Level 9 Computing: Difference between revisions

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{{shortShort description|Video game developer and publisher}}

{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}

{{short description|Video game developer and publisher}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Level 9 Computing

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| location_country = United Kingdom

}}

[[File:Return to Eden cover (original release).jpg|thumb|right|This version of [[Return to Eden (game)|Return to Eden]] illustrates the general cover design used for most of Level 9's self-published releases. The "L9" logo is used as a background motif.]]

'''Level 9''' was a British developer of computer software, active between 1981 and 1991. Founded by Mike, Nicholas and Pete Austin, the company produced software for the [[BBC Micro]], [[Nascom]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Oric Atmos|Oric]], [[Atari 8-bit family|Ataricomputers]], [[Camputers Lynx|Lynx 48k]], [[Research Machines 380Z|RML 380Z]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[MSX]], [[Amiga]], [[Apple II series|Apple II]], [[Memotech MTX]], and [[Enterprise (computer)|Enterprise]] platforms<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mocagh.org/rainbird/level9-history.pdf|title=Level {{Bare9 URLComputing PDFHistory|website=mocagh.org|access-date=May27 2022November 2023}}</ref> and is best known for its successful [[interactive fiction|text adventure games]] until a general decline in the text adventure market forced their closure in June 1991.

Level 9's first release was an extension to Nascom [[BASIC]] called ''Extension Basic''.<ref name=plan6_34>{{cite journal | url=https://archive.org/stream/Page_6_Issue_34_1988-07_ABACUS_GB#page/n11/mode/2up | title=Level 9 - Masters of Adventure (and nice people too!) | journal=[[Page 6]] | date=July 1988 | issue=34 | pages=12–18 }}</ref> The first game, also for the Nascom, was called ''Fantasy'' and was similar to ''[[Valhalla (computervideo game)|Valhalla]]'', but with no graphics.<ref name=SUser>{{Cite journal |title=On the level|newspaper=[[Sinclair User]]|date=May 1985|issue=38|pages=60|url=https://archive.org/stream/sinclair-user-magazine-038/SinclairUser_038_May_1985#page/n59/mode/2up}}</ref> Other products from that era were ''Missile Defence'', ''Bomber'' and ''Space Invasion'' — all for the Nascom.<ref>{{ cite journal | url=https://mocagh.org/redherring/redherring7.pdf | title= Level 9 - Past Masters of the Adventure Game | journal=Red Herring |date= Oct 1992 | pages=41–50 }}</ref> The tapes were duplicated and sent out by mail order by the brothers based on orders generated by the [[Classified advertising|classified advertisements]] they ran in the ''[[Computing Today]]'' magazine. They were originally based in [[High Wycombe]], [[Buckinghamshire|Bucks]]<ref name=pcg04/> before moving to the [[West Country]].<ref name=cvg43>{{ citation | url=https://archive.org/stream/Computer_Video_Games_Issue_043_1985-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB/Computer__Video_Games_Issue_043_1985-05_EMAP_Publishing_GB#page/n105/mode/2up | journal=[[C+VG]] | title = Level 9 On the Move | date=May 1985 | issue=43 | pages=106 | publisher=[[Future Publishing]] }}</ref>

==A-code==

Level 9 devised their own [[Interpreted language|interpretationinterpreted language]], A-code, around 1979. It was very memory efficient, mainly due to the advanced text [[lossless data compression|compression]] routines which could compress texts to about 50%.<ref name=nowgamer>{{cite web | url=http://www.nowgamer.com/company-profile-level-9/ | title=Company Profile: Level 9 | date=2008-12-16 | accessdate=2015-06-08 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195140/http://www.nowgamer.com/company-profile-level-9/ | archivedate=2016-03-04 }}</ref> The game data, which was identical for all platforms, was incorporated into the executable file for specific machines, together with the interpreter part. A-code underwent a few revisions: there are three distinct versions in all, plus several extensions which form new A-code versions of their own.

(Level 9 A-code should not be confused with the A-code language developed by Dave Platt in 1979 for the purpose of writing the highly popular [[Colossal Cave Adventure#Later versions|550 points extension]] of the original Adventure game.)

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''Snowball'' was the first adventure in the ''[[Silicon Dreams]]'' trilogy, followed by ''[[Return to Eden]]'' and ''[[The Worm in Paradise]]''.<ref name="An Interview with Pete Austin"/> ''Red Moon'' and its sequel ''[[The Price of Magik]]'' were bundled together with ''[[Lords of Time]]'' by [[Mandarin Software]] to create yet another trilogy: ''[[Time and Magik]]''.

"''[[Lancelot" (video game)|Lancelot]]'' was published by [[Mandarin Software]], a division of [[Europress Software]] in 1988. The first person to solve the puzzle in the game won a replica of the Holy Grail, made of solid silver, encrusted with semi-precious stones (amethysts, garnets and opals), with the inside plated in 22-carat gold.

==List of software==

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* ''Compass for the Lynx'' (198x)

==List of arcadeaction games==

* ''Fantasy'' (198x)

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* ''[[Red Moon (video game)|Red Moon]]'' (1985)

* ''[[The Worm in Paradise]]'' (1985)

* ''[[Adrian Mole#Other media|The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾]]'' (for [[Mosaic Publishing]], 1985)

* ''[[The Archers (video game)|The Archers]]'' (for Mosaic, 1985)

* ''[[Erik the Viking (video game)|The Saga of Erik the Viking]]'' (for Mosaic, 1985)<ref name="An Interview with Pete Austin"/>

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== External links ==

* [http://www.if-legends.org/~l9memorial/html/home.html Level 9 Memorial]

* {{curlie|Games/Video_Games/Developers_and_Publishers/L/Level_9}}

* [http://mirror.ifarchive.org/if-archive/level9/info/Level9_Facts.txt Level 9 Fact Sheet]

* [http://www.sinclairlair.co.uk/level9.htm Level 9 - Past Masters of the adventure game] by Richard Hewison