Software Projects

Software Projects

Industry	Video games
Founded	1983
Founder	Matthew Smith, Alan Maton[1]
Defunct	1988
Headquarters	Bear Brand Complex, Allerton Road, Woolton, Liverpool L25 7SF
Key people	Matthew Smith, Alan Maton Colin Roach
Products	Computer games

Software Projects was a computer game development company which was started by Manic Miner developer Matthew Smith, Alan Maton and Colin Roach. After leaving Bug-Byte as a freelance developer, Smith was able to take the rights to his recently developed Manic Miner game with him, due to an oversight in his freelance contract.[1] Software Projects was then able to market and publish the ZX Spectrum hit game separately from Bug-Byte. Their logo was a Penrose triangle.

In 1987, the company had a deal with Special FX Software to release the company's first title Hysteria. The team would soon join Ocean Software afterwards.[2]

Released games

• Anaconda
• Astronut[3]
• BC's Quest for Tires[4]
• Binky[5]
• Crazy Balloon[6]
• Crypt Capers[7]
• Dinky Doo[8]
• Dodo Lair[9]
• Dragon's Lair[10]
• Dragon's Lair Part II - Escape from Singe's Castle[10]
• Ewgeebez[11]
• Fatty Henry
• Galactic Gardener[12]
• Harvey Smith Showjumper[13]
• Hunchback at the Olympics
• Hysteria
• Jet Set Willy[1]
• Jet Set Willy II
• Karls Kavern[14]
• Learning with Leeper
• Ledgeman
• Legion
• Loderunner[15]
• McKensie
• Manic Miner
• Nutcraka[16]
• Ometron[17]
• Orion
• Project Graphics Language
• Push Off
• Run and Plunder
• Space Swarm
• Space Joust
• Star Paws
• The Perils of Willy
• Thrusta[18]
• Tribble Trubble[19]

In 1984 and 1985 they released a number of budget titles at £2.99 on the Software Supersavers label.[20]

References

1. Graham Taylor (April 1984). "And pigs will fly... Graham Taylor talks to Matthew Smith and Alan Maton of Software Projects". Popular Computing Weekly.
2. "NEWS". Crash. Newsfield. March 1988. p. 8. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
3. "World of Spectrum - Astronut".
4. "BC's Quest for Tires".
5. "Amstrad Action-001-Binky-AMS.JPG".
6. "Crazy Balloon (1983 Software Projects) [388]". 1983.
7. "Crypt Capers - Software - Game - Computing History".
8. "Dinky Doo - Software - Game - Computing History".
9. "Dodo Lair - Software - Game - Computing History".
10. "Commodore User Magazine Issue 41". February 1987.
11. "Ewgeebez - Software - Game - Computing History".
12. "Galactic Gardener - Software - Game - Computing History".
13. "Harvey Smith Showjumper - Software - Computing History".
14. "Karls Kavern - Software - Game - Computing History".
15. "Lode runner". Archived from the original on 8 September 2015.
16. "Nutcraka".
17. "Ometron - Software - Game - Computing History".
18. "Personal Computer Games Issue15".
19. "Tribble Trubble | Retro Gamer". 23 December 2008.
20. "More at less". ZX Computing. Argus Specialist Publications: 82. February–March 1985.