Replay: The History of Video Games

by Donovan, Tristan

  British surrealism

  The early days of the UK games industry were filled with games that were bizarre and surreal, yet often hugely popular. Agit-prop game designer Mel Croucher was first to serve up slices of the weird and wonderful:

  Can of Worms (1982, Automata, Mel Croucher & Christian Penfold, ZX81, UK): Tabloid newspaper enraging bad taste mini-games.

  Pimania (1982, Automatael Croucher & Christian Penfold, ZX81, UK): Abstract puzzle adventure featuring the creepy PiMan character that became Automata’s mascot.

  Deus Ex Machina (1984, Automata, Mel Croucher, ZX Spectrum, UK): Croucher’s finest moment. A truly unique video game experience that grinds together Shakespeare, Aldous Huxley and well-known British TV personalities.

  During the early 1980s, however, the teenage Matthew Smith was the poster-child for British surrealism thanks to:

  Manic Miner (1983, Bug-Byte, Matthew Smith, ZX Spectrum, UK): A nutty remix of the US platform hit Miner 2049’er (1982, Big Five Software, Bill Hogue, Atari 800, USA).

  Jet Set Willy (1984, Software Projects, Matthew Smith, ZX Spectrum, UK): The surreal platform game that defined Britain’s taste for the odd. Smith then became a legendary figure by quitting the industry before completing another game. His ‘disappearance’ resulted in a spate of ‘where’s Matthew Smith?’ websites during the late 1990s that equated him to a video gaming Syd Barrett much to his bemusement.

  The furry ruminant loving Jeff Minter has made a career out of keeping the flame alive for British surrealism and early ’80s shoot ’em ups:

  Gridrunner (1982, Llamasoft, Jeff Minter, VIC-20, UK): Minter’s breakthrough slice of hi-octane blasting. It landed him a US publishing deal, which he promptly lost thanks to his subsequent output of sheep, llama, goat and camel themed shooters.

  Attack of the Mutant Camels / Advance of the Megacamel (1983, Llamasoft, Jeff Minter, Commodore 64, UK): Defender reimagined as a battle against giant camels.

  Trip-a-Tron (1988, Llamasoft, Jeff Minter, Atari ST, UK): When not making sweaty palmed shooters, Minter spent his time exploring his vision of ‘light synthesizers’, interactive light show software. Trip-a-Tron was the first to come close to realising his vision. His experiments eventually resulted in the Xbox 360’s interactive musical visualiser Neon (2005, Microsoft Game Studios, Llamasoft, Xbox 360, UK).

  Llamatron: 2112 (1991, Llamasoft, Jeff Minter, Atari ST, UK): Minter reinvents Robotron: 2084 with screaming fractals, bouncing cans of killer cola, sheep noises and non-stop blasting. Even better than its inspiration.

  Tempest 2000 (1994, Atari Corporation, Llamasoft, Atari Jaguar, UK): The influence of acid house seeps into Minter’s work in this spectacular remake of the Atari coin-op.

  Space Giraffe (2007, Llamasoft, Jeff Minter & Ivan Zorzin, Xbox 360, UK): Storming shooter with hazy, trippy psychedelic visuals.

  Gridrunner Revolution (2009, Llamasoft, Jeff Minter & Ivan Zorzin, PC: Windows, UK): A remake of Minter’s breakthrough game.

  Other moments of British madness:

  Wanted: Monty Mole (1984, Gremlin Graphics, Peter Harrap, ZX Spectrum, UK): Confused social commentary about a coal-stealing mole.

  A Day in the Life (1985, Micromega, ZX Spectrum, UK): A digital hymn to Clive Sinclair where you steer his disembodied head to Buckingham Palace while dodging killer microchips and other oddities.

  Skool Daze (1985, Microsphere, David Reidy, ZX Spectrum, UK): Relatively sane and rather brilliant schoolboy sim: avoid getting lines while trying to steal your terrible school report. Its equally good sequel: Back to Skool (1985, Microsphere, David Reidy, ZX Spectrum, UK).

  Wizball (1987, Ocean Software, Sensible Software, Commodore 64, UK): Bullet-shooting bouncing ball battles abstract objects in a quest to bring colour to a grey world. Odd but utterly sane compared to its mad-as-a-box-of-frogs sequel Wizkid (1992, Ocean Software, Sensible Software, Amiga, UK). Sensible Software also made the wonderful Mega Lo Mania / Tyrants: Fight Through Time (1991, Virgin Interactive, Sensible Software, Amiga, UK), a humorous strategy game in the Populous mould where technological advances could leave cavemen fighting biplanes and tanks. As the game says it’s “ergonomically terrific”.

  Head Over Heels (1987, Ocean Software, John Ritman & Bernie Drummond, ZX Spectrum, UK): Wonderfully strange. One of the best arcade adventures ever devised.

  Rock Star Ate My Hamster (1988, Codemasters, Colin Jones, Amiga, UK): Low-budget rock manager parody. One of the better budget games to fill Britain’s shelves during the late 1980s.

  Other budget game picks:

  Dizzy: The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure (1986, Codemasters, The Oliver Twins, ZX Spectrum, UK): This hard-boiled hero was the nearest Britain got to producing a Mario of its own. The puzzle-focused arcade adventure was followed by numerous sequels including Treasure Island Dizzy (1987, Codemasters, The Oliver Twins, Amiga, UK) and air-bubble hopping of Bubble Dizzy (1990, Codemasters, The Oliver Twins, Atari ST, UK).

  Rescue (1987, Mastertronic, Icon Design, ZX Spectrum, UK): Action-packed race-against-time on board a space station to save the “ultimate discovery”.

  Werewolves of London (1988, Mastertronic, Viz Design, CPC, UK): Free-roaming action adventure where you trawl London to munch on a group of occultists who have turned you into a werewolf.

  Head Over Heels was directly inspired by Knight Lore (1984, Ultimate Play the Game, Tim Stamper & Chris Stamper, ZX Spectrum, UK): A groundbreaking game that made isometric-view action adventures the staple diet of British computer owners in the 1980s. Other isometric delights:

  Ant Attack (1983, Quicksilva, Sandy White, ZX Spectrum, UK): Got there before Knight Lore with the distinctive architecture of Antchester.

  The Great Escape (1986, Ocean Software, Denton Designs, ZX Spectrum, UK): Escape a Nazi prisoner of war camp. How is up to you, just don’t caught. The moment when your character’s morale reaches rock bottom and he reverts to being a submissive model prisoner is one of gaming’s most depressing game overs.

  Spindizzy (1986, Electric Dreams, Paul Shirley, CPC, UK): A fiendish puzzle game reminiscent of Atari Games’ Marble Madness.

  The Last Ninja (1987, System 3, Mark Cale & Tim Best, Commodore 64, UK): Elegant ninja action adventure.

  La Abadía de Crimen (1987, Opera Soft, Paco Menéndez & Juan Delcán, CPC, Spain): An involving and sophisticated murder mystery game that shows that the UK wasn’t the only source of great isometric arcade adventures. Other 1980s highlights from Spain: Army Moves (1986, Dinamic, ZX Spectrum, Spain): Super hard drive-and-gun arcade action; Goody (1987, Opera Soft, Gonzalo Suárez, ZX Spectrum, Spain): Crafty bank robber platforming; Rescate Atlantida (1989, Dinamic, ZX Spectrum, Spain): Vast underwater exploration game but – like almost every Spanish game from the time – very, very hard.

  Get Dexter (1986, Ere Informatique, Rémi Herbulot, CPC, France): Marvellously bizarre problem solving game where the player is accompanied by a strange creature that consists of a head on a large foot.

  D/Generation (1991, Mindscape, Robert Cook & James Brown, Amiga, USA): Colourful isometric adventure enhanced by the use of lasers that bounce off walls.

  Little Big Adventure / Relentless: Twinsen’s Adventure (1994, Electronic Arts, Adeline, PC: MS-DOS, France): The last great isometric arcade adventure. Also see: Little Big Adventure 2 / Twinsen’s Odyssey (1997, Electronic Arts, Adeline, PC: Windows, France).

  Maze

  Pac-Man (1980, Namco, Toru Iwatani, Coin-op, Japan) remains the genre’s finest moment. Pac-Man: Championship Edition (2009, Namco Bandai, Toru Iwatani, Xbox 360, Japan) is a fine update, but the original’s just as good.

  Other maze-like games of note:

  Q*bert (1982, Gottlieb, Warren Davis & Jeff Lee, Coin-op, USA): If M.C. Escher made Pac-Man.

  Dig Dug (1982, Namco, Coin-op, Japan): Hectic underground tunnelling where the goal is to inflate cute monsters until they burst.

  Bomber Man (1983, Hudson Soft, NEC PC-6001, Japan): The start of Hudson Soft’s long running b
omb ’em up maze game. Comes alive with friends, try Bomberman Ultra (2009, Hudson Soft, PlayStation 3, Japan).

  Super Monkey Ball (2001, Sega, Amusement Vision, Gamecube, Japan): A zany test of skill where you roll a monkey in a Perspex ball through mazes suspended in the air.

  The Last Guy (2008, Sony Computer Entertainment, PlayStation 3, Japan): Monster movie-inspired save ’em up that turns satellite images of real-life cities into mazes.

  First-person shooter

  The genre’s origins stretch all the way back to Maze (1974, Steve Colley, Greg Thompson & Howard Palmer, Imlac PDS-1, USA), but the world had to wait for Id Software’s releases before it became a permanent feature of the gaming landscape:

  Catacomb 3-D (1991, Softdisk, Id Software, PC: MS-DOS, USA): Introduced most of the basic concepts of the first-person shooter, but lacked the intensity of Id’s subsequent work

  Wolfenstein 3D (1992, Apogee, Id Software, PC: MS-DOS, USA): Nazi-slaying brutality that ushered in the Id revolution

  Doom (1993, Id Software, PC: MS-DOS, USA): Id’s primal masterpiece. One of the most significant video games ever made.

  Quake (1996, GT Interactive, Id Software, PC: Windows, USA): The Romero-Carmack partnership’s parting shot took user-generated content to new heights and spawned the machinima movement. The multiplayer-focused Quake III: Arena (1999, Activision, Id Software, PC: Windows, USA) has more lasting appeal.

  After Id’s revolution:

  Duke Nukem 3D (1996, Apogee, 3D Realms, PC: MS-DOS, USA): Rip-roaring destruction fronted by the semi-ironic, politically incorrect, alpha-male knucklehead that is Duke Nukem.

  Half-Life (1998, Sierra, Valve, PC: Windows, USA): Landmark integration of storyteling and first-person shooter. The exceptional Half-Life 2 (2004, Sierra, Valve, PC: Windows, USA) is a must.

  Unreal Tournament (1999, GT Interactive, Epic Games & Digital Extremes, PC: Windows, USA & Canada): Pure multiplayer magic.

  The Operative: No-one Lives Forever (2000, Fox Interactive, Monolith Productions, PC: Windows, USA): Austin Powers-style James Bond parody with a heroine that echoes actress Joanna Lumley’s days as Purdy in The New Avengers.

  Deus Ex (2000, Eidos Interactive, Ion Storm, PC: Windows, USA): RPG character development, powerful storytelling and expert game design. Owes a big debt to System Shock (1994, Origin Systems, Looking Glass Studios, PC: MS-DOS, USA).

  Serious Sam: The First Encounter (2001, Gathering of Developers, Croteam, PC: Windows, Croatia): An anything but serious high-action rampage.

  Halo: Combat Evolved (2001, Microsoft Game Studios, Bungie, Xbox, USA): Taut, iconic and thrilling sci-fi blockbuster that stamped all over the competition. Two equally vital sequels: Halo 2 (2004, Microsoft Game Studios, Bungie, Xbox, USA) and Halo 3 (2007, Microsoft Game Studios, Bungie, Xbox 360, USA)

  Far Cry (2004, Ubisoft, Crytek, PC: Windows, Germany): Majestic open-ended tactical shooting in lush jungle environments. Also see its Africa-set sequel Far Cry 2 (2008, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Xbox 360, Canada) and the original developers’ post-Far Cry effort Crysis (Electronic Arts, Crytek, PC: Windows, Germany): The video game equivalent of a supercar.

  Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas (2006, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Xbox 360, Canada): Counter-terrorism operations set amid the glitz of Las Vegas.

  BioShock (2007, 2K Games, Irrational Games, Xbox 360, USA): A tour de force that mixed vigorous blasting with one of gaming’s most effective political statements. The decaying grandeur of the underwater city of Rapture and the Big Daddies, with their whale-like moans, confirmed the game’s iconic status.

  Second World War first-person shooters are almost a genre in themselves. Picks: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (2002, EA Games, 2015 Inc., PC: Windows, USA), Battlefield 1942 (2002, EA Games, Digital Illusions, PC: Windows, Sweden) and Call of Duty: World at War (2008, Activision, Treyarch, Xbox 360, USA). Call of Duty’s massively popular present day offshoot: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009, Activision, Infinity Ward, Xbox 360, USA).

  The modding of first-person shooters has also produced several great games. The prime cuts all got Valve makeovers:

  Team Fortress (1996, John Cook, Robin Walker & Ian Caughley, PC: Windows, USA): Carefully balanced team-versus-team multiplayer mod.

  Counter-Strike (1999, Minh Le & Jess Cliffe, PC: Windows, Canada & USA): A multiplayer phenomenon with a terrorism theme.

  Portal (2007, Valve, Xbox 360, USA): First-person brainteaser that grew out of the free student project Narbacular Drop (2005, Nuclear Monkey Software, PC: Windows, USA).

  Stealth

  Castle Wolfenstein (1981, Muse Software, Silas Warner, Apple II, USA): The inspiration for Wolfenstein 3D but unlike Id’s creation it was a game of covert infiltration not gung-ho slaughter.

  Metal Gear (1987, Konami, Hideo Kojima, MSX2, Japan): The starting point for Hideo Kojima’s genre-defining series. The cinematic flair may have been years away, but the hide and seek play was already evident.

  Metal Gear Solid (1998, Konami, Hideo Kojima, PlayStation, Japan): A stunninreturn for the series. A tense test of player ingenuity and patience wrapped in the cinematic presentation Kojima first explored with the Blade Runner-isms of Snatcher (1988, Konami, Hideo Kojima, NEC PC-8801, Japan) and the point-and-click adventure Policenauts (1994, Konami, Hideo Kojima, NEC PC-9821, Japan).

  Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001, Konami, Hideo Kojima, PlayStation 2, Japan): Kojima’s movie director aspirations take centre-stage in the series’ most divisive game. For those who loved Kojima’s world its convoluted and intricate story was a triumph, for everyone else it was an indulgence.

  Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004, Konami, Kojima Productions, PlayStation 2, Japan): Set during the Cold War, this revisits series hero Solid Snake’s youth. The jungle environments felt expansive and liberating after the confined industrial complexes of the previous two games.

  Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, Konami, Kojima Productions, PlayStation 3, Japan): Reflective entry in the series where an old and weary Solid Snake returns to the battlefield. Kojima’s anti-war message was never clearer.

  As well as the first Metal Gear Solid, 1998 saw the release of two other landmark stealth games:

  Tenchu: Stealth Assassins (1998, Sony Computer Entertainment, Acquire, PlayStation, Japan): Ninja assassinations. The grappling hook-aided rooftop-to-rooftop movement is great fun.

  Thief: The Dark Project (1998, Eidos Interactive, Looking Glass Studios, PC: Windows, USA): Medieval thievery where audio clues were as important as visual ones for success. Try the third game in the series Thief: Deadly Shadows (2004, Eidos Interactive, Ion Storm, PC: Windows, USA), which opened up the thieving opportunities.

  Other great moments in stealth gaming:

  Hitman 2: Silent Assassin (2002, Eidos Interactive, IO Interactive, PC: Windows, Denmark): Cold, calculated and precise assassinations are the order of the day.

  Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005, Ubisft, Ubisoft Montreal & Ubisoft Annecy, Xbox, Canada & France): Ubisoft’s Metal Gear Solid rival finally moved out of Kojima’s shadow with this taut test of patience and skill.

  Assassin’s Creed II (2009, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, Xbox 360, France): Parkour-inspired rooftop escapes and daring assassins in Renaissance Italy.

  Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009, Eidos Interactive, Rocksteady Studios, PlayStation 3, UK): The first Batman game to really capture the essence of DC Comics’ dark knight. The trippy psychological battles with the Scarecrow owe a debt to the fourth-wall-breaking encounter with Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid. Of the earlier Batman titles two stand out:

  Batman the Caped Crusader (1988, Ocean Software, Special FX, Atari ST, UK): The game is plodding but the comic book panel visual approach was inspired. Sega’s beat ’em up Comix Zone (1995, Sega, Sega Technical Institute, Megadrive, USA) repeated the approach.

  Batman the Movie (1989, Ocean Software, Amiga, UK): Ocean’s best movie tie-in, mixing platform-based, bat-r
ope action with high-speed Batmobile driving.

  Horror

  Much groping in the dark during the 1980s, but few scares:

  Alien (1984, Argus Press, Concept Software, Commodore 64, UK): Based on the 1979 sci-fi film. The elusive alien keeps players on edge.

  The Rats! (1985, Hodder & Stoughton, Five Ways Software, ZX Spectrum, UK): Panic-inducing real-time text adventure.

  Project Firestart (1989, Electronic Arts, Dynamix, Commodore 64, USA): Had all the ingredients for what followed – dramatic close ups, careful use of audio, player vulnerability – but lacked the frights.

  Horror games came of age with Alone in the Dark (1992, Infogrames, Frédérick Raynal, PC: MS-DOS, France) and the zombie-terror of Resident Evil (1996, Capcom, Shinji Mikami, PlayStation [Gamecube], Japan) sealed the deal. After Resident Evil, the world fell in love with video game nasties:

  Silent Hill (1999, Konami, Team Silent, PlayStation, Japan): A more psychological take on the horror game where running away was often the best option. Silent Hill 2 (2001, Konami, Team Silent, PlayStation 2, Japan) was the fog-shrouded horror series’ high point.

  Fatal Frame / Project Zero (2001, Tecmo, Keisuke Kikuchi, PlayStation 2, Japan): Player vulnerability taken to the max. Your only defence: a camera obscura.

  The Thing (2002, Vivendi Universal, Computer Artworks, PlayStation 2, UK): The nagging fear that one of your party could be an alien makes this an exercise in looking over your shoulder.

  Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (2002, Nintendo, Silicon Knights, Gamecube, Canada): Insanity as the source of horror.

  Manhunt (2003, Rockstar Games, Rockstar North, PlayStation 2, UK): Sadistic murder sim. Equally unsettling is the Lord of the Flies-esque horror of Rule of Rose (2006, Sony Computer Entertainment, Punchline, PlayStation 2, Japan).