Harry S Price: Difference between revisions

From Sinclair Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (acknowledgement)
(add screenshots)
Line 8: Line 8:
!width=50%|Price's rip-off!!Original game
!width=50%|Price's rip-off!!Original game
|-
|-
|Big Bad John ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''||Molecule Man ''(Mastertronic, 1986)''
|[[File:Big bad john.png]]
Big Bad John ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''
||[[File:Molecule man.png]]
Molecule Man ''(Mastertronic, 1986)''
|-
|-
|Bubble Run ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''||Bubble Trouble ''(Your Sinclair, 1986)''
|[[File:Bubble run.png]]
Bubble Run ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''
||[[File:Bubble trouble.png]]
Bubble Trouble ''(Your Sinclair, 1986)''
 
Magazine type-in listing.
Magazine type-in listing.
|-
|-
|Cashdash ''(Tynesoft, year?)''||Eggo ''(Spectrum Computing, 1986)''
|[[File:Cashdash.png]]
Cashdash ''(Tynesoft, year?)''
||[[File:Eggo.png]]
Eggo ''(Spectrum Computing, 1986)''
|-
|-
|Chaldon ''(unknown)''||''(unknown)''
|[[File:None.png]]
Chaldon ''(unknown)''
||[[File:None.png]]
''(unknown)''
|-
|-
|Colin the Cleaner ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''||Ralph on Alpha 2 ''(16/48, year?)''
|[[File:Colin the cleaner.png]]
Colin the Cleaner ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''
||[[File:Ralph on alpha 2.png]]
Ralph on Alpha 2 ''(16/48, year?)''
|-
|-
|Collywobbles ''(Pirate Software, 1987)''||''(unknown)''
|[[File:Collywobbles.png]]
Collywobbles ''(Pirate Software, 1987)''
||[[File:None.png]]
''(unknown)''
|-
|-
|Crimebusters ''(IJK Software, 1986)''||Spellbound ''(Mastertronic, 1985)''
|[[File:Crimebusters.png]]
Crimebusters ''(IJK Software, 1986)''
||[[File:Spellbound.png]]
Spellbound ''(Mastertronic, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Don't Say It, Spray It ''(IJK Software, 1988)''||One Man and his Droid ''(Mastertronic, 1985)''
|[[File:Dont say it spray it.png]]
Don't Say It, Spray It ''(IJK Software, 1988)''
||[[File:One man and his droid.png]]
One Man and his Droid ''(Mastertronic, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Dusty Droid and the Garbage Gobblers ''(Pirate Software, 1988)''
|[[File:Dusty droid.png]]
Dusty Droid and the Garbage Gobblers ''(Pirate Software, 1988)''
 
Some graphics are taken from Games Designer by Quicksilva.
Some graphics are taken from Games Designer by Quicksilva.
|Rocket Man Mike ''(Your Computer, 1985)''
|[[File:Rocket man mike.png]]
Rocket Man Mike ''(Your Computer, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Gangplank ''(Pirate Software, 1987)''||Icicle Works ''(Statesoft, 1985)''
|[[File:Gangplank.png]]
Gangplank ''(Pirate Software, 1987)''
||[[File:Icicle works.png]]
Icicle Works ''(Statesoft, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Ghostly Grange ''(Creative Sparks, 1988)''||Rocket Man Mike ''(Your Computer, 1985)''
|[[File:Ghostly grange.png]]
Ghostly Grange ''(Creative Sparks, 1988)''
||[[File:Rocket man mike.png]]
Rocket Man Mike ''(Your Computer, 1985)''
|-
|-
|H.A.R.D. ''(IJK Software, 1986)''
|[[File:Hard.png]]
H.A.R.D. ''(IJK Software, 1986)''
 
Jim: "I noticed that Harry Price did H.A.R.D. in 1986, a rip-off of Android (1983) by Costa Panayi. Could this be why Costa titled one of his later games H.A.T.E. (for Gremlin in 1989)?"
Jim: "I noticed that Harry Price did H.A.R.D. in 1986, a rip-off of Android (1983) by Costa Panayi. Could this be why Costa titled one of his later games H.A.T.E. (for Gremlin in 1989)?"
|Android 1: The Reactor Run ''(Vortex Software, 1983)''
|[[File:Android one.png]]
Android 1: The Reactor Run ''(Vortex Software, 1983)''
|-
|-
|I Ain't Got Nobody ''(Tynesoft, year?)''||The Caves of Doom ''(Mastertronic, 1985)''
|[[File:I aint got nobody.png]]
I Ain't Got Nobody ''(Tynesoft, year?)''
||[[File:The caves of doom.png]]
The Caves of Doom ''(Mastertronic, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Knightfall ''(Pirate Software, 1987)''||Rock 'n' Roll ''(Your Sinclair, 1986)''
|[[File:Knightfall.png]]
Knightfall ''(Pirate Software, 1987)''
||[[File:Rock n roll.png]]
Rock 'n' Roll ''(Your Sinclair, 1986)''
|-
|-
|Ku Ku ''(Micro Value, 1988)''
|[[File:Ku ku.png]]
Ku Ku ''(Micro Value, 1988)''
 
Some or all graphics are taken from Sabre Wulf.
Some or all graphics are taken from Sabre Wulf.
|Project Future ''(Micromania, 1985)''
|[[File:Project future.png]]
Project Future ''(Micromania, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Mind Your Head ''(IJK Software, 1986)''||Icicle Works ''(Statesoft, 1985)''
|[[File:Mind your head.png]]
Mind Your Head ''(IJK Software, 1986)''
||[[File:Icicle works.png]]
Icicle Works ''(Statesoft, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Monkey Run ''(IJK Software, 1986)''||''(unknown)''
|[[File:None.png]]
Monkey Run ''(IJK Software, 1986)''
||[[File:None.png]]
''(unknown)''
|-
|-
|Mutations ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''||Spawn of Evil ''(DK'Tronics, 1983)''
|[[File:Mutations.png]]
Mutations ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''
||[[File:Spawn of evil.png]]
Spawn of Evil ''(DK'Tronics, 1983)''
|-
|-
|Odd Job Eddie ''(Strobe, 1985)''
|[[File:Odd job eddie.png]]
Odd Job Eddie ''(Strobe, 1985)''
 
The "128K version" has no additional features, but has been sneakily modified to crash on 48K machines. An incorrectly linked room means that you cannot collect every item in the game, but items are irrelevant because you only have to reach the "viewing room" to win.
The "128K version" has no additional features, but has been sneakily modified to crash on 48K machines. An incorrectly linked room means that you cannot collect every item in the game, but items are irrelevant because you only have to reach the "viewing room" to win.
|Pyramania ''(16/48, 1984)''
|[[File:Pyramania.png]]
Pyramania ''(16/48, 1984)''
|-
|-
|One for the Road ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''||MacMan ''(Your Spectrum, 1985)''
|[[File:One for the road.png]]
One for the Road ''(Tynesoft, 1986)''
||[[File:Macman.png]]
MacMan ''(Your Spectrum, 1985)''
 
Magazine type-in listing.
Magazine type-in listing.
|-
|-
|The Steelyard Blues ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''||Cheekah's Exploits ''(Your Computer, 1986)''
|[[File:The steelyard blues.png]]
The Steelyard Blues ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''
||[[File:Cheekahs exploits.png]]
Cheekah's Exploits ''(Your Computer, 1986)''
 
Magazine type-in listing.
Magazine type-in listing.
|-
|-
|Them ''(Pirate Software, 1988)''||Project Future ''(Micromania, 1985)''
|[[File:Them.png]]
Them ''(Pirate Software, 1988)''
||[[File:Project future.png]]
Project Future ''(Micromania, 1985)''
|-
|-
|Tidy Tony ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''||Drive In ''(Fantasy Software, 1984)''
|[[File:Tidy tony.png]]
Tidy Tony ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''
||[[File:Drive in.png]]
Drive In ''(Fantasy Software, 1984)''
|-
|-
|Who Said That? ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''||Micro Mouse Goes Debugging ''(M C Lothlorien, 1983)''
|[[File:Who said that.png]]
Who Said That? ''(Tynesoft, 1987)''
||[[File:Micro mouse goes debugging.png]]Micro Mouse Goes Debugging ''(M C Lothlorien, 1983)''
|}
|}


Revision as of 21:10, 20 October 2011

Harry S Price must claim the dubious distinction of having ripped off more Sinclair Spectrum games than anybody else. He made slight changes to commercial releases and magazine type-in listings, often introducing bugs in the process, and sold the results to unwary software houses. Some of his rip-offs were even bundled with the Spectrum +2.

Apparently, the only time Price got into trouble was after the release of Crimebusters, based on David Jones' Spellbound. Mastertronic demanded a letter of apology, and the story was covered in the December 1986 issues of Crash and Sinclair User.

Here is a list of Harry S Price's rip-offs and the games they were based on. (Thanks to Michael Bruhn and others on comp.sys.sinclair for helping to compile this information.)

Price's rip-off Original game
Big bad john.png

Big Bad John (Tynesoft, 1986)

Molecule man.png

Molecule Man (Mastertronic, 1986)

Bubble run.png

Bubble Run (Tynesoft, 1986)

Bubble trouble.png

Bubble Trouble (Your Sinclair, 1986)

Magazine type-in listing.

Cashdash.png

Cashdash (Tynesoft, year?)

Eggo.png

Eggo (Spectrum Computing, 1986)

None.png

Chaldon (unknown)

None.png

(unknown)

Colin the cleaner.png

Colin the Cleaner (Tynesoft, 1987)

Ralph on alpha 2.png

Ralph on Alpha 2 (16/48, year?)

Collywobbles.png

Collywobbles (Pirate Software, 1987)

None.png

(unknown)

Crimebusters.png

Crimebusters (IJK Software, 1986)

Spellbound.png

Spellbound (Mastertronic, 1985)

Dont say it spray it.png

Don't Say It, Spray It (IJK Software, 1988)

One man and his droid.png

One Man and his Droid (Mastertronic, 1985)

Dusty droid.png

Dusty Droid and the Garbage Gobblers (Pirate Software, 1988)

Some graphics are taken from Games Designer by Quicksilva.

Rocket man mike.png

Rocket Man Mike (Your Computer, 1985)

Gangplank.png

Gangplank (Pirate Software, 1987)

Icicle works.png

Icicle Works (Statesoft, 1985)

Ghostly grange.png

Ghostly Grange (Creative Sparks, 1988)

Rocket man mike.png

Rocket Man Mike (Your Computer, 1985)

Hard.png

H.A.R.D. (IJK Software, 1986)

Jim: "I noticed that Harry Price did H.A.R.D. in 1986, a rip-off of Android (1983) by Costa Panayi. Could this be why Costa titled one of his later games H.A.T.E. (for Gremlin in 1989)?"

Android one.png

Android 1: The Reactor Run (Vortex Software, 1983)

I aint got nobody.png

I Ain't Got Nobody (Tynesoft, year?)

The caves of doom.png

The Caves of Doom (Mastertronic, 1985)

Knightfall.png

Knightfall (Pirate Software, 1987)

Rock n roll.png

Rock 'n' Roll (Your Sinclair, 1986)

Ku ku.png

Ku Ku (Micro Value, 1988)

Some or all graphics are taken from Sabre Wulf.

Project future.png

Project Future (Micromania, 1985)

Mind your head.png

Mind Your Head (IJK Software, 1986)

Icicle works.png

Icicle Works (Statesoft, 1985)

None.png

Monkey Run (IJK Software, 1986)

None.png

(unknown)

Mutations.png

Mutations (Tynesoft, 1986)

Spawn of evil.png

Spawn of Evil (DK'Tronics, 1983)

Odd job eddie.png

Odd Job Eddie (Strobe, 1985)

The "128K version" has no additional features, but has been sneakily modified to crash on 48K machines. An incorrectly linked room means that you cannot collect every item in the game, but items are irrelevant because you only have to reach the "viewing room" to win.

Pyramania.png

Pyramania (16/48, 1984)

One for the road.png

One for the Road (Tynesoft, 1986)

Macman.png

MacMan (Your Spectrum, 1985)

Magazine type-in listing.

The steelyard blues.png

The Steelyard Blues (Tynesoft, 1987)

Cheekahs exploits.png

Cheekah's Exploits (Your Computer, 1986)

Magazine type-in listing.

Them.png

Them (Pirate Software, 1988)

Project future.png

Project Future (Micromania, 1985)

Tidy tony.png

Tidy Tony (Tynesoft, 1987)

Drive in.png

Drive In (Fantasy Software, 1984)

Who said that.png

Who Said That? (Tynesoft, 1987)

Micro mouse goes debugging.pngMicro Mouse Goes Debugging (M C Lothlorien, 1983)

Originally compiled by Paul Equinox Collins - reproduced with permission

Retrieved from ‘https://sinclair.wiki.zxnet.co.uk/w/index.php?title=Harry_S_Price&oldid=532’