approach, they can be sucked out of space with a gigantic hoover-like space hose. Once they settle onto the stations hull, jump into the space suit and spray infected areas with a cleansing agent. Undetected spores will seep into the station’s corridors, where the protagonist must hunt them down with a plasma shots and avoid being shot in return. In addition, up to ten droids are under the player's indirect control. Ranging from cleaners to fighters to engineers, these automatons will act independently, but can be sent to key locations within the station -- i.e. infected areas. As the officer gains experience through battles, he will be promoted to higher ranks, enabling him to construct more efficient fighter robots in the station’s droid factory. Since plasmodians running rampant in the station will cause system malfunctions. The main goal in such cases is to clear infections quickly and make sure that Beacon continues to function properly. To make things worse, a self-destruct mechanism will detonate the station in sixty minutes unless all signs of spore activity cease.
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