Last Updated 5th May 2019
The BBC Games Archive - digital memories
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:
Please contact me if you have any additional information about the company or its games!
Thunderstruck
Released:
Author: Unknown
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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
Released:
Author: Unknown
Play
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
Released:
Author: Unknown
Play
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
Released:
Author: Unknown
Play
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
Released:
Author: Unknown
Play
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
Released:
Author: Unknown
Play
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:
Author: Unknown
Play
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!
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