Octopussy (1992) - Unofficial
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Game Data
Released: 1992
Published By: Ultrasoft (Slovakia)
Developed By: Bytepack
Platforms
ZX Spectrum
Credits
Programming: Milan Blazicek
Graphics:
Marek Forray
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Thoughout the late 1980's, Domark
published several James Bond games for 8-bit home computers,
the last of which was the 1990
release of "The Spy Who Loved Me".
But for ZX Spectrum owners, a little-known final 007 adventure
was available before the series moved
on to consoles and 16-bit platforms.
Bytepack programmer Milan Blazicek and artist Marek Forray,
based out of Slovakia, created an unofficial computer game adaptation
of "Octopussy" for the ZX in 1991, which was published
by Bratislava-based Ultrasoft.
Above: Screenshots of the animated
introduction which explains 009's murder and the Faberge
link
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The structure of the game was
based around finding objects and solving puzzles to move the
story along. Players could control
Roger Moore, complete in white tuxedo, and use the 'Fire' button
to display a menu to manipulate an object (pick it up, attempt
to use it, or throw it away). The developers tried to stay
true to the flow of the movie but adapted the details to suit
the game mechanics.
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For the first puzzle, players can find
a flute and a coin on the streets of an Indian city. 007
faces certain death if he plays the flute near the cobra,
but passing the coin to Vijay earns you a key.
Behind the
locked door is a hotel room where you can steal the Faberge
egg, and then take it to the casino where you can attract
the attention of the Kamal Kahn, accept a drink, place
a bet with the egg, roll the dice and win. The collected
chips can then be exchanged for cash which pays for a
taxi ride to the next location, which is where the game
ends. |
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Despite the limited graphical prowess compared
to the Commodore 64, the rogue game opened with an impressively
animated introduction
which sets the scene for the game with M sending 007 on his mission
to find 009's killer. Character detail and animation is better
than most of the official games from Domark on the Spectrum.
Where the game suffers though, is the lack of any music and just
the
sparsest
of sound
effects.
Despite being unlicenced and not part of the
official James Bond videogame canon, the game was released in
Slovakia complete
with cassette inlay and full instructions in 1992. Some time
afterward, an English-language version was also made available.
