Ultrasoft
Ultrasoft was a computer game developer and computer game publisher located in Bratislava, Slovakia.[1][2] The company specialised in the development and publishing of games for the ZX Spectrum home computer. With over 40 titles published,[3] its most successful including the platform game Towdie and puzzle games Atomix and Hexagonia – Atomix 2. Ultrasoft also acted as an exclusive distributor within the territory of Czechoslovakia for Ocean Software [4] game software house based in the UK. 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 |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Successor | Cyberdreams |
| Headquarters | Bratislava, Slovakia |
Key people | Louis Wittek, founder |
| Products | Towdie, Atomix, Hexagonia |
Number of employees | 10+ |
| Subsidiaries | Bit magazine |
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.[5]
References
- "Extract from the Business Register of the District Court Bratislava I". orsr.sk. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- Švelch, Jaroslav; Olli, Sotamaa (2021). Game Production Studies. Netherland: Amsterdam University Press. pp. 242, 246–247, 310, 329. ISBN 9789048551736. JSTOR j.ctv1hp5hqw. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
- "Ultrasoft - Slovakia". worldofspectrum.org. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
- Swertz, Christian; Wagner, Michael G. (2010). Game\\play\\society: Contributions to Contemporary Computer Game Studies (in English and German). Austria: kopaed. pp. 265–277. ISBN 9783867362405.
- 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 Archived 2014-07-18 at the Wayback Machine 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 Archived 2013-06-07 at the Wayback Machine 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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