Bandersnatch (video game)
| Brataccas | |
|---|---|
Cover art by Roger Dean
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| Developer(s) | Psygnosis |
| Publisher(s) |
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| Platform(s) | Amiga, Atari ST, Classic Mac OS |
| Release | 1986 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Bandersnatch | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Imagine Software |
| Publisher(s) | never published |
| Platform(s) | ZX Spectrum |
| Release | never released |
| Genre(s) | "mega-game" |
| Mode(s) | unknown |
Brataccas is a video game released in 1986 for the Amiga, Atari ST, and Macintosh, and was the first game published by Psygnosis. It is a science fiction action-adventure game, with role-playing game elements.
Brataccas is believed to be the remains of the much hyped vaporware project Bandersnatch, which was partially developed by Imagine Software. Having been talked about in the press for some time before finally emerging, Brataccas saw considerable coverage in the computer press. It was generally reviewed poorly due to significant control problems, although the graphics were widely praised.
The player controls Kyne, a genetic engineer who has developed technology for creating supermen. The oppressive government of the day desires this research to create a breed of supersoldier, but Kyne refuses to assist. In retaliation, the government frames him for treason, claiming that he is seeking to sell his work to the underworld. At the same time, the government secretly offers a reward to anyone in the underworld who turns Kyne over to them. With both the forces of law and lawlessness aligned against him, Kyne is forced to flee Earth.
During his escape, Kyne learns that evidence needed to clear his name can be found on the distant asteroid of Brataccas. Brataccas, first of the asteroids to be colonized, is a backwater mining colony with a "wild west" feel of lawlessness and corruption. Kyne has to find the evidence in order to win the game, obtaining it from the in-game characters. The manual gave no indication of who held the evidence, suggesting that everyone was equally corrupt and dangerous to talk to.
Brataccas displays the game world in flip-screen format, with the map divided into rooms that are drawn into the display as the character moved through the habitat. The screens flipped when Kyne passed from room to room, typically through doors. Most movement was horizontal, with automatic elevators providing vertical movement between floors where required. Occasionally, labeled doors in the rear wall or teleportation booths with the appearance of cylindrical shower stalls led the player to different sets of rooms. The term "rooms" is slightly inaccurate, as there were also a small number of outdoor areas displayed using the same system. In order to preserve detail on the character animations, the characters had to be fairly large, making the rooms small in relative terms. They could get quite crowded with even a few characters in them.
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Wikipedia