Atic Atac Review

Atic Atac is a prime example of what passion can do when properly digitised, and marked a crucial nexus for all involved; from the legendary Stamper brothers through renowned publishing house Ultimate Play the Game, to the delighted Spectrum owners who revelled in the light of 8-bit creation. The simplistic, top-down point-of-view line drawings shaped an astonishing universe within a castle, as players battled and explored their way through 200 rooms spread across five levels to find "the golden key of A.C.G." (not only does that rhyme beautifully, but it's a delicious homage to Ultimate's parent company, Ashby Computers and Graphics) before hoofing it to freedom.

The equally uncomplicated storyline meant Ultimate could continue its trend for allowing gamers to discover their own purpose, rather than tedious recitation in the inlay card. By deliberately and actively utilising the imagination of the kid on the end of the joystick, Atic Atac never felt unfocused or bewildering, despite all manner of unrelated and seemingly random adversaries (such as the mummy, Dracula and Frankenstein's monster among many others) assailing the Wizard, Knight and Serf.