Sky Ranger (Microsphere)
Sky Ranger sees you having to explore a city of skyscrapers, depicted in wireframe 3D, and flying a helicopter through the city to destroy the enemies. Part flight simulation, part arcade and part strategy to ensure you could refuel in good time, it pays to keep your eye on the Watchers and indeed the weather, as being a city near the sea, low cloud can play a part. It definitely was an interesting flying game and got a deserved re-release by Mastertronic (IS 0107) and no other conversions were undertaken.
Did You Know?
In one of Microsphere’s other games, the classic Skool Daze, one of the characters writes a bit of graffiti which proclaims “Sky Ranger is Grate” (note the mis-spelling of great) – nothing like free advertising for another game creeping in there eh?
Delta Wing (Creative Sparks)
First released in 1984 and programmed by Graham Johns, this was a flight simulation, where effectively you would locate the enemy and engage in a dogfight with them. The game was notable for having a two-player mode where both would need the Interface 1 and the correct cable to connect the two machines, and their own separate television sets to play the game on – a nice if expensive idea overall. When re-released on the MAD label (MADC 2) the cassette was kept the same, with the single player mode on Side 1 of the tape, and the two-player mode on Side 2. It was the only Creative Sparks game to be issued on the MADC range for the Spectrum and there were no conversions to other formats on re-release.
Video Olimpic (Dinamic)
The name Dinamic would come to the forefront in the UK during the mid-1980s,as they signed a licencing deal with Ocean to release some of their games on the Imagine label, such as Army Moves, Game Over and Freddy Hardest. Before then, they were releasing several games in their native Spain, such as Video Olimpic, released in 1984 and clearly inspired by the arcade game Track and Field, with 100 metres, 110 metres hurdles, long jump, javelin, and hammer throw all coming from that – along with a swimming event. In the true style of games of that era, it was a joystick waggler. The game was re-released by Mastertronic as Video Olympics (IS 0124) with tweaks to the title screen, and with no other format conversions undertaken.
XCEL (Program Techniques / Activision)
The history of the game XCEL was quite a story as it transpires. Programmed by Graeme Devine for the Spectrum, it was released by Program Techniques and distributed by Activision, quite a coup for a small programming label. Its hybrid mix of shoot-em-up mixed with strategy did sound interesting, but reviews at the time did indicate that maybe some more polish was needed and got a bit repetitive. Nonetheless, it was re-released by Mastertronic (IS 0144) with an Amstrad CPC conversion also being undertaken – as it was not released by Activision despite an advert claiming it was “due soon”.
Did You Know?
There was a planned Commodore 64 conversion for XCEL – indeed it was advertised the same time as the original release as “coming soon”, but it never did – even when Mastertronic re-released it. There is an article on this game over at Games That Weren’t – and if anyone does know the whereabouts as to what happened to the game, please do let them and us know, we would be intrigued to find it.
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As you can see, even without the re-release labels, there were many original games which Mastertronic re-released and if you had paid full price earlier, you may have been a bit gutted to see them at budget price sometime later. Next time we will look at the other formats Mastertronic supported and how several original games found their way to be re-released, with the likes of the Vic-20 and BBC Micro featured, amongst others. Stay tuned!
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