Palace Software

Antiriad

Antiriad

Enterprise - Released - 1986

As Tal, your job is to single-handedly clear out the aliens who have invaded a desolate and destroyed post-nuclear earth. To have any chance of this, he must locate a sacred suit of armor. Not only will this protect him from radiation, and allow him to withstand some enemy contact, it also heals him, and enables him to float. This means that the game has two distinct styles, with your character limited to jumping, and with only rocks (located around the screens) to throw. Once he finds the suit he can fly around the ledges, shoot the inbuilt Pulsar beam, and survive within the volcanic hideout the aliens have based themselves. You will need to recharge the suit at times, and also take it off to pass through tight caverns.

Axe of Rage

Axe of Rage

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1989

Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a video game first published in 1988 for various home computers. It was also released as Axe of Rage in North America. The game is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior (Death Sword in North America), which was published in 1987. The Wizard Drax is back after previous your defeat of him. But this time, you're not alone. The princess you saved back then has taken up a sword and joined your cause! Now, it's more than a death match. You have to explore into the many tunnels in his dungeon, defeat the dangerous monsters that come between you and cold steel to Drax's throat. The game has similar game play to the original, but with a different challenge. Various monsters will come and attack you, but each have different approaches in order to defeat them. For example, You can't overhead chop a monster that's shorter than your axe. There are 4 levels of dungeons to explore before you reach Drax at the final stage.

Axe of Rage

Axe of Rage

Commodore 64 - Released - July 1, 1988

In the sequel to Death Sword (aka Barbarian), the Wizard Drax is back after your previous defeat of him. But this time, you're not alone. The princess you saved back then has taken up a sword and joined your cause! Now, it's more than a death match. You have to explore the many tunnels in his dungeon, defeat the dangerous monsters that come between you and put cold steel to Drax's throat. The game has similar game play to the original, but with a different challenge. Various monsters will come and attack you, but you'll need to use different approaches in order to defeat each of them. For example, you can't overhead chop a monster that's shorter than your axe. There are 4 dungeon levels to explore before you reach Drax at the final stage.

Axe of Rage

Axe of Rage

MS-DOS - Released - 1989

In the sequel to Barbarian / Death Sword, the Wizard Drax is back after your previous defeat of him. But this time, you're not alone. The princess you saved back then has taken up a sword and joined your cause! Now, it's more than a death match. You have to explore the many tunnels in his dungeon, defeat the dangerous monsters that come between you and put cold steel to Drax's throat. The game has similar game play to the original, but with a different challenge. Various monsters will come and attack you, but you'll need to use different approaches in order to defeat each of them. For example, you can't overhead chop a monster that's shorter than your axe. There are 4 dungeon levels to explore before you reach Drax at the final stage.

Barbarian II

Barbarian II

Microsoft MSX - Released - 1988

In the sequel to Barbarian / Death Sword, the Wizard Drax is back after your previous defeat of him. But this time, you're not alone. The princess you saved back then has taken up a sword and joined your cause! Now, it's more than a death match. You have to explore the many tunnels in his dungeon, defeat the dangerous monsters that come between you and put cold steel to Drax's throat. The game has similar game play to the original, but with a different challenge. Various monsters will come and attack you, but you'll need to use different approaches in order to defeat each of them. For example, you can't overhead chop a monster that's shorter than your axe. There are 4 dungeon levels to explore before you reach Drax at the final stage.

Barbarian II

Barbarian II

Amstrad CPC - Released - December 16, 1989

Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a video game first published in 1988 for various home computers. It was also released as Axe of Rage in North America. The game is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior (Death Sword in North America), which was published in 1987. In Barbarian II, the player controls a princess or barbarian character, exploring the game world to locate and defeat an evil wizard. The game's plot is an extension of its predecessor, although the gameplay is different. While the first game offers two players the opportunity for virtual head-to-head combat, the second is solely a single-player adventure with fewer fighting moves. Palace Software, the developer of the two Barbarian games, marketed the sequel with the same strategy they used for the first game. They hired Maria Whittaker, a model known for her topless work, to pose on the cover and posters as the princess in the game, attempting to recapture the controversy that had boosted sales. Barbarian II received a mixed critical reception. Reviewers were split in their opinions over whether the game was a refreshing and gory adventure, or a boring and lonely sojourn through a confusing digital world.

Barbarian II

Barbarian II

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1988

At the finale of BARBARIAN - THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR, the Barbarian defeated the warriors of Drax and thus freed Princess Mariana from his evil spell. Drax fled to the dungeons beneath his black castle, vowing to wreak disaster on the jewelled Kingdom. It is decided that there is only one way to stop Drax. The Barbarian and Mariana- herself an accomplished swordsman - are the only two warriors skilled enough to survive the perilous journey to Drax's lair. They must stop him before it's too late.

Barbarian II (Palace Software)

Barbarian II (Palace Software)

Atari ST - Released - 1989

In the sequel to Barbarian / Death Sword, the Wizard Drax is back after your previous defeat of him. But this time, you're not alone. The princess you saved back then has taken up a sword and joined your cause! Now, it's more than a death match. You have to explore the many tunnels in his dungeon, defeat the dangerous monsters that come between you and put cold steel to Drax's throat. The game has similar game play to the original, but with a different challenge. Various monsters will come and attack you, but you'll need to use different approaches in order to defeat each of them. For example, you can't overhead chop a monster that's shorter than your axe. There are 4 dungeon levels to explore before you reach Drax at the final stage.

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1987

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior is a video game first released for Commodore 64 personal computers in 1987; the title was developed and published by Palace Software, and ported to other computers in the following months. The developers licensed the game to Epyx, who published it as Death Sword in the United States. Barbarian is a fighting game that gives players control over sword-wielding barbarians. In the game's two-player mode, players pit their characters against each other. Barbarian also has a single-player mode, in which the player's barbarian braves a series of challenges set by an evil wizard to rescue a princess. Instead of using painted artwork for the game's box, Palace Software used photos of hired models. The photos, also used in advertising campaigns, featured Michael Van Wijk (who would later become famous as 'Wolf' in the TV series Gladiators) as the hero and bikini-clad Maria Whittaker, a model who was then associated with The Sun tabloid's Page Three topless photo shoots. Palace Software's marketing strategy provoked controversy in the United Kingdom, with protests focused on the sexual aspects of the packaging rather than decapitations and other violence within the game. The ensuing controversy boosted Barbarian's profile, helping to make it a commercial success. Game critics were impressed with its fast and furious combat, and dashes of humour. The game was Palace Software's critical hit; boosted by Barbarian's success, Palace Software expanded its operations and started publishing other developers' work. In 1988, the company released a sequel, Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax.

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior

Amstrad CPC - Released - January 1, 1987

The evil magician Drax is terrorizing the jeweled city and cast a spell over the beautiful princess Marina who is forced to obey him. From the lands to the north, a hero is sent to help the city and free the princess. He is Gorth, the strongest of the barbarian warriors. With his sword in hand, he has to beat eight of Drax's best warriors and at last the magician himself. He will fight them in the woods, on the mountaintop, in the dungeon... finally reaching Drax's palace itself. This is essentially a one- or two-player fighting game where you control a big barbarian and fight another player or a computer AI. There are several kinds of hits, and some hits take off half a point while others take off a whole point. Each player has six of these "power points". They also have a special hard to perform "death sword" which decapitates your opponent, killing him with one fell swoop.

Bio Challenge

Bio Challenge

Atari ST - Released - 1988

The game is set in the future where human existence is threatened. The gene code has become weaker in every generation and is getting close to frailty. Scientists build a cyborg to save human beings. To test this cyborg they send him out for a bio challenge. You play this cyborg ( K.L.I.P.T.) and therefore you take this challenge. Your only mission is to survive! Slightly difficult 2D platform game, with nice graphics and animations and one of the best works from Jean Baudlot in case of music (Amiga Version).

Blood 'n' Bullets

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1989

Included as an example game with the SHOOT 'EM UP CONSTRUCTION KIT (SEUCK). Blood 'n' Bullets is an Amiga seuck shoot'em up game released in 1989 by Palace Software.

Bricks

Bricks

Commodore VIC-20 - Released - 1984

Game description: In Bricks it is your goal to get to the top by climbing up bricks. You can also push bricks to create stairs. Don't get smashed by bricks though, as they will kill you!

Cauldron

Cauldron

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1985

Cauldron is a two-dimensional (2D) shoot 'em up / platformer computer game developed and published by British developer Palace Software (Palace). Players navigate the witch protagonist through the 2D game world from a side-view perspective. Cauldron is divided into two modes of play: shooting while flying and jumping along platforms. Areas of the game world set on the surface feature the witch flying on a broom stick, while underground segments require the witch to run and jump in caverns. In the flying segments, players must search for four randomly scattered coloured keys to access underground areas that contain six ingredients. The objective is to collect the ingredients and return them to the witch's cottage to complete a spell that can defeat the Pumpking. While traversing the game world, the witch encounters Halloween-themed enemies such as pumpkins, ghosts, skulls, and bats, as well as other creatures like sharks and seagulls. A collision with an enemy causes the witch's magic meter (which is also used to fire offensive projectiles at enemies) to decrease. The character dies once the meter is depleted. After dying, the character reappears on the screen and the meter is refilled. Players are given limited opportunities for this to occur, and the game ends once the number of lives reaches zero

Cauldron

Cauldron

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - December 4, 1985

Cauldron is a two-dimensional (2D) shoot 'em up / platformer computer game developed and published by British developer Palace Software (Palace). Players navigate the witch protagonist through the 2D game world from a side-view perspective. Cauldron is divided into two modes of play: shooting while flying and jumping along platforms. Areas of the game world set on the surface feature the witch flying on a broom stick, while underground segments require the witch to run and jump in caverns. In the flying segments, players must search for four randomly scattered coloured keys to access underground areas that contain six ingredients. The objective is to collect the ingredients and return them to the witch's cottage to complete a spell that can defeat the Pumpking. While traversing the game world, the witch encounters Halloween-themed enemies such as pumpkins, ghosts, skulls, and bats, as well as other creatures like sharks and seagulls. A collision with an enemy causes the witch's magic meter (which is also used to fire offensive projectiles at enemies) to decrease. The character dies once the meter is depleted. After dying, the character reappears on the screen and the meter is refilled. Players are given limited opportunities for this to occur, and the game ends once the number of lives reaches zero

Cauldron

Cauldron

Commodore 64 - Released - April 1, 1985

Playing a witch, you must assemble the six ingredients required to kill off your arch-rival, an evil pumpkin. The ingredients are all located in underground buildings, each of which can only be entered once you've found the appropriate key. The keys are located overground, and you must fly around on your broom to collect them. The overground sections play like standard shoot 'em ups, as your broom is not affected by gravity and can fire bullets using your magic energy. Bats, fireballs and even seagulls are among the many creatures trying to stop you - contact will cost you more energy than shooting at them would. There are energy recharges on offer. Once you go underground, the gameplay becomes a test of precision platform jumping, including some Manic Miner-esque blind jumps. The six underground sections can be completed in a variety of orders, but you will sometimes reach points that can't be completed without objects from other sections, so a lot of back-tracking is required. Although you start with nine lives, they won't last all that long at first.

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Commodore 64 - Released - January 1, 1986

An evil witch has brought evil and darkness to the enchanted wood, wiping out all but 1 of the innocent pumpkins. As the poem in the instructions sheet explains, the only way to put things right is to capture a lock of her hair, then take it to the cauldron and cast a spell to undo things. Controlling the pumpkin is difficult at first, as it has a very high bounce, the exact level of which can be toggled using the 5 key. Direction can only be changed when the ball is on the ground. Ricocheting into enemies costs energy, and you only gain weaponry by landing into magic pools. The starting positions are random, making mapping advisable and increasing the initial challenge. Even then, enemies respawn quickly, so all you're doing is buying a little time to pass them. Others can't be shot, and must be passed by possessing the right object - possibly one of the 5 you will ultimately need to vanquish the witch.

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1986

An evil witch has brought evil and darkness to the enchanted wood, wiping out all but one of the innocent pumpkins. As the poem in the instructions sheet explains, the only way to put things right is to capture a lock of her hair, then take it to the cauldron and cast a spell to undo things. Controlling the pumpkin is difficult at first, as it has a very high bounce, the exact level of which can be toggled. Direction can only be changed when the ball is on the ground. Ricocheting into enemies costs energy, and you only gain weaponry by landing into magic pools. The starting positions are random, making mapping advisable and increasing the initial challenge. Even then, enemies respawn quickly, so all you're doing is buying a little time to pass them. Others can't be shot, and must be passed by possessing the right object - possibly one of the five you will ultimately need to vanquish the witch. Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back is a computer game developed and published by British developer Palace Software (Palace) as a sequel to their 1985 title Cauldron. The two-dimensional (2D) platform game was released in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC home computers. Players control a bouncing pumpkin that is on a quest of vengeance against the "Witch Queen". The roles of the two were reversed from the first game, in which the witch defeated a monster pumpkin. Following the success of Cauldron, Palace employee Steve Brown began work on a sequel. To provide fans of the original title with a new experience, a very different gameplay was implemented for the sequel, although several minor features retained connections to the first. Inspired by the bouncing pumpkin character in Cauldron, Brown designed the game around the character's movement. The bouncing mechanic proved problematic for the programmers who were unable to perfect its implementation. Technical limitations also prevented them from implementing certain animations, such as turning pages of a book. Cauldron II was first released on the Commodore 64. It was released in the following years on other systems and as re-releases. The game received praise, mainly for its audio-visuals, in video game magazines. Difficulty in handling the bouncing pumpkin's movement was a common complaint, although reviewers felt the overall package was of good value.

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Cauldron II: The Pumpkin Strikes Back

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1986

Playing a witch, you must assemble the six ingredients required to kill off your arch-rival, an evil pumpkin. The ingredients are all located in underground buildings, each of which can only be entered once you've found the appropriate key. The keys are located overground, and you must fly around on your broom to collect them. The overground sections play like standard shoot 'em ups, as your broom is not affected by gravity and can fire bullets using your magic energy. Bats, fireballs and even seagulls are among the many creatures trying to stop you - contact will cost you more energy than shooting at them would. There are energy recharges on offer. Once you go underground, the gameplay becomes a test of precision platform jumping, including some Manic Miner-esque blind jumps. The six underground sections can be completed in a variety of orders, but you will sometimes reach points that can't be completed without objects from other sections, so a lot of back-tracking is required. Although you start with nine lives, they won't last all that long at first.

Celebrity Squares

Celebrity Squares

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

The 4th sample game from The Shoot 'Em Up Construction Kit by Sensible Software Created with the Kit by Gary Penn & Gary Liddon.

Death Sword

Death Sword

Atari ST - Released - May 17, 1988

The evil magician Drax is terrorizing the jeweled city and cast a spell over the beautiful princess Marina who is forced to obey him. From the lands to the north, a hero is sent to help the city and free the princess. He is Gorth, the strongest of the barbarian warriors. With his sword in hand, he has to beat eight of Drax's best warriors and at last the magician himself. He will fight them in the woods, on the mountaintop, in the dungeon... finally reaching Drax's palace itself. This is essentially a one- or two-player fighting game where you control a big barbarian and fight another player or a computer AI. There are several kinds of hits, and some hits take off half a point while others take off a whole point. Each player has six of these "power points". They also have a special hard-to-perform "death sword" which decapitates your opponent, killing him with one fell swoop.

Death Sword

Death Sword

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1988

The evil magician Drax is terrorizing the jeweled city and cast a spell over the beautiful princess Marina who is forced to obey him. From the lands to the north, a hero is sent to help the city and free the princess. He is Gorth, the strongest of the barbarian warriors. With his sword in hand, he has to beat eight of Drax's best warriors and at last the magician himself. He will fight them in the woods, on the mountaintop, in the dungeon... finally reaching Drax's palace itself. This is essentially a one- or two-player fighting game where you control a big barbarian and fight another player or a computer AI. There are several kinds of hits, and some hits take off half a point while others take off a whole point. Each player has six of these "power points". They also have a special hard to perform "death sword" which decapitates your opponent, killing him with one fell swoop.

Death Sword

Death Sword

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

The evil magician Drax is terrorizing the jeweled city and cast a spell over the beautiful princess Marina who is forced to obey him. From the lands to the north, a hero is sent to help the city and free the princess. He is Gorth, the strongest of the barbarian warriors. With his sword in hand, he has to beat eight of Drax's best warriors and at last the magician himself. He will fight them in the woods, on the mountaintop, in the dungeon... finally reaching Drax's palace itself. This is essentially a one- or two-player fighting game where you control a big barbarian and fight another player or a computer AI. There are several kinds of hits, and some hits take off half a point while others take off a whole point. Each player has six of these "power points". They also have a special hard to perform "death sword" which decapitates your opponent, killing him with one fell swoop.

Demoniak

Demoniak

MS-DOS - Released - 1991

Demoniak is an interactive fiction adventure in which the player guides four superheroes in an attempt to stop the evil Demoniak entering our dimension and doing dastardly things by sealing his gateway. The player may 'become' another character at any time and give that character instructions, objects, such as weapons, may be passed from one character to another.

Demoniak

Demoniak

Atari ST - Released - 1991

Demoniak is an interactive fiction adventure in which the player guides four superheroes in an attempt to stop the evil Demoniak entering our dimension and doing dastardly things by sealing his gateway. The player may 'become' another character at any time and give that character instructions, objects, such as weapons, may be passed from one character to another.

Demoniak

Demoniak

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

Demoniak is an interactive fiction adventure in which the player guides four superheroes in an attempt to stop the evil Demoniak entering our dimension and doing dastardly things by sealing his gateway. The player may 'become' another character at any time and give that character instructions, objects, such as weapons, may be passed from one character to another.

Dragon Lord

Dragon Lord

Commodore Amiga - Released - December 1, 1990

Play one of the three evil wizards all competing to find the magical talisman. To do so, the player must hatch, raise, breed dragons, and use them to spread terror and power across the land! Use these dragons and spells to conquer or help numerous villages and cities across the land while devastating the other wizards also seeking control of the land.

Dragons Breath

Dragons Breath

Atari ST - Released - 1990

Play one of the three evil wizards all competing to find the magical talisman. To do so, the player must hatch, raise, breed dragons, and use them to spread terror and power across the land! Use these dragons and spells to conquer or help numerous villages and cities across the land while devastating the other wizards also seeking control of the land.

International 3D Tennis

International 3D Tennis

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1990

International 3D Tennis is a tennis game with ten camera angles, 1 or 2 players, 64 different computer opponents with 15 skill levels, 72 tournaments based on real events and 4 court surfaces (grass, clay, carpet and cement). You can choose 22 tournaments and play in a full tennis season. Other features is to learn to play topspin and backspin balls, four player ability levels (amateur, semi-pro, pro and ace), TV tennis theme tunes and Any-time save option. The game uses vector graphics that gives it a 3D look.

International 3D Tennis

International 3D Tennis

Atari ST - Released - 1990

International 3D Tennis is a tennis game with ten camera angles, 1 or 2 players, 64 different computer opponents with 15 skill levels, 72 tournaments based on real events and 4 court surfaces (grass, clay, carpet and cement). You can choose 22 tournaments and play in a full tennis season. Other features is to learn to play topspin and backspin balls, four player ability levels (amateur, semi-pro, pro and ace), TV tennis theme tunes and Any-time save option. The game uses vector graphics that gives it a 3D look.

International 3D Tennis

International 3D Tennis

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1990

International 3D Tennis is a tennis game with ten camera angles, 1 or 2 players, 64 different computer opponents with 15 skill levels, 72 tournaments based on real events and 4 court surfaces (grass, clay, carpet and cement). You can choose 22 tournaments and play in a full tennis season. Other features is to learn to play topspin and backspin balls, four player ability levels (amateur, semi-pro, pro and ace), TV tennis theme tunes and Any-time save option. The game uses vector graphics that gives it a 3D look.

International 3D Tennis

International 3D Tennis

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1990

International 3D Tennis is a tennis game with ten camera angles, 1 or 2 players, 64 different computer opponents with 15 skill levels, 72 tournaments based on real events and 4 court surfaces (grass, clay, carpet and cement). You can choose 22 tournaments and play in a full tennis season. Other features is to learn to play topspin and backspin balls, four player ability levels (amateur, semi-pro, pro and ace), TV tennis theme tunes and Any-time save option. The game uses vector graphics that gives it a 3D look.

International 3D Tennis

International 3D Tennis

Commodore 64 - Released - 1990

International 3D Tennis is a tennis game with ten camera angles, 1 or 2 players, 64 different computer opponents with 15 skill levels, 72 tournaments based on real events and 4 court surfaces (grass, clay, carpet and cement). You can choose 22 tournaments and play in a full tennis season. Other features is to learn to play topspin and backspin balls, four player ability levels (amateur, semi-pro, pro and ace), TV tennis theme tunes and Any-time save option. The game uses vector graphics that gives it a 3D look.

Outlaw (Palace Software)

Outlaw (Palace Software)

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

A western themed shoot'em up included as one of the samples of the Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit. The adventure is set in the old Far West at the time of pioneers and sees two unscrupulous outlaws as protagonists. These bandits have to find safety by escaping to Mexico and to reach it they have to go through many areas full of dangers. These dangers are represented by the Native Americans of their territory, by the inhabitants of a town on the border of Arizona, by soldiers hunting for bandits by animals such as snakes, bison, etc. and by natural phenomena such as the winds and elements. To survive, our friends must carefully avoid the various bullets thrown at them, the animals and objects that the wind tosses in the duo's direction. To defend themselves from enemies, they can shoot with their trusty Colt sidearms. If you have a friend you can play both characters on the screen at the same time. While this was included in the Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit, it was released as a standalone game in Italy as Gina e Paolo in Special C64 n.3 (1991/1992) and as Attacco al Treno in COM 64 n.61 (gennaio/febbraio 1993).

Rad Warrior

Rad Warrior

Commodore 64 - Released - 1986

In 2086, civilization destroys itself in a nuclear Armageddon, as two factions who both develop an anti-radiation battlesuit completely immune to conventional weapons go to war against each other when diplomatic peace talks break down. In the following millennia, the survivors develop into a hardy but peaceful race, living a quiet agricultural existence. One day, mysterious alien forces emerge from an old volcano containing a prewar military base and attack, quickly conquering and enslaving the new breed of humans, and forcing the populace to work in mines. Many rebel against the mysterious overlords and one of these rebels, Tal, is instructed by his elders to seek-out a legendary armoured suit - the Sacred Armour of Antiriad (the last word being a corruption of "anti-radiation"), which is in fact one of the prewar battlesuits whose development originally instigated the diplomatic crisis that started the nuclear war. This armour is rumoured to render the wearer impervious to attack and, with its help, Tal hopes to defeat and overthrow the alien rulers of Earth.

Rimrunner

Rimrunner

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

An alien race of arachnoids are invading various planets around the galaxy. The only protection the planets have are planetary forcefields, which require frequent recharging. A team of elite insectoid warriors mounted on runner creatures are assigned to do the job of maintaining the forcefields before penetration occurs. The main objective is to traverse across the planet to find the forcefield generators to recharge them. Throughout the game, the player will have numerous hostile forces to shoot down in multiple directions. The player can either control the insectoid character on foot or on its mount. Being on a mount allows faster travel around the planet, although the mount can take limited hits from enemies, before it dies, though a spare one can be summoned. The player has limited time to recharge the generators, has a limited number of spare mounts, and has limited energy, which depletes when an enemy or projectile hits the insectoid. A radar on the top menu indicates which generators need to be maintained. When a generator is found, the player must dismount and use a special tool to power it up. When all generators are maintained, the player proceeds to the next level. If the player runs out of time or energy, the game is over.

Shoot 'em up Construction Kit

Shoot 'em up Construction Kit

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1989

Shoot 'em Up Construction Kit is more of a utility than a game. It allows the user to create a huge variety of top down shooters with a simple set of utilities allowing the player to draw, animate and move all of the games sprites, create sound effects and backgrounds for many levels, and set up games rules.

Slap and Tickle

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

Slap and Tickle (inspired by Slap Fight) was released as one of the sample games in the Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit (SEUCK) and is a vertically scrolling space shooter. Also released in Radio Elettronica & Computer magazine 1988/09.

Sliders

Sliders

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

Sliders is a simple futuristic sports game that isn't a world away from Marble Madness. You control a ball over a futuristic landscape, the idea being to find the puck that's hidden somewhere in the level and "herd" it back to your starting point. Sounds simple enough, except for one thing; there's another player (either computer or human) trying to do the same thing. This results in incredibly hectic gameplay. Add this to the fact that sometimes you're negatively charged to the puck (and thus kick it away) or positively charged (so the puck sticks to you) and you're in for a crazy time!

Sliders

Sliders

MS-DOS - Released - 1991

Sliders is a simple futuristic sports game that isn't a world away from Marble Madness. You control a ball over a futuristic landscape, the idea being to find the puck that's hidden somewhere in the level and "herd" it back to your starting point. Sounds simple enough, except for one thing; there's another player (either computer or human) trying to do the same thing. This results in incredibly hectic gameplay. Add this to the fact that sometimes you're negatively charged to the puck (and thus kick it away) or positively charged (so the puck sticks to you) and you're in for a crazy time!

Sliders

Sliders

Atari ST - Released - 1991

Sliders is a simple futuristic sports game that isn't a world away from Marble Madness. You control a ball over a futuristic landscape, the idea being to find the puck that's hidden somewhere in the level and "herd" it back to your starting point. Sounds simple enough, except for one thing; there's another player (either computer or human) trying to do the same thing. This results in incredibly hectic gameplay. Add this to the fact that sometimes you're negatively charged to the puck (and thus kick it away) or positively charged (so the puck sticks to you) and you're in for a crazy time!

Squish!

Squish!

Commodore VIC-20 - Released - 1984

Squish is a 1-player arcade game for the VIC-20. The player controls a cross that moves in the cardinal directions, and tries to crush the enemies that move about the screen. Enemies will fire at the player if a direct shot is available. Both enemies and players can move items around the screen, and the player tries to crush the enemies between walls, solid squares, or other movable pieces. If the player touches a bug or is shot they lose a life. The player starts with 3 lives. When all enemies are destroyed the player moves to a level with more starting enemies.

Stifflip & Co

Stifflip & Co

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1987

Stifflip & Co. is a graphic adventure published by Palace Software in 1987 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC computers. The game is set in the early 20th century, between the two World Wars, and affectionately parodies the character and attitudes of the later British Empire.

Stifflip & Co.

Stifflip & Co.

Commodore 64 - Released - 1987

Stifflip & Co. is a graphic adventure published by Palace Software in 1987 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC computers. The game is set in the early 20th century, between the two World Wars, and affectionately parodies the character and attitudes of the later British Empire.

Stifflip & Co.

Stifflip & Co.

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1987

Count Chameleon recognises the importance of the game of cricket to the power of the British Empire, and knows that a simple Rubbertronic Ray to scupper the ball's bounce is all it takes to bring their power down. You control the team of Viscount Stifflip, Professor Braindeath, Colonel R G Bargie and Miss Primbottom, as they attempt to stop him. The bulk of the game is icon-driven, and allows you to switch between the four characters at will. The control options are all described in slangy English terms, so instead of talking to characters you 'Chinwag' with them, and fights are called 'Fisticuffs'. These are a key aspect of the game, requiring prompt arcade reactions and correct move selection, especially as using the low blow too often results in a character being wiped out.

Swap

Swap

Atari ST - Released - 1993

In this puzzle board game you should swap the tiles to make the sequence of tiles of the same color to eliminate them. Shape of tiles varies from big and small squares to triangles or hexagons. If tiles have no neighbor tiles you may take appropriate tiles from the pocket of the limited size to eliminate the rest of the tiles. Finishing the level, player will be transferred to the higher level if the results of the current level were high enough for such level. But to finish level successfully, player should acquire the certain number of points and to be qualified for the next level. The difficulty also raises and depends on quantity of colours, the shape of the tiles, and time limit presence. Undo moves are also present, but such moves decrease your final results. Game may be saved in progress and loaded later. Best scores and levels will be written in High Score Table.

Swap

Swap

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1991

In this puzzle board game you should swap the tiles to make the sequence of tiles of the same color to eliminate them. Shape of tiles varies from big and small squares to triangles or hexagons. If tiles have no neighbor tiles you may take appropriate tiles from the pocket of the limited size to eliminate the rest of the tiles. Finishing the level, player will be transferred to the higher level if the results of the current level were high enough for such level. But to finish level successfully, player should acquire the certain number of points and to be qualified for the next level. The difficulty also raises and depends on quantity of colours, the shape of the tiles, and time limit presence. Undo moves are also present, but such moves decrease your final results. Game may be saved in progress and loaded later.

Swap

Swap

Commodore 64 - Released - 1991

In this puzzle board game you should swap the tiles to make the sequence of tiles of the same color to eliminate them. Shape of tiles varies from big and small squares to triangles or hexagons. If tiles have no neighbor tiles you may take appropriate tiles from the pocket of the limited size to eliminate the rest of the tiles. Finishing the level, player will be transferred to the higher level if the results of the current level were high enough for such level. But to finish level successfully, player should acquire the certain number of points and to be qualified for the next level. The difficulty also raises and depends on quantity of colours, the shape of the tiles, and time limit presence. Undo moves are also present, but such moves decrease your final results. Game may be saved in progress and loaded later.

The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1985

Based on the horror movie of the same name released a year earlier, here you take on the role of the films’ lead protagonist, Ash, and like the film, the game takes place in the isolated cabin deep in the woods, where upon a diabolical evil is set free. The games’ viewpoint is from the top-down over head perspective, where as you see character’s head and shoulders only. The play-field consists of the cabin interior, which is outlined in a kind of plan view, where doors are represented by a short white line which disappears and reappears upon opening and closing, and windows are represented by dotted lines which function in the same ways as the doors. Some details that are from the film, is the swing on the porch which is gently swaying in the wind, the fire place, which is ablaze, and the two old beds. The crux of the game-play is as follows, you take control of Ash, represented by a white figure, and you must try to keep out the Evil Dead shroud, which looks like a green cloud mass, that has the ability to open the various windows to get inside, and you must try to close the windows to stop it possessing your friends, Linda, Cheryl, Shelly or Scotty. When one is taken by the evil shroud, they will become a green mutant. Periodically, weapons will spawn and disappear about the house which Ash can utilise to fight the mutants. Weapons consist of hatchets, shovels, and swords, and can be used for a limited time. As you fight the various new additions to the evil dead, they will split into various body parts before being completely finished off, so you will have to contend with disembodied arms, and legs, ghost spirits, and such. You score points for each mutant, or evil body part dispatched. Ash’s health is expressed as a number, initially 10,000, and as you are attacked, and subsequently defend yourself, this number will proceed to diminish, and when it reaches zero, it is game over. The ultimate goal of the game is to score enough points to conjure up the book of the dead, and it will appear on the screen, and if you manage to collect it and throw it in the fire place, this is the way of concluding the game.

The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead

Commodore 64 - Released - January 1, 1984

Based on the horror movie of the same name released a year earlier, here you take on the role of the films’ lead protagonist, Ash, and like the film, the game takes place in the isolated cabin deep in the woods, where upon a diabolical evil is set free. The games’ viewpoint is from the top-down over head perspective, where as you see character’s head and shoulders only. The play-field consists of the cabin interior, which is outlined in a kind of plan view, where doors are represented by a short white line which disappears and reappears upon opening and closing, and windows are represented by dotted lines which function in the same ways as the doors. Some details that are from the film, is the swing on the porch which is gently swaying in the wind, the fire place, which is ablaze, and the two old beds. The crux of the game-play is as follows, you take control of Ash, represented by a white figure, and you must try to keep out the Evil Dead shroud, which looks like a green cloud mass, that has the ability to open the various windows to get inside, and you must try to close the windows to stop it possessing your friends, Linda, Cheryl, Shelly or Scotty. When one is taken by the evil shroud, they will become a green mutant. Periodically, weapons will spawn and disappear about the house which Ash can utilise to fight the mutants. Weapons consist of hatchets, shovels, and swords, and can be used for a limited time. As you fight the various new additions to the evil dead, they will split into various body parts before being completely finished off, so you will have to contend with disembodied arms, and legs, ghost spirits, and such. You score points for each mutant, or evil body part dispatched. Ash’s health is expressed as a number, initially 10,000, and as you are attacked, and subsequently defend yourself, this number will proceed to diminish, and when it reaches zero, it is game over. The ultimate goal of the game is to score enough points to conjure up the book of the dead, and it will appear on the screen, and if you manage to collect it and throw it in the fire place, this is the way of concluding the game.

The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead

BBC Microcomputer System - Released - 1984

You take control of Ash and you must try to keep out the Evil Dead shroud and stop it possessing your friends. When one is taken by the evil shroud, they will become a green mutant. Periodically, weapons will spawn and disappear about the house and which can be utilised to fight the mutants. Weapons consist of hatchets, shovels, and swords, and can be used for a limited time. As you fight the various new additions to the evil dead, they will split into various body parts before being completely finished off, so you will have to contend with disembodied arms, and legs, ghost spirits and such. You score points for each mutant, or evil body part dispatched. The ultimate goal of the game is to score enough points to conjure up the book of the dead, which you must collect and throw in the fire to finish the game.

The Sacred Armour of Antiriad

The Sacred Armour of Antiriad

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Released - 1986

The Sacred Armour of Antiriad is an action game published by Palace Software in September 1986 for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 DOS, TRS-80 and ZX Spectrum. In North America, the game was published by Epyx as Rad Warrior. The original game came with a 16-page comic book created by graphic artist Daniel Malone. The game is notable for being one of the earliest examples of the Metroidvania genre, being developed without knowledge of and concurrently with Metroid. The Sacred Armour of Antiriad is a mixture of platform and maze game. The player controls Tal who, at the start, is simply a man dressed in a loincloth with thrown rocks as his only weapon. Later, he can find the legendary "Antiriad" armour and wear it to activate his status panel at the bottom of the screen which shows both Tal and the suit's strength, his remaining lives and in-game messages among other things. The game-environment is full of dangerous creatures and the minions of the mysterious overlords. Tal can defend himself from these hostile beings by throwing rocks at them when out of the suit and by using the suits beam-weapon capabilities once he has located and installed the necessary equipment to the Antiriad armour. Tal also needs to find and collect additions to the armour in order to allow it to fly, shoot etc. Tal can use the suit to explore the game area but will occasionally need to leave it to collect power re-charges for the suit, should it come under too-much attack (the suit cannot be destroyed but its power can be depleted). In 2086, civilization destroys itself in a nuclear Armageddon, as two factions who both develop an anti-radiation battlesuit completely immune to conventional weapons go to war against each other when diplomatic peace talks break down. In the following millennia, the survivors develop into a hardy but peaceful race, living a quiet agricultural existence. One day, mysterious alien forces emerge from an old volcano containing a prewar military base and attack, quickly conquering and enslaving the new breed of humans, and forcing the populace to work in mines. Many rebel against the mysterious overlords and one of these rebels, Tal, is instructed by his elders to seek-out a legendary armoured suit - the Sacred Armour of Antiriad (the last word being a corruption of "anti-radiation"), which is in fact one of the prewar battlesuits whose development originally instigated the diplomatic crisis that started the nuclear war. This armour is rumoured to render the wearer impervious to attack and, with its help, Tal hopes to defeat and overthrow the alien rulers of Earth. However, the armour requires other equipment to be added to it in order to make it function fully. These include anti-gravity boots, particle negator, pulsar beam, and implosion mine. The last add-on is the most important as it is the one needed to destroy the volcano the enemy uses as its base.

The Sacred Armour of Antiriad

The Sacred Armour of Antiriad

Amstrad CPC - Released - January 1, 1986

In 2086, two opposing factions design an anti-radiation suit to counter the nuclear threat. A nuclear war is then unleashed and humanity fails to disappear. Several centuries later, the descendants of the survivors live in peace in a way of life close to the cavemen. But one day, an extra-terrestrial force from a volcano housing a former military base attacks the inhabitants of this new world in order to reduce them to slavery. In front of the power of the invaders, the Ancients of the tribes then reveal to the most brave of the warriors the secret parchments concerning the legend of the sacred armor of Antiriad. It will have to use it to destroy the energy supply center of the extra-terrestrial forces.

Transputer Man

Transputer Man

Commodore 64 - Released - 1988

The sequel to Slap N Tickle. Tragic, mutant, genetic freak, Matthew Slim has found the long lost circuit board. Now you must help our hero to find the Transputer of Learning as only this can free him from the nightmare of being the Transputer Man. This game was one of the samples included in the 1988 release of the Shoot 'Em-Up Construction Kit.

Troglo

Troglo

Amstrad CPC - Released - 1986

You take control of cute troglodyte Troglo, and must slide the rocks in your cave to squash the invading critters. That’s right, it’s another Pengo clone, albeit a Spanish attempt this time. The levels are randomly generated, the pace is quite hectic (more so than a similiar CPC game, Penggy), and you gain extra points depending on how quickly you clear a level.

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.

Voodoo Nightmare

Voodoo Nightmare

Atari ST - Released - 1990

Boots Barker does not have a good day. His wife and his best friend cheated on him and during a balloon trip over Africa, they leave him there to die. And he probably will because a medicine man forced him to wear a voodoo mask which prevents him permanently to leave the jungle. To get rid of the thing, he needs to find this medicine man. Voodoo Nightmare is an isometric action game with puzzle elements. The game world consists of a jungle and five temples which have to be cleared. To do so, Boots need to travel inside the temples, collect all diamonds and offer them to the temple god. In return he receives a magic ability for this voodoo doll which allows him to proceed somewhere else in the jungle. Some of those diamonds are hidden and need to be found by killing the correct enemy or by performing actions, e.g. jumping puzzles or sliding blocks correctly. Fruit and additional jewels act as currency and can be reinvested inside the jungle shops which have useful items in stock, e.g. weapons, dynamite or maps. If Boots feels lucky, he can also visit casinos.

VooDoo Nightmare

VooDoo Nightmare

Commodore Amiga - Released - 1990

Boots Barker does not have a good day. His wife and his best friend cheated on him and during a balloon trip over Africa, they leave him there to die. And he probably will because a medicine man forced him to wear a voodoo mask which prevents him permanently to leave the jungle. To get rid of the thing, he needs to find this medicine man. Voodoo Nightmare is an isometric action game with puzzle elements. The game world consists of a jungle and five temples which have to be cleared. To do so, Boots need to travel inside the temples, collect all diamonds and offer them to the temple god. In return he receives a magic ability for this voodoo doll which allows him to proceed somewhere else in the jungle. Some of those diamonds are hidden and need to be found by killing the correct enemy or by performing actions, e.g. jumping puzzles or sliding blocks correctly. Fruit and additional jewels act as currency and can be reinvested inside the jungle shops which have useful items in stock, e.g. weapons, dynamite or maps. If Boots feels lucky, he can also visit casinos.

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