It was Christmas morning 1985. A big box awaited myself and my brother, and inside it was not a Commodore 64, but the Commodore Plus/4 Pack. This was being sold off in most department stores in the UK for around £100, and had the computer, a joystick, cassette deck and ten games. It was a good pack to start you off, even if this and its sister system, the Commodore 16, had been much maligned in the computer press at the time. Naturally we used some of our Christmas money to venture into Manchester city centre and browse the computer shops, coming back with a couple of cheap games from Mastertronic.
In fact, Mastertronic supported the format very well, with over forty games in all being released, and a significant number of them either bring exclusive to the format, or solid conversions of games from other systems. They had Mr Chip Software as a developer, and notably Shaun Southern and Tony Kelly producing many quality games, with other freelance programmers chipping in too with some good titles that may be overlooked, but were solidly playable. This did result in a significant number of sales, including the game on one format with the most sales, and over two million game sales for the system over its lifespan. Mastertronic’s loyalty and the growing reputation was repaid in spades – and then some.
Years later, having re-acquired a Plus/4, all those memories of playing so many of these games came flooding back, and even playing the ones I did not own back then proved the quality aspect. Choosing a top ten was difficult, purely because I could have easily selected twenty which would have all come recommended, but in the end, I narrowed it down to the top ten games, all of which I have reviewed on this site, and should show what the Commodore 16 and Plus/4 were capable of. Without further ado, and in reverse order, here are my top ten:
10. Video Meanies
Originally titled Video Nasty but changed to avoid issues, Video Meanies is the first game in this list programmed by Tony Kelly. It has you as a robot working in a video shop, with you needing to turn off the video screens that have been left on, and avoid the enemies along the way. There are also the nasty white walls to contend with, which take some getting used to. The design of the maze does allow more of it to become available once you have used a few keys, which makes it an enjoyable exploration. In addition, the permeable walls for you to blast through are sensibly designed to be easy to spot, giving you a good sense of control in what can be a frenetic game to try and complete. It can be frustrating but it is also very playable, and gives you a great sense of satisfaction if you are able to complete the game.
9. Finders Keepers
Converting any of the Magic Knight games into a smaller system would be a sizeable task, but thankfully Adrian Sheppard was up to it here. Although Finders Keepers is cut down from the original Spectrum release, and only offering the one way to complete the game by getting past the big puss without boots, all the main gameplay elements are present. This includes the trading of objects, the mazes and lots of screens of the platforms, awash with the colour palette from the system. Graphically, it matches the Spectrum original in look and feel and whilst it hardly has any sound, the gameplay mechanics and playability are just right, meaning it will take some time before you end up resolving the game – and even if you, there is a challenge to finish with more money. An excellent conversion.
8. Robo Knight
An unusual game here in that it was an original game on the Americana label, programmed by Peter Bartlett. Robo Knight certainly looks impressive, and despite the system not having hardware sprites, you would not think that when playing it. You need to explore the thirty-two rooms of platforms and ladders, whilst attempting to locate all fifteen shields. It can be a little difficult at times with only three lives and a not so generous time limit, but once you do map it out and work out a suitable route, you will be getting a high score in no time. Plenty of colourful graphics and responsive controls help draw you in to the game, and once you start, you may find stopping can be a little more difficult.
7. Spore
The only release on the Bulldog label and programmed by Jim Baguley, Spore is a pretty unique variation on the Gauntlet theme, set in a biohazard where you need to locate the spores and hunt down the pesticides which will kill them. It may look very small graphically but this allows all the action for each level to be on a single screen, so you can work out what you need to kill and when. The smoothness of the controls is better than the Commodore 64 version, and that really adds to the playability. You also get a level designer to make your own screens, and if you have a memory expanded Commodore 16 or a Plus/4, you get to play all fifty levels present in the Commodore 64 version too rather than ten on the 16K version – a nice touch which is detected during loading. May not look the best, but is very addictive once you get into it.
6. More Adventures of Big Mac – The Mad Maintenance Man
Tony Kelly programmed a different version compared to his Commodore 64 original, but Big Mac (for short) paid homage more to Manic Miner here and was much better for it. Make your way through fifteen screens, locating the exit on each one, with some careful jumping required to avoid firing lasers, the plungers, use the switches and not fall down the collapsible platforms. The game is all presented as pseudo-3D blocks which look and feel excellent, showcasing the colour palette of the system well. Add to that a decreasing air bar timer that you are up against for each screen, along with spot on collision detection and responsiveness to movement, and a handy feature to get back to the level you last reached, and you are on a winner. Addictive, colourful and immensely playable, and a game you would come back to for its high score challenge.
continues…
Leave a Reply