The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. It was first released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982. Many official and unofficial clones were released around the world in the following years, most notably in Europe, the United States, and Eastern Bloc countries.
Susan Lillian Townsend, was an English writer and humorist whose work encompasses novels, plays and works of journalism. She was best known for creating the character Adrian Mole.
Andrew Nicholas Oliver and Philip Edward Oliver, together known as the Oliver Twins, are British twin brothers and video game designers.
Adrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared as part of a comic diary featured in a short-lived arts magazine published in Leicester in 1980, and shortly afterward in a BBC Radio 4 play in 1982. The books are written in the form of a diary, with some additional content such as correspondence. The first two books appealed to many readers as a realistic and humorous treatment of the inner life of an adolescent boy. They also captured something of the zeitgeist of the UK during the Thatcher period.
Level 9 was a British developer of computer software, active between 1981 and 1991. Founded by Mike, Nicholas and Pete Austin, the company produced software for the BBC Micro, Nascom, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Oric, Atari, Lynx 48k, RML 380Z, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Amiga, Apple II, Memotech MTX, and Enterprise platforms and is best known for its successful text adventure games until a general decline in the text adventure market forced their closure in June 1991.
Gremlin Graphics Software Limited, later Gremlin Interactive Limited and ultimately Infogrames Studios Limited was a British software house based in Sheffield, working mostly in the home computer market. Like many software houses established in the 1980s, their primary market was the 8-bit range of computers such as the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64. The company was acquired by French video game publisher Infogrames in 1999 and was renamed Infogrames Studios in 2000. Infogrames Studios closed down in 2003.
Dalek Attack is a 1992 computer game based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which the player controls the Doctor and fights recurring adversaries, the Daleks and other enemies. In most versions of the game, the player can choose between playing as the Fourth, Fifth or Seventh Doctor; in the MS-DOS and Amiga versions, the player can play as the Second, Fourth or Seventh Doctor, and in the ZX Spectrum version only the Seventh Doctor was available. A second player may play as the Doctor's companion. K-9 also makes appearances later in the game as does Davros, creator of the Daleks in the TV series, as the final end of level boss. The game is set in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Skaro.
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.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ is the first book in the Adrian Mole series of comedic fiction, written by English author Sue Townsend. The book is written in a diary style, and focuses on the worries and regrets of a teenager who believes himself to be an intellectual. The story is set in 1981 and 1982, and in the background it refers to some of the historic world events of the time, such as the Falklands War and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana as well as the birth of Prince William. Mole is a fierce critic of prime minister Margaret Thatcher, listing her as one of his worst enemies.
Wanted: Monty Mole is a platform video game published in July 1984 for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 home computers. It is the first game released by Gremlin Graphics and the first game in the Monty Mole series. Monty Mole is a fictional mole created by Ian Stewart, the director of the company.
Don't Buy This is a compilation of video games for the ZX Spectrum released on 1 April 1985. As described on the box, it contains five of the poorest games submitted to publisher Firebird. Instead of rejecting the submissions, they decided to mock the original developers by releasing them together and publicly brand it as "unoriginal" and "awful". Firebird even disowned all their copyright to the game and encouraged buyers to pirate it at will.
The Saga of Erik the Viking is a text-based adventure video game developed by Level 9 Computing and published by Mosaic Publishing in 1984. The game runs on the Amstrad CPC, BBC model B, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum.
Aliens: The Computer Game is a 1986 video game developed and published by Activision for the Commodore 64, Apple II based on the film of the same title. As Activision's UK subsidiary Electric Dreams Software had independently released their own version of the game with the same title, the game was renamed for European release. Initially planned to be released as Aliens: The Second Part., it was finally published under the title Aliens: US Version with ports for the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum produced by Mr Micro.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ is a British television series based on the book of the same name written by Sue Townsend. It began in 1985, and starred Gian Sammarco as the title character Adrian Mole, Stephen Moore as Adrian's father George Mole and Julie Walters as Adrian's mother Pauline Mole.
Captain America in: The Doom Tube of Dr. Megalomann, also known as Captain America Defies The Doom Tube, is a video game based on a comic book series of the same name. It was published in 1987 by U.S. Gold on their Go! label for computers including the Amstrad CPC and the Commodore 64 and was published a year later on the ZX Spectrum. Reviews were mixed, with the graphics and audio generally seen as poor. It is the first video game to feature Captain America.
The Saga of Erik the Viking is a children's novel written by the Welsh comedian Terry Jones, illustrated by Michael Foreman, and published by Pavilion in 1983. Foreman was commended for the annual Greenaway Medal by the Library Association, recognising the year's best-illustrated children's book by a British subject.
The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole is a British television series based on the book of the same name written by Sue Townsend. It aired from 5 January to 9 February 1987 and starred Gian Sammarco, as the title character Adrian Mole, Stephen Moore as Adrian's father George Mole and Lulu as Adrian's mother Pauline Mole.
Rastan Saga, known as Rastan in North America, is a side-scrolling hack and slash arcade video game released by Taito in 1987. It was a critical and commercial success and was ported to home platforms.
The Snow Queen is a interactive fiction game created by Irish developer St. Bride's School and published by Mosaic Publishing for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum in 1985. It is based on the 1844 fairy tale "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen.
Yes, Prime Minister is a 1987 adventure game based on the television series of the same name. It was developed by Oxford Digital Enterprises and published by Mosaic Publishing. It was released in Europe for Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, DOS, and ZX Spectrum. Critics found it a faithful adaptation of the television series, but remarked on its high price, short length, and lack of long-term appeal.
