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Even those critics who dismissed the ZX-81 as a child's toy, had to admit that the program was innovative and well-presented. Monster Maze marked the rise of the use of 3D techniques on microcomputers as small as the ZX-81 and Spectrum. [13]
The success of Monster Maze brought recognition to Malcolm Evans and his company, New Generation Software. As a result, they continued to release more games that further improved the 3D gaming experience. Even when later hit games by N.G.S., such as Trashman , were covered by the gaming media reviews, 3D Monster Maze was remembered as the landmark impressive start:
From the outset New Generation and Malcolm Evans have become synonymous with 3D graphics ... [12]
Edge in 2006 stated that 3D Monster Maze "is the original survival horror game", writing "Ask any player and they'll tell you what 3D Monster Maze was chiefly about: fear, panic, terror and facing an implacable, relentless foe who's going to get you in the end." [5] Retro Gamer agreed, in 2014 stating that "Survival horror may have been a phrase first coined by Resident Evil, but it could've easily applied to Malcolm Evans' massive hit." [20] With ZX81 games played mostly in emulated environments by the retrogaming community, it still receives enthusiastic reviews, even while modern high-end gaming consoles and home computers provide much richer capabilities for one's immersion into a first-person 3D game:
Best of the old games we played this month... The best thing about 3DMM was strangely the silence as you moved around. ... This added to the atmosphere. This also added to the scares. There was nothing worse than heading down a corridor and in the distance seeing the start of the dino heading towards you. Because the graphics were slow to draw the dino came at you in a few steps. Turning around and sprinting the other way was a manic dance across the keyboard, while you looked stunned as the screen filled with teeth. It was truly a pants wetting moment. [21]
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. Considered one of the most influential computers ever made, it is also one of the best-selling British computers ever, with over five million units sold. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and around the world in the following years, most notably in Europe, the United States, and Eastern Bloc countries.
The ZX81 is a home computer that was produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Dundee, Scotland, by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public. It was hugely successful; more than 1.5 million units were sold. In the United States it was initially sold as the ZX-81 under licence by Timex. Timex later produced its own versions of the ZX81: the Timex Sinclair 1000 and Timex Sinclair 1500. Unauthorized ZX81 clones were produced in several countries.
CRL Group plc was a British video game development and publishing company. Originally CRL stood for "Computer Rentals Limited". It was based in King's Yard, London and run by Clem Chambers.
Artic Computing was a software development company based in Brandesburton, England from 1980 to 1986. The company's first games were for the Sinclair ZX81 home computer, but they expanded and were also responsible for various ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron and Amstrad CPC computer games. The company was set up by Richard Turner and Chris Thornton. Charles Cecil, who later founded Revolution Software, joined the company shortly after it was founded, writing Adventures B through D. Developer Jon Ritman produced a number of ZX81 and Spectrum games for Artic before moving to Ocean Software.
New Generation Software was an early British video games developer producing games for the Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum computers. It was conceived in the spring of 1982 shortly after the lead developer, Malcolm Evans created 3D Monster Maze —one of the first 3D games for a home computer.
J.K. Greye Software was a British software company set up by J.K. Greye in early 1981 and 6 months later joined by Malcolm Evans after they met at a Bath Classical Guitar & Lute Society meeting in Bath in 1981. They produced computer games for the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum home computers.
Malcolm Evans is a British former computer game programmer and electronics technician, best known for his games 3D Monster Maze for the Sinclair ZX81 and Trashman for the ZX Spectrum, released in 1982 and 1984 respectively.
Trashman is a video game developed by Malcolm Evans for the ZX Spectrum and released by New Generation Software in 1984.
Costa Panayi is a former computer game programmer active during the 1980s. He founded Vortex Software with Paul Canter, publishing games for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC.
Android Two is a shoot 'em up maze video game written by Costa Panayi and published by Vortex Software in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum and in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC. It is the sequel to Android One: The Reactor Run, released earlier in 1983.
Corridors of Genon is a first-person maze video game for the ZX Spectrum developed by New Generation Software and released in 1983.
3D Tunnel is a shoot 'em up video game written by Malcolm Evans for the ZX Spectrum It was published by New Generation Software in 1983.
Escape is maze video game for the ZX Spectrum developed by New Generation Software and published in 1982.
Football Manager is the first game in the Football Manager series.
Knot in 3D is a ZX Spectrum action game by Malcolm Evans published in 1983 by New Generation Software. It resembles a three-dimensional version of the Light cycles game from the film Tron.
3-D Monster Chase is a first-person maze game written by Dave Noonan and released by Romik in 1984 for the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum. A version for Camputers Lynx titled 3-D Monster Craze was developed by Camsoft.
Flight Simulation is a flight simulation program written by Psion and marketed by Sinclair Research for the ZX Spectrum and ZX81 home computers.
Mined-Out is a maze video game created by Ian Andrew originally for the ZX Spectrum home computer in 1983. The objective is to carefully navigate a series of grid-shaped minefields by moving from the bottom to the top of the screen. The number of invisible mines in spaces adjacent to the player's current position is shown but not their precise location, requiring deduction to advance past them and avoid getting blown up. Additional challenges are introduced in later stages.
Black Crystal is an action-adventure game released in 1982 for the ZX81, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and TI-99/4A computers by Carnell Software Ltd. It was the first in the "Third Continent Trilogy" of adventure games; followed by Volcanic Dungeon and The Wrath of Magra.