The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

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PeteProdge
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The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by PeteProdge »

Okay, going through the software houses in order of popularity in the classic A-Z POLL OF POLLS, we have arrived at the Muswell-Hill-based Microsphere, which ran from 1982-86 by David and Helen Reidy, a husband-and-wife team.

I'm not listing all their releases because some of them are clearly not games, notably Omnicalc and ZX Sideprint. It was from 1983 when they decided to switch to games.

Now, let's be brutally honest here. There are three games of theirs that are absolutely notable. It could almost be considered as a 'trilogy' of sorts, because of the gameplay feel. I'm talking about Skool Daze/Back To Skool/Contact Sam Cruise. They all share the same DNA, and are highly regarded. Yeah, obviously Contact Sam Cruise is the odd one out, thematically, but it's still really close to the school-themed games.

Which leaves six... well, I don't want to say 'oddities', but they've not had the impact that Daze/Back/Cruise have. We have a three-way dog fight, to be frank. Don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot for Wheelie, but I don't see anything that isn't Daze/Back/Cruise getting to the top spot. (I know some of you contrarians will be giving the lesser-known games a vote though!)

All in all, I think it's fair to say these are the nine eligible titles up for voting next Sunday (16th June 2019). Any objections or amendments?

Back To Skool
ImageImage

Contact Sam Cruise
ImageImage

Crevasse
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Evolution
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Hotfoot
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Skool Daze
ImageImage

Sky Ranger
ImageImage

Train Game, The
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Wheelie
ImageImage
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

I would only add sky ranger and wheelie to the list.

But this time is a battle between Skool Daze and Back to Skool.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by PeteProdge »

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 9:19 pm I would only add sky ranger and wheelie to the list.
Oh, they're all in. No point omitting them, they're games, they're by Microsphere.
Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 9:19 pmBut this time is a battle between Skool Daze and Back to Skool.
Surely Contact Sam Cruise is in with a bit of a shout? It could even benefit from the split vote over the two school games.
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Contact Sam Cruise might have been more payable if we had been able to see the inside of the buildings, IMHO, as in SD or BTS. Never went too far because of this. It gets on my nerves. And it's a pity as the plot and the characters look interesting.

I'd like to know other people's views on it.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by Hank Scorpio »

I've only ever played three of the above games and no prizes for guessing which three.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by Turtle_Quality »

I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb and vote for the Train game. I quite liked Wheelie but fuel ran out if I didn't trundle at 5mph, maybe I'll try it again with the infinite fuel pokes I just found (30380,42: 59500,58)

Skool Daze was a great concept nicely presented, but I never really got into the game
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by Morkin »

Used to quite like playing Wheelie but I'm not sure it's aged all that well.

I suspect for me it'll be between Skool Daze & Back to Skool.

Contact Sam Cruise was one of my biggest gaming disappointments. The idea of the game sounded great, and I recall getting very excited by the teaser ads and the graphics in magazine previews.

When I eventually played the game, I earned a bit of money which I then lost, got chucked off a building a few of times, and eventually gave up. I felt it lacked a bit of atmosphere and the buzz of the skool games.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by stupidget »

I know many of you won’t understand, but, I never got into the Skool games. I played them a few times but they never grabbed me. Out of that list Wheelie is the best game. My mate and I spent many happy hours playing it so that’ll get my vote.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by Vampyre »

Only ever played the Skool games, Sam Cruise and Wheelie and have fond memories of them all. I think my vote will probably go to Skool Daze.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by spider »

Difficult one for me to pick.

The first M-S game I saw was Wheelie, I recall my brother hired it out from the video shop (I think it was a video shop) BITD when you could hire games for a few days etc, a few classics were played that way.

It was very good but I found it quite difficult, to be honest too difficult. :?:

After that I do recall buying SkoolDaze and being half fascinated with the loader actually :oops: but the game was excellent fun and I enjoyed it. I also recall getting SkyRanger at some point possibly a year or two after that but despite trying to like it, I never really did get into it somehow.

After that it was BackToSkool really, expecting 'more of the same' again it was very good however it was a toss-up between that and the original, some of the odd bugs in the former were quite amusing

Summary being here I'm very much torn between S.D and B.T.S , I think B.T.S *just* (and only just) pips it to the post for me, very closely followed by S.D and that by Wheelie in 3rd place. Had Wheelie been a bit easier on the (early levels at least***) it may of made 2nd place in my list here.

At 'the time' was not really aware of any of their other games. :)


*** This is a very common issue I've found some games are just far too difficult on their first 'levels' , nothing at all wrong with ramping up the difficulty later on but always please start it off easy. Practical example: In 30 years I've only once every got past the first screen in Jack/Beanstalk and then died within a few seconds, um lol.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by OldGamer »

Tempted to go for Evolution as I play that a ton of times, I loved Wheelie too but I was bad at it. But my final decision goes with Skool Daze.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by 5MinuteRetro »

PeteProdge wrote: Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:55 pm Don't get me wrong, I have a soft spot for Wheelie...
I loved Wheelie and you've reminded me that I've often wondered and long meant to ask the techie types on here about the graphical style. Was there a technical benefit to the teabag/mesh effect used on the scrolling background? Or was it purely a stylistic choice? Either way, it's pretty unusual in that regard... I can't think of many other titles that employed that slightly ghostly look. I think it definitely added to Wheelie's atmosphere and appeal.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by hitm4n »

Wheelie was my first game from this group, loved it and with a bit of luck (random courses) i did beat the phantom rider back once or twice.

No brainer on the winner though. Skool Daze all the way. Pinging your pea shooter off Mr Whippets head to hit a shield, writing on the blackboard, trying to miss an entire lesson without getting caught (yep, can be done), all great stuff. The icing was being able to rename the teachers to your own hated few and shooting them instead :) Good times.
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Re: The best Speccy game by Microsphere: discussion

Post by DouglasReynholm »

Sorry, though the skool games are obviously technically superior, I didn't get past writing crudities on the blackboard. Wheelie, however, I put hours into, so that will get my vote. I have spent quite a bit of time looking at the skoolkit disassemblies of the skool games though, a great tech achievement at the time.
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