Adventure

Acorn Atom - Released - 1984

Part of the Acornsoft Adventures compilation

Air Attack

Acorn Atom - Released - 1984

Air Attack is an anti-aircraft simulator where the player controls a flak and the job is to destroy the attacking enemy aircrafts before they destroy your base. Somewhat rare at the time, the game is played from the first-person perspective.

Blockbuster

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

Blockbuster is a QBert style puzzle game created by Max Taylor, and developed and published by Micro Power. Move Buster the rabbit over blocks to change them to the target colour. Only the red objects are safe to touch. Use spinning discs to lure the fox to it's death. Beware of the bird and it's noxious guano.

Bruce Lee

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

Bruce Lee is a video game designed by Ron J. Fortier, with graphics by Kelly Day and music by John A. Fitzpatrick. It was originally developed in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit and published in 1984 for the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 by Datasoft Inc and for the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC & ZX Spectrum by U.S. Gold. The BBC port was done by Micro Power. The aim is to reach a wizard in an underground lair, defeat of whom can offer untold wealth. In each area you must collect the many strategically-placed lanterns before exiting through the newly-revealed passageway. Some rooms also have escalator-type sections to run along, and the standard (although slightly illogical in this context) ladders. There are 20 areas to be completed. On the way, you'll fight two enemies - a ninja and a green sumo warrior named Yamo. You can defeat them by punching, kicking, dropping on their heads or luring them into hazardous terrain, or even by making them accidentally hit each other. Even after they are killed, however, they keep coming back for more after a few seconds. Since they can move pretty intelligently (they even climb ladders), you should watch out for them. The game also allows a second player to take control of Yamo. There are lots of hazards to avoid by either walking round or jumping - walls of electrical charge and exploding bushes for example.

Cybertron Mission

Acorn Electron - Released - 1983

Cybertron Mission is a top down game in which the player explores a maze of rooms to find various randomly placed items. Once found, touching a safe ends the level and starts the next level. Movement and firing are eight-directional. Touching a wall results in instant death by electrocution. Enemies generate in random positions when a room is entered. Linger in a room for too long, and "Spook" appears, a fast-moving creature that passes through walls, but can be temporarily stunned with shots. Each level is a maze of 4x4 rooms. In the first level, one item is needed and the player faces only slow moving "Spinners". In the second level, two items are needed and unpredictable "Clones" are added, that shoot back. In the third level, three items are needed, and the "Cyber-droid" is introduced. The player starts with five lives, and is awarded an extra life at regular score intervals, on reaching a new level, and on collecting a potion.

Dune Rider

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

Dune Rider is a Moon Patrol type game published by Micro Power for the BBC Microcomputer. You are a galactic courier commissioned by the people of Zennon to run the blockade of aliens besieged their planet, carrying documents vital to the planet's defence. Taking a Dune Rider you set off across the desert wastes of the barren world pursued by the desperate aliens. Move backwards and forwards over the landscape to destroy the enemy fighters and jump over radioactive rocks and lava pits which block your way. At a later stage in the game you will have to blast the top off large outcroppings before you can jump over them. Replenish your fast diminishing fuel supply by hitting a tanker and catching the cannister as it falls to the ground.

Frenzy

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

Deadly sub-atomic particles are running free in a scientific research centre. It is your job to trap the darting Leptons using a robot craft before your time runs out. As you move the craft across the screen, a green ion-trail is dragged along behind. When you reach the edge again, the smaller area confined by this green line, is filled in. A Lepton is captured if it is trapped in this area or if 95% of the screen has been filled. A bar running along the bottom of the screen indicates the percentage of the total area remaining to be filled. Enclosed areas are coloured red, but at any time, you can switch to the faster speed and areas so filled are coloured pink. Higher levels introduce Chasers which move along the borders. A life is lost if you collide with one of these or if a Lepton hits your trail. The number of Leptons and Chasers increases up to a maximum of 5 of each. An extra craft is obtained on completion of the third, sixth and ninth screens. A good strategy is to build small, narrow pink blocks up the centre of an unfilled area in fast mode and then to finish off using the slower mode to reach the top of the screen and capture the Lepton.

Ghouls

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1984

Ghouls is a single screen platform game where you have to control a creature and retrieve the power jewels taken by ghosts and stored in a haunted mansion. Starting on the bottom of the screen, you have to jump up and walk on platforms to get to your power jewels on the top of the screen. Some of the jewels have come loose and you can collect them as you move around the screen. Also on the screen are ghosts, spiders and various obstacles like spikes and moving platforms and if you touch a ghost, spike or fall from a certain height then you lose one of four lives. You can collect a special jewel which makes the ghosts disappear for a few seconds and springs allow you to jump higher. A timer counts down and a level must be completed within the time or you lose a life.

Grrr

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1985

Grrr is the rather oddly named compilation of two arcade game clones previously published for the BBC Micro and converted to the CPC. Killer Gorilla is a clone of Donkey Kong while Gauntlet is a replica of Defender (somewhat confusingly). Neither game was published on its own for the CPC but only released first as part of this double pack and then latterly as makeweights in the first pair of '10 Computer Hits' (and 6 Computer Hits) compilations from Beau Jolly.

Killer Gorilla

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1984

Killer Gorilla is a clone of Donkey Kong written by Adrian Stephens and originally published by Micro Power for the BBC Microcomputer in 1983 and ported to the Acorn Electron and Amstrad CPC computers in 1984. Stephens wrote Killer Gorilla at the age of 17 after buying a magazine that had screenshots of Donkey Kong, and that made him feel like doing something similar. He was paid 400 pounds sterling for the game. Stephens wrote two other games for Micro Power: Escape From Moonbase Alpha and Mr EE, a clone of Universal's Mr. Do!.

Mr Ee!

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

Mr Ee! was published for the BBC Microcomputer by Micro Power. It was a clone of the arcade game Mr Do!

Munchyman

Acorn Atom - Released - 1984

Rubble Trouble

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1983

Rubble Trouble (a Pengo variant) was programmed by P.A. Morgan, with music by D.J. Morgan. The game is played in a maze of boulders where the krackats are patrolling in search of humans to eat. The player is a human and has to kill all the krackats in each level. To kill a krackat he has to push a boulder into the path of the krackat and thereby crushing it. Boulders that are pushed into a wall will bounce back so the player has to be careful or he might be killed by his own boulder. Killed he will also be if he comes into contact with a krackat. Radiation is also a problem; if the player takes too long he might die of it or the boulders might disintegrate. Some of the boulders have special functions. Cyan boulders give extra points while rocks with bombs in them might create a new holocaust.

Spy Hunter

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1986

Originating in the arcades, Spy Hunter is a driving action game played from an overhead point of view. Your car is equipped with machine guns to help you get past the numerous enemies out on the road. Occasionally you will come across a weapons van, and if you drive into the back of the van your car becomes equipped with a second weapon (such as smoke screen, oil slick, or missiles). At several points the road splits and you can enter a boathouse which transforms your car into a boat temporarily. If you drive far enough the seasons change as well. The enemy cars will do anything to stop you, including running you off the road, firing guns from the back of a limo, or dropping bombs from a helicopter.

Swarm

Acorn Atom - Released - 1982

Swarm is a variant of the arcade shooter Astro Invader. Killer bees are swarming the earth and they are intent on destroying the player's gun base. The queen bee is indestructible and is positioned in the middle of the screen. From there she releases bees which position themselves in columns. Once a column is full the bees begin descending down towards the player who has to shoot at them to prevent them from crashing into him. One difference from Astro Invader is that the enemies here shoot at the player while in the column. When the queen has delivered 100 bees she flies away and returns with a new batch. The player has three lives and when they are all lost the game is over and the queen is able to land.

Tapper

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1985

Tapper is an action game where you're a beer tapper (barman) and have to serve beer to demanding customers. There are four customers, each has its own lane lengthier than the previous one, whom you have to keep at bay. If they reach the end of the lane without receiving their beer, you're a goner; if you miss one and accidentally spill beer needlessly you lose a life and should one of them throw you back the mug and you fail to catch it, you lose a life as well. Occasionally a bizarre icon will appear on one of the lines and, should you grab it, will invoke a "cabarette"-style show which will keep some of the customers occupied. The game was a port of the Sega arcade game ported to the BBC Micro by Micro Power and published by US Gold.

Zarm

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1983

Zarm was published by Micro Power (aka Program Power) for the BBC Microcomputer. When the game starts, your craft is situated inside the mothership, which glides from one side of the screen to the other above the orbiting asteroids. Press the 'Release' key to open the airlock to release your craft and start you on your descent to the planet below. Weave from left to right to dodge the rocks, pressing the 'Thrust' key to slow your descent. Land gently on one of the five landing sites to collect a stranded astronaut. Press 'Release' to launch from the pad and use the 'Thrust' key to keep the rocket jets burning. Dodge the planet's automatic defences and approach the mothership which will stop when you reach a certain altitude. As you line up underneath it, the airlock will open to allow you to re-dock. Bonus points are achieved for the speed of rescue and also the amount of energy used up. Both are indicated at the top of the screen. The 'Release' key also makes you invisible during a flight, but you still continue to move in the direction you are travelling. This feature should be used carefully as it uses up a lot of fuel, thus reducing your bonus. You can only use each landing pad once, and there are different hazards to negotiate on each return journey. When all of the scout party have been rescued, you return to level one but with a higher gravity.

Zelanites: The Onslaught

Acorn Archimedes - Released - 1991

A Space Invaders come Galaga style game in which you must defeat the Zelanite armada.