Penetrator
Release Date  1982
Original Publisher  Melbourne House (Australia/UK)
Min. Hardware  ZX-Spectrum 48K
Language  English
Genre  Arcade Game: Shoot-em-up
Max. Players  2 (Alternating)
Original Price  £6.95
Competitions  C&VG 1983 Golden Joystick Awards
Controls  Kempston Joystick
Inspirations  Scramble (Arcade coin-op) from Konami Ltd (Japan)
Ports  Penetrator (Timex Tx2068)
Other Platforms  Commodore 64
Average mag. score  70.00% (1 reviews)
Martijn's WoS score  79.1% (145 votes)

Re-releases
     #1 - Investronica S.A. (Spain)(1983)
     * Release price: 2350.00 Ptas
     #2 - Microbyte [ES] (Spain)(1987)

Authors/Contributors
     Philip Mitchell (Australia)at Beam Software - ?
     Veronika Megler (Australia)at Beam Software - ?

Annual Awards
     2nd place in the C&VG 1983 Golden Joystick Awards - Best Arcade Style Game.
     Rank #40 - 1984 Sinclair User Top 50 Spectrum Software Classics

Remarks
     Veronika recalls: "It had a game editor, which we wrote because we were tired of calculating bitmaps by hand; and we ended up putting that on the tape as well, and it became part of the game."

Compilations
     Full version in10 Mega Hits(1985)by Beau-Jolly Ltd (UK)
     Full version in48K issue 04(1985)by Magazine 48K - covertape from issue #4 - 1985- titled "Challenger"
     Full version inClasicos Spectrum: Basurero + Penetrator + Astro Blaster + 3D Tunnel(1987)by Microbyte [ES] (Spain)
     Full version inFootball Manager + Penetratorby Microbyte Software [PT] (Portugal)
     Full version inLenguaje Maquina - Spectrum #03by Magazine Lenguaje Maquina - Spectrum - covertape from issue #3- titled "Last Defence"

Main File Downloads
     FilenameReleaseMachineSchemeLanguageComments
Penetrator.tap.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(???)English
Penetrator.tzx.zipOriginalZX-Spectrum 48K(None)English
Penetrator(InvestronicaS.A.).tzx.zip#1ZX-Spectrum 48K(None)English
Penetrator(Microbyte1).tzx.zip#2ZX-Spectrum 48K(None)English

Additional File Downloads
     FilenameSizeReleaseTypeLanguageComments
     Penetrator.scr6,912OriginalLoading screen
     Penetrator.gif1,262OriginalRunning screen
     Penetrator.jpg303,663OriginalInlay - Front
     Penetrator_2.jpg346,752OriginalInlay - Front
     Penetrator_Back.jpg227,960OriginalInlay - Back
     Penetrator_Back_2.jpg275,716OriginalInlay - Back
     Penetrator_Tape.jpg77,237OriginalMedia scan
     Penetrator.txt7,775OriginalInstructionsEnglish
     Penetrator.png31,149OriginalGame map
     Penetrator.jpg273,515OriginalAdvertisement
     Penetrator_2.jpg283,055OriginalAdvertisement
     penetrator.rzx0OriginalRZX playback file - Recorded by Daren (with rollback)
     Penetrator (1983)(Melbourne House).pok129OriginalPOK pokes file
     Penetrator(InvestronicaS.A.).jpg61,144#1Inlay - Front
     Penetrator(InvestronicaS.A.).txt480#1InstructionsSpanish
     Penetrator(Microbyte).jpg92,330#2Inlay - Front

Magazine Reviews
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #17-1983/Mar supplement "Book of Reviews"page 12- Review
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #18-1983/Aprpage 89- Review
     Crashissue v.1 #1-1984/Febpage 48- Review - Crash Living Guide
     Crashissue v.1 #2-1984/Marpage 49- Review - Crash Living Guide
     Crashissue v.1 #3-1984/Aprpage 65- Review - Crash Living Guide
     Crashissue v.1 #5-1984/Junpage 109- Review
     Crashissue v.1 #5-1984/Junpage 124- Review
     Home Computing Weeklyissue #2-1983/Mar/15 special "week#3"page 33- Review
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #5-1984/Aprpage 42- Review: 7/10
     Practical Computingissue v.6 #3-1983/Marpage 131- Review
     Sinclair Userissue #32-1984/Nov supplement "Top 50 Spectrum Software Classics"page 42- Review
     Your Computerissue v.3 #7-1983/Julpage 62- Review
     ZX Computingissue #9-1983/Octpage 77- Review

Magazine References
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #31-1984/Maypage 7- Letters
     Crashissue v.1 #7-1984/Augpage 81- Tips
     Crashissue v.1 #11-1984/Decpage 131- Tips
     Fusionissue #6page 22- Feature
     Games Computingissue 1984/Aprpage 14- News/Note
     Personal Computer Gamesissue #5-1984/Aprpage 40- Feature - Cavern Carnage (Scramble games)
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #26-1983/Jun/30 special "week#5"page 5- News/Note
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #28-1983/Jul/14 special "week#2"page 7- Tips
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #31-1983/Aug/4 special "week#1"page 7- Letters
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #33-1983/Aug/18 special "week#3"page 7- Tips
     Sinclair Programsissue #33-1985/Julpage 7- Letters
     Sinclair Programsissue #35-1985/Seppage 8- Letters
     Sinclair Programsissue #35-1985/Seppage 9- Letters
     Which Micro? & Software Reviewissue 1983/Maypage 48- News/Note
     Your Computerissue v.3 #7-1983/Julpage 62- Feature - ZX Spectrum Software
     ZX Computingissue #7-1983/Junpage 56- News/Note

Magazine Advertisements
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #18-1983/Aprpage 6- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #28-1984/Febpage 93- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #34-1984/Augpage 82- Advert
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #35-1984/Seppage 91- Advert
     Home Computing Weeklyissue #67-1984/Jun/19 special "week#3"page 17- Advert
     Personal Computer Newsissue #35-1983/Nov/9page 32- Advert
     Personal Computing Todayissue v.1 #7-1983/Febpage 6- Advert
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.1 #34-1982/Dec/9 special "week#2"page 28- Advert
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #2-1983/Jan/13 special "week#2"page 32- Classified
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #6-1983/Feb/10 special "week#2"page 28- Classified
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.2 #8-1983/Feb/24 special "week#4"page 34- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue 1983 special "Annual 1983"page 4- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #9-1982/Decpage 28- Full-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #11-1983/Febpage 61- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #13-1983/Aprpage 4- Full-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #16-1983/Julpage 82- Full-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #18-1983/Seppage 7- Full-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #20-1983/Novpage 112- Full-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #22-1984/Janpage 116- Full-page ad
     Sinclair Userissue #23-1984/Febpage 93- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #23-1984/Febpage 96- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #24-1984/Marpage 89- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #24-1984/Marpage 92- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #25-1984/Aprpage 89- Advert
     Sinclair Userissue #26-1984/Maypage 42- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.3 #1-1983/Janpage 14- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.3 #2-1983/Febpage 11- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.3 #3-1983/Marpage 34- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.3 #6-1983/Junpage 34- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.3 #12-1983/Decpage 250- Full-page ad
     Your Computerissue v.4 #2-1984/Febpage 179- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.4 #2-1984/Febpage 183- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.4 #3-1984/Marpage 35- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.4 #4-1984/Aprpage 15- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.4 #4-1984/Aprpage 19- Advert
     Your Computerissue v.4 #7-1984/Julpage 21- Advert

Related Magazine References
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #42-1985/Aprpage 116- Offer (10 Mega Hits)
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #43-1985/Maypage 99- Offer (10 Mega Hits)
     Crashissue v.1 #15-1985/Aprpage 58- News/Note (10 Mega Hits)
     Popular Computing Weeklyissue v.4 #9-1985/Feb/28 special "week#4"page 4- News/Note (10 Mega Hits)
     Sinclair Userissue #37-1985/Aprpage 113- Offer (10 Mega Hits)
     Sinclair Userissue #38-1985/Maypage 117- Offer (10 Mega Hits)

Related Magazine Advertisements
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #42-1985/Aprpage 115- Full-page ad (10 Mega Hits)
     C&VG (Computer & Video Games)issue #43-1985/Maypage 46- Full-page ad (10 Mega Hits)
     Sinclair Userissue #37-1985/Aprpage 128- Full-page ad (10 Mega Hits)
     Sinclair Userissue #38-1985/Maypage 84- Full-page ad (10 Mega Hits)

Links
     Centre for Computing History(Information - in English)
     MobyGames(Information - in English)
     RZX Archive(Information - in English)
     RZX Archive - YouTube(Information - in English)
     Speccy Screenshot Maps(Information - in English)
     The Spectrum Show - Youtube(Information - in English)
     The Tipshop(Information - in English)
     UVL(Information - in English)
     Wikipedia(Information - in English)
     ZX Spectrum Reviews(Magazine Reviews)
     Spectrum 2.0(User Reviews)
     The TZX Vault(Software Preservation)
     ZX-Art(Spectrum Graphics)
     ZXInfo(ZXDB Front End)
     Every Game Going(Multi-Platform Archive)
     New World Of Spectrum(Spectrum Archive)
     Original World Of Spectrum(Spectrum Archive)
     World Of Spectrum Classic(Spectrum Archive)
     Spectrum Computing(MAIN VIEW)