Iain Mew
@superchartisland.com
Writing a British history of popular video games one UK sales chart #1 at a time. Now in 1986. Also into pop music and writing on The Singles Jukebox. He/him. http://www.superchartisland.com
The moody opening stage of Little Big Adventure 2
November 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
The moody opening stage of Little Big Adventure 2
Google's predictive results certainly suggest that it doesn't!
November 8, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Google's predictive results certainly suggest that it doesn't!
To be fair his face there is probably about as close to the final version as the one on that game's cover is
November 4, 2025 at 12:16 PM
To be fair his face there is probably about as close to the final version as the one on that game's cover is
This has a quote and a link to a Guardian article (not that I can access it) digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcont...
November 3, 2025 at 8:34 AM
This has a quote and a link to a Guardian article (not that I can access it) digitalcommons.trinity.edu/cgi/viewcont...
Impossible Mission (Epyx, 1984/1985, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for one week in October 1985
Stylish puzzle-platformer, and the most nostalgic game in this thread for me, although Impossible Mission II was even more my jam
#2 for one week in October 1985
Stylish puzzle-platformer, and the most nostalgic game in this thread for me, although Impossible Mission II was even more my jam
November 3, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Impossible Mission (Epyx, 1984/1985, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for one week in October 1985
Stylish puzzle-platformer, and the most nostalgic game in this thread for me, although Impossible Mission II was even more my jam
#2 for one week in October 1985
Stylish puzzle-platformer, and the most nostalgic game in this thread for me, although Impossible Mission II was even more my jam
Daley Thompson's Supertest (Ocean, 1985, ZX Spectrum)
#2 for two weeks in September 1985
The official sequel to Daley Thompson's Decathlon, which ended up being outperformed by Ocean's parallel unofficial sequel Hyper Sports: www.superchartisland.com/hyper-sports
#2 for two weeks in September 1985
The official sequel to Daley Thompson's Decathlon, which ended up being outperformed by Ocean's parallel unofficial sequel Hyper Sports: www.superchartisland.com/hyper-sports
November 3, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Daley Thompson's Supertest (Ocean, 1985, ZX Spectrum)
#2 for two weeks in September 1985
The official sequel to Daley Thompson's Decathlon, which ended up being outperformed by Ocean's parallel unofficial sequel Hyper Sports: www.superchartisland.com/hyper-sports
#2 for two weeks in September 1985
The official sequel to Daley Thompson's Decathlon, which ended up being outperformed by Ocean's parallel unofficial sequel Hyper Sports: www.superchartisland.com/hyper-sports
Skyfox (Electronic Arts, 1984/1985, Commodore 64)
#2 for one week in September 1985
Combat flight sim originally made for Apple II. The first appearance of a company I'll eventually get to write lots about!
#2 for one week in September 1985
Combat flight sim originally made for Apple II. The first appearance of a company I'll eventually get to write lots about!
November 3, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Skyfox (Electronic Arts, 1984/1985, Commodore 64)
#2 for one week in September 1985
Combat flight sim originally made for Apple II. The first appearance of a company I'll eventually get to write lots about!
#2 for one week in September 1985
Combat flight sim originally made for Apple II. The first appearance of a company I'll eventually get to write lots about!
Summer Games II (Epyx, 1985, Commodore 64)
#2 for one week in September 1985
Second game in Epyx's multi-sport series, whose development overlapped with that of Winter Games, which did reach #1 and I wrote about: www.superchartisland.com/winter-games
#2 for one week in September 1985
Second game in Epyx's multi-sport series, whose development overlapped with that of Winter Games, which did reach #1 and I wrote about: www.superchartisland.com/winter-games
November 3, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Summer Games II (Epyx, 1985, Commodore 64)
#2 for one week in September 1985
Second game in Epyx's multi-sport series, whose development overlapped with that of Winter Games, which did reach #1 and I wrote about: www.superchartisland.com/winter-games
#2 for one week in September 1985
Second game in Epyx's multi-sport series, whose development overlapped with that of Winter Games, which did reach #1 and I wrote about: www.superchartisland.com/winter-games
Frank Bruno's Boxing (Elite, 1985, Spectrum/C64/CPC)
#2 for two weeks in July 1985, & three weeks in October once non-Spectrum versions came out.
A boxing game v. heavily inspired by Nintendo's Punch-Out!! games. Remarkably, Elite managed to make its roster of opponents significantly more racist.
#2 for two weeks in July 1985, & three weeks in October once non-Spectrum versions came out.
A boxing game v. heavily inspired by Nintendo's Punch-Out!! games. Remarkably, Elite managed to make its roster of opponents significantly more racist.
November 3, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Frank Bruno's Boxing (Elite, 1985, Spectrum/C64/CPC)
#2 for two weeks in July 1985, & three weeks in October once non-Spectrum versions came out.
A boxing game v. heavily inspired by Nintendo's Punch-Out!! games. Remarkably, Elite managed to make its roster of opponents significantly more racist.
#2 for two weeks in July 1985, & three weeks in October once non-Spectrum versions came out.
A boxing game v. heavily inspired by Nintendo's Punch-Out!! games. Remarkably, Elite managed to make its roster of opponents significantly more racist.
Spy Hunter (Bally Midway/U.S. Gold, 1983/1984, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for six weeks in May/June 1985
U.S. Gold's run of success continued with this conversion of an arcade classic
#2 for six weeks in May/June 1985
U.S. Gold's run of success continued with this conversion of an arcade classic
November 3, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Spy Hunter (Bally Midway/U.S. Gold, 1983/1984, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for six weeks in May/June 1985
U.S. Gold's run of success continued with this conversion of an arcade classic
#2 for six weeks in May/June 1985
U.S. Gold's run of success continued with this conversion of an arcade classic
World Series Baseball (Imagine, 1985, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for six weeks in April/May 1985
Like the Super Bowl, the World Series got shown in the UK by the new Channel 4, and the sport got enough of a following for computer games based on it to succeed in the UK.
#2 for six weeks in April/May 1985
Like the Super Bowl, the World Series got shown in the UK by the new Channel 4, and the sport got enough of a following for computer games based on it to succeed in the UK.
November 3, 2025 at 7:42 AM
World Series Baseball (Imagine, 1985, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for six weeks in April/May 1985
Like the Super Bowl, the World Series got shown in the UK by the new Channel 4, and the sport got enough of a following for computer games based on it to succeed in the UK.
#2 for six weeks in April/May 1985
Like the Super Bowl, the World Series got shown in the UK by the new Channel 4, and the sport got enough of a following for computer games based on it to succeed in the UK.
Bruce Lee (Datasoft/U.S. Gold, 1984, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for one week in March 1985
Platformer with added flying kicks, getting in at the start of the martial arts games trend
#2 for one week in March 1985
Platformer with added flying kicks, getting in at the start of the martial arts games trend
November 3, 2025 at 7:36 AM
Bruce Lee (Datasoft/U.S. Gold, 1984, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for one week in March 1985
Platformer with added flying kicks, getting in at the start of the martial arts games trend
#2 for one week in March 1985
Platformer with added flying kicks, getting in at the start of the martial arts games trend
Raid Over Moscow (Access/U.S. Gold, 1984, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for one week in March 1985
Follow-up to Beach-Head. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament protested against its insensitivity.
#2 for one week in March 1985
Follow-up to Beach-Head. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament protested against its insensitivity.
November 3, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Raid Over Moscow (Access/U.S. Gold, 1984, C64/Spectrum)
#2 for one week in March 1985
Follow-up to Beach-Head. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament protested against its insensitivity.
#2 for one week in March 1985
Follow-up to Beach-Head. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament protested against its insensitivity.
And that was it for 1985!
I'm taking a couple of weeks off, and then the blog will return on 10 November as I get started on 1986. It turns out The Way of the Exploding Fist had quite an impact...
I'm taking a couple of weeks off, and then the blog will return on 10 November as I get started on 1986. It turns out The Way of the Exploding Fist had quite an impact...
October 27, 2025 at 6:20 PM
And that was it for 1985!
I'm taking a couple of weeks off, and then the blog will return on 10 November as I get started on 1986. It turns out The Way of the Exploding Fist had quite an impact...
I'm taking a couple of weeks off, and then the blog will return on 10 November as I get started on 1986. It turns out The Way of the Exploding Fist had quite an impact...
Ocean's game of Rambo: First Blood Part II was, like many a Christmas hit, made in a hurry. "I can't understand these programmers who sepnd a year on their games" said programmer Tony Pomfret.
www.superchartisland.com/rambo-first-blood-part-ii
www.superchartisland.com/rambo-first-blood-part-ii
October 27, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Ocean's game of Rambo: First Blood Part II was, like many a Christmas hit, made in a hurry. "I can't understand these programmers who sepnd a year on their games" said programmer Tony Pomfret.
www.superchartisland.com/rambo-first-blood-part-ii
www.superchartisland.com/rambo-first-blood-part-ii
Commando was a hit in arcades and a #1 computer hit for Elite. Alligata beat them to the punch with Who Dares Wins, which was similar enough Elite got it blocked legally. Alligata then released Who Dares Wins II, which changed the colour of your character's uniform
www.superchartisland.com/commando
www.superchartisland.com/commando
October 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Commando was a hit in arcades and a #1 computer hit for Elite. Alligata beat them to the punch with Who Dares Wins, which was similar enough Elite got it blocked legally. Alligata then released Who Dares Wins II, which changed the colour of your character's uniform
www.superchartisland.com/commando
www.superchartisland.com/commando
Karate sim The Way of the Exploding First spent 14 weeks at #1, almost as long as Soft Aid. Melbourne House rushed to finish it ahead of System 3's rival International Karate, but that game got delayed months further, including by a burglary
www.superchartisland.com/the-way-of-the-exploding-fist
www.superchartisland.com/the-way-of-the-exploding-fist
October 27, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Karate sim The Way of the Exploding First spent 14 weeks at #1, almost as long as Soft Aid. Melbourne House rushed to finish it ahead of System 3's rival International Karate, but that game got delayed months further, including by a burglary
www.superchartisland.com/the-way-of-the-exploding-fist
www.superchartisland.com/the-way-of-the-exploding-fist
Soft Aid was UK #1 for 16 weeks. Rod Cousens of Quicksilva took the lead on organising the charity compilation and got it started by offering Sandy White's early isometric 3D game Ant Attack for inclusion
www.superchartisland.com/soft-aid
www.superchartisland.com/soft-aid
October 27, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Soft Aid was UK #1 for 16 weeks. Rod Cousens of Quicksilva took the lead on organising the charity compilation and got it started by offering Sandy White's early isometric 3D game Ant Attack for inclusion
www.superchartisland.com/soft-aid
www.superchartisland.com/soft-aid
The original Football Manager reached #1 three years after its first release. Arsenal player Charlie Nicholas said of it that "I could play this 24 hours a day and never get tired of it"
www.superchartisland.com/football-manager
www.superchartisland.com/football-manager
October 27, 2025 at 5:51 PM
The original Football Manager reached #1 three years after its first release. Arsenal player Charlie Nicholas said of it that "I could play this 24 hours a day and never get tired of it"
www.superchartisland.com/football-manager
www.superchartisland.com/football-manager
Alien 8 was Ultimate's final UK #1. The magazine Your Spectrum featured one reader’s Spectrum program which displayed an Alien 8 “comic book” with emphasis on the game’s mouse-dalek character
www.superchartisland.com/alien-8
www.superchartisland.com/alien-8
October 27, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Alien 8 was Ultimate's final UK #1. The magazine Your Spectrum featured one reader’s Spectrum program which displayed an Alien 8 “comic book” with emphasis on the game’s mouse-dalek character
www.superchartisland.com/alien-8
www.superchartisland.com/alien-8
Over the last two months on my blog, I've written about the history of each of the nine computer games to reach #1 in UK sales charts during 1985.
Here is a thread with links to those posts, plus one thing I learned for each of them
www.superchartisland.com
Here is a thread with links to those posts, plus one thing I learned for each of them
www.superchartisland.com
October 27, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Over the last two months on my blog, I've written about the history of each of the nine computer games to reach #1 in UK sales charts during 1985.
Here is a thread with links to those posts, plus one thing I learned for each of them
www.superchartisland.com
Here is a thread with links to those posts, plus one thing I learned for each of them
www.superchartisland.com
![Although Capcom claimed the choice of English name for Commando had nothing to do with the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring film of that name that came out shortly afterwards, the game certainly had a lot of the action movie to it. It involves one man shooting his way through an entire army, after all. Never ones to miss the chance to be topical, Ocean saw an opportunity. Ghostbusters had been the big hit game of the previous Christmas and shown the potential for movie tie-ins. They might not have the rights to Commando, but they could get the rights to Rambo: First Blood Part II, a film which, as Commodore User put it, “already sounds like a number of computer games on the market”.
[Screenshot of the Spectrum loading screen for Rambo, with a picture of a shirtless Rambo]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:uiwmxzrdnxnnjb55alohkgmz/bafkreier4rxjnu6rta6g4ievhal6z5qkkdaerdkwejjo4hbz3uqurrneyy@jpeg)
October 18, 2025 at 8:33 AM
She did name a song on her first album after a 2010 puzzle game, she's obviously just gone more retro since
October 17, 2025 at 2:20 PM
She did name a song on her first album after a 2010 puzzle game, she's obviously just gone more retro since
I looked into the reactions at the time to its broken-ness and some of them were fascinating!
spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?iss...
www.superchartisland.com/jet-set-willy
spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?iss...
www.superchartisland.com/jet-set-willy
October 16, 2025 at 8:25 AM
I looked into the reactions at the time to its broken-ness and some of them were fascinating!
spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?iss...
www.superchartisland.com/jet-set-willy
spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?iss...
www.superchartisland.com/jet-set-willy