Blue Ribbon (software house)
Encyclopedia
Blue Ribbon was the budget computer software publishing label of CDS Micro Systems.
The label launched in 1985 mostly made up of games from the MRM Software back catalogue. MRM had been a label producing games for the BBC Micro
and Acorn Electron
. Blue Ribbon reissued these and also converted them to other platforms including Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC
, MSX
and Commodore 16
/Plus/4
. By the late 80s, Blue Ribbon were also releasing games for the ZX Spectrum
and Commodore 64
including reissues of games for publishers including Superior Software
, Bubble Bus and Artic as well as games originally published at full price by CDS. This included the first stand alone releases for games previously only available on compilations (eg Syncron
and Camelot
from Superior and Video Card Arcade and Dominoes from CDS). The Superior games were released as joint Superior/Blue Ribbon releases and carried advertisements for current Superior full price games. Although a small number of compilations were released on disk
, all individual releases were on cassette
between £1.99 and £2.99. The label's final releases were in 1991 and CDS never used the Blue Ribbon label for 16-bit releases.
The label launched in 1985 mostly made up of games from the MRM Software back catalogue. MRM had been a label producing games for the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
and Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
. Blue Ribbon reissued these and also converted them to other platforms including Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and Commodore 16
Commodore 16
The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
/Plus/4
Commodore Plus/4
The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
. By the late 80s, Blue Ribbon were also releasing games for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
and Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
including reissues of games for publishers including Superior Software
Superior Software
Superior Software is a video game publisher. It was established in 1982 by Richard Hanson and John Dyson, two graduates of the University of Leeds, England...
, Bubble Bus and Artic as well as games originally published at full price by CDS. This included the first stand alone releases for games previously only available on compilations (eg Syncron
Syncron
Syncron is a shooter-type game for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, written by Gary Partis. It was first released in 1987 as the lead game on The Superior Collection compilations...
and Camelot
Camelot (video game)
Camelot is an 8-bit computer game written by Tony Oakden and published in the UK in 1989/90 for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. The game was first published by Superior Software and Acornsoft as part of the Play it Again Sam 9 compilation in 1989 and was subsequently re-published as a standalone...
from Superior and Video Card Arcade and Dominoes from CDS). The Superior games were released as joint Superior/Blue Ribbon releases and carried advertisements for current Superior full price games. Although a small number of compilations were released on disk
Floppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
, all individual releases were on cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
between £1.99 and £2.99. The label's final releases were in 1991 and CDS never used the Blue Ribbon label for 16-bit releases.
Original releases
- Astro Plumber (BBCBBC MicroThe BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
, ElectronAcorn ElectronThe Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
, CPCAmstrad CPCThe Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, C16Commodore 16The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
, MSXMSXMSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
) - Bar Billiards (BBC, Electron)
- Condition Red (BBC, Electron)
- Diamond Mine II (BBC, Electron, CPC, C16/Plus/4Commodore Plus/4The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
, MSX) - Joey (BBC, Electron, C16)
- Ravage (BBC, Electron)
- M-Droid (MSX)
- Trapper (BBC, Electron)
- Return of R2 (BBC, Electron)
- Mango (BBC, Electron)
- 3D Dotty3D Dotty3D Dotty is a video game published by Blue Ribbon for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro home computers in 1987. The aim is to clear the dots on the three levels of each screen while avoiding the dreaded fungus. Any contact with the fungus will reduce energy, and a life is lost when the energy...
(BBC, Electron) - Spooksville (BBC, Electron)
- System 8: The Pools Predictor (BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC, C16, C64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZXZX SpectrumThe ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, MSX) - Turf-Form: Beat the Bookie (BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC, C16, C64, ZX, MSX)
- Hi-Q-Quiz (BBC, Electron, CPC, C64, ZX)
- Syntax (CPC, C64, ZX)
- Wulfpack (CPC, C64, ZX)
- Balloon Buster (BBC, Electron, CPC)
MRM Software
- 3D Munchy / Hangman (BBC)
- Banana Man / Secret Sam 1 (BBC)
- Guy In The Hat / Secret Sam 2 (BBC)
- Castle Assault (BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC)
- Darts (BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC, C64, ZX, MSX)
- Diamond MineDiamond Mine (video game)Diamond Mine is a video game first published by MRM Software for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro home computers in 1984. It was reissued by Blue Ribbon in 1985 and ported to other systems in 1985 and 1986...
(BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC, C16) - Q Man (BBC)
- Q Man's Brother (BBC)
- Screwball (BBC, Atari, CPC)
- Artist (aka Artmaster) (BBC, CPC)
- Nightmare Maze (BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC)
CDS Software
- Caterpillar / Leapfrog (ZX)
- Gobble a Ghost / 3D Painter (ZX)
- Spectrum SafariSpectrum SafariSpectrum Safari is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and self-released by A.J. Rushton in 1983. The game was soon signed by CDS Micro Systems who reissued it in early 1984 with a new cover and loading screen....
/ Winged WarlordsWinged WarlordsWinged Warlords is a ZX Spectrum game which was published by CDS Microsystems in 1983. It is a clone of Joust, in terms of level design and gameplay...
(ZX) - TimebombTimebomb (video game)Timebomb is a game for the 16K ZX Spectrum computer , published in 1984 by CDS Microsystems. It is an unlicensed port of the arcade coin-op Check Man. While the player moves, the game plays Beethoven's Für Elise.-External links:* at KLOV* * at Coagulus Software...
/ Magic MeaniesMagic MeaniesMagic Meanies is a ZX Spectrum video game developed and released by CDS Micro Systems in 1983.- Gameplay :Magic Meanies is a clone of Mr. Do! in which the player, Meltec the Wizard, digs tunnels to collect lumps of lead. To progress to the next screen, Meltec must also collect a wandering cherry...
(ZX) - Pool (CPC, ZX)
- Video Card Arcade (BBC, Electron, CPC, C64, ZX) - previously only available as part of The Complete Home Entertainment Centre
- Golf (BBC, Electron) - reissue of Birdie Barrage
- Steve Davis Snooker (BBC, Electron, Atari, CPC, C16, C64, ZX, MSX)
- Dominoes (BBC, Electron, CPC, ZX) - previously only available as part of The Complete Home Entertainment Centre
Bubble Bus Software
- The Ice Temple (CPC, C64, ZX)
- Wizard's Lair (CPC, C64, ZX, MSX)
- Moonlight Madness (ZX)
- Cave Fighter (C16, C64)
Superior Software
- Repton (BBC, Electron)
- Karate Combat (BBC, Electron)
- Percy Penguin (BBC, Electron)
- Mr Wiz (BBC, Electron)
- Stryker's Run (BBC, Electron)
- Citadel (BBC, Electron)
- DeathStarDeathstar (video game)Deathstar is an 8-bit computer game for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro developed by Peter Johnson and originally published in the UK by Superior Software in 1985...
(BBC, Electron) - Smash and Grab (BBC, Electron)
- Repton 2 (BBC, Electron)
- Thrust (BBC, Electron)
- Ravenskull (BBC, Electron)
- Galaforce (BBC, Electron)
- Codename Droid (BBC, Electron)
- Crazee Rider (BBC, Electron)
- SyncronSyncronSyncron is a shooter-type game for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, written by Gary Partis. It was first released in 1987 as the lead game on The Superior Collection compilations...
(BBC, Electron) - previously only available on a Superior Collection compilation - Repton Around The World (BBC, Electron) - reissue of Around the World in 40 Screens
- Palace of MagicPalace of MagicPalace of Magic is a computer game released in 1987 for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro by Superior Software. Combining platform elements with problem solving, it uses extremely similar gameplay principles to that of the earlier and better known game, Citadel.The game begins with your character in...
(BBC, Electron) - Elixir (BBC, Electron)
- The Life of Repton (BBC, Electron)
- Spellbinder (BBC, Electron)
- Quest (BBC, Electron)
- Spycat (BBC, Electron)
- Repton Thru Time (BBC, Electron)
- Pipeline (BBC, Electron)
- Barbarian (BBC, Electron)
- Repton 3 (BBC, Electron)
- BonecruncherBonecruncherBonecruncher is a computer game published by Superior Software in 1987 for the BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga and Acorn Electron.-Summary:thumb|left|In-game screenshot...
(BBC, Electron) - Bug Blaster (BBC, Electron) - originally an AlligataAlligataAlligata Software Ltd. was a computer games developer and publisher based in Sheffield in the UK in the 1980s.The company was founded by Mike Mahoney and Dave Palmer around 1982. They produced games for a number of home computers including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, ZX Spectrum...
game that had featured on a Superior compilation - CamelotCamelot (video game)Camelot is an 8-bit computer game written by Tony Oakden and published in the UK in 1989/90 for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. The game was first published by Superior Software and Acornsoft as part of the Play it Again Sam 9 compilation in 1989 and was subsequently re-published as a standalone...
(BBC, Electron) - previously only available on a Play It Again Sam compilation - Galaforce 2 (BBC, Electron) - previously only available on a Play It Again Sam compilation
- Barbarian IIBarbarian II: The Dungeon of DraxBarbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax is a video game first published in 1988 for various home computers. It was also released as Axe of Rage in North America. The game is the sequel to Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior , which was published in 1987...
(BBC, Electron) - The Last NinjaThe Last NinjaThe Last Ninja is an action-adventure game developed and published by System 3 in 1987 for the Commodore 64. As the first in the Last Ninja series, it set the standard for the unique look and feel for its sequels: Last Ninja 2 , Last Ninja Remix and Last Ninja 3...
(BBC, Electron) - Predator (BBC, Electron)
- Ballistix (BBC, Electron)
- Superior Soccer (BBC, Electron)
External links
- Blue Ribbon at Acorn Electron World
- Superior/Blue Ribbon at Acorn Electron World
- Blue Ribbon at CPC Power
- Blue Ribbon at Plus/4 World
- Blue Ribbon at Stairway to Hell