Bobby Bearing is an isometric

Isometric projection

Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...

 3D

3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...

 arcade adventure game released by The Edge in for the Sinclair Spectrum

ZX Spectrum

The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...

, Amstrad CPC

Amstrad CPC

The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...

 and Commodore 64

Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...

.

Plot

Bobby and his family are ball bearings who live in Technofear, "a land of the future made of steel

Steel

Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

, and inhabitated by things of steel." Bobby's brothers have been led astray by their rogue cousin and are now lost in the Metaplanes outside their home - stunned and captured by the evil Bearings that inhabit the Planes.

Gameplay

The player controls Bobby Bearing in his search for his four lost brothers and their cousin. He must avoid the evil Bearings, find his missing and unconscious relatives, and roll them out of the Metaplanes to safety.

The mission must be accomplished before the time limit runs out, otherwise the game ends and Bobby's relatives are lost forever. A time penalty is incurred each time Bobby dies or is stunned. If Bobby is trapped and unable to leave a screen, pressing 'Q' will reset the screen at the cost of a time penalty.

Air vents, lift

Elevator

An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...

s, switches, crushers and evil Bearings can help or hinder Bobby in his quest.

Development

Robert Figgins and Trevor Figgins, the developers:

"It's hard to believe now so many months after the project began, but Bobby Bearing began life as an action-packed arcade-style game inspired by Q-Bert! In fact originally it wasn't intended for commercial sale at all. Even though the game didn't have much resemblance to Q-Bert, we were really pleased with the final result. The funny thing is, though, that there was no sense in which Bobby was based on Marble Madness

Marble Madness

Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny, and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide an onscreen marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a...

, or any home micro game such as Gyroscope

Gyroscope (video game)

Gyroscope is an action video game published by Melbourne House in 1985 for a number of home computers. It is based on the Atari arcade game Marble Madness.-Gameplay:...

, and especially not Spindizzy! Bobby was more than 50% finished and looking very much as it does in the final commercial version almost a year ago now, and was around 18 months in the making. In fact we hadn't heard of Marble Madness and Spindizzy until we spoke to The Edge. In fact, acknowledgements for inspiration are really due to Knight Lore

Knight Lore

Knight Lore is a computer game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the third in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf and Underwurlde. Unlike the earlier games in the series it used Ultimate's filmation engine to achieve a 3D look...

by Ultimate

Ultimate Play the Game

Ultimate Play The Game was a critically acclaimed video game developer of the early home computer era. "Ultimate Play The Game" was the trading name of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd. , a software company founded in 1982 by two ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper...

."

Conversion to the Commodore 64 was performed by Trevor Inns