Rescue On Fractalus! is a 1985 first-person shooter computer game created by Lucasfilm Games. It was originally released for the Atari 8-bit family and the Atari 5200 games console. It was also ported to other popular platforms of the day, such as the Apple II, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Tandy Color Computer 3 and Commodore 64. The game was one of the first two products from the fledgling Lucasfilm Computer Division Games Group led by Peter Langston. David Fox was the project leader and designer. Music was mainly composed by Charlie Kellner.
Road Runner is a racing video game based on the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner shorts. It was released in arcades by Atari Games in 1985.
Wizball is a horizontally scrolling shooter written by Jon Hare and Chris Yates and released in 1987 for the Commodore 64 and later in the year for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. Versions for the Amiga and Atari ST were released in the following year. Wizball was also ported to IBM PC compatibles and the Thomson MO5.
Mercenary is a 3D action-adventure game written for the Atari 8-bit family and published by Novagen Software in 1985. It was converted to the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Amiga and Commodore 16/116/Plus/4 platforms. The game uses vector graphics renderings of vast, sparse environments and has open-ended gameplay. It was also released as Mercenary: Escape from Targ and Mercenary: A Flight Simulator Adventure.
Thrust is a 1986 video game programmed by Jeremy C. Smith for the BBC Micro and published by Superior Software. The player's aim is to manoeuvre a spaceship by rotating and thrusting, as it flies over a two-dimensional landscape and through caverns. The gameplay of Thrust was heavily inspired by Atari's Gravitar.
Ballblazer is a futuristic sports game created by Lucasfilm Games and published in 1985 by Epyx. Along with Rescue on Fractalus!, it was one of the initial pair of releases from Lucasfilm Games, Ballblazer was developed and first published for the Atari 8-bit family. The principal creator and programmer was David Levine. The game was called Ballblaster during development; some pirated versions bear this name.
Koronis Rift is a video game from Lucasfilm Games. Produced and designed by Noah Falstein. Originally developed for the Atari 8-bit computers and the Commodore 64, Koronis Rift was published in 1984. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Apple II, MSX2, Tandy Color Computer 3, and ZX Spectrum.
N.Y.C. The Big Apple is an action game written by Russ Segal for Atari 8-bit computers and published by Synapse Software in 1984. Segal previously wrote Picnic Paranoia for Synapse. New York City was ported to the Commodore 64 by Greg Nelson.
Spy's Demise is an action game written by Alan Zeldin for the Apple II and published by Penguin Software in 1982. It was ported to the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, TI-99/4A, and Vector-06c. The game contains a puzzle which at the time of release could be solved for a Spy's Demise T-shirt. According to Antic magazine in June 1984, only four people had solved it. The game was followed by a 1983 sequel, The Spy Strikes Back.
Druid is a hack and slash dungeon crawl developed by Electralyte Software and published by Firebird in 1986 for the Atari 8-bit family and Commodore 64. It was also ported to Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, and by Nippon Dexter in 1988 for the MSX, although the MSX port was released in Japan only. Another Japanese port of Druid entitled Druid: Kyōfu no Tobira (ドルイド 恐怖の扉) was made for the Famicom Disk System by Jaleco in 1988. The game was followed by Druid II: Enlightenment and Warlock: The Avenger.
Hades Nebula is a 1987 vertically scrolling shooter for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum and Atari ST by Paranoid Software and published by Nexus Productions. The player controls an upgradable fighter that must battle its way through thousands of enemy ships before it confronts the final boss, Emperor Hades. There are fifteen levels.
Dropzone is a horizontally scrolling shooter developed by Archer Maclean for Atari 8-bit computers and published in 1984 by U.S. Gold. It was ported to the Commodore 64, and later released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color.
Panther is a Commodore 64 game designed and implemented by Peter Adams and published by Mastertronic in 1986. An Atari 8-bit family version followed in 1987, then a ZX Spectrum port in 1989. The player pilots a strange-looking aircraft, fighting off hordes of invading flying saucers and rescuing people by landing the craft and waiting for them to board. The game uses a diagonally scrolling isometric view, much like Zaxxon and Blue Max, using shadows to show the height of flying objects. Adams previously worked ports of both of those games.
Richard Petty's Talladega is a racing game featuring Richard Petty and Talladega Superspeedway. It was published by Cosmi in 1984 for Atari 8-bit computers. A Commodore 64 port followed in 1985. It is the first home video game to feature NASCAR racers.
Cops 'n' Robbers is a video game published by Atlantis Software in 1985 for the VIC-20 and in virtually identical form on the Commodore 64. It was ported to the Commodore 16 and Commodore Plus/4 (1986), Acorn Electron and BBC Micro (1987), and the Atari 8-bit family (1988). The game was controversial when released as the player takes the role of a robber and must shoot the police.
Blue Max 2001 is a diagonally-scrolling shooter written by Bob Polin for Atari 8-bit computers and published by Synapse Software in 1984. A Commodore 64 version was released the same year. Blue Max 2001 is the sequel to 1983's Blue Max, also by Polin, with the player piloting a futuristic hovercraft instead of a World War I biplane. Critics found the game disappointing compared with the original, citing the indistinct graphics and confusing documentation.
Zorro is a puzzle-platform game written by James Garon and published by Datasoft in 1985. Versions were released for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. A ZX Spectrum port was published in 1986 by U.S. Gold.
Ninja is a beat 'em up game developed by Sculptured Software and released by Mastertronic in 1986 for the Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum, then in 1987 for the Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS. An arcade version of the game was released in 1987 for Mastertronic's Arcadia Systems which is based on Amiga hardware. The Amiga, Atari ST, and Arcade versions were released as Ninja Mission. As a Ninja, the player attacks a fortress made of individual fixed screens which can be explored non-linearly.
Kikstart: Off-Road Simulator is a racing game designed by Shaun Southern and published by Mastertronic in 1985 for the Commodore 64. Ports for Commodore 16 / Commodore Plus/4 and Atari 8-bit followed in 1986, and a sequel, Kikstart 2, in 1987.
Ninja Master is an action game depicting ninja training which was published in 1986 for various 8-bit home computers by the Firebird Software silver label. The game was developed by Tron Software and was poorly received by reviewers. A sequel, Oriental Hero, was developed by the same company and released in 1987.
