Ultrasoft
Ultrasoft was a computer game developer and computer game publisher located in Bratislava, Slovakia.[1] The company specialised in the development and publishing of games for the ZX Spectrum home computer. With over 40 titles [2] to its credit, Ultrasoft was the biggest game software publisher in Czechoslovakia [3] and, arguably, one of the biggest European producers of computer games during the 1990s. The most successful titles included the platform game Towdie and puzzle games Atomix and Hexagonia – Atomix 2. Apart from computer games, the company also published a dozen or so non-game titles, mostly for learning foreign languages, as well as text, image, sound and music editors.
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| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Successor | Cyberdreams |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Bratislava, Slovakia |
Key people | Louis Wittek, founder |
| Products | Towdie, Atomix, Hexagonia |
Number of employees | 10+ |
| Subsidiaries | Bit magazine |
Ultrasoft also acted as an exclusive distributor within the territory of Czechoslovakia for Domark and Ocean Software game software houses based in England.
The company was founded by Louis Wittek in 1989, and dissolved in 1998.
Published games
Example of Cover Art from some of the Ultrasoft's titles
| Title | Year | Developer (Country) | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkarum | 1990 | Rumatisoft (Slovakia) | Shoot 'em up |
| Atomix | 1991 | Scorpion (Czech Republic) | Puzzle video game |
| Axons | 1992 | Ľubomír Salanci (Slovakia) | Shoot 'em up |
| Bukapao | 1991 | Ľudovít Wittek (Slovakia) | Text adventure |
| Cesta Bojovníka (Way of the Warrior) | 1992 | KM Soft (Czech Republic) | Fighting game |
| Chrobák Truhlík (Beetle Dim-witt) | 1991 | Sybilasoft (Slovakia) | Text adventure |
| Crux 92 | 1992 | Marek Trefný (Czech Republic) | Action Puzzle video game |
| Double Dash | 1991 | Fuxoft (Czech Republic) | Action Puzzle video game |
| F.I.R.E. | 1991 | Fuxoft (Czech Republic) | Shoot 'em up |
| Galactic Gunners | 1992 | Cybexlab Software (Czech Republic) | Shoot 'em up |
| Hexagonia – Atomix 2 | 1992 | Scorpion (Czech Republic) | Puzzle video game |
| Jet Story | 1992 | Cybexlab Software (Czech Republic) | Arcade game |
| Kliatba Noci (Curse of the Night) | 1993 | Microtech Systems (United States) DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Action-adventure game |
| Komando 2 | 1992 | Microtech Systems (United States) DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Shoot 'em up |
| Logic | 1991 | Rumatisoft (Slovakia) | Puzzle video game |
| Notorik | 1992 | Bytepack (Slovakia) | Action-adventure game |
| Octopussy | 1992 | Bytepack (Slovakia) | Text adventure |
| Pedro 1 (Pedro on the Pirates' Island) | 1992 | Gold Storm (Slovakia) | Action-adventure game |
| Pedro 2 (Pedro in the Haunted Castle) | 1993 | Gold Storm (Slovakia) | Action-adventure game |
| Pedro 3 (Pedro in the Land of Pyramids) | 1993 | Gold Storm (Slovakia) | Action-adventure game |
| Phantom F4 - Part 1 | 1992 | Microtech Systems DSA Computer Graphics (United States) DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Action game |
| Phantom F4 - Part 2 | 1992 | Microtech Systems (United States) DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Action game |
| Pick Out 2 | 1993 | Bytepack (Slovakia) | Puzzle video game |
| Prva Akcia (First Heist) | 1992 | Microtech Systems (United States) DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Arcade game |
| Quadrax | 1994 | David Durčák and Marián Ferko (Slovakia) | Puzzle video game |
| Rýchle Šípy 1 (Swift Arrows 1) | 1991 | Májasoft and CIDsoft (Czech Republic) | Text adventure |
| Rýchle Šípy 2 (Swift Arrows 2) | 1991 | Májasoft and CIDsoft (Czech Republic) | Text adventure |
| Sach-Mat (Check-Mate) | 1992 | Ján Deák (Slovakia) | Chess video game |
| Sherwood | 1992 | DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Action Strategy video game |
| Skladačka (Puzzle) | 1992 | Deltasoft (Slovakia) | Text adventure |
| Star Dragon | 1991 | Scorpion (Czech Republic) | Shoot 'em up |
| Tetris 2 | 1991 | Fuxoft (Czech Republic) | Puzzle video game |
| Towdie | 1994 | DSA Computer Graphics (Slovakia) | Action-adventure game |
| Twilight | 1995 | Ľubomír Dekan, Radoslav Javor and Norbert Grellneth (Slovakia) | Adventure game |
Other published titles
- Baby Mantrik (English for children)
- Datalog 2 (Database)
- DTP Machine Utility (DTP editor)
- DTP Machine Professional Pack (Image/Text/DTP editor)
- Mantrik Anglicky (Learning English)
- Mantrik Nemecky (Learning German)
- Mantrik Editor – Professor (Create your own lessons for Mantrik)
- Mrs08E (ZX Spectrum Assembler editor)
- ScreenMachine (Image editor)
- SoundTracker (Music editor)
- TextMachine (Text editor)
- Tuition (Sinclair BASIC for beginners)
- ZX-7 (Music & Sound editor)
Bit magazine
Cover pages from the first and the last issue of the Bit magazine
Between 1991–1994 Ultrasoft also published a specialised monthly magazine Bit, aimed at owners of home computers and dealing with computer games in particular.[4]
References
- "Extract from the Business Register of the District Court Bratislava I". orsr.sk. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- "Ultrasoft - Slovakia". worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
- Pavel Plíva. "ZX-Spectrum Games". Zx-spectrum.cz. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
- Pavel Plíva. "ZX-Spectrum Games". Zx-spectrum.wz.cz. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
External links
- Ultrasoft s.r.o. at Moby Games
- Ultrasoft s.r.o. at Game Spot
- Ultrasoft at ZX Spectrum
- Ultrasoft at ZX Spectrum Reviews
- Ultrasoft at Game FAQs
- Ultrasoft at GAME-OST
- Ultrasoft at Games Database
- Ultrasoft at RetroCpu
- Ultrasoft at Adventureland
- Ultrasoft - complete overview of games at ZX Spectrum Games
- Hexagonia at World of Spectrum
- Towdie at World of Spectrum
- Towdie at ZX Art
- Komando 2 - screenshots at Moby Games
- Watch Kliatba Noci (Curse of the Night) on YouTube
- Bit Magazine online at Old Games
- Bit Magazine archive at ZX Magazin
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