All through the vacation season, we’ll be republishing among the greatest articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors. 2025. This text was initially printed in March. get pleasure from!
Jeff Minter is named a legend within the gaming business, maybe fairly rightly. After founding Llamasoft in 1982, his profession included Tempest 4000, Akka Arrh, Polybius, mutant camel assaultand grid runner.
Should you’re not acquainted with Minter, take a look at Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story on Digital Eclipse. That is an unimaginable interactive documentary that appears again on the creator’s profession with dozens of playable video games from Llamasoft’s again catalogue.
However now Minter, together with companion and co-developer Ivan ‘Giles’ Zorzin, is about to unveil one other stylized remake within the type of I, Robotic, based mostly on the unique 1984 arcade curio by Atari and creator Dave Schuler (who additionally created the unique arcade, by the best way). stormthe sport that formed Minter’s profession).
Following the large success of each Tempest 4000 and Akka Arrh on Swap, I, Robotic revamps the maze-like gameplay of the unique, injecting a few of Llamasoft’s immediately recognizable iconography whereas avoiding the gaze of “Massive Brother,” taking pictures down “tetras” in house, and creating weird painterly masterpieces in “ungamed” mode.
We lately spoke with Minter (and briefly Giles) to be taught extra in regards to the sport, Llamasoft’s partnership with Atari, and Jeff’s ideas on the upcoming Swap 2.