Zippo Games

From Game Developer Research Institute
Jump to: navigation, search
Zippo Games logo

Fed up with the atmosphere at development studio Binary Design, the Pickford Brothers, John and Ste, and two other programmers decided to leave and start their own company - Zippo Games Limited - to develop original games for 16-bit computers. After doing some Amiga and Atari ST games, they responded to a request from Rare to work on the NES. Due to Rare not paying them much, the brothers were unable to keep the studio going. [1]

Around 1990, Zippo was folded into Rare and became Rare Manchester, causing morale to drop quickly. Issues over the unreleased WWF Wrestling game for Game Boy led to John Pickford's resignation, with Ste leaving soon after. [2]

Zippo was incorporated on September 15, 1987 [3], and dissolved on December 24, 1991. [4]

Research Methods: Online resources

Amiga

  • Cluster (unreleased) (Psygnosis)
  • Cosmic Pirate (EU Publisher: Palace Software)
  • Roadhugg (unreleased) (Melbourne House)
  • Voodoo Nightmare (EU Publisher: Palace Software)

Arcade

  • Fleapit (unreleased) (Rare)

Atari ST

  • Cosmic Pirate (EU Publisher: Palace Software)
  • Voodoo Nightmare (EU Publisher: Palace Software)

Famicom/NES

  • Cabal (under subcontract with Rare) (US Publisher: Milton Bradley)
  • Ironsword: Wizards & Warriors II (under subcontract with Rare) (US/EU/AU Publisher: Acclaim)
  • Roller Thrasher (Rollergeddon? [5]) (unreleased; developed under subcontract with Rare) (LJN?)
  • Sesame Street 123 (under subcontract with Rare) (US Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions)
  • Sesame Street ABC (under subcontract with Rare) (US Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions)
  • Sesame Street ABC & 123 (under subcontract with Rare) (US Publisher: Hi Tech Expressions)
  • Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warship (under subcontract with Rare) (US Publisher: Tradewest; EU Publisher: Nintendo)
  • Wizards & Warriors III (under subcontract with Rare) (US/EU/AU Publisher: Acclaim)
  • Wolverine (unreleased)

Game Boy

  • WWF Wrestling (unreleased; developed under subcontract with Rare) (Acclaim)

Links