English Software

The English Software Company, later shortened to English Software, was a Manchester, UK-based video game developer and publisher that operated from 1982 until 1987. Starting with its first release, the horizontally scrolling shooter Airstrike, English Software focused on the Atari 8-bit family of home computers, then later expanded onto other platforms. The company used the slogan "The power of excitement".

This article is about the games company. For language-learning software, see Computer-assisted language learning.

The English Software Company
Founded1982
Defunct1987
Headquarters
Manchester
,
United Kingdom
ProductsVideo games

History

The company was set up in 1982 by Philip Morris, owner of the Gemini Electronics computer store in Manchester, to release video games for the Atari 8-bit family. By the end of 1983, English Software was the largest producer of Atari 8-bit software in the UK and Morris closed Gemini Electronics to concentrate on English Software.[1]

The company continued to concentrate on the Atari 8-bit market[2] but also released games for other home computers including Commodore 64,[3] BBC Micro,[4] Acorn Electron,[5] Amstrad CPC,[6] ZX Spectrum,[7] Atari ST,[8] and Amiga.[9]

Popular games include platformers Jet-Boot Jack (1983) and Henry's House (1984), racer Elektra Glide (1985), the multi-event Knight Games (1986) and shoot 'em up Leviathan (1987).

English had licensing deals that saw some of their games released internationally e.g. through Dynamics Marketing in Germany and Datamost in the US.[10] A number of English's games were sold at budget price by Mastertronic in the US, which included exclusive ports such as the Atari version of Henry's House and the IBM PC compatible version of Knight Games. Philip Morris said in 2013 that he did not license the Atari version to Mastertronic UK, even though English Software had the option to do this.

Games

1982
  • Airstrike (Atari 8-bit)
  • Time Warp (Atari 8-bit)

1983
  • Airstrike II (Atari 8-bit)
  • Batty Builders (Atari 8-bit)
  • Bombastic! (Atari 8-bit) aka Bomb Blast It!
  • Captain Sticky's Gold (Atari 8-bit)
  • Jet-Boot Jack (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC)
  • Krazy Kopter (Atari 8-bit)
  • Neptune's Daughter (Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit)
  • Steeple Jack (Atari 8-bit)
  • Xenon Raid (Atari 8-bit)

1984

1985
  • Chop Suey (Atari 8-bit)
  • Elektra Glide (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC)
  • Hijack! (Atari 8-bit)
  • Kissin' Kousins (Acorn Electron, Atari 8-bit, BBC Micro)
  • Mediator (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64)
  • Timeslip (Atari 8-bit, Commodore 16, Plus/4)
  • Topper the Copper (Commodore 64)

1986
  • Knight Games (Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC), ported to PC by Mastertronic
  • Q-Ball (Atari ST, Amiga)

1987
  • Leviathan (Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, Amiga)
  • Octapolis (Commodore 64)
  • Knight Games 2: Space Trilogy (Commodore 64)

References
  1. "News and Views", Page 6, Page 6 Publications, Issue 6, Nov/Dec 1983
  2. English Software (8-bit) at Atari Mania
  3. English Software at Lemon64
  4. Games by Publisher: E at Stairway to Hell
  5. English Software Archived 2011-08-11 at the Wayback Machine at Acorn Electron World
  6. Amstrad CPC Leviathan at Genesis 8-bit
  7. English Software at World of Spectrum
  8. English Software (ST) at Atari Mania
  9. English Software at Hall of Light
  10. The English Software Company at Moby Games
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