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German Computer Games

This is an alphabetical listing of technically advanced German computer games that were released in the late 1980s and early 1990s on Western home computer game machines. Only German computer games that were released in English-speaking countries are listed. In addition, only computer games that originated in Germany and that were designed and developed by German software houses are listed. For example, BC Kid on the Amiga is a brilliant coinop port by Factor 5 of Germany, but BC Kid is of Japanese origin; it is not a German game. Thus, BC Kid is not listed but German clones thereof would be, if such existed. Thus far, 29 genuinely German computer games have been covered by my commentary.

In the passages that follow "American" refers exclusively to the U.S.A. and "British" refers exclusively to the U.K.

In the late 80s and early 90s German computer games had a reputation for hitting custom chipsets hard. And while it was the Danes who made the first real Amiga games German software houses quickly got up to speed and developed some of the best C64 and ST/Amiga arcade-action games of the late 80s and early 90s.

In addition, German composers assembled some of the best music ever heard on the C64 or ST/Amiga. Indeed, early 90s German Amiga compositions stand as some of the best that could be heard on any platform, including coinops. To this day, they impress.

In the late 80s and early 90s many German software houses focused on raw gameplay while also being influenced by Japanese coinops, art and animation. While many German computer games were imitative of Japanese coinops and console games, a few of them superseded such and more than a few proved that C64 and Amiga games could in many respects match the flagship or mascot games of Japanese coinop and console manufacturers such as Sega, Nintendo, NEC and Irem.

German software house success in imitating Japanese counterparts constitutes the single biggest contribution made by the Germans to computer game history; it was a strong flex for the Germans -- especially since their budgets were shoe-string in comparison to Japanese budgets. If the efforts of a few young Germans can (technically) equal or exceed the efforts of Japanese juggernauts, that is a great achievement -- even if it stems from imitation.

Some of the best German coders and graphicians were heavily influenced by R-Type, Metroid and Mario/Sonic -- which was a double-edged sword in that, on the one hand, the fundamental qualities of German clones were all but guaranteed but, on the other, innovation was all but absent. Thus, too many of the most technically advanced German computer games are also some of the most formulaic, derivative and, dare I say it, disappointing -- yet the technical prowess underpinning them was unquestioned.

As it pertains to late 80s and early 90s computer game design, neither the Germans nor the French could contend with British and American innovation. For example, Continental Europeans did not formalize RTS, 4x TBS or the God Game. In addition, no Zarch, no Lemmings and no Doom came out of Germany or France. And we can go right down the line, game after game and genre after genre.

Indeed, in terms of innovation British and American software houses of the late 80s and early 90s left Continental European equivalents choking in thick dust. Conversely, as it pertains to the technical and the artistic, neither German nor French software houses can collectively claim to have outdone their British or American counterparts -- not even in genre in which the former excelled. For example, British action matched German action, American adventure matched French adventure, and British and American action-adventure matched German and French action-adventure.

And yet, British and American gamers were thankful to be able to play computer games of Continental European origin -- they were different and interesting games.

Some German software houses were loyal to the C64 and the Amiga to the very end, which was admirable. For example, a few German Amiga grandmasters continued to push the technical limits of the A500 of 1987 long after its successors were done and dusted by the IBM PC and Japanese consoles from Sega, Nintendo and Sony.

Custom chips, son. Custom chips. Jay Miner, son. Jay Miner.

The most famous German software house of the late 80s and early 90s was Rainbow Arts / Factor 5.

The most famous German game composer of the late 80s and early 90s was Chris Hülsbeck, the most famous German coder was Manfred Trenz and the most famous German graphicians were Andreas Escher and Manfred Trenz.

Apidya Amiga Kaiko AUDIOS 1991: