U.S. Gold

U.S. Gold Limited was a British video game publisher based in Witton, Birmingham, England. The company was founded in 1984 by Anne and Geoff Brown in parallel to their distributor firm, CentreSoft, both of which became part of Woodward Brown Holdings (later renamed CentreGold). The company primarily aimed at publishing games imported from the United States with a lower price tag in Europe and especially the United Kingdom.

U.S. Gold Limited
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryVideo games
Founded1984 (1984)
FounderAnne and Geoff Brown[1]
DefunctApril 1996 (1996-04)
FateClosed by parent
Headquarters
Witton, Birmingham
,
England
Parent

History

By 1985, U.S. Gold projected a turnover of US$6 million for their first fiscal year, and expected to release further 150 games in the year to come.[2] In 1988, U.S. Gold received the Golden Joystick Award for "Software House of the Year".[3] The company also operated the budget range label Kixx.[4]

In 1988, the company struck a deal with Japanese company Capcom to port their arcade video games for home computers in Europe. They paid £2 million or $3,557,642 (equivalent to $8,800,000 in 2022) for a ten-game deal with Capcom. The first four games they announced as part of the deal were ports of the 1987 arcade games Street Fighter, Tiger Road, 1943: The Battle of Midway and Black Tiger for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST and Amiga platforms.[5] Their first five Capcom releases sold over 250,000 copies in the UK by 1989, with their best-selling Capcom release up until then being Bionic Commando with over 70,000 UK sales. Their next Capcom release was Forgotten Worlds in 1989.[6]

In April 1996, Eidos Interactive acquired the entire CentreGold umbrella (including U.S. Gold) for £17.6 million,[7][8] as a result of which U.S. Gold and CentreSoft ceased all operations.

Games published
Year Title Platform(s)
1984 Beach Head Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro
1984 The Dam Busters Amstrad CPC, Apple II, C64, MS-DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum
1984 Dropzone Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Game Gear, NES
1984 Raid over Moscow Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC
1984 Impossible Mission Commodore 64, Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 7800, BBC Micro, Master System, ZX Spectrum
1985 Beach Head II: The Dictator Strikes Back Commodore 64, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
1985 Bruce Lee ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1985 Road Runner Atari ST
1986 Summer Games Commodore 64, Amiga, Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Master System, ZX Spectrum
1986 Summer Games II Commodore 64, Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga
1985 The Goonies Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum
1985 Whirlinurd Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64
1985 Winter Games Commodore 64, Apple II, Amiga, Atari ST, Apple IIGS, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, IBM PC, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Macintosh
1985 Spy Hunter Amstrad CPC, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum, C64, Apple II, ColecoVision, IBM PC
1986 Gauntlet Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Macintosh, Commodore 64, MSX, Master System, NES, Genesis, ZX Spectrum, MS-DOS, PlayStation
1986 Revolution ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1986 Zorro ZX Spectrum
1986 World Games Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Apple IIGS, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, Master System, PC, ZX Spectrum
1986 Ace of Aces Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, Atari 7800, Commodore 64, MSX, MS-DOS, Master System, ZX Spectrum
1986 Kung-Fu Master Commodore 64
1986 Infiltrator Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
1986 Leader Board Commodore 64/128, Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, Atari ST, Apple II, DOS, Macintosh, Master System, Game Gear, Genesis/Mega Drive, Acorn Archimedes
1987 California Games Apple II, Commodore 64, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple IIGS, Atari 2600, Lynx, Atari ST, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, Sega Genesis, Master System, ZX Spectrum
1987 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum
1987 Nebulus Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, Game Boy, NES, Atari 7800, Acorn Archimedes, MS-DOS
1987 Out Run NEC PC-8801, Atari ST, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MSX, PC Engine, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum
1987 RoadBlasters Genesis, Lynx, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, NES
1987 Solomon's Key Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST, IBM PC, PC Engine
1987 Street Sports Basketball Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, Commodore 64, DOS, ZX Spectrum
1987 Tag Team Wrestling Apple II, Commodore 64, IBM PC
1987 Gauntlet II Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy, MS-DOS, NES, ZX Spectrum
1988 1943: The Battle of Midway Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
1988 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Lance Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, FM Towns, MS-DOS, MSX2, NEC PC-8801, 9801, Master System, ZX Spectrum
1988 Bionic Commando Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
1988 Dive Bomber Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum
1988 Last Duel Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
1988 Vigilante Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum
1988 Thunder Blade Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, IBM PC, Sharp X68000, ZX Spectrum
1988 Techno Cop Apple II, Atari ST, MS-DOS, Amiga
1988 Street Fighter Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
1989 Strider Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, PC, X68000, PC Engine CD, ZX Spectrum
1989 U.N. Squadron Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
1989 Tiger Road Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, DOS
1989 Turbo Outrun Amiga, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1989 Dragons of Flame Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, FM Towns, Famicom, MS-DOS, PC-9801, ZX Spectrum
1989 Beast Busters Arcade, Amiga, Atari ST
1989 Crack Down Atari ST, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum
1989 Cyber Police ESWAT Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64
1989 Forgotten Worlds Amiga, Commodore 64, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1989 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, C64, MS-DOS, Game Boy, Game Gear, MSX, Genesis, Master System, NES, ZX Spectrum
1990 Line of Fire Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
1990 Black Tiger Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
1990 Bonanza Bros Amiga, Commodore 64, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1990 California Games II Amiga, Atari ST, DOS, Master System, SNES
1990 E-Motion Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Boy, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum
1990 Mega Twins Amiga, Atari ST
1990 Michael Jackson's Moonwalker Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum
1990 Murder! Amiga, Amiga, Atari ST, DOS
1990 Strider II Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Gear, Master System, Genesis, ZX Spectrum
1991 Gauntlet III: The Final Quest Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum
1991 Alien Storm Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1991 Another World Amiga, Atari ST
1991 Cruise for a Corpse Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS
1991 James Pond 2 Game Gear, Master System
1991 Mercs Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64
1991 Out Run Europa Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Game Gear, iOS, Master System, ZX Spectrum
1991 Final Fight Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC
1991 Shadow Dancer Commodore 64, Amiga, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST
1991 Shadow Sorcerer Amiga, Atari ST, MS-DOS
1992 Olympic Gold Sega Game Gear, Sega Genesis, Master System
1992 Flashback Amiga, Acorn Archimedes, Mega Drive/Genesis, MS-DOS, NEC PC-9801, SNES, Sega CD, FM Towns, 3DO, CD-i, Atari Jaguar
1992 Championship Hockey Master System, Game Gear
1992 Super Kick Off Master System, Game Boy, Genesis, SNES
1992 Putty Amiga, SNES, CD32
1993 James Pond 3 Game Gear, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1993 Winter Olympics Amiga, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, SNES, Sega Game Gear, DOS, Master System
1993 Star Wars Master System, Game Gear
1994 Road Rash Master System, Game Gear
1994 The Incredible Hulk SNES, Genesis, Master System, Game Gear
1994 Power Drive Amiga, CD32, Game Gear, MS-DOS, Genesis, SNES
1994 World Cup Golf: Professional Edition PlayStation, Sega Saturn, 3DO, CD-i, DOS
1994 World Cup Golf: Hyatt Dorado Beach 32X
1994 World Cup USA '94 Genesis, Sega CD, SNES, Master System, DOS, Amiga, Game Gear, Game Boy
1994 Dominus MS-DOS
1994 Hurricanes SNES, Sega Genesis
1995 Fever Pitch Soccer SNES, Sega Genesis, Atari Jaguar
1995 Izzy's Quest for the Olympic Rings Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1995 Mega Man Game Gear
1996 Izzy's Adventure Windows 95, Windows 3.1
1996 Johnny Bazookatone 3DO, MS-DOS, PlayStation, Saturn
1996 Olympic Soccer PlayStation, Sega Saturn, DOS, 3DO
1996 Olympic Summer Games Playstation, 3DO
1996 Shellshock PlayStation, Sega Saturn
1996 Duke Nukem 3D MS-DOS

References
  1. Wilkins, Chris; Kean, Roger M (2015). The Story Of U.S. Gold. Fusion Retro Books. p. 27. ISBN 9780993131530. On 12 March 1984, Anne and Geoff purchased an incorporated shell, formed on 30 January 1984 with the resonant name of Covsound Ltd, changed its name, and so US Gold Ltd was born.
  2. Anderson, Chris (June 1985). "On top of the US Goldmine". Zzap!64. No. 2. Newsfield. pp. 46–48. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  3. Lacey, Eugene (May 1988). "Golden Joystick Awards 1988". Computer and Video Games. No. 79. Future Publishing. p. 39. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  4. Anthony Guter. "Mastertronic Style". www.guter.org. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  5. "Ready Steady Go!". Computer & Video Games. No. 80 (June 1988). 15 May 1988. pp. 84–5.
  6. "Capcom: A Captive Audience". The Games Machine. No. 19 (June 1989). United Kingdom: Newsfield. 18 May 1989. pp. 24–5.
  7. "Eidos proposes to take over Centregold". www.telecompaper.com. 29 March 1996. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  8. Moss, Richard (31 March 2015). ""It felt like robbery": Tomb Raider and the fall of Core Design". arstechnica.com. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
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