Audiogenic

A big company, but one which spread its resources throughout the 8-bit platforms, never really dedicating to one platform, and consequently it was much respected, but never really had the image of 'belonging' to one machine, like Ultimate Play The Game (the speccy) and Superior Software. The games were good, the star programmers were undoubtably the multi-talented Peter Scott and the technically amazing Gary Partis.

Audiogenic were orginally set up by Martin Maynard, and based down in Theale, Berkshire. This all changed when the MD of Supersoft - Peter Calver, bought a 50% stake in the company, and it became a different legal entity - ASL.

For a while, the company stayed in Theale, and when Icon Software got into financial difficulties ASL bought the rights to all their games and oher assets such as the Newcastle-based development team, which included Gary Partis.

Darryl Still ran this new 'arm' of ASL, heading up the northern development team, re-releasing some of the old Icon titles, and launching new projects with this team (Thunderstruck, Psycastria et al.), whilst developing titles such as Ziggy from the berkshire based authors like Dean Lester.

The joint Managing Directorship of Peter Calver and Martin Maynard was not a happy one, apparently both were very strong personalities and both wanted control of the company, and in the end, Martin Maynard sold out his 50% of the company to Peter Calver, and went to set up Maynard International and the budget arm of that company, Top Ten.

ASL re-located to the old Supersoft offices in Harrow, London. Shark, Loopz and Helter Skelter are all titles developed in this phase of ASL's lifetime.

By this time, the northern development teams contracts were all finishing up, so Gary Partis and Peter Scott and the rest all became free agents and went on to develop for other companies. Darryl Still (despite offers from both Calver to continue with ASL and Maynard to work for Maynard International) also left and founded his own label, Godax.

Audiogenic are still around today, though they are very much smaller now than they ever were before, the website address is:

http://www.audiogenic.com


BBC Bonanza

Released: Unknown

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A compilation disk by Audiogenic, this came as an 80t flippy disk, and has on it: Psychastria, Thunderstruck, Ultron, Contraption, Wizzys Mansion, Space Ranger and Last Of The Free.

Blast

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A great game this one, you are in control of a floating space ship, a bit like the one from Thrust, but much smaller on the screen. You have to blast your way through everything that moves on the screen.When you have blown up everything, you move on to the next level. It is quite hard because you have to balance the ship and stop it from smashing into any aliens/walls as well as firing. It is great fun to play, and highly original. The graphics are well done, as is the sound.

Breakthrough

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Puzzle game in which you have to place blocks and melt them in order to get to the keys hidden somewhere on the screen. It is quite difficult and the gameplay is very good. Graphics are maybe a tiny bit on the poor side, but this doesn't matter as the puzzles take the focus off them. Definitely worth a few plays!

Bug Eyes 2

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A platform game in which you have to guide the spaceman around the levels. It is very annoying, partly because most of it is not actually controlled by you, you just see graphical displays of the man moving on a bike extra (which are actually done quite well). The worst thing is that you cannot fire, simply move left or right, and there are a lot of enemies! The graphics are good.....shame about the gameplay.

Complete BBC

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Bug Eyes 1 and 2, Drain Mania, Flip, Chrysalis, Genesis Project, International Megasports

Despatch Rider

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This is a really enjoyable game, you ride a motorbike, and have to get through the level by dodging various objects, jumping over ramps, and collecting power-ups. The action is viewed from the side on, and you move the bike up or down, and can speed it up or slow it down. The graphics are good, if a bit green, and it is great fun to play for a while, but sometimes you do get confused about where you need to move.

Emlyn Hughes Sports

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Quiz show with the old Question Of Sport team leader asking the questions. It's pretty good fun, the questions aren't too difficult, and the graphics are also pretty good. Worth playing if you like to test your trivia knowledge.

Fab Four

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Compilation with Sphere of Destiny 2, Thunderstruck 2, Psycastria 2 and Omega Orb.

Fab Four 2

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Another compilation with Ransack, Ziggy, Despatch Rider and Impact on.

Fruit Raid

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Genesis Project

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This is a graphically excellent shoot em up, played in a sort of Elite style view, with you inside the ship. You have to fend off the aliens with your trusty phasers. It is annoying though because it is so difficult to hit anythint, and the aliens are just too accurate! The sound is also annoying, so this is not one of their best games!

Graham Gooch Test Cricket

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Very poor Cricket game, the graphics are laughable and the gameplay is non-existent to say the least. The batsmen don't respond very well do your directions, and neither to the bowlers. This one is best missed by a mile.

Helter Skelter

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A strange game which involves you guiding a ball around the screen in order to kill the enemies, you have to keep the momentum of the ball up enough to hit everyone. It is quite hard to do this on the later levels, and will require a lot of skill to stop the ball from coming to a standstill, enjoyable, but not a classic.

Impact

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Not really too bad at all, this is a breakout clone, so it isn't exactly the most original game in the world, and Arkanoid beat it by being the first really innovative clone, but this is by no means a waste of time. The graphics are less colourful than its rival, but it does have some pretty nice effects, not least the scrolling stars behind the main blocks, giving it an extra depth, worth a play, but not quite as good as Arkanoid!

International Megasports

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Cool sports game, this is great fun actually and well executed, normally Tynesoft were the masters of this genre, but this button basher is right up there with the best! It features 100 metres sprint, Skeet Shooting, The Long Horse, Archery, Hurdles, High Jump and Long Jump, making it a pretty complete sports game! Nice graphics and a good balance of difficulty make this great fun with some mates!

Last Of The Free

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Strangely this game looks very much like the Superior Software game Pandemonium. The characters are the same, the players character looks a bit like the one from Pandemonium, and generally it feels the same. The graphics are good, but not up to the same standard as Pandemonium, and it doesn't play as well. You basically have to guide the character around the platforms, it is ok, but nothing special.

Loopz

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A sort of Pipeline style game in which you have to place pipes making loopz on the grid before the liquid flows through them. It is a decent attempt at a variation on the old game, and works quite well, it certainly looks good enough.

Power Pack

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Bug Eyes 1 and 2, Caveman Capers, Wizzy's Mansion, Ultron, Wongo, Space Ranger are featured on this compilation.

Power Pack 2

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Psycastria, Thunderstruck, Fruit Raid, Drain Mania, Saracoid, Styx, Last of the Free

Psycastria

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A great game, this is a shooter with a difference. The graphics are excellent, the speed is excellent, and it makes for a very tough edition to your collection. This would probably have to be their best ever game, it has everything you could want from a shoot-em-up.

Psycastria 2

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A sequel to probably their most successful game, this is actually quite decent as sequels go, being set more in space than the original game. The graphics are less exciting though, but the gameplay is exactly the same. It scrolls along nicely, and is worth a play if you completed the original, first timers should head straight for number 1 though.

Ransack

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A cool shoot-em-up, by the man himself, Peter Scott! This is a brilliantly fun game, and brings something to the shoot-em-up genre, a really cool bouncing main character! You bounce along the landscape, and have to control where you land, whilst simulatneously shooting the hoardes of baddies. Your character fires in the four main compass directions at once, so timing is good if you want to kill those baddies you've already gone past! Superbly playable and great fun, Scotts individuality really shines through in this one.

Saracoid

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Shark

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Above average shooting and running game. It is basically the same as Superiors Strykers Run, but with larger graphics and less detail. It is still a great fun to play game, and I suppose the layout is more inventive than in Strykers Run, it is definitly worth a play or two, or three!

Space Ranger

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A fun game, in this you control a lunar lander, and have to dodge past the meteorites to land on the planet surface. Depending on where you land you get certain bonuses, such as x2 or x4. The graphics are nicely done, if a bit plain, and in high-res mode. A good extension to Lunar Lander.

Sphere Of Destiny

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This is a great game to play, you are in charge of a little ball, and have to travel along the tracks, which are done in a great graphical effect, to produce an imense feeling of speed. It gets very hard, and you have to go slow sometimes, but it is really good when you are going around at high speed, it looks so good in full colour high-res! One weird thing is that when you get onto the high score table and have to enter your name, the cassette relay can be heard opening and closing very rapidly!!

Sphere Of Destiny 2

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More of the same from Partis - it hardly needed a sequel, but its a good game, so we'll forgive him that.

Stix

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Another clone of Kix, the game where you use the laser cutter to remove portions of the screen. This is a very tedious version, and the graphics are done in low-res, and in this it makes everything look appalling. Definitly one of the worst versions I have ever seen of the classic game.

Thunderstruck

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The first of three arcade adventure games by Peter Scott, the author of Ricochet and Pandemonium for Superior. The game puts you in control of a spaceman, and you have to guide him around a castle, all done in lovely low-resolution graphics, collecting items and dodging the baddies, the eventual aim being to escape. It is very difficult, but enjoyable, and indicative of his work on computer games for the BBC.

Thunderstruck 2: Mind Master

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The worst of the three Thunderstruck games, I don't like this one because it is very hard to get anywhere, as there are too many baddies to dodge, and they get in the way. The main character is the same, but the game is this time set in some caves.

Thunderstruck 3: Omega Orb

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The final game and in my opinion the best, this one changes the main character to a little ball shaped thing, looking a lot like Sprat from Ricochet. This is set on the surface of a planet, and you have to collect various items, it is difficult, but more enjoyable than the others, and the graphics are up to Peter Scotts usual standards.

Ultron

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I could just tell you this was another boring shoot-em-up, and yes, it is another shoot-em-up, but no this is not boring. This game just has something that most are lacking, it is face paced, well designed, and nice to look at. I don't know what it is, but every shoot-em-up should be like this!

Wizzys Mansion

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This is a great game, with the best tune I have ever heard on the BBC, played at the start, a nice fast paced tune. Anyway, the game itself is all about a wizard, who you control, and have to search his mansion to find objects. There are loads of baddies to deal with, and the graphics are nicely done - a fun game, but not as good as some of the other adventure games around.

Wongo

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A complete rip-off of Hunchback, only this time you are a guy on a little pogo-stick, the levels are exactly the same, but instead of ropes there are moving platforms. This is not a particularly good game, and should be avoided if you like Hunchback, for me it ruins a classic game.

Ziggy

Released: Unknown

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A strange game in which you have to bounce a spring type thing around a level, collecting all the pyramid shapes. It has nice isometric 3D graphics, but the game itself is not very interesting at all. The worst thing about it is the fact that there is a tune constantly playing really loudly and it gets very annoying after just a few minutes!