Ultimate Play the Game
Encyclopedia
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. (ACG), a software company founded in 1982
by two ex-arcade game
developers Tim and Chris Stamper
. Ultimate released a series of successful games for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
, BBC Micro
, MSX
and Commodore 64
computers from 1982 until its closure in 1988
. Ultimate are perhaps best remembered for the big-selling titles Jetpac
and Sabre Wulf
, each of which sold over 300,000 copies in 1983
and 1984
respectively, and their groundbreaking series of isometric
arcade adventures utilising a technique termed Filmation
. Knight Lore
, the first of the Filmation games, has been retrospectively described in the press as "seminal ... revolutionary" (GamesTM
), "one of the most successful and influential games of all time" (X360
), and "the greatest single advance in the history of computer games" (Edge
).
By the time of the label's last use in 1988
on a retrospective compilation, Ultimate had evolved into Rare, and moved on to developing titles for Nintendo consoles. Rare was purchased by Microsoft
in 2002
for US$
377 million, a record price for a video game developer, and now develops exclusively for Microsoft's Xbox 360
console. In 2006
Rare revived the Ultimate Play The Game name for an Xbox Live Arcade
remake of Jetpac named Jetpac Refuelled
.
Ashby Computers & Graphics was founded in the Leicestershire
town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch
in 1982 by Tim and Chris Stamper, their friend John Lathbury, and Tim's girlfriend (later wife) Carole Ward. Other members of the Stamper family were also involved in the early running and support of the company, which was initially located in a house next to the family-run newsagent
. Both Tim and Chris had worked in arcade game development and claimed to be "the most experienced arcade video game design team in Britain", until tiring of working for others and leaving to start ACG. This led to ACG's initial trade being in creating arcade conversion kits, before moving into the home computer software market developing games under the Ultimate Play The Game name.
Ultimate's first release was Jetpac
in 1983
for the 16K Spectrum, BBC and Commodore VIC-20
. It was a huge commercial success; the Spectrum version alone sold more than 300,000 copies to a market of only one million Spectrum owners at the time, and providing the fledgling company with a turnover in excess of £
1 million.
This was followed by three further 16K releases, Pssst
, Tranz Am
, and Cookie, before Ultimate stepped up to the 48K Spectrum. Jetpac, Pssst, Tranz Am and Cookie were four of only ten games ever to be released on the 16K ROM format for use with the ZX Interface 2
. They were also republished on cassette, with distinctive silver inlay cards, by Sinclair Research for inclusion in ZX Spectrum bundles
.
Ultimate's first 48K release was Lunar Jetman
, a sequel to Jetpac, which was released in late 1983 and was very well received by the gaming press, CRASH magazine
in particular praising what Ultimate had managed to do with the extra memory the game utilised. In 1984
came Sabre Wulf
, the first game of the Sabreman series, which was the first Ultimate game released at a recommended retail price
of £9.95. The price of Ultimate titles had previously been just £5.50, which was typical for Spectrum arcade-style games at the time. This increase was in order to discourage piracy, with the idea being that if customers paid more for a game they would be less inclined to give away copies. This coincided with the introduction of the distinctive Ultimate "big box" packaging (used with all further Spectrum releases until Gunfright
, and with various releases on other platforms), which the company felt might also help justify the price increase and encourage gamers to buy the game rather than copy it. The strategy paid off as Sabre Wulf went on to sell over 350,000 copies on the Spectrum alone. This was followed by the simultaneous release at the end of 1984 of the next two instalments in the Sabreman series, Underwurlde
and Knight Lore
. Knight Lore was something of a revolution in the home computer game market, using a forced-perspective isometric
viewpoint branded Filmation
, the style of which would be extensively copied in other games, notable examples being Batman and Head Over Heels from Ocean Software
. Knight Lore, and some of its Filmation follow-up Alien 8, was actually completed before Sabre Wulf but Ultimate decided that it could have a potentially negative effect on sales of the comparatively primitive Sabre Wulf, so it was postponed until late 1984 for a simultaneous release with Underwurlde.
Ultimate ran into some criticism in the gaming media for their repeated use of the Filmation technique in subsequent games Alien 8
, Nightshade
, Gunfright
and Pentagram
, though Nightshade and Gunfright used Filmation II, a variation on the engine, resulting in a similar visual style, but significantly different gameplay, with scrolling around a large world and arcade-like play, rather than the room-based puzzles of the earlier Filmation titles.
, until it was announced in 1985
that the Stamper brothers had sold the Ultimate catalogue and name to U.S. Gold
, who would continue to release games under the Ultimate label. Later titles such as Martianoids
and Bubbler
were not seen by the gaming press as being up to Ultimate's previously high standards and sales fell. U.S. Gold released no new Ultimate games after Bubbler in 1987
. A final Sabreman game, Mire Mare
, was trailed in earlier Sabreman games and was mentioned by Sinclair User
as being next up for release, but was quietly dropped during development. In late 1988
ACG/Rare Ltd. bought back all the rights sold to U.S. Gold and were reported to be developing games again. Future releases were to have included Solar Jetman, which would eventually appear only on the Nintendo Entertainment System
, although home computer conversions for the Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, and Atari ST
were completed by Storm Software, but not released.
. This led Nintendo to purchase a stake in the company, whose success was furthered with such classic SNES
and Nintendo 64
releases as Donkey Kong Country
and Goldeneye 007. In 2002
Rare was purchased outright by Microsoft
for US$
377 million, a record fee for a video game developer, and currently develops games for the Xbox 360
console. At the end of 2006
Tim and Chris Stamper left Rare to "pursue other opportunities", ending a 24 year involvement in developing home video games.
, Rare revived Ultimate's Sabreman franchise with the release of Sabre Wulf
for the Game Boy Advance
. A new version of Sabre Wulf for the Xbox
was also rumoured, though it was never released or even officially announced. In 2007
Rare released the fourth game of the Jetman
series Jetpac Refuelled
for Xbox Live Arcade
. They have been rumoured for several years to be developing a racing game based on the Ultimate/Rare universe titled Sabreman Stampede.
On 8 December 2006 and 16 January 2007 respectively, Rare's owners Microsoft Corporation filed US and EU trademark claims on the Ultimate Play The Game name and logo. The registered purpose is "entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game".
This press blackout soon worked to the company's advantage. Due to their reputation for producing high quality products, along with speculation in the press and amongst gamers, anticipation for each release would be high. This was helped along by the full-page advertisements placed in magazines showing the cover art of the game in question, but no shots or description of the game itself. These ads would be run prior to and for several months after the release date. The magazines wouldn't even be able to preview the games; the review copies, usually sent out just before general release, would be the first opportunity for anyone to see them. Not talking to the press worked for Ultimate and it soon became policy. In fact, when a journalist reviewing Nightshade
for CRASH magazine asked Ultimate what the object of the game was, and how large the play area was, they responded with, respectively, "oh, we can't tell you that" and "it's pretty large".
This air of mystery was increased when CRASH magazine published a reader's photograph of Lunar Jetman
featuring Jetman's moon rover pulling a trailer. The possible existence of a trailer (as depicted on the game's cover art and loading screen) had been speculated on since the game's release, and many fans had searched fruitlessly for it. The Stampers shrugged off questions about whether this screen shot was genuine, but stopped short of actually denying it. There have even been suggestions that Ultimate themselves may have created the screen shot to generate more interest in the game. It has since been proven that Lunar Jetman's 48K of code does not contain graphics for a trailer.
has suggested that besides the quality of the games, Ultimate's popularity arose from a combination of "superb presentation" as well as the company's "air of mystique" giving it a "secretive yet cool vibe".
and MSX
, and most early games up to and including Nightshade also on the BBC Micro
. Only three of these (Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Nightshade) were released on the other major platform of the time, the Commodore 64
, however a series of C64-exclusive titles were published by Ultimate:
The Staff of Karnath, Entombed, Blackwyche and Dragon Skulle all concern the adventures of Sir Arthur Pendragon.
, even going as far as to feature a picture of author Kevin Toms
on the front of the box), no Ultimate title ever mentioned any names at all, and the authorship of some of them remains unclear.
The Ultimate titles up to Gunfright were produced primarily by Tim and Chris Stamper
, Tim provided the graphics
and Chris the programming, along with fellow founders John Lathbury (coding) and Carol Ward (graphic design). Tim also created the cover art for the games, including the famous Ultimate Play The Game logo. The Stampers retained the major creative roles until the purchase by U.S. Gold, who brought in their own programming teams to create Martianoids and Bubbler. The exact authorship of Pentagram and Cyberun
is known only to those involved; often considered U.S. Gold games, they are both possibly Stamper games. This remains a possibility as although Chris Stamper has said in an interview, "What was the last one we developed as a team? It was Gunfright, I think", Ultimate had already admitted to developing games in an order different from that of their release, as with Knight Lore and Sabre Wulf.
The authorship of the Commodore 64 titles is even more uncertain. The conversions of existing Spectrum games Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Nightshade were handled by Firebird, who hired Mr Micro, Softstone, and PSI, respectively, to develop the titles. Imhotep was submitted to Ultimate in a virtually complete form by author Manuel Caballero, who had previously written Batty Builders and Firefleet. Ultimate did not make any announcements regarding the authorship of the other Commodore games, but an article by Martyn Carroll revealed how Frank Gasking of "Games that weren't 64" managed to identify the creators as Dave and Robert (Bob) Thomas based on a message that appears on the final screen of Dragonskulle
. These two brothers were also the creators of the previous three games of the series The Staff of Karnath
, Entombed
and Blackwyche
.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
of the early home computer
Home computer
Home computers were a class of microcomputers entering the market in 1977, and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a single nontechnical user...
era. "Ultimate Play The Game" was the trading name of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd. (ACG), a software company founded in 1982
1982 in video gaming
-Events:* December 27 - Starcade, a video game television game show, debuts on TBS in the United States.-Notable releases:*October 13 - Mystique releases the Custer's Revenge adult video game for the Atari 2600 home console....
by two ex-arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developers Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
. Ultimate released a series of successful games for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, 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,...
, BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, MSX
MSX
MSX 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...
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...
computers from 1982 until its closure in 1988
1988 in video gaming
-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
. Ultimate are perhaps best remembered for the big-selling titles Jetpac
Jetpac
Jetpac is a ZX Spectrum, VIC-20 and BBC Micro video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1983. The game is the first in the Jetman series, and was the company's very first release. The game was written by Chris Stamper with graphics by Tim Stamper...
and Sabre Wulf
Sabre Wulf
Sabre Wulf is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the first in the Sabreman series. It was written originally by Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper, and later ported to many other computer platforms...
, each of which sold over 300,000 copies in 1983
1983 in video gaming
-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
and 1984
1984 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
respectively, and their groundbreaking series of isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
arcade adventures utilising a technique termed Filmation
Filmation engine
Filmation is the trademark name of the isometric graphics engine employed in a series of games developed by Ultimate Play The Game during the 1980s, primarily on the 8-bit ZX Spectrum platform, but various titles also appeared on the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64 platforms.The...
. 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...
, the first of the Filmation games, has been retrospectively described in the press as "seminal ... revolutionary" (GamesTM
GamesTM
GamesTM is a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering many video game platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC games, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Arcade machines...
), "one of the most successful and influential games of all time" (X360
X360
X360 is a monthly magazine produced by Imagine Publishing in the United Kingdom. X360 is the UK's #1 selling independent dedicated Xbox 360 magazine, covering news, previews and reviews...
), and "the greatest single advance in the history of computer games" (Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
).
By the time of the label's last use in 1988
1988 in video gaming
-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
on a retrospective compilation, Ultimate had evolved into Rare, and moved on to developing titles for Nintendo consoles. Rare was purchased by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
in 2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
377 million, a record price for a video game developer, and now develops exclusively for Microsoft's 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. In 2006
2006 in video gaming
-Events:* January 26, 2006 -- Nintendo announces its newly redesigned handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite. The new model is lighter, smaller, has configurable brightness and features an improved user interface.* January 26, 2006 -- Konami Corp...
Rare revived the Ultimate Play The Game name for an 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...
remake of Jetpac named Jetpac Refuelled
Jetpac Refuelled
Jetpac Refuelled is a video game developed by Rare for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. It costs 400 Microsoft Points .-Gameplay:...
.
Early history and rise
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
town of Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, — Zouch being pronounced "Zoosh" — often shortened to Ashby, is a small market town and civil parish in North West Leicestershire, England, within the National Forest. It is twinned with Pithiviers in north-central France....
in 1982 by Tim and Chris Stamper, their friend John Lathbury, and Tim's girlfriend (later wife) Carole Ward. Other members of the Stamper family were also involved in the early running and support of the company, which was initially located in a house next to the family-run newsagent
Newsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
. Both Tim and Chris had worked in arcade game development and claimed to be "the most experienced arcade video game design team in Britain", until tiring of working for others and leaving to start ACG. This led to ACG's initial trade being in creating arcade conversion kits, before moving into the home computer software market developing games under the Ultimate Play The Game name.
Ultimate's first release was Jetpac
Jetpac
Jetpac is a ZX Spectrum, VIC-20 and BBC Micro video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1983. The game is the first in the Jetman series, and was the company's very first release. The game was written by Chris Stamper with graphics by Tim Stamper...
in 1983
1983 in video gaming
-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
for the 16K Spectrum, BBC and 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...
. It was a huge commercial success; the Spectrum version alone sold more than 300,000 copies to a market of only one million Spectrum owners at the time, and providing the fledgling company with a turnover in excess of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million.
This was followed by three further 16K releases, Pssst
PSSST
Pssst is a ZX Spectrum video game made by Ultimate Play The Game in 1983. In the game Robbie the Robot has to protect his plant as it is attacked by various insects , each of which needs a different repellent. The game was written by Chris Stamper and Tim Stamper...
, Tranz Am
Tranz Am
Tranz Am is a ZX Spectrum video game released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1983. The game was one of the very few Spectrum games also available in ROM format for use with the Interface 2....
, and Cookie, before Ultimate stepped up to the 48K Spectrum. Jetpac, Pssst, Tranz Am and Cookie were four of only ten games ever to be released on the 16K ROM format for use with the ZX Interface 2
ZX Interface 2
The ZX Interface 2 was a peripheral from Sinclair Research for its ZX Spectrum home computer released in September 1983. It had two joystick ports and a ROM cartridge slot, which offered instant loading times. The joystick ports were not compatible with the popular Kempston interface, and thus...
. They were also republished on cassette, with distinctive silver inlay cards, by Sinclair Research for inclusion in ZX Spectrum bundles
Product bundling
Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...
.
Lunar Jetman
Lunar Jetman is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1983. The game is the second in the Jetman series, following on from his adventures in Jetpac, and one of the few games released to support the Currah Microspeech. In the game, Jetman has to defend the...
, a sequel to Jetpac, which was released in late 1983 and was very well received by the gaming press, CRASH magazine
CRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
in particular praising what Ultimate had managed to do with the extra memory the game utilised. In 1984
1984 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
came Sabre Wulf
Sabre Wulf
Sabre Wulf is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the first in the Sabreman series. It was written originally by Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper, and later ported to many other computer platforms...
, the first game of the Sabreman series, which was the first Ultimate game released at a recommended retail price
Suggested retail price
The manufacturer's suggested retail price , list price or recommended retail price of a product is the price which the manufacturer recommends that the retailer sell the product. The intention was to help to standardise prices among locations...
of £9.95. The price of Ultimate titles had previously been just £5.50, which was typical for Spectrum arcade-style games at the time. This increase was in order to discourage piracy, with the idea being that if customers paid more for a game they would be less inclined to give away copies. This coincided with the introduction of the distinctive Ultimate "big box" packaging (used with all further Spectrum releases until Gunfright
Gunfright
Gunfright is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by Ultimate Play The Game for U.S. Gold in 1986. The game makes use of the same scrolling isometric projection engine used previously in Nightshade. The player takes the role of sheriff in the town of Black Rock. Some outlaws are headed into town...
, and with various releases on other platforms), which the company felt might also help justify the price increase and encourage gamers to buy the game rather than copy it. The strategy paid off as Sabre Wulf went on to sell over 350,000 copies on the Spectrum alone. This was followed by the simultaneous release at the end of 1984 of the next two instalments in the Sabreman series, Underwurlde
Underwurlde
Underwurlde is a video game for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the second in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf. The format of the game is a 2D side view flip-screen platform game...
and 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...
. Knight Lore was something of a revolution in the home computer game market, using a forced-perspective isometric
Isometric projection
Isometric projection is a method for visually representing three-dimensional objects in two dimensions in technical and engineering drawings...
viewpoint branded Filmation
Filmation engine
Filmation is the trademark name of the isometric graphics engine employed in a series of games developed by Ultimate Play The Game during the 1980s, primarily on the 8-bit ZX Spectrum platform, but various titles also appeared on the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64 platforms.The...
, the style of which would be extensively copied in other games, notable examples being Batman and Head Over Heels from Ocean Software
Ocean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
. Knight Lore, and some of its Filmation follow-up Alien 8, was actually completed before Sabre Wulf but Ultimate decided that it could have a potentially negative effect on sales of the comparatively primitive Sabre Wulf, so it was postponed until late 1984 for a simultaneous release with Underwurlde.
Ultimate ran into some criticism in the gaming media for their repeated use of the Filmation technique in subsequent games Alien 8
Alien 8
Alien 8 is a ZX Spectrum video game. It was written by Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper of Ultimate Play The Game, and was released by the company in 1985. The game was also ported to the BBC Micro, Amstrad CPC and MSX platforms. It is the follow-up to Ultimate's Knight Lore, which had been released...
, Nightshade
Nightshade (video game)
Nightshade is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. Building upon the earlier titles Knight Lore and Alien 8 using the flip-screen, isometric gameplay branded Filmation, Nightshade introduces a scrolling isometric environment branded Filmation II.-...
, Gunfright
Gunfright
Gunfright is a ZX Spectrum video game developed by Ultimate Play The Game for U.S. Gold in 1986. The game makes use of the same scrolling isometric projection engine used previously in Nightshade. The player takes the role of sheriff in the town of Black Rock. Some outlaws are headed into town...
and Pentagram
Pentagram (video game)
Pentagram is a ZX Spectrum and MSX video game released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1986. It is the fourth in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Knight Lore. Similarly to Knight Lore it uses the isometric Filmation engine. The game was written by...
, though Nightshade and Gunfright used Filmation II, a variation on the engine, resulting in a similar visual style, but significantly different gameplay, with scrolling around a large world and arcade-like play, rather than the room-based puzzles of the earlier Filmation titles.
Decline and fall
With the consistent success of Ultimate's releases there were rumours of a buyout by OceanOcean Software
The British company Ocean Software was one of the biggest European video game developers/publishers of the 1980s and 90s...
, until it was announced in 1985
1985 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
that the Stamper brothers had sold the Ultimate catalogue and name to U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold
U.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:...
, who would continue to release games under the Ultimate label. Later titles such as Martianoids
Martianoids
Martianoids is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and published by Ultimate Play The Game in 1987. Although it uses isometric projection, as with Ultimate's second-generation isometric releases such as Nightshade and Gunfright, Martianoids used a scrolling display rather than the flip-screen of...
and Bubbler
Bubbler (video game)
Bubbler is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and published by Ultimate Play The Game in 1987. Although it uses isometric projection, as with Ultimate's second-generation isometric releases such as Nightshade and Gunfright, Bubbler used a scrolling display rather than the flip-screen of earlier...
were not seen by the gaming press as being up to Ultimate's previously high standards and sales fell. U.S. Gold released no new Ultimate games after Bubbler in 1987
1987 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* January 14, Nintendo releases Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in January for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. The game would go unreleased in America for nearly two years afterwards.* February 20, Konami releases Contra...
. A final Sabreman game, Mire Mare
Mire Mare
Mire Mare is an unreleased video game by Ultimate Play The Game.Underwurlde, the second game in the Sabreman series of titles from Ultimate has three separate exits, each naming another game in the series. The first exit names Knight Lore, which was released at the same time as Underwurlde...
, was trailed in earlier Sabreman games and was mentioned by Sinclair User
Sinclair User
Sinclair User, often abbreviated SU, was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum...
as being next up for release, but was quietly dropped during development. In late 1988
1988 in video gaming
-Events:*June — Nintendo releases the last issue of "Nintendo fun club news";*July — Nintendo releases the first issue of Nintendo Power magazine.-Notable releases:*January 8, Konami releases Super Contra....
ACG/Rare Ltd. bought back all the rights sold to U.S. Gold and were reported to be developing games again. Future releases were to have included Solar Jetman, which would eventually appear only on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, although home computer conversions for the Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga, 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...
were completed by Storm Software, but not released.
Rare Ltd.
Shortly before the U.S. Gold buyout, the name of another company "Rare Ltd." began appearing on the credits of Ultimate releases. This was in fact another company set up by the Stampers to develop for Ultimate, but not be subject to any Ultimate takeover. Rare (initially under the banner Rare: Designs on the Future) would evolve after Ultimate's demise into a prolific developer for the Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. This led Nintendo to purchase a stake in the company, whose success was furthered with such classic SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The 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...
and Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
releases as Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platformer video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies worldwide, making...
and Goldeneye 007. In 2002
2002 in video gaming
The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...
Rare was purchased outright by Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
377 million, a record fee for a video game developer, and currently develops games for 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. At the end of 2006
2006 in video gaming
-Events:* January 26, 2006 -- Nintendo announces its newly redesigned handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite. The new model is lighter, smaller, has configurable brightness and features an improved user interface.* January 26, 2006 -- Konami Corp...
Tim and Chris Stamper left Rare to "pursue other opportunities", ending a 24 year involvement in developing home video games.
Ultimate's return?
In 20042004 in video gaming
-Events:*January 20 — Wireds Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner Duke Nukem Forever.*March 4 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Peter Molyneux into the AIAS Hall of Fame*March 22-26 — Game...
, Rare revived Ultimate's Sabreman franchise with the release of Sabre Wulf
Sabre Wulf (GBA game)
Sabre Wulf is a video game for the Game Boy Advance starring Sabreman from the ZX Spectrum series of games. A combination of platforming and puzzle game elements, Sabre Wulf encourages the player to think before they progress as they use Sabreman's unique menagerie of animals to make their way to...
for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. A new version of Sabre Wulf for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
was also rumoured, though it was never released or even officially announced. In 2007
2007 in video gaming
-Events:*March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.*March 27: Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit . The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI...
Rare released the fourth game of the Jetman
Jetman
Jetman may refer to:* Jetman, a character in a series of video games:** Jetpac, 1983** Lunar Jetman, 1983** Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship, 1990** Jetpac Refuelled, 2007...
series Jetpac Refuelled
Jetpac Refuelled
Jetpac Refuelled is a video game developed by Rare for the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service. It costs 400 Microsoft Points .-Gameplay:...
for 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...
. They have been rumoured for several years to be developing a racing game based on the Ultimate/Rare universe titled Sabreman Stampede.
On 8 December 2006 and 16 January 2007 respectively, Rare's owners Microsoft Corporation filed US and EU trademark claims on the Ultimate Play The Game name and logo. The registered purpose is "entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game".
Relationship with the press and fans
Press
Ultimate had a reputation for secrecy that has continued to a lesser extent with successor Rare. Due to the small number of staff employed at Ultimate in the early days they didn't have the time to talk to the press or attend trade events. As Tim Stamper later said:This press blackout soon worked to the company's advantage. Due to their reputation for producing high quality products, along with speculation in the press and amongst gamers, anticipation for each release would be high. This was helped along by the full-page advertisements placed in magazines showing the cover art of the game in question, but no shots or description of the game itself. These ads would be run prior to and for several months after the release date. The magazines wouldn't even be able to preview the games; the review copies, usually sent out just before general release, would be the first opportunity for anyone to see them. Not talking to the press worked for Ultimate and it soon became policy. In fact, when a journalist reviewing Nightshade
Nightshade (video game)
Nightshade is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. Building upon the earlier titles Knight Lore and Alien 8 using the flip-screen, isometric gameplay branded Filmation, Nightshade introduces a scrolling isometric environment branded Filmation II.-...
for CRASH magazine asked Ultimate what the object of the game was, and how large the play area was, they responded with, respectively, "oh, we can't tell you that" and "it's pretty large".
Lunar Jetman's trailer
Lunar Jetman
Lunar Jetman is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1983. The game is the second in the Jetman series, following on from his adventures in Jetpac, and one of the few games released to support the Currah Microspeech. In the game, Jetman has to defend the...
featuring Jetman's moon rover pulling a trailer. The possible existence of a trailer (as depicted on the game's cover art and loading screen) had been speculated on since the game's release, and many fans had searched fruitlessly for it. The Stampers shrugged off questions about whether this screen shot was genuine, but stopped short of actually denying it. There have even been suggestions that Ultimate themselves may have created the screen shot to generate more interest in the game. It has since been proven that Lunar Jetman's 48K of code does not contain graphics for a trailer.
Fans
Ultimate were one of the first developers to have their own fanbase focused on the company and brand as much as the games themselves. They received so much fan mail at their peak that a full-time employee had to be taken on to deal with up to 60 letters per day. They were known for their positive attitude to fans, always replying to letters and responding to requests for merchandise by sending posters, sweatshirts and caps free of charge. The Stampers later stated that they were more interested in creating the games than making money from merchandising. Retro GamerRetro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
has suggested that besides the quality of the games, Ultimate's popularity arose from a combination of "superb presentation" as well as the company's "air of mystique" giving it a "secretive yet cool vibe".
Commodore 64 releases
The main series of games produced by Ultimate were all released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, with most from Sabre Wulf onward also on the Amstrad CPCAmstrad 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 MSX
MSX
MSX 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...
, and most early games up to and including Nightshade also on the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
. Only three of these (Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Nightshade) were released on the other major platform of the time, 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...
, however a series of C64-exclusive titles were published by Ultimate:
- The Staff of KarnathThe Staff of KarnathThe Staff Of Karnath is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. It was the first of a series to feature the aristocrat adventurer Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:...
(19841984 in video gaming-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
) - EntombedEntombed (video game)Entombed is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. It is the first sequel to The Staff of Karnath, and features the same aristocrat adventurer, Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:...
(1984) - ImhotepImhotep (video game)Imhotep is a video game for the Commodore 64 released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. Although published by Ultimate, it was developed by an independent programmer, Manuel Caballero...
(19851985 in video gaming-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
) - BlackwycheBlackwycheBlackwyche is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. It is a sequel to The Staff of Karnath and Entombed, and features the same aristocrat adventurer, Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:...
(1985) - OutlawsOutlaws (C64 game)Outlaws is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. In a break from earlier arcade adventure titles such as The Staff of Karnath and Entombed, Outlaws is a straightforward shooter game and does not feature the aristocrat adventurer, Sir Arthur...
(1985) - Dragon Skulle (1985)
The Staff of Karnath, Entombed, Blackwyche and Dragon Skulle all concern the adventures of Sir Arthur Pendragon.
Authorship
The company's secretive tendencies also extended to the question of who wrote the games. Whereas most games of the time would list those responsible on the cassette inlay cards or even on the front of the box (one notable example, Football ManagerFootball Manager series (original)
Football Manager is a video game series published and developed by Addictive Games, the label set up by the game's creator Kevin Toms. The first game was released in 1982...
, even going as far as to feature a picture of author Kevin Toms
Kevin Toms
Kevin Toms, born in 1957 in Paignton, England, is a computer game designer who founded Addictive Games and is famous for creating the original Football Manager, a simulation game released in the early 1980s that included a portrait of his bearded face on publicity material and cassette covers.Toms...
on the front of the box), no Ultimate title ever mentioned any names at all, and the authorship of some of them remains unclear.
The Ultimate titles up to Gunfright were produced primarily by Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
, Tim provided the graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
and Chris the programming, along with fellow founders John Lathbury (coding) and Carol Ward (graphic design). Tim also created the cover art for the games, including the famous Ultimate Play The Game logo. The Stampers retained the major creative roles until the purchase by U.S. Gold, who brought in their own programming teams to create Martianoids and Bubbler. The exact authorship of Pentagram and Cyberun
Cyberun
Cyberun is a ZX Spectrum video game ostensibly developed by Ultimate Play The Game and published by U.S. Gold in 1986. Although not part of the Jetman series, it has similarities to Jetpac in that the player must construct their spaceship from parts, then seek out resources and power-ups...
is known only to those involved; often considered U.S. Gold games, they are both possibly Stamper games. This remains a possibility as although Chris Stamper has said in an interview, "What was the last one we developed as a team? It was Gunfright, I think", Ultimate had already admitted to developing games in an order different from that of their release, as with Knight Lore and Sabre Wulf.
The authorship of the Commodore 64 titles is even more uncertain. The conversions of existing Spectrum games Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde and Nightshade were handled by Firebird, who hired Mr Micro, Softstone, and PSI, respectively, to develop the titles. Imhotep was submitted to Ultimate in a virtually complete form by author Manuel Caballero, who had previously written Batty Builders and Firefleet. Ultimate did not make any announcements regarding the authorship of the other Commodore games, but an article by Martyn Carroll revealed how Frank Gasking of "Games that weren't 64" managed to identify the creators as Dave and Robert (Bob) Thomas based on a message that appears on the final screen of Dragonskulle
Dragonskulle
Dragon Skulle is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in late 1985. It is a sequel to The Staff of Karnath, Entombed and Blackwyche, and is the final title to feature the aristocrat adventurer, Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:Typically for an...
. These two brothers were also the creators of the previous three games of the series The Staff of Karnath
The Staff of Karnath
The Staff Of Karnath is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. It was the first of a series to feature the aristocrat adventurer Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:...
, Entombed
Entombed (video game)
Entombed is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. It is the first sequel to The Staff of Karnath, and features the same aristocrat adventurer, Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:...
and Blackwyche
Blackwyche
Blackwyche is a video game for the Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1985. It is a sequel to The Staff of Karnath and Entombed, and features the same aristocrat adventurer, Sir Arthur Pendragon.-Introduction:...
.
External links
- Ultimate Wurlde
- Ultimate Play The Game profile from 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...
(as Rare. Ltd.) - Ultimate Play the Game Special Collection at C64Sets.com