Jeff Minter
Encyclopedia
Jeff 'Yak' Minter is a British
computer/video game designer and programmer
. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and his recent works include Neon
(2004), a non-game
music visualization program
that has been built into the Xbox 360
console, and the video games Space Giraffe
(Xbox Live Arcade
, 2007 and PC
, 2008), and Space Invaders Extreme
(Xbox Live Arcade, May 2009).
Fans of Minter's games have identified a number of distinctive elements common to his games. They are often arcade style shoot 'em up
s. They often contain titular and/or in-game references demonstrating his fondness of ruminant
s (llama
s, sheep, camel
s, etc.). Many of his programs also feature something of a psychedelic
element, as in some of the earliest "light synthesizer" programs including his Trip-a-Tron
.
In online forums and informal game credits pages Minter usually signs as "Yak", which is, in his own words
Upon recovery, Minter teamed up with Richard Jones, a fellow pupil, and together they started writing their own games on their school's Commodore PET
. They soon parted ways. Jones went on to commercial projects, some of them in the software market (e.g., Interceptor Micros).
. He formed a partnership with his mother, Hazel Minter. Together they developed and commercially produced 20 games for the Sinclair ZX81
, Commodore VIC-20
, Atari 2600
, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64
. Jeff had been attending the University of East Anglia
studying physics, however success in the video-game programming industry prompted him to drop his studies and take up video game development full time.
In 1982 Jeff founded the software house Llamasoft. His first Llamasoft game was a Defender clone for the Commodore VIC-20
called Andes Attack (US version: Aggressor). In Andes Attack, little llamas advanced upon and attacked the player instead of the spaceships from Defender. As a fan of Defender, Minter would remake it again as Defender 2000. Using the name 'Salamander software', Minter released Gridrunner, published by Quicksilva
Ltd. UK - this was written in a week and marked his first commercial success both in the UK
and in the U.S.
.
Minter went on to develop a number of classic games, all written in assembly language
, for the later home computers (such as the Commodore 64
, Atari 400/800
and Atari ST
) which were marketed mainly by word of mouth and by the odd magazine advertisement. These games included: Gridrunner, Abductor, Matrix: Gridrunner 2, Hellgate, Hover Bovver
, Attack of the Mutant Camels
, Revenge of the Mutant Camels
, Return of the Mutant Camels, Laser Zone, Mama Llama, Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time, Sheep in Space, Voidrunner, and Iridis Alpha.
In 1989, Minter helped in the production of the Konix Multisystem
console.
Minter also worked for Atari
and for (now-defunct) VM Labs
. For Atari he produced Tempest 2000
(1994) on the Jaguar
. It was a remake of Dave Theurer
's 1981 classic, Tempest. Minter also produced Defender 2000 (1995) on the Jaguar
, remaking Eugene Jarvis
's 1980 classic, Defender
. Minter also produced the Virtual Light Machine
(VLM-1) for the Jaguar CD-ROM add-on. For VM Labs, Minter designed related software for the Nuon
chip including the creation of the VLM-2 Light Synth
and the video game, Tempest 3000
.
Minter then wrote games for the Pocket PC
platform, some of which also had PC conversions (using a customized Pocket PC emulator). During this time, Minter released three games: Deflex, Hover Bovver 2:Grand Theft Flymo
(a reinterpretation of his own 1984 game, Hover Bovver), and the PC/Macintosh game Gridrunner++
(the third title in the Gridrunner series).
In 2002, Jeff began work on a music video game
for the Nintendo GameCube to be called Unity
. Utilizing the newest version of his VLM
, the VLM-3 or Neon
, Unity was to combine the two main threads of Minter's prior career: light synthesis and classic arcade style shooting. Minter was involved in writing this game for Peter Molyneux
's Lionhead Studios
throughout 2003, however the project was canceled in December 2004. Neon has since been reprogrammed and significantly expanded and is used in Xbox 360
media visualisation.
In 2007 Minter released Space Giraffe
, an action arcade game with similarities to Tempest. Space Giraffe was released for Xbox 360
through Xbox Live Arcade
for 400 Microsoft Points, or $5USD.
In 2008 it was announced at the Tokyo Game Show
that designers at Llamasoft were working on the visualization aspects of the Xbox 360 version of Space Invaders
, called Space Invaders Extreme
. The game was released in 2008. In December 2008 Space Giraffe
was released for the PC
.
In September 2009 he released Gridrunner Revolution
for Windows-based PCs as a digital download.
On January 5, 2011 he released Minotaur Rescue
for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad. A PC version is to follow.
On March 2, 2011 Llamasoft released their second iOS game, Minotron: 2112
. Minotron: 2112 is the remake of the Atari ST
/ Amiga
classic, Llamatron
(which is, in fact, directly inspired by the coin-op arcade game Robotron: 2084
).
Third Generation games
Fifth Generation games
Sixth Generation games
Seventh Generation games
Minotaur Project series: This series of iOS games pay homage to classic retro platforms. Each game is implemented as if running on a modernized version of the classic platform it represents.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
computer/video game designer and programmer
Game programmer
A game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and his recent works include Neon
Neon (light synthesizer)
Neon is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin . It was based on an enhanced version of the graphics engine originally to be included in Unity , which became an independent project after Unity was cancelled in 2004.A version of Neon is used as the default visualiser for the...
(2004), a non-game
Non-game
Non-games define a class of software that lies on the border between video games, toys and applications. The original term non-game game was coined by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. The main difference between non-games and traditional video games is the apparent lack of goals, objectives and...
music visualization program
Music visualization
Music visualization, a feature found in electronic music visualizers and media player software, generates animated imagery based on a piece of music...
that has been built into the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console, and the video games Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe is an action arcade video game by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. Space Giraffe visually resembles the arcade classic Tempest, an arcade game by Atari Inc. released in October, 1981, though Minter claims that it is not a clone of this game. The game was released on August...
(Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
, 2007 and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
, 2008), and Space Invaders Extreme
Space Invaders Extreme
is a re-vamped incarnation of the classic arcade game Space Invaders. The DS and PSP versions were released to mark the 30th anniversary of Space Invaders which saw its original arcade release in...
(Xbox Live Arcade, May 2009).
Fans of Minter's games have identified a number of distinctive elements common to his games. They are often arcade style shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
s. They often contain titular and/or in-game references demonstrating his fondness of ruminant
Ruminant
A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...
s (llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
s, sheep, camel
Camel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s, etc.). Many of his programs also feature something of a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
element, as in some of the earliest "light synthesizer" programs including his Trip-a-Tron
Trip-a-Tron
Trip-a-Tron is a light synthesizer written by Jeff Minter and published through his Llamasoft label circa 1988. It was originally written for the Atari ST and later ported to the Commodore Amiga....
.
In online forums and informal game credits pages Minter usually signs as "Yak", which is, in his own words
"a pseudonym chosen a long time ago, back in the days when hi-score tables on coin-op machines only held three letters, and I settled on Yak because the yakYakThe yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
is a scruffy hairy beast - a lot like me ;-)."
Pre-commercial career (early years)
Jeff Minter had expressed an interest in programming computers from a young age, however it would not be until a long illness during secondary school that Minter's talents would develop in any meaningful way. Following a 3-month stint in which Minter was restricted to lying on his back and was confined to his bed between November and January, boredom led him to take up computer programming in earnest to pass the time.Upon recovery, Minter teamed up with Richard Jones, a fellow pupil, and together they started writing their own games on their school's Commodore PET
Commodore PET
The Commodore PET was a home/personal computer produced from 1977 by Commodore International...
. They soon parted ways. Jones went on to commercial projects, some of them in the software market (e.g., Interceptor Micros).
Commercial years
In 1981 Minter started independently writing and selling video games for the Sinclair ZX80Sinclair ZX80
The Sinclair ZX80 is a home computer brought to market in 1980 by Science of Cambridge Ltd. . It is notable for being the first computer available in the United Kingdom for less than a hundred pounds...
. He formed a partnership with his mother, Hazel Minter. Together they developed and commercially produced 20 games for the Sinclair ZX81
Sinclair ZX81
The ZX81 was a home computer produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Scotland by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and was designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public...
, Commodore VIC-20
Commodore VIC-20
The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
, Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, ZX Spectrum 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...
. Jeff had been attending the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
studying physics, however success in the video-game programming industry prompted him to drop his studies and take up video game development full time.
In 1982 Jeff founded the software house Llamasoft. His first Llamasoft game was a Defender clone for the Commodore VIC-20
Commodore VIC-20
The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
called Andes Attack (US version: Aggressor). In Andes Attack, little llamas advanced upon and attacked the player instead of the spaceships from Defender. As a fan of Defender, Minter would remake it again as Defender 2000. Using the name 'Salamander software', Minter released Gridrunner, published by Quicksilva
Quicksilva
Quicksilva was a British games software publisher active during the early 1980s.Amongst the company's successes were Jeff Minter's Gridrunner and Bugaboo , a title licenced from Spanish software house Indescomp S.A....
Ltd. UK - this was written in a week and marked his first commercial success both in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Minter went on to develop a number of classic games, all written in assembly language
Assembly language
An assembly language is a low-level programming language for computers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and other programmable devices. It implements a symbolic representation of the machine codes and other constants needed to program a given CPU architecture...
, for the later home computers (such as the 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...
, Atari 400/800
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
and Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
) which were marketed mainly by word of mouth and by the odd magazine advertisement. These games included: Gridrunner, Abductor, Matrix: Gridrunner 2, Hellgate, Hover Bovver
Hover Bovver
Hover Bovver is a 1984 game written by Jeff Minter released for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit and a Windows version for the PC was released by Idigicon Limited in 2002. Like many of Minter's other games, it is notable for its offbeat sense of humour...
, Attack of the Mutant Camels
Attack of the Mutant Camels
Attack of the Mutant Camels was a surrealist computer game released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers in the 1980s by Jeff Minter's Llamasoft. It is a horizontally-scrolling shooter.-Summary:...
, Revenge of the Mutant Camels
Revenge of the Mutant Camels
Revenge of the Mutant Camels is a surreal horizontally-scrolling shooter computer game, designed and programmed by Jeff Minter and released on the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and IBM PC...
, Return of the Mutant Camels, Laser Zone, Mama Llama, Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time, Sheep in Space, Voidrunner, and Iridis Alpha.
In 1989, Minter helped in the production of the Konix Multisystem
Konix Multisystem
Konix was a British computer peripheral company primarily known for making joysticks such as the distinctive Speed King during the 1980s. Although this was its primary business for years, its place in videogame folklore was cemented by its ambitious and ultimately ill-fated plans to release its own...
console.
Minter also worked for Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
and for (now-defunct) VM Labs
VM Labs
VM Labs was the company behind the Nuon technology which was used in several DVD players from Samsung, Toshiba, & RCA and the "Streamaster" IP set-top box from Motorola...
. For Atari he produced Tempest 2000
Tempest 2000
Tempest 2000 is a 1994 remake by Jeff Minter of the Dave Theurer 1981 arcade game classic, Tempest. Originally an exclusive to the Atari Jaguar, the game received critical praise for its 3D graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.-Gameplay:...
(1994) on the Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
. It was a remake of Dave Theurer
Dave Theurer
David "Dave" Theurer is a game designer. In 1980, he created Missile Command, considered one of the great classic video games from the Golden age of arcade games. Another pioneering achievement, also in 1980, was Tempest. Theurer also designed I, Robot, the first commercial video game with filled...
's 1981 classic, Tempest. Minter also produced Defender 2000 (1995) on the Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
, remaking Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Jarvis
Eugene Peyton Jarvis is a game designer and programmer, known for producing pinball machines for Atari and video games for Williams Electronics. Most notable amongst his works are the seminal arcade video games Defender and Robotron: 2084 in the early 1980s, and the Cruis'n series of driving games...
's 1980 classic, Defender
Defender (game)
Defender is an arcade video game developed released by Williams Electronics in 1980. A shooting game featuring two-dimensional graphics, the game is set on a fictional planet where the player must defeat waves of invading aliens while protecting astronauts...
. Minter also produced the Virtual Light Machine
Virtual Light Machine
The Virtual Light Machine is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter in 1990. It was installed into a number of electronics, including the Atari Jaguar CD and Nuon DVD players....
(VLM-1) for the Jaguar CD-ROM add-on. For VM Labs, Minter designed related software for the Nuon
Nuon
Nuon is a technology that adds features to a DVD player. In addition to viewing DVDs, one can play 3D video games and use enhanced DVD navigational tools such as zoom and smooth scanning of DVD playback. One could also play CDs while the Nuon graphics processor generates synchronized graphics on...
chip including the creation of the VLM-2 Light Synth
Virtual Light Machine
The Virtual Light Machine is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter in 1990. It was installed into a number of electronics, including the Atari Jaguar CD and Nuon DVD players....
and the video game, Tempest 3000
Tempest 3000
Tempest 3000 is a remake of the Tempest arcade game and a sequel to Tempest 2000, written by Jeff Minter for Nuon.-Gameplay:Tempest 3000 includes all of the enhancements from Tempest 2000 plus additional web designs, webs that move and reform, a greater game role for the jump control, a missile...
.
Minter then wrote games for the Pocket PC
Pocket PC
A Pocket PC is also known by Microsoft as a 'Windows Mobile Classic device'. It is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer, personal digital assistant , that runs the Microsoft 'Windows Mobile Classic' operating system...
platform, some of which also had PC conversions (using a customized Pocket PC emulator). During this time, Minter released three games: Deflex, Hover Bovver 2:Grand Theft Flymo
Hover Bovver
Hover Bovver is a 1984 game written by Jeff Minter released for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit and a Windows version for the PC was released by Idigicon Limited in 2002. Like many of Minter's other games, it is notable for its offbeat sense of humour...
(a reinterpretation of his own 1984 game, Hover Bovver), and the PC/Macintosh game Gridrunner++
Gridrunner++
Gridrunner++ is a shooting game written by Jeff Minter for Windows. It has since been ported to Mac OS X, to the iPhone and to a portable Java applet. It was offered only as shareware for download from the Llamasoft website, with a registration fee of £5. Its sequel is Gridrunner...
(the third title in the Gridrunner series).
In 2002, Jeff began work on a music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
for the Nintendo GameCube to be called Unity
Unity (video game)
Unity was a video game being developed by Jeff Minter and Lionhead Studios for the Nintendo GameCube video game system. It was in development from the beginning of 2003 until its cancellation at the end of 2004. It was to feature Jeff Minter's trademark psychedelic graphical style, meshed with an...
. Utilizing the newest version of his VLM
Virtual Light Machine
The Virtual Light Machine is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter in 1990. It was installed into a number of electronics, including the Atari Jaguar CD and Nuon DVD players....
, the VLM-3 or Neon
Neon (light synthesizer)
Neon is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin . It was based on an enhanced version of the graphics engine originally to be included in Unity , which became an independent project after Unity was cancelled in 2004.A version of Neon is used as the default visualiser for the...
, Unity was to combine the two main threads of Minter's prior career: light synthesis and classic arcade style shooting. Minter was involved in writing this game for Peter Molyneux
Peter Molyneux
Peter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
's Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios
Lionhead Studios is a British computer game development company led by industry veteran Peter Molyneux, and acquired by Microsoft Game Studios in April 2006. Lionhead started as a breakaway from the developer Bullfrog, which was also founded by Molyneux. Lionhead's first game was Black & White, a...
throughout 2003, however the project was canceled in December 2004. Neon has since been reprogrammed and significantly expanded and is used in Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
media visualisation.
In 2007 Minter released Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe is an action arcade video game by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. Space Giraffe visually resembles the arcade classic Tempest, an arcade game by Atari Inc. released in October, 1981, though Minter claims that it is not a clone of this game. The game was released on August...
, an action arcade game with similarities to Tempest. Space Giraffe was released for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
through Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
for 400 Microsoft Points, or $5USD.
In 2008 it was announced at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
that designers at Llamasoft were working on the visualization aspects of the Xbox 360 version of Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
, called Space Invaders Extreme
Space Invaders Extreme
is a re-vamped incarnation of the classic arcade game Space Invaders. The DS and PSP versions were released to mark the 30th anniversary of Space Invaders which saw its original arcade release in...
. The game was released in 2008. In December 2008 Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe
Space Giraffe is an action arcade video game by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. Space Giraffe visually resembles the arcade classic Tempest, an arcade game by Atari Inc. released in October, 1981, though Minter claims that it is not a clone of this game. The game was released on August...
was released for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
.
In September 2009 he released Gridrunner Revolution
Gridrunner Revolution
Gridrunner Revolution is an action game developed by Llamasoft for the PC. It was released on the 25th September 2009. On 18 December 2009 Llamasoft released an updated version with integrated Online Scoreboards On 23 February 2010 the game was made available to buy on Steam-History:Gridrunner...
for Windows-based PCs as a digital download.
On January 5, 2011 he released Minotaur Rescue
Minotaur Rescue
Minotaur Rescue is an arcade game for the iOS platform developed by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. It was Llamasoft's first iOS game. Minotaur Rescue is an abbreviated title used within the App Store; the full title of the game, as shown on the title screen, is Solar Minotaur Rescue...
for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), and iPad. A PC version is to follow.
On March 2, 2011 Llamasoft released their second iOS game, Minotron: 2112
Minotron: 2112
Minotron: 2112 is a video game for the iOS platform written by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. It is a remade mobile version of the classic Llamatron for the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga, which itself was an updated version of the arcade machine Robotron: 2084...
. Minotron: 2112 is the remake of the Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
/ Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
classic, Llamatron
Llamatron
Llamatron is a computer game written by Jeff Minter of Llamasoft, and released as shareware in 1991 for the Atari ST. The game was converted to the Commodore Amiga and PC the following year. It is very similar in gameplay to the 1982 arcade game Robotron: 2084, although filtered through Jeff...
(which is, in fact, directly inspired by the coin-op arcade game Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084 is an arcade video game developed by Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics in 1982. It is a shooting game that features two-dimensional graphics. The game is set in the year 2084, in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans...
).
Games
Second Generation gamesHistory of video game consoles (second generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the second generation began in 1976 with the release of the Fairchild Channel F and Radofin 1292 Advanced Programmable Video System....
- DeflexDeflexDeflex, also known as Super Deflex, Deflex V, and Made In France, is an arcade puzzle game developed by Jeff Minter. The first version, developed in 1981 for the VIC-20 and Commodore PET, is generally considered the first Llamasoft game ever produced Deflex, also known as Super Deflex, Deflex V,...
(PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
/VIC-20Commodore VIC-20The VIC-20 is an 8-bit home computer which was sold by Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commodore's first personal computer, the PET...
, 1981; iPod Touch/iPhone 3GS/iPad/iPhone 4, 2011) (A.K.A. Deflex V) - Centipede (ZX81, 1982)
- 3D Labyrinth (VIC-20, 1982)
- Abductor (VIC-20, 1982)
- Andes Attack (VIC-20, 1982) (A.K.A. Defenda)
- Bomb Buenas Aires (VIC-20, 1982; Atari STAtari STThe Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, 1988) (A.K.A. Aggressor, Bomber, Blitzkrieg) - City Bomb (ZX Spectrum, 1982)
- Gridrunner (Atari 2600Atari 2600The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
/VIC-20/ZX Spectrum, 1982; C64Commodore 64The 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...
, 1983) - Matrix: Gridrunner 2 (VIC-20, 1982; Atari 2600/C64, 1983; C16Commodore 16The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
, 1986) - Rat Man (VIC-20, 1982)
- Rox III (VIC-20/ZX Spectrum, 1982)
- Super Deflex (ZX Spectrum, 1982)
- Attack of the Mutant CamelsAttack of the Mutant CamelsAttack of the Mutant Camels was a surrealist computer game released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers in the 1980s by Jeff Minter's Llamasoft. It is a horizontally-scrolling shooter.-Summary:...
(Atari 2600/C64, 1983) (UK: Advance of the Megacamel)- Attack of the Mutant Camels - Matrix Version (C64, 1983)
- Headbangers Heaven (ZX Spectrum, 1983)
- Hover BovverHover BovverHover Bovver is a 1984 game written by Jeff Minter released for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit and a Windows version for the PC was released by Idigicon Limited in 2002. Like many of Minter's other games, it is notable for its offbeat sense of humour...
(C64, 1983; Atari 2600, 1984) - Laser Zone (VIC-20/C64, 1983; C16, 1986)
- Metagalactic Llamas Battle at the Edge of Time (VIC-20, 1983; C64, 1984) (A.K.A. Meta-Llamas)
- Revenge of the Mutant CamelsRevenge of the Mutant CamelsRevenge of the Mutant Camels is a surreal horizontally-scrolling shooter computer game, designed and programmed by Jeff Minter and released on the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and IBM PC...
(C64, 1983) - Rox 64 (C64, 1983)
- Traxx (VIC-20/ZX Spectrum, 1983)
- Ancipital (C64, 1984)
- Hellgate (VIC-20/C64, 1984)
- PsychedeliaPsychedelia (light synthesizer)Psychedelia is an early light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter and published by Llamasoft in 1984. It was converted to the MSX and ZX Spectrum by Simon Freeman.-Usage:...
(VIC-20/ZX Spectrum/C64/MSXMSXMSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, 1984) – A light synthesizer. - Sheep in SpaceSheep in SpaceSheep in Space is a surrealist computer game released for the Commodore 64 computer in the 1980s by Jeff Minter's Llamasoft. It is a horizontally-scrolling shooter.-Summary:...
(C64, 1984) - Batalyx (C64, 1985)
- Colourspace (Atari 2600, 1985) – A light synthesizer.
- Mama Llama (C64, 1985)
- Yak's Progress (C64, 1985)
- Iridis Alpha (C64, 1986)
- Made in France II (C64, 1987)
- Return of the Mutant Camels (C64, 1987; Atari 2600, 1988) (A.K.A. Revenge of the Mutant Camels 2)
- Voidrunner (C64, 1987)
Third Generation games
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
- BombuzalBombuzalBombuzal is a computer puzzle game designed by Antony Crowther and David Bishop for Image Works. The game was released in 1988 for the Amiga, Atari ST and Commodore 64...
(C64/AmigaAmigaThe Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
/Atari ST, 1988; PC, 1989; SNESSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, 1990) - Minter designed one level - Trip-a-TronTrip-a-TronTrip-a-Tron is a light synthesizer written by Jeff Minter and published through his Llamasoft label circa 1988. It was originally written for the Atari ST and later ported to the Commodore Amiga....
(Amiga/Atari ST, 1988) - Super Gridrunner (Amiga, 1989; Atari ST, 1991)
- Defender II (Amiga/Atari ST, 1990)
- Photon Storm (Amiga/Atari ST, 1990)
- Llamatron: 2112LlamatronLlamatron is a computer game written by Jeff Minter of Llamasoft, and released as shareware in 1991 for the Atari ST. The game was converted to the Commodore Amiga and PC the following year. It is very similar in gameplay to the 1982 arcade game Robotron: 2084, although filtered through Jeff...
(Amiga/Atari ST, 1991; PC, 1992) - Revenge of the Mutant Camels (enhanced re-release)Revenge of the Mutant CamelsRevenge of the Mutant Camels is a surreal horizontally-scrolling shooter computer game, designed and programmed by Jeff Minter and released on the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and IBM PC...
(Amiga/Atari ST, 1991; PC, 1994) - Hardcore (Atari ST, 1992)
Fifth Generation games
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
- Tempest 2000Tempest 2000Tempest 2000 is a 1994 remake by Jeff Minter of the Dave Theurer 1981 arcade game classic, Tempest. Originally an exclusive to the Atari Jaguar, the game received critical praise for its 3D graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.-Gameplay:...
(Atari JaguarAtari JaguarThe Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
, 1994) - Virtual Light MachineVirtual Light MachineThe Virtual Light Machine is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter in 1990. It was installed into a number of electronics, including the Atari Jaguar CD and Nuon DVD players....
(Atari Jaguar, 1994) (A.K.A. VLM-1) - Defender 2000Defender 2000Defender 2000 was a game developed for the Atari Jaguar in 1995 by Jeff Minter. Considered by many to be the true successor to the original, it sold fairly well—but not as well as his prior creation for the console, Tempest 2000....
(Atari Jaguar, 1995) - Llamazap (Atari FalconAtari FalconThe Atari Falcon030 Computer System was Atari Corporation's final computer product. Codenamed Sparrow, the machine was based on a Motorola 68030 main CPU, and had a Motorola 56000 digital signal processor, a feature which distinguished it from most other microcomputers of the era.-History:The...
, 1995) - Tempest X3 (PS1PlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, 1996) (credited only for Tempest 2000Tempest 2000Tempest 2000 is a 1994 remake by Jeff Minter of the Dave Theurer 1981 arcade game classic, Tempest. Originally an exclusive to the Atari Jaguar, the game received critical praise for its 3D graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.-Gameplay:...
) - Tempest 3000Tempest 3000Tempest 3000 is a remake of the Tempest arcade game and a sequel to Tempest 2000, written by Jeff Minter for Nuon.-Gameplay:Tempest 3000 includes all of the enhancements from Tempest 2000 plus additional web designs, webs that move and reform, a greater game role for the jump control, a missile...
(Nuon DVD, 2000) - VLM-2Virtual Light MachineThe Virtual Light Machine is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter in 1990. It was installed into a number of electronics, including the Atari Jaguar CD and Nuon DVD players....
(Nuon DVD, 2000) - Gridrunner++Gridrunner++Gridrunner++ is a shooting game written by Jeff Minter for Windows. It has since been ported to Mac OS X, to the iPhone and to a portable Java applet. It was offered only as shareware for download from the Llamasoft website, with a registration fee of £5. Its sequel is Gridrunner...
(PC, 2002) - Hover Bovver 2: Grand Theft Flymo (PC, 2002)
Sixth Generation games
History of video game consoles (sixth generation)
The sixth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the turn of the 21st century. Platforms of the sixth generation include the Sega Dreamcast, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox...
- UnityUnity (video game)Unity was a video game being developed by Jeff Minter and Lionhead Studios for the Nintendo GameCube video game system. It was in development from the beginning of 2003 until its cancellation at the end of 2004. It was to feature Jeff Minter's trademark psychedelic graphical style, meshed with an...
(GCNNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
, Cancelled)
Seventh Generation games
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
- NeonNeon (light synthesizer)Neon is a light synthesizer developed by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin . It was based on an enhanced version of the graphics engine originally to be included in Unity , which became an independent project after Unity was cancelled in 2004.A version of Neon is used as the default visualiser for the...
(Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, 2005) (A.K.A. VLM-3) - Space GiraffeSpace GiraffeSpace Giraffe is an action arcade video game by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. Space Giraffe visually resembles the arcade classic Tempest, an arcade game by Atari Inc. released in October, 1981, though Minter claims that it is not a clone of this game. The game was released on August...
(Xbox 360, 2007; PC, 2008) - Space Invaders ExtremeSpace Invaders Extremeis a re-vamped incarnation of the classic arcade game Space Invaders. The DS and PSP versions were released to mark the 30th anniversary of Space Invaders which saw its original arcade release in...
(NDSNintendo DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
/PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, 2008; Xbox 360, 2009) - Gridrunner RevolutionGridrunner RevolutionGridrunner Revolution is an action game developed by Llamasoft for the PC. It was released on the 25th September 2009. On 18 December 2009 Llamasoft released an updated version with integrated Online Scoreboards On 23 February 2010 the game was made available to buy on Steam-History:Gridrunner...
(PC, 2009)
Minotaur Project series: This series of iOS games pay homage to classic retro platforms. Each game is implemented as if running on a modernized version of the classic platform it represents.
- Minotaur RescueMinotaur RescueMinotaur Rescue is an arcade game for the iOS platform developed by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. It was Llamasoft's first iOS game. Minotaur Rescue is an abbreviated title used within the App Store; the full title of the game, as shown on the title screen, is Solar Minotaur Rescue...
(iPod TouchIPod TouchThe iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
/iPhone 3GSIPhone 3GS-Camera:The iPhone 3GS features an improved 3 megapixel camera manufactured by OmniVision. In addition to the higher megapixel count, it also features auto-focus, auto white balance and auto macro and is capable of capturing VGA video...
/iPadIPadThe iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
/iPhone 4IPhone 4The iPhone 4 is a touchscreen slate smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is the fourth generation iPhone, and successor to the iPhone 3GS. It is particularly marketed for video calling , consumption of media such as books and periodicals, movies, music, and games, and for general web and e-mail...
, 2011) (Represents the Atari 2600Atari 2600The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
) - Minotron: 2112Minotron: 2112Minotron: 2112 is a video game for the iOS platform written by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft. It is a remade mobile version of the classic Llamatron for the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga, which itself was an updated version of the arcade machine Robotron: 2084...
(iPod Touch/iPhone 3GS/iPad/iPhone 4, 2011) (Represents the Mattel Intellivision) - GoatUpGoatUpGoatUp is an arcade platform game for iOS devices developed by Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin of Llamasoft and published via the Apple App Store. It is the first platform game ever produced by Llamasoft, and takes inspiration from other successful iOS games such as Doodle Jump, Icy Tower, and Heads...
(iPod Touch/iPhone 3GS/iPad/iPhone 4, 2011) (Represents the Sinclair Spectrum)
External links
- Llamasoft official website, Llamasoft's history, and other resources
- Jeff Minter's Twitter page
- Jeff Minter's Google TechTalk, March 2007
- "the history of llamasoft", by Jeff Minter
- An interview with Jeff Minter from Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game ProgrammersHalcyon Days (book)Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers is a digital book edited by James Hague and published in 1997. The book was originally formatted using HTML and sold via mail-order, shipped on a floppy disk by Dadgum Games for USD$20. In 2002 Halcyon Days was made freely...
- A netmeeting/interview with Jeff Minter, held by B3taB3taB3ta is a high-profile British website, described as a "puerile digital arts community" by The Guardian. It was founded in 2001 by Rob Manuel, Denise Wilton and Cal Henderson....
- Blog
- The Inquirer article on his early games
- Gamasutra Interview, April 2007
- Llamasoft Ltd. profile at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...