Gamestar
Gamestar was originally a company based in Santa Barbara, California, that specialized in sports games. It was founded by self-proclaimed "big sports fan" Scott Orr, who previously ran the short-lived company Arcade Plus. Arcade Plus folded after Atari threatened a lawsuit over Ghost Hunter, a Pac-Man clone for Atari 8-bit computers. The other games Arcade Plus had in development were moved over to Gamestar. (Retro Gamer 144)
In 1983, Gamestar signed a distribution deal with Activision (Retro Gamer 144), which later acquired Gamestar in 1986. [1] Activision would eventually close the operation in Santa Barbara. (Retro Gamer 144)
There seems to be a connection between Gamestar and a company called Sportsware or Sportsware Productions. Sportsware was supposed to publish Championship Golf at Pebble Beach for the Commodore 64, which was not released; Championship Golf: The Great Courses of the World - Volume One: Pebble Beach was later released by Gamestar for Amiga and DOS. [2] The name "Sporrtsware Productions Inc" appears on the title screen of the Commodore 64 version of Star Rank Boxing; "Sporrtsware" is spelled with two Rs and the letters "ORR" are in red [3], which suggests Scott Orr's involvement.
Scott Orr left Gamestar in 1988 and became an independent consultant [4], designing games for Data East as Season Ticket Productions. [5]
Amiga
- Championship Baseball (US/UK Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
- Championship Golf: The Great Courses of the World - Volume One: Pebble Beach (US/UK Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Interplay
- GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
- GFL Championship Football (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
Apple II
- Championship Baseball (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Synergistic Software
- GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- GFL Championship Football (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Howard the Duck (US Publisher: Activision)
- Developer: SofTalent
- Star League Baseball (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Star Rank Boxing II (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: The Softworks Factory
- Top Fuel Eliminator (US Publisher: Activision)
Apple IIgs
- GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: SofTalent
- GFL Championship Football (unreleased?) (Gamestar)
- Developer: Softalent
Atari 8-bit
- Baja Buggies (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Started out as Night Rally by Arcade Plus
- On-Track: Computer Model Car Racing (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Starbowl Football (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Started out as Arcade Pro Football by Arcade Plus
- Star League Baseball (US Publisher: Gamestar)
Atari ST
- Championship Baseball (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
- GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
- GFL Championship Football (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
CoCo
- GFL Championship Football II (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: ZCT Systems Group
Commodore 64
- Championship Baseball (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Synergistic Software
- FaceOff! (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: MindSpan
- GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (US/UK Publisher: Gamestar)
- GFL Championship Football (US/UK Publisher: Gamestar)
- Howard the Duck (US/UK Publisher: Activision) [6]
- On-Court Tennis (US Publisher: Gamestar; UK Publisher: Activision)
- On-Field Football (US Publisher: Gamestar; UK Publisher: Activision)
- On-Track: Computer Model Car Racing (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Star League Baseball (US Publisher: Gamestar; UK Publisher: Activision)
- Star Rank Boxing / Barry McGuigan World Championship Boxing (US Publisher: Gamestar; UK Publisher: Activision)
- Star Rank Boxing II (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: The Softworks Factory
- Take Down (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Alien Technology Group
- Top Fuel Eliminator (US Publisher: Activision)
DOS
- Championship Baseball (US/UK Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Synergistic Software
- Championship Golf: The Great Courses of the World - Volume One: Pebble Beach (US/UK Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developers: Jerry Shurman & Henry Perkins
- FaceOff! (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: MindSpan
- GBA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- GFL Championship Football (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: The Softworks Factory; Graphics: Waterman Design
- Motocross (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
- Pete Rose Pennant Fever (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Dynamix
- Star Rank Boxing II (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: The Softworks Factory
- Take Down (US Publisher: Gamestar)
- Developer: Alien Technology Group
