Virus - Information

David Braben's Virus started off as a demo written in basic for the new Acorn RISC-based computer, the Archimedes. The demo was called Lander which was the inspiration for the subsequent full commercial game called Zarch that was published by Superior Software in 1987.

The game was a 3D 'shoot 'em up' which required the player to control a small wedge-shaped fighter as it flew over an undulating patchwork landscape of fields, trees and the occaissional building. The player's nemesis was an enemy ship which was spreading a virus across the land, hence the title of the game.

There were a number of different enemy ships to destroy, and this required pin-point accuracy with your ship's bullets and rockets within the 3D environment. Although you could play the game with keys, most hardened game-players much preferred mouse control.

Virus was initially released in September 1988 for the ST and Amiga and it received excellent coverage in the specialist press. Very high reviews were common place in magazines such as Ace, Computer and Video Games and The Games Machine. The PC version was released soon afterwards, but the Spectrum version didn't appear until after the sale of Telecomsoft to Microprose had gone through.

The patchwork landscape look has inspired a number of games since then, but the delicate balance of thrusting over the landscape, spinning the ship around and shooting down the enemy with pin-point accuracy has never been bettered. The simple but elegant design and implementation puts Virus in a class of its own. However, the original Archimedes version (Zarch) did look a little prettier, with more subtle colours and better shadow effects.

Virus was project managed for Telecomsoft by Gary Sheinwald. David Braben wrote the Atari ST and Amiga versions. Chris Sawyer converted the game to the PC, and Steven Dunn wrote the Spectrum version.