Ultimate Play The Game The Collected Works
Posted : Saturday, December 23, 2017
Ultimate Play The Game started writing games for the ZX Spectrum in 1983.
1983 saw the release of JetPac, Pssst, Tranz Am, Cookie, Lunar Jetman and Atic Atac.
While 1984 and 1985 saw the release of Sabre Wulf, Underwurlde, Knight Lore, Alien 8, Nightshade and Gunfright.
In 1988 Ultimate release The Collected Works which contained 11 of the early games from 1983 to 1985.
In my opinion Ultimate released the most addictive games for the 8-bit home computer market during the early 80s. With the most addictive games I found to be JetPac and Tranz Am.
Four of the games was released on ROM cartridge that could be plugged into the ZX Interface 2. These games were JetPac, Pssst, Tranz Am and Cookie as these games were coded in under 16k which was the capacity for the ROM cartridges.
Pssst (1983)
PssstRobbie the Robot sits in his garden. Help him fetch the compost to cultivate his prize Thyrgodian Megga Chrysanthodil. Help him make the right choice of pesticide, to ward off devilish insects.
Stop the insects breeding to overwhelming numbers before Robbie's plant has bloomed.
Pssst is horticulture with a horrendous twist!
Tranz Am (1983)
Tranz AmTranz Am is set in a post-apocalyptic future in USA in the year 3472.
The object of the game is for the player to find all Eight Great Cups of Ultimate that are spread around America.
Sound easy? Well no, fuel is in short supply and the only way to re-fuel vehicles is to find petrol pumps, scattered across the country.
Cookie (1983)
CookieCharlie the Chef, keeps all the ingredients locked away in the pantry, only letting them out when he wants to cook them!
Now this makes them jolly upset, let me tell you.
So! As soon as they can, the ingredients dash out of the pantry dragging all the sorts of nasties, found in the bottom of drawers and cupboards, with them, to escape, and run wild.
Poor old Charlie! he has to daze the ingredients with his flour bombs and knock them into the mixing bowl, because if they go into the dustbins they will be eaten by the bin monster, who doesn't care one little bit where he throws any of his rubbish.
Should any rubbish or nasties get into the cake mix then the 'ingredients needed' counter will change, and Charlie will have to work quicker and faster, if he's going to bake his cake.
CONTROLLING CHARLIE CHEF
KEYBOARD CONTROLS
LEFT Charlie will move left by using the 'Q' key.
RIGHT Charlie will move right by using the 'W' key.
DOWN Charlie will move down by using the 'E' key.
UP Charlie will move up by using the 'R' key.
FIRE Charlie will throw flour bags when the 'T' key is pressed.
PAUSE the game by using the CAP SHIFT key.
JOYSTICK CONTROLS
COOKIE can be controlled using either Kempston or Protek/ cursor controlled joysticks by selecting the correct mode.
GUARANTEE
All ULTIMATE PLAY THE GAME software products have a 3 year unconditional guarantee.If this tape ever fails to load it will be replaced totally free of charge if returned with details directly to ULTIMATE PLAY THE GAME at the address show. If the tape shows any form of physical damage please include £1.50 to cover replacement costs. This guarantee does not effect and is in addition to your statutory rights.
COOKIE LOADING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Connect the EAR socket on your Spectrum to the EAR socket on your recorder and ensure the MIC lead us disconnected.
2. Place the cassette tape in the recorder with the labelled side uppermost and rewind to the beginning.
3. Type either LOAD "COOKIE" or LOAD "" and then press the ENTER key.
4. Press PLAY on the cassette recorder.
5. COOKIE will now load automatically and a message will appear on the screen after several seconds.If loading is unsuccessful rewind the cassette, adjust the VOLUME control on the recorder and try again.
NOTE: Full loading instructions can be found in your Spectrum manual.
6. PLAY THE GAME. For better sound effects you can increase the volume by connecting the MIC socket on your recorder to the MIC socket on your Spectrum. Disconnect the EAR lead, remove the cassette tape from the recorder and press the PLAY button, the sound may be amplified through the loudspeaker of the recorder.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE -COOKIE copyright, ULTIMATE, PLAY THE GAME, Copyright Trace Name, 1983 Ashby Computer &Graphics Ltd.All rights reserved Worldwide.
The game and name COOKIE and all of its associated hardware, software, code, listings, audio effects, graphics, illustrations and text are the exclusive property and copyright of ASHBY COMPUTERS & GRAPHICS LTD.and may not be copied, transmitted, transferred, reproduced, hired, lent, distributed, stored or modified in any form, in full or in part without the express written permission of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd.The Green, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire LE6 5JU, England.
All software, graphics and audio-visual by ULTIMATE, PLAY THE GAME. Trade Name of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd.Made in England.
FEATURES
Superb graphics.
Flour Bags.
Bin Monster.
Continuous Fire.
High Score displayed.
Pause Button.
1 & 2 Player games.
Full 8 way movement.
On Screen Scoring.
Ingredient Count.
Pantry.
Dustbins.
Mixing Bowl.
Crafty Cheese.
Chunky Chocolate.
Sneaky Sugar.
Colonel Custard.
Mixed Peel.
Arcade Standard Game.
Tin Tin Can.
Mike the Pike.
Bernie Bolt.
Terry Tack.
Wally Washer.
Super Games Tunes.
Lunar Jetman (1983)
Lunar JetmanAfter JETMAN's poorly assembled multi-stage rocket started to disintegrate in warp space, he manages to crash land on a strange undiscovered world, inhabited by hundreds of restless aliens intent on the total destruction of the planet Earth.
Desperate to regain the lost minerals, the aliens initialise their ancient attack mechanisms. All around, huge missile installations erupt from deep within the bounds of the planet, surrounded by their own strategic defence stations. Their huge linoleum shelled missiles glisten in the distant sunlight as the multitronic warheads auto-arm and poise for attack.
With no hope of help from the nearby and unaware Earth, JETMAN has to destroy all of the installations single - handed before the imminent destruction of his home planet.Using only his Hyperglide Moon Rover to carry the strange equipment and supply Bridging units, with any other equipment he can find to complete his mission.
Atic Atac (1983)
Atic AtacAtic Atac is set in a labyrinth of a castle and you must collect 3 pieces of a key to escape.
Sabre Wulf (1984)
Sabre WulfDown and down I plunged, through Rocky Glades, Steep Ravines and Shady Hollows ... No grip, no footholds, slipping, tumbling, spinning, darker and darker, deeper and deeper.
Glinting eyes, clutching hands, clasping claws, clawing my all, as I swiftly twist and tumble onwards.
Darker and darker, deeper and deeper. It is the end that I fear, of this untroden voyage ... to where I do not know ... AARRRGGGG ...THUDDD...
Fall and end meet on soft mossy soil...with weapons drawn and senses full I move quickly and quietly around the mounded clearing ... All safe except a message...An ancient warning etched deep into the lifeless stone.
Knight Lore (1984)
Knight LoreThe game Knightlore is set in a dark castle where you, the sabreman have to rid yourself from the curse of the werewolf. The only way to do this is to find 6 objects and drop them into the wizard`s cauldron to create a remedy. The games gimmic, and arguably it`s selling point, was it`s forced 3D isometric perspective that gave the rooms a more realistic look.
The inlay card doesn`t actually HAVE any instructions, just lots of riddles. As with all Ultimate games, the user had to use his brain to work out what to do.The object of the game is for you to first find the wizard of the castle and enter the room he is in when you are in your sabreman form.Out of the cauldron an item will appear.Your mission is to then hunt out this object and place it into the cauldron.Once this has been done, another object that you will have to search out and return will appear. Once you have done this 6 times you will have ridden the werewolf`s curse from your body.Be quick!You only have 40 days and nights to complete the spell.
Alien 8 (1985)
Alien 8Graphics-wise Alien8 is Knightlore set in a spaceship. In this game however you are a little robot, 'Alien 8' who's job it is to make sure ALL cryonaughts remain active during the ship's voyage.
Nightshade (1985)
NightshadeSomewhere between the purple mountains, and the seas of the Seven Islands lies a hidden valley, a land that time has not touched.
All remained peacful and tranquil, until darkness descended upon the land, light and freedom were banished from its homely hills, and the evil set seed.
Death and hunger spread, and all who remained within the walls of the village became stricken or hag ridden with haunted evil. All who had deserted the village sought refuge elsewhere. The village was now in complete control by darkness.
Gunfright (1985)
GunfrightHow'de Pardners.
NOW Y'ALL LISTEN UP. Seems we got ourselves a new Sheriff in town, reckons he gonna clear the town of the meanest and fastest Gun Totin' Bunch of Rootin' Tootin' Gun Slingers which ever did hit the Wild West, goes by the name of Sheriff Quickdraw. Yes Siree.
