Ashby Computers and Graphics Limited, trading as Ultimate Play the Game, was a British video game developer and publisher, founded in 1982, by ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper. Ultimate released a series of successful games for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, MSX and Commodore 64 computers from 1983 until its closure in 1988. Ultimate are perhaps best remembered for the big-selling titles Jetpac and Sabre Wulf, each of which sold over 300,000 copies in 1983 and 1984 respectively, and their groundbreaking series of isometric arcade adventures using a technique termed Filmation. Knight Lore, the first of the Filmation games, has been retrospectively described in the press as "seminal ... revolutionary" (GamesTM), "one of the most successful and influential games of all time" (X360), and "probably ... the greatest single advance in the history of computer games" (Edge).
The Quill is a program to write home computer adventure games. Written by Graeme Yeandle, it was published on the ZX Spectrum by Gilsoft in December 1983. Although available to the general public, it was used by several games companies to create best-selling titles; over 450 commercially published titles for the ZX Spectrum were written using The Quill.
Sabre Wulf is an action-adventure game by Ultimate Play the Game, initially released for the ZX Spectrum home computer in 1984. The player navigates the pith-helmeted Sabreman through a 2D jungle maze while collecting amulet pieces to bypass the guardian at its exit. The player does not receive explicit guidance on how to play and is left to decipher the game's objectives through trial and error. Sabreman moves between the maze's 256 connected screens by touching the border where one screen ends and another begins. Each screen is filled with colourful flora, enemies that spawn at random, and occasional collectibles.
Jetpac is a 1983 shooter video game developed and published by Ultimate Play the Game and released for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20. It was also released for BBC Micro in 1984. The game is the first instalment in the Jetman series, and is the first game to be released by the company, who were later known as Rare. The game follows Jetman as he must rebuild his rocket in order to explore different planets, whilst simultaneously defending himself from aliens. Jetpac has since been included in other Rare games such as an unlockable in Donkey Kong 64 and part of the compilation Rare Replay. The game later spawned two sequels and a 2007 remake, Jetpac Refuelled, which was released for the Xbox Live Arcade service. The game was included in a games compilation on the ZX Spectrum Vega released in 2015.
3D Monster Maze is a computer game developed from an idea by J.K.Greye and programmed by Malcolm Evans in 1981 for the Sinclair ZX81 platform with the 16 KB memory expansion. The game was initially released by J. K. Greye Software in early 1982 and re-released later the same year by Evans' own startup, New Generation Software. Rendered using low-resolution character block "graphics", it was one of the first 3D games for a home computer, and one of the first games incorporating typical elements of the genre that would later be termed survival horror.
Underwurlde is a 1984 action-adventure platform video game in the Sabreman series by Ultimate Play the Game for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64. The player controls the adventurer Sabreman as he jumps between platforms in a castle and its underground caverns to find an escape past the exit guardians. Underwurlde features about 600 flip screen areas. Unlike other games of its time, Sabreman is not injured when touched by enemies and is instead knocked backwards. Underwurlde is the second game in the series, between Sabre Wulf and Knight Lore, and released alongside the latter for the ZX Spectrum during Christmas in 1984. Another developer, Firebird, ported the game to the Commodore 64 the next year.
Atic Atac is an arcade-adventure video game developed and published by Ultimate Play the Game, released for the ZX Spectrum and the BBC Micro in 1983. The game takes place within a castle in which the player must seek out the "Golden Key of ACG" through unlocking doors and avoiding enemies. It was Ultimate's second game to require 48K of RAM; most of their previous games for the Spectrum ran on unexpanded 16K models.
Tornado Low Level is a multidirectional shooter video game. It was developed by Costa Panayi and published in 1984 by the company he co-founded, Vortex Software. The game was released for the ZX Spectrum in 1984, with ports for the Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 in 1985.
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 Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum home computers.
Malcolm Evans is a British computer game programmer, best known for his games 3D Monster Maze for the Sinclair ZX81 and Trashman for the ZX Spectrum, released in 1982 and 1984 respectively.
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.
Chequered Flag is a racing video game developed by Steve Kelly for Psion Software Ltd and published by Sinclair Research Ltd in 1983. It was the first driving game published for the ZX Spectrum and one of the first computer car simulators.
Halls of the Things is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by Design Design and released by Crystal Computing in 1983. The player travels through seven floors of a tower, searching for seven rings, with each floor being a complex maze of corridors and rooms. Once the player has the rings they must then find the magical key hidden in the dungeon, which opens the drawbridge allowing the player to escape. To hinder the player's progress they are attacked by "things", but the player is armed with a sword, arrows, fireballs and lightning to aid you in your quest.
Escape is maze video game for the ZX Spectrum developed by New Generation Software and released in 1982.
The Seiddab Trilogy is a series of video games designed by Steve Turner for the ZX Spectrum and published by Hewson Consultants. It consists of 3D Space-Wars (1983), 3D Seiddab Attack (1984) and 3D Lunattack. All three games were later published together as "The Seiddab Trilogy" by Hewson for the Rotronics Wafadrive. The series name is derived from the word "baddies" being spelt in reverse.
The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is an arcade adventure video game released in 1984 for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer. It is loosely based on the adventure gamebook of the same name written by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and published by Puffin Books in 1982.
Knot in 3D is a ZX Spectrum game by Malcolm Evans, originally published in 1983 by New Generation Software. It resembles a three-dimensional version of the Light cycles game from the film Tron.
The Wrath of Magra is a role-playing video game published by Carnell Software and Mastertronic for the ZX Spectrum in 1985. It is a sequel to 1983's Volcanic Dungeon, and was released for then record high price tag.
