A book about the creators of classics like Xenon, Speedball and Chaos Engine, The Bitmap Brothers: Universe has appeared on Kickstarter...
NewsBritish publisher Read-Only Memory has created some stunning books over the past couple of years.
Sensible Software 1986-1999 charted the history of the studio behind such classic games as Wizball, Sensible Soccer, and Cannon Fodder. Lavishly illustrated and packed with information, it functioned both as a handsome coffee table book and a historical document.
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Workswas even more beautiful to look at, with its black, embossed hard covers mimicking the sleek design of the console it celebrated, while its glossy pages were devoted to everything from developer interviews to recreations of game cover artwork and design documents.
Read-Only Memory is now turning its attention to another industry great - the British software house, The Bitmap Brothers.
If you were around in the 80s and 90s, it's likely you played one of their games. Founded in 1987, they quickly made a name for themselves by creating some of the slickest 16-bit games of the era. Top-down shooter Xenon was notable for its cool metallic effects, while its sequel, Xenon 2: Megablastwas even better - released in 1989, it s graphics were startling for a computer game of the time, with huge area bosses and detailed backgrounds.
Their most celebrated games were surely Speedball(1988) and its 1990 sequel Brutal Deluxe - sci-fi sports games that are still fondly remembered today - you can even download a version for your phone. Then there were the likes of Cadaver, an isometric action adventure, top-down steampunk shooter The Chaos Engineand platform game Magic Pockets.
The Bitmap Brothers: Universewill chart the life and times of the developer and its games, and like Read-Only Memory's earlier books, it looks great - the hardback cover depicts one of the armoured players from Speedball, picked out in grey and blue, while inside there'll be a mix of previously unseen concept art and photographs, plus interviews with the key figures behind the studio.
The Bitmap Brothers: Universe recently went live on Kickstarter, and if you're quick, a pledge of $37 will get you one of 100 early bird copies of the book. Once they're gone, copies will be available for pledges of $45 each.
The Bitmap Brothers: Universe is due for release later this year. You can find out more about the campaign and its rewards over at Kickstarter. Given just how good Read-Only Memory's books were, this one's sure to be a great addition to any game geek's bookshelf.
