Spindizzy

''Spindizzy'' is a 1986 isometric video game published by Electric Dreams Software, who released it on several 8-bit home computer systems. Combining action and puzzle elements, the game features a series of landscapes consisting of ramps and corridors suspended in a three-dimensional space. The player must navigate a transforming probe through the landscapes within a time limit.

Development was headed by Paul Shirley, who drew inspiration from Ultimate Play the Game games that feature an isometric projection. He approached the design as a mixture of an adventure game and a puzzle game, feeling that the ball rolling mechanic allowed for creative puzzles. Electric Dreams partnered with Activision to publish ''Spindizzy'' in the United States. However, Shirley eventually severed the contract due to late royalty payments and disagreements over Activision's business practices.

The game was successful in the United Kingdom and was well received by contemporary video game press. Reviewers praised its visuals and design but criticized its audio. Similarities were drawn to ''Marble Madness'', which was released in arcades two years earlier and on home platforms in 1986. Years after ''Spindizzy''s release, publications continued to praise it in respective reviews. The game was followed by a 1990 sequel titled '' Spindizzy Worlds''.

Gameplay

''Spindizzy'' is an action and puzzle game played from an isometric perspective. Players can view the playing field from four angles, and rotate between them. The game takes place in a fictional landscape of interconnected stages suspended in a dimensional space.The player controls a probe called a Gyroscopic Environmental Reconnaissance And Land-Mapping Device (GERALD), via keyboard commands or a joystick. The craft is able to transform between three configurations: a ball, an inverted square pyramid, and a gyroscope, although the difference between each configuration is only visual. Players navigate the probe through the stages to explore the world within a time limit. The time limit can be extended by collecting power jewels scattered through the world and is decreased by falling off a stage. Stages feature ramps, corridors, and other obstacles that hinder the player from quickly traversing them. The game ends when time expires or the world is completely explored.

Development and release

''Spindizzy'' was developed by Paul Shirley of British video game developer Electric Dreams Software. He was primarily inspired by Ultimate Play the Game games that feature an isometric projection. While he has noted the similarities to the 1984 arcade game ''Marble Madness'' from Atari, Shirley has stated that he had ''Spindizzy''s isometric engine operational before he had ever seen Atari's game; although he acknowledges others' skepticism. Rather than create an action game where the player rolls around a ball, Shirley approached the design as an "adventure/puzzle" game because he felt the "rollaround concept" affords a great deal of freedom when creating puzzles for the player. He developed an interpreted script to generate the game's levels. The script allowed him to design more than 380 stages using 11 KB of storage, a feat he considered personally satisfying.

The game was originally released for the Amstrad CPC and later ported to Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum computers. Copies of ''Spindizzy'' were promoted as contest prizes in ''Your Sinclair'' and ''Computer and Video Games'' magazines upon its release. American video game company Activision published the game in the United States as part of its "Electric Dreams" series. However, Activision's opaque business practices with Shirley left him excluded from activities and decisions related to ''Spindizzy''; for example, he was unaware of the Apple port's existence until the mid-1990s. ''Spindizzy'' was later re-released as part of an Activision compilation. The company sold ''Spindizzy''s compilation rights not long after obtaining them, which reduced the amount of royalties to Shirley and Electric Dreams. Shirley eventually severed the contract with Activision, citing late royalty payments among other actions he disagreed with.

Reception

Shirley described the game's marketing life as short and attributed that to Activision's business practices. James Hague of Dadgum Games commented that ''Spindizzy'' could have been an "all-time classic" had it received a proper marketing campaign. Despite this, the game sold well in the United Kingdom, reaching the number one position in the Amstrad charts in March 1986. The Commodore and Spectrum versions also appeared on their respective platforms' Top 10 charts on their release several weeks later, taking the game to the number 2 position in the all formats chart.

The game was well received by video game journalists upon its release. The ''Zzap!64'' and ''Crash'' magazines awarded ''Spindizzy'' their respective recommended distinctions, a Gold Medal and Crash Smash. Tony Hetherington of ''Computer Gamer'' listed it as one of the essential Spectrum titles of 1986. Reviewers drew comparisons to ''Marble Madness'', which was ported to home platforms the same year. Roberts called ''Spindizzy'' the "best 'marble' game yet", and Charles Ardai of ''Computer Gaming World'' called it "a thoroughly enjoyable game" superior to ''Marble Madness''. South described ''Spindizzy'' as the "closest thing yet to ''Marble Madness''" on the ZX Spectrum, while Liddon said that any similarities to ''Marble Madness'' were coincidental. Many publications commented that the game was obviously inspired by ''Marble Madness''.

Praise from reviewers focused on the game's visuals and design, while criticism focused on the audio. Three of ''Zzap!64''s reviewers—Julian Rignall, Gary Liddon, and Gary Penn—called the graphics "amazing", well-executed, and "varied"; but they described the audio as sparse. Rignall and Penn complimented the challenging gameplay and commented that its addictiveness outweighed any frustration experienced while playing. The three summarized by urging readers to purchase the game. ''Computer Gamer'' reviewer Mike Roberts praised ''Spindizzy''s gameplay, but mentioned that the screen's orientation can require a period of adjustment, particularly when using a joystick. ''Crash''s reviewer called ''Spindizzy'' "one of the most addictive" ZX Spectrum games, noting its innovative use of shape changing, multiple view angles, and speed control. The audio was seen as lacking compared to the rest of the game, but was still described as good. Phil South of ''Your Sinclair'' gave the game high marks for graphics, playability, value for money, and addictiveness. He praised the ability to change viewpoints and the realistic movements of the character sprite. He also lauded the speed and quality of the graphics. ''Info'' magazine's three reviewers—Benn Dunnington, Mark Brown, and Tom Malcolm—recommended the Commodore 64 version as "a hot little number with much of the appeal of ''Marble Madness''" but better. Roy Wagner reviewed the game for ''Computer Gaming World'', stating that ''Spindizzy'' "has a lot to offer and is an excellent value."

The title has received a positive retrospective reception years after its release as well. In 1993, ''Commodore Force'' ranked the game number ten on its list of the top 100 Commodore 64 games. More than a decade later, reviews still praised the game. Allgame editor Ryan Glover called ''Spindizzy'' an "innovative puzzler" that prompts players to fully explore it. Saying that the game successfully mixed infuriating moments with brilliant design, Darran Jones of ''Retro Gamer'' called ''Spindizzy'' a "timeless classic". The magazine rated ''Spindizzy'' the second best game with an isometric perspective, citing its presentation and stage designs. Over 25 years after its release, ''Retro Gamer'' staff called the game "intensely devious and addictive", adding that "''Spindizzy''s only enemy was yourself". Tony Mott included the game in the book ''1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die''. He praised the "witty scenario" and described ''Spindizzy'' as "more austere and cerebral than ''Marble Madness''".

Legacy

''Spindizzy''s isometric design partially inspired Glenn Corpes during the development of the 1989 title '' Populous''. Fascinated by the isometric graphics popular on 8-bit machines in the mid-1980s, Corpes considered ''Spindizzy'' his favorite game with this visual style. Drawing inspiration from the game's ramps and sloping hills that connected remote plains, he created an isometric level builder that he could manipulate. Activision released a sequel titled '' Spindizzy Worlds'' for Amiga and Atari ST computers in 1990. The game features similar gameplay with improved graphics and larger playing fields. It was later ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System by ASCII, which Shirley disapproved of and considered a "disaster". He took legal action over the span of several years to obtain royalty information and payments.

See also

*''Gyroscope'': A 1985 video game with similar design and gameplay
*''Bobby Bearing'': A 1986 video game with similar design and gameplay

References

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1986 video games
Activision games
Amstrad CPC games
Apple II games
Atari 8-bit computer games
Commodore 64 games
Crash Smash! award winners
Marble video games
Puzzle video games
Single-player video games
Video games developed in the United Kingdom
Video games with isometric graphics
Loriciel games
ZX Spectrum games
Electric Dreams Software games