Imagine & Ocean software - 80's documentary.

Welease

Stumbled across this tonight, while looking for something on Bandersnatch.

Might be of interest to those who remember Imagine (and the fabled Bandersnatch) and Ocean software in the 80's....

A great documentary.. (old enough to remember when it was initially screened so it brought back a lot of great memories, and the guy who taught me Assembler was in it ... )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj-KZdiSrg4

Dan_Solo

Think I got a copy of Arcadia for my VIC20 direct from Imagine, back when it was all direct mail order...

Pyongyang

Ocean were so bankable. Gutted over the C64 Parasol Stars debacle though. Weren't Ocean also responsible for the diabolical Dick Tracy on the C64?

Welease

Pyongyang wrote: »

Ocean were so bankable. Gutted over the C64 Parasol Stars debacle though. Weren't Ocean also responsible for the diabolical Dick Tracy on the C64?

I always associate (not sure if its strictly true or not) Ocean as being the first software company to understand the power and commercial value of licenced tie-ins for movies etc etc etc.. They churned out game after game related to movies.. Most unfortunately were ****e..

Daley Thompson's Decathlon Ocean Software Paul Owens, Christian F Urquhart Daley Thompson 1984 Gift from the Gods Ocean Software Denton Designs (John Gibson, Simon Butler)
1984 Gilligan's Gold Ocean Software Ronald Rhodes, Keith Burkhill
1984 Hunchback Ocean Software Paul Owens, Christian F Urquhart Century Electronics 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood Ocean Software Denton Designs (John Gibson, Karen Davies) Frankie Goes to Hollywood 1985 International Match Day Ocean Software Jon Ritman, Chris Clarke
1985 NOMAD Ocean Software Simon Butler, Ian Weatherburn, Roy Gibson
1985 Pud Pud in Weird World Ocean Software Jonathan Smith, Christine Smith
1985 Rambo Ocean Software Platinum Productions, David J Anderson, F David Thorpe Carolco Pictures 1985 Batman Ocean Software Jon Ritman, Bernie Drummond DC Comics 1986 Cobra Ocean Software Jonathan Smith, Martin Galway Warner Brothers 1986 Daley Thompson's Supertest Ocean Software Paul Owens, Jonathan Smith, F David Thorpe, Dan Hartley Daley Thompson 1986 Donkey Kong Ocean Software Sentient Software (John Mullins, Clive Paul, T Fagelman) Nintendo 1986 Great Escape, The Ocean Software Denton Designs
1986 Transformers, The Ocean Software
Hasbro 1986 Gryzor Ocean Software Paul Owens, Mark R Jones, David Whittaker Konami 1987 Match Day Ocean Software Jon Ritman, Bernie Drummond
1987 Head Over Heels Ocean Software Jon Ritman
1987 Mario Bros Ocean Software Choice Software (Jon Woods) Nintendo 1987 Match Day II Ocean Software Jon Ritman, Bernie Drummond, Guy Stevens
1987 Phantom Club Ocean Software Dusko Dimitrijevic, Dragoljub Andjelkovic
1987 Short Circuit Ocean Software Paul Owens, Ronny Fowles, Simon Golding Columbia TriStar Pictures 1987 Top Gun Ocean Software Mike Lamb, Ronny Fowles Paramount Pictures 1987 Batman the Caped Crusader Ocean Software Jonathan Smith, Charles Davies, Keith Tinman DC Comics 1988 Cabal Ocean Software James Bagley, Charles Davies, Keith Tinman TAD Corporation 1988 Madballs Ocean Software Denton Designs (Steve Lamb, Jas C Brooke) Amtoy 1988 Operation Wolf Ocean Software Andrew Deakin, Ivan Horn, Jonathan Dunn Taito 1988 Platoon Ocean Software Choice Software (Sean Pearce, David Lyttle, Simon Butler, David Whittaker) Hemdale Film Corporation 1988 Rambo III Ocean Software Andrew Deakin, Ivan Horn, Jonathan Dunn Carolco Pictures 1988 RoboCop Ocean Software Mike Lamb, Dawn Drake, Jonathan Dunn Orion Pictures Corporation 1988 Track & Field Ocean Software Ali Davidson, P Knecht Konami 1988 Where Time Stood Still Ocean Software Denton Designs
1988 Chase HQ Ocean Software John O'Brien, Bill Harbison, Jonathan Dunn Taito 1989 New Zealand Story Ocean Software Choice Software (G Weatherup, Jonathan Dunn) Taito 1989 Operation Thunderbolt Ocean Software Andrew Deakin, Ivan Horn, Matthew Cannon Taito 1989 Untouchables, The Ocean Software James Higgins, Martin McDonald, Jonathan Dunn Paramount Pictures 1989 Adidas Championship Football Ocean Software David Spicer, Jason Brashill, Matthew Cannon Adidas 1990 Adidas Championship Tie-Break Ocean Software Probe Software (Antony R Lill, Sound Images) Adidas 1990 Battle Command Ocean Software Realtime Games
1990 Chase HQ II: Special Criminal Investigation Ocean Software Ian Morrison, Douglas Little, Alan Grier, Chris Scudds Taito 1990 Midnight Resistance Ocean Software Special FX Software (James Bagley, Charles Davies, Keith Tinman) Data East 1990 NARC Ocean Software Eidos (David Leitch, Shaun G McClure, Sound Images) Williams Electronics 1990 Pang Ocean Software Arc Developments Capcom 1990 Plotting Ocean Software Twilight (Jason McGann, Peter Tattersall, Sean Conran) Taito 1990 Puzznic Ocean Software David Lytlle, Bob Flanagan, Jonathan Dunn Taito 1990 Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 Ocean Software Graftgold (David O'Conner, John Cumming Taito 1990 RoboCop 2 Ocean Software Andrew Deakin, Ivan Horn, Matthew Cannon Orion Pictures Corporation/Tobor Productions 1990 Shadow Warriors Ocean Software Teque Software Development (Matt Furniss) Temco 1990 Addams Family, The Ocean Software Andrew Deakin, Jonathan Dunn Paramount Pictures 1991 Darkman Ocean Software Twilight (Dave Box, Jason McGann, Jonathan Dunn) Universal Pictures 1991 Hudson Hawk Ocean Software Special FX Software (James Bagley, Colin Rushby, Keith Tinman) Columbia Pictures 1991 Navy SEALS Ocean Software James Higgins, Warren Lancashire, Martin McDonald, Matthew Cannon Orion Pictures 1991 Smash TV Ocean Software Probe Software (David Perry, Nick Bruty) Williams Electronics 1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day Ocean Software Dementia (Gary Priest, Kevin Bulmer, Jonathan Dunn) Carolco Pictures 1991 Simpsons: Bart vs the Space Mutants Ocean Software Arc Developments (Byron Nilsson, Paul Walker, Jonathan Dunn) 20th Century Fox 1991 Total Recall Ocean Software James Higgins, Andrew Deakin, Mark R Jones, Simon Butler, Ivan Horn, Warren Lancashire, Jonathan Dunn Columbia TriStar Pictures 1991 RoboCop 3 Ocean Software Probe Software (Dominic Wood, Sound Images) Orion Pictures Corporation 1992 Space Gun Ocean Software Images Ltd Taito 1992

Ugh.. crappy formatting

Pyongyang

I apologize it was Titan that done Dick Tracy. Dreadful game.

You're right though, Ocean and US Gold always seemed to land the big titles... Which I bought on Kixx!

Dan_Solo

Ugh, crappy games, never mind the formatting!
Head Over Heels far and away the best thing there.

Pyongyang

Dan_Solo wrote: »

Ugh, crappy games, never mind the formatting!
Head Over Heels far and away the best thing there.

I wouldn't go so far as to say they were all crap. There's a few gems in there.

I liked T2, Bart vs The Space Mutants, Puzznic, Hudson Hawk, Midnight Resistance, Robocop 2 and so on.

Ocean released a few pooptastic titles but for the most part I thought they churned out some good stuff.

Malice

Pyongyang wrote: »

I wouldn't go so far as to say they were all crap. There's a few gems in there.

I liked T2, Bart vs The Space Mutants, Puzznic, Hudson Hawk, Midnight Resistance, Robocop 2 and so on.

Agreed, I'd also add Batman: The Movie, Rainbow Islands and New Zealand Story to the list of gems too.

Welease

Match Day was a spectrum classic.. probably less so on the Commie (as it had International Soccer), and I always has a soft spot for Rambo III.

Pyongyang

Microprose Soccer was the ultimate in football goodness on the C64 I think.

If you wanted to be physically sick however, there was always Mexico 86.

Malice

Pyongyang wrote: »

Microprose Soccer was the ultimate in football goodness on the C64 I think.

Being a Liverpool fan I always preferred Emlyn Hughes International Soccer .

As for the documentary itself, I enjoyed watching it. It was eye-opening to see

a company director talking to the camera as the company itself is collapsing.