Batty and Ultimate connection
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Batty and Ultimate connection
Reading the new issue about Mire Mare I was reminded that back in the day when Batty came out on a cover cassette a friend said it was porgrammed by ex ultimate people. Either he read this somewhere or he was a very astute judge of the programmers finger prints on the game. So interested to see form the new issue he was right. Anyone now if this factoid has been reported elsewhere?
- mlucifersam
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Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
I was told Batty was by Ultimate in 1987!
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/s ... hp?t=40151
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/s ... hp?t=40151
Mark R. Jones
Ocean Software Ltd FB page: http://www.facebook.com/OceanSoftwareLtd
Ultimate Play The Game FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ultimateptg
Ocean Software Ltd FB page: http://www.facebook.com/OceanSoftwareLtd
Ultimate Play The Game FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ultimateptg
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Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
How weird. I guess my mate had a hunch at the time. I think it was the graphics of the little rockets on the bat that reminded us of that ultimate shiny look.
- mlucifersam
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Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
Look at the menu for Batty. It's almost exactly the same for the menu for Bubbler and Cyberun. All 3 written by Mark Betteridge.
Mark R. Jones
Ocean Software Ltd FB page: http://www.facebook.com/OceanSoftwareLtd
Ultimate Play The Game FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ultimateptg
Ocean Software Ltd FB page: http://www.facebook.com/OceanSoftwareLtd
Ultimate Play The Game FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ultimateptg
- Darran@Retro Gamer
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Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
I'm sure Martyn Carroll interviewed someone who did the C64 conversion of Batty.
This is intriguing...
This is intriguing...
Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
Three year bump!
Darran, are e you referring to Dave Thomas? C64 version of Batty was done by Jason Benham.
Darran, are e you referring to Dave Thomas? C64 version of Batty was done by Jason Benham.
merman1974 on Steam, Xbox Live, Twitter and YouTube
Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
It is a confusing one this. I did interview Jason Benham about Batty, and most of that ended up as a Q&A in the Covertape Wars feature (issue 97). Essentially Jason wrote an untitled Arkanoid clone for the C64 (the main difference being the addition of a 2-player mode). Elite picked it up.
The Ultimate link surfaced after that interview was published. Paul Byford of Rare revealed that Mark Betteridge left Ultimate for a brief spell in 1987 and wrote an Arkanoid clone for the Spectrum. It was originally called Wipe Out and credited to KB.RAM (an anagram of MARK B). This pre-production version is archived on WoS.
Elite's Steve Wilcox remembers very little about Batty, but it appears that he was approached with two Arkanoid clones (Jason's for the C64, Mark's for the Spec). Changes were made to align them both, and to remove some of the most obvious Arkanoid references. The game was then titled Batty. The Spec version was credited to Mark Crane, as was the CPC version, which suggests that Betteridge also ported the game to the CPC.
Why Betteridge used a pseudonym is unclear. He probably didn't want any issues with Ultimate/Rare (or indeed Ocean!)
Even more unclear is why the Spec version debuted on a Your Sinclair covertape. There's probably a good story there. I've heard a dynamite rumour but doubt very much anyone would substantiate it!
The Ultimate link surfaced after that interview was published. Paul Byford of Rare revealed that Mark Betteridge left Ultimate for a brief spell in 1987 and wrote an Arkanoid clone for the Spectrum. It was originally called Wipe Out and credited to KB.RAM (an anagram of MARK B). This pre-production version is archived on WoS.
Elite's Steve Wilcox remembers very little about Batty, but it appears that he was approached with two Arkanoid clones (Jason's for the C64, Mark's for the Spec). Changes were made to align them both, and to remove some of the most obvious Arkanoid references. The game was then titled Batty. The Spec version was credited to Mark Crane, as was the CPC version, which suggests that Betteridge also ported the game to the CPC.
Why Betteridge used a pseudonym is unclear. He probably didn't want any issues with Ultimate/Rare (or indeed Ocean!)
Even more unclear is why the Spec version debuted on a Your Sinclair covertape. There's probably a good story there. I've heard a dynamite rumour but doubt very much anyone would substantiate it!
- Darran@Retro Gamer
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Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
Mark has also disappeared completely since leaving Rare. Would love to get a big interview with him. He always had fascinating anecdotes.
Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
I didn't realise Batty had an Ultimate connection; very interesting! I loved Batty, and up to that time it was by far my favourite covertape giveaway.

A rumour you can repeat?MartynC wrote:I've heard a dynamite rumour but doubt very much anyone would substantiate it!

Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
An amazing game and even more amazing that it was a covermount. It would be like strapping a triple a title to a magazine nowadays!
Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
The "covertape wars" between the magazines resulted in some high quality software making the covermounts - and also some original creations that might not have seen the light of day. The story of one such game is coming up in issue 145's In The Chair...sidney wrote:An amazing game and even more amazing that it was a covermount. It would be like strapping a triple a title to a magazine nowadays!
merman1974 on Steam, Xbox Live, Twitter and YouTube
Re: Batty and Ultimate connection
merman wrote:The "covertape wars" between the magazines resulted in some high quality software making the covermounts - and also some original creations that might not have seen the light of day. The story of one such game is coming up in issue 145's In The Chair...sidney wrote:An amazing game and even more amazing that it was a covermount. It would be like strapping a triple a title to a magazine nowadays!
I look forward to that Merman. I also loved Ocean's Road Race which I believe came before Batty on YS, I think the cover price was 1.50 instead of the usual 1pound because of the addition and I remember being very happy with that for an extra 50p, admittedly it was not the greatest racer ever but it was a bit Enduroish and I didn't mind that one bit!
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