Level 9 Computing: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:46, 31 May 2022

Revision as of 03:00, 4 August 2022

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'''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|Atari]], [[Camputers Lynx|Lynx 48k]], [[RML 380Z]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[MSX]], [[Amiga]], [[Apple II]], [[Memotech MTX]], and [[Enterprise 128|Enterprise]] platforms<ref>https://www.mocagh.org/rainbird/level9-history.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=May 2022}}</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|Page 6 Magazine]] | date=July 1988 | issue=34 | pages=12–18 }}</ref> The first game, also for the Nascom, was called ''Fantasy'' and was similar to ''[[Valhalla (computer 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, 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==

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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008083858/http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/038/htsquad.htm "On the level"] by Chris Bourne

*[http://www.triumphoverchallenges.com/working-at-mandarin-software/ History of Time and Magik and Lancelot at Mandarin Software]

* [https://archive.org/stream/Page_6_Issue_34_1988-07_ABACUS_GB#page/n11/mode/2up Level 9 - Masters of Adventure] (In-depth 1988 interview of Pete and Mike Austin) from ''[[Page 6|Page 6]]'' magazine]]

{{Level 9}}