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A
wonderful game on the Spectrum 128k, and the silent sequel to
The Great Escape (As the game was
originally billed as a sequel and called Tibet). This was set
in the same mould as TGE, and followed on from its success.
After
the success of the Spectrum game, talks were made about creating
ports to all other machines, including the Commodore 64.
The
main problem was that the Spectrum game was fitted into 128k
of memory, and the C64 had the job of squeezing it into
64k. Not totally impossible, but a hard task, and something that
could not be made into Multiload.
Stuart
Fotheringham does not recall the C64 version, but worked on the
Spectrum version. He states about the problems of trying to convert
this game had it had happened. GTW is told that Ocean recieved
the finished game and design from Denton Designs, and Ocean would
have contracted other developers to do other versions.
It
seemed therefore that it was likely that there was a C64 version
in consideration, or even production. Unfortunately we can now confirm that although considered, the game was never started.
John Heap in a recent article with Retro Gamer magazine on Where Time Stood Still on the Spectrum, mentioned to Stuart Hunt that the problem was that the game was 128k for a start, but additionally they had seen the C64 port of Great Escape and felt that was incredibly slow. With both those factors, it was decided that no C64 conversion was to be started and that it would remain exclusive to the ZX Spectrum.
The game was later to be released on the Amstrad, Amiga and ST, but only the ST version made it. But with the C64 version, it is another case we can close the door on.
Case sadly closed :(
Frank
and Andrew
(Additional
source credits - Stuart Fotheringham, Stuart Hunt (Retrogamer magazine), John Heap, Patrick Furlong)
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