Ultrasoft

Last updated
Ultrasoft
Industry Video games
Founded1989
Defunct1998
FateDissolved
Successor Cyberdreams
Headquarters Bratislava, Slovakia
Key people
Louis Wittek, founder
Products Towdie , Atomix, Hexagonia
Number of employees
10+
Subsidiaries Bit magazine

Ultrasoft was a computer game developer and computer game publisher located in Bratislava, Slovakia. [1] [2] The company specialised in the development and publishing of games for the ZX Spectrum home computer. With over 40 titles published, [3] its most successful including the platform game Towdie and puzzle games Atomix and Hexagonia – Atomix 2. Ultrasoft also acted as an exclusive distributor within the territory of Czechoslovakia for Domark and Ocean Software [4] game software houses based in the UK. Apart from computer games, the company also published a dozen or so non-game titles, mostly for learning foreign languages, as well as text, image, sound and music editors.

Contents

The company was founded by Louis Wittek in 1989, and dissolved in 1998.

Published games

Example of Cover Art from some of the Ultrasoft's titles Ultrasoft Cover Art.jpg
Example of Cover Art from some of the Ultrasoft's titles
All games by Ultrasoft
TitleYearDeveloper (Country)Genre
Arkarum1990Rumatisoft (Slovakia) Shoot 'em up
Atomix1991Scorpion (Czech Republic) Puzzle video game
Axons1992Ľubomír Salanci (Slovakia) Shoot 'em up
Cesta Bojovníka (Way of the Warrior)1992KM Soft (Czech Republic) Fighting game
Chrobák Truhlík (Beetle Dim-witt)1991Sybilasoft (Slovakia) Text adventure
Crux 92 1992Marek Trefný (Czech Republic) Action Puzzle video game
Dokonalá vražda II - Bukapao (Perfect murder II - Bukapao)1991Ľudovít Wittek (Slovakia) Text adventure
Double Dash1991Fuxoft (Czech Republic) Action Puzzle video game
F.I.R.E.1991Fuxoft (Czech Republic) Shoot 'em up
Galactic Gunners1992Cybexlab Software (Czech Republic) Shoot 'em up
Hexagonia – Atomix 21992Scorpion (Czech Republic) Puzzle video game
Jet-Story 1992Cybexlab Software (Czech Republic) Arcade game
Kliatba Noci (Curse of the Night)1993Microtech Systems (United States)
DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia)
Action-adventure game
Komando 2 (Commando 2)1992Microtech Systems (United States)
DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia)
Shoot 'em up
Logic1991Rumatisoft (Slovakia) Puzzle video game
Notorik1992Bytepack (Slovakia) Action-adventure game
Octopussy1992Bytepack (Slovakia) Text adventure
Pedro 1 (Pedro on the Pirates' Island)1992Gold Storm (Slovakia) Action-adventure game
Pedro 2 (Pedro in the Haunted Castle)1993Gold Storm (Slovakia) Action-adventure game
Pedro 3 (Pedro in the Land of Pyramids)1993Gold Storm (Slovakia) Action-adventure game
Phantom F4 - Part 11992Microtech Systems DSA Computer Graphics (United States)
DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia)
Action game
Phantom F4 - Part 21992Microtech Systems (United States)
DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia)
Action game
Pick Out 21993Bytepack (Slovakia) Puzzle video game
Prva Akcia (First Heist)1992Microtech Systems (United States)
DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia)
Arcade game
Quadrax1994David Durčák and Marián Ferko (Slovakia) Puzzle video game
Rýchle Šípy 1 (Swift Arrows 1)1991Májasoft and CIDsoft (Czech Republic) Text adventure
Rýchle Šípy 2 (Swift Arrows 2)1991Májasoft and CIDsoft (Czech Republic) Text adventure
Sach-Mat (Check-Mate)1992Ján Deák (Slovakia) Chess video game
Sherwood1992DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) Action Strategy video game
Skladačka (Puzzle)1992Deltasoft (Slovakia) Text adventure
Star Dragon1991Scorpion (Czech Republic) Shoot 'em up
Tetris 2 1991Fuxoft (Czech Republic) Puzzle video game
Towdie 1994DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) Action-adventure game
Twilight - Krajina Tieňov (Twilight - The Land of Shadows)1995Ľubomír Dekan, Radoslav Javor and Norbert Grellneth (Slovakia) Adventure game

Other published titles

Bit magazine

Cover pages from the first and the last issue of the Bit magazine Bit 10-1991 and 12-1994.jpg
Cover pages from the first and the last issue of the Bit magazine

Between 1991 and 1994 Ultrasoft also published a specialised monthly magazine, Bit, aimed at owners of home computers and dealing with computer games in particular. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZX Spectrum</span> 1982 home computer

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, 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.

<i>Rick Dangerous</i> 1989 video game

Rick Dangerous is a platform game developed by Core Design for the Acorn Archimedes, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and MS-DOS. The game was released in 1989 and published by MicroProse on the Firebird Software label in the UK, and on the MicroPlay label in America. It was also published in Spain by Erbe Software. Later, it was released with two other games, Stunt Car Racer and MicroProse Soccer, on the Commodore 64 Powerplay 64 cartridge. The game was followed by a sequel, Rick Dangerous 2, in 1990. Loosely based on the Indiana Jones film franchise, the game received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>The Way of the Exploding Fist</i> 1985 video game

The Way of the Exploding Fist is a 1985 fighting game based on Japanese martial arts developed by Beam Software, by a team consisting of Gregg Barnett, Bruce Bayley, Neil Brennan and David Johnston. Originally developed on the Commodore 64 and published in June 1985 by Melbourne House, ports were made for Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron and Commodore 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beam Software</span> Former Australian video game developer

Krome Studios Melbourne, originally Beam Software, was an Australian video game development studio founded in 1980 by Alfred Milgrom and Naomi Besen and based in Melbourne, Australia. Initially formed to produce books and software to be published by Melbourne House, a company they had established in London in 1977, the studio operated independently from 1987 until 1999, when it was acquired by Infogrames, who changed the name to Infogrames Melbourne House Pty Ltd.. In 2006 the studio was sold to Krome Studios.

Artworx was a Naples, Florida software company that produced and supported a line of computer games from 1981 to 2015. It is named after the founder's given name. At first the company published a variety of games, including titles in adventure and arcade-action genres, but were later best known for a strip poker series.

<i>War in Middle Earth</i> 1988 video game

War in Middle Earth is a real-time strategy game released for the ZX Spectrum, MSX, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MS-DOS, Amiga, Apple IIGS, and Atari ST in 1988 by Virgin Mastertronic on the Melbourne House label.

The ZX Spectrum's software library was very diverse. While the majority of the software produced for the system was video games, others included programming language implementations, Sinclair BASIC extensions, databases, word processors, spread sheets, drawing and painting tools, and 3D modelling tools.

<i>Aliens: The Computer Game</i> (UK Version) 1986 video game

Aliens: The Computer Game is a 1986 video game developed by Software Studios and published by Electric Dreams Software initially for Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. It is based on the film of the same title. Ports for the Commodore 16 and MSX were developed by Mr. Micro and published in 1987.

<i>Warhawk</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Warhawk is a vertically scrolling shooter published in 1986 by Firebird Software. It was released for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit computers, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vector-06C</span>

Vector-06C is a home computer with unique graphics capabilities that was designed and mass-produced in USSR in the late 1980s.

<i>Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</i> (1985 video game) 1985 video game

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is an action game developed by Atari Games and released in arcades in 1985. It is based on the 1984 film of the same name, the second film in the Indiana Jones franchise. It is the first Atari System 1 arcade game to include digitized speech, including voice clips of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Amrish Puri as Mola Ram, as well as John Williams's music from the film.

<i>The Living Daylights</i> (video game) 1987 video game

The Living Daylights is a run and gun video game adaptation of the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights. It was the second Bond game published by Domark following 1985's poorly received A View to a Kill: The Computer Game.

<i>RoboCop</i> (1988 video game) 1988 video game

RoboCop is a run & gun and beat 'em up video game developed and published by Data East for arcades and Ocean Software for home computers in 1988 based on the 1987 film of the same name. It was sub-licensed to Data East by Ocean Software, who obtained the rights from Orion Pictures at the script stage. Data East and Ocean Software worked in conjunction with each other to release games for the Arcade and home computers respectively for a joint release, with the home computer versions translating the sections that Data East had shown Ocean from an early unfinished build of the game which Ocean then had to expand upon.

<i>Jet-Story</i> 1988 video game

Jet-Story is a 1988 video game developed by Cybexlab Software and published by Ultrasoft. The game is the sequel to Planet of Shades.

Scetlander was a software publisher which released titles for various 8- and 16-bit home computer systems in the 1980s and 1990s.

<i>The Flintstones</i> (1988 video game) 1988 video game

The Flintstones is a 1988 video game based on the 1960s television series The Flintstones. The game was developed by Teque Software Development and published by Grandslam Entertainments. The game was released in Europe in 1988, for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, and ZX Spectrum. A version for the Sega Master System was released in 1991.

<i>Donalds Alphabet Chase</i> 1988 educational video game

Donald's Alphabet Chase is an educational video game developed by Westwood Associates and published in 1988 by Walt Disney Computer Software. It was released on various home computers including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Commodore 64, MS-DOS and ZX Spectrum. An Atari ST version was planned by Nathan Software but got no release. The game was released in five different languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian and German.

<i>Judge Dredd</i> (1986 video game) 1986 video game

Judge Dredd is a platform shoot 'em up video game based on the character of the same name. It was developed by Beam Software and published by Melbourne House. It was released in Europe in 1986, for Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

<i>Pink Panther</i> (video game) 1988 video game

Pink Panther is a 1988 video game based on the character of the same name. It was developed by German company Magic Bytes and published by Gremlin Graphics. It was released in Europe for Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. Pink Panther was criticized for its control and difficulty, although the Amiga and Atari ST versions received praise for their graphics.

References

  1. "Extract from the Business Register of the District Court Bratislava I". orsr.sk. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
  2. Švelch, Jaroslav; Olli, Sotamaa (2021). Game Production Studies. Netherland: Amsterdam University Press. pp. 242, 246–247, 310, 329. ISBN   9789048551736. JSTOR   j.ctv1hp5hqw . Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  3. "Ultrasoft - Slovakia". worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
  4. Swertz, Christian; Wagner, Michael G. (2010). Game\\play\\society: Contributions to Contemporary Computer Game Studies (in English and German). Austria: kopaed. pp. 265–277. ISBN   9783867362405.
  5. Pavel Plíva. "ZX-Spectrum Games". Zx-spectrum.wz.cz. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2012-08-25.