Superman: The Man of Steel (1989 video game)
Encyclopedia
Superman: The Man of Steel is a 1989 computer game
, based on DC Comics
' flagship character Superman
. It was developed and published by UK software company Tynesoft
under license from First Star Software
.
The first level is a pseudo-3D forward scrolling flying level (similar to Space Harrier
) where Superman, en route from Metropolis
to S.T.A.R. Labs
, is attacked by Darkseid
's Para-Demons.
Part two is set on a ship where Lois Lane
is being held hostage by terrorists. This takes the form of a side scrolling fighting game with Superman fighting off terrorists to reach and free Lois.
The third part is an overhead view vertical scrolling section set in space where Superman must escort a Space Shuttle
, manned by Professor Gorwin, through an asteroid
and Kryptonite
field, to the S.T.A.R. Lab Satellite
.
The next section is another side-scrolling level. Set inside the satellite, Superman must battle the faulty Robot Defence System which has mistaken Superman for an enemy intruder.
The fifth part is set outside the satellite when another asteroid field approaches. Gameplay is identical to level three.
Part six is similar to parts three and five but rather than asteroids, Superman must fly to an enemy satellite which is disrupting the signals from the S.T.A.R. Lab Satellite. On the way, he must battle Darkseid
's Mini-Robots and a large boss robot.
Part seven is set outside the enemy satellite, now identified as belonging to Lex Luthor
. Superman uses telescopic sight to identify and attack weak spots while avoiding the satellite's defences.
The final part is set inside Lex's satellite. Similar to part four, Superman must battle defence robots in a side-scrolling level. The object of the game is to destroy the 'geo-disruptor' found at the end of the level.
and Spy vs. Spy for Acorn
platforms in the UK and were looking for other licenses. First Star held the home computer rights to Superman (which they had used for Superman: The Game
). Tynesoft developed an entirely new game on as many different computers as possible. Versions were released for most home computer platforms of the day including Atari ST
, Amiga
, PC
, Commodore 64
, ZX Spectrum
, Amstrad CPC
, MSX
, BBC Micro
and Acorn Electron
. A version for the Apple II
was also created for the US market. The game was published in the US by Capstone Software
.
praised the game's incorporation of the style of the comic book source but found gameplay to be frustrating, particularly having to play the sub games in sequence. It gave a score of 69% for the Amiga version and 66% for the Atari ST version. Amiga Computing
similarly praised the look of the game while also pointing out the "top notch" sound, awarding an overall score of 62%.
Reception of the 8-bit versions of the game was much more mixed. While still praising the presentation and graphics, Zzap!64
gave the C64 version an overall score of 39%, complaining of the lightweight nature of the sub games and the "tedious" multi-load
. This was a particular problem when loading from tape
as there was a lengthy load between each level and to start a new game, the tape would need to be rewound to the correct position for the first level. Crash
gave the Spectrum version 35% with praise only being given to the sound. Even the graphics in this version came in for criticism including the "matchstick figure" representing Superman in the sideways scrolling section. Electron User
was much more positive about the Acorn Electron version, giving an overall score of 8/10, but still criticised the multi-load and the frustrating gameplay.
Personal computer game
A PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer, rather than on a video game console or arcade machine...
, based on DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' flagship character Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. It was developed and published by UK software company Tynesoft
Tynesoft
Tynesoft Computer Software was a software developer and publisher in the 1980s and early 1990s.- History :The company was originally set up in 1983 to release educational software but soon moved into the video games market on which it concentrated for most of its time...
under license from First Star Software
First Star Software
First Star Software, Inc. is a computer game development, publishing and licensing company, founded by Richard Spitalny and Fernando Herrera in 1982. It is best known for its classic Boulder Dash franchise and Spy vs. Spy titles, originally written for 8-bit home computers like the Apple II, Atari...
.
Gameplay
The game is split into distinct levels including 3D flying, overhead vertical scrolling and side scrolling sections. The sections were so different that they are almost like different games. The number of sections depended on format (e.g. part seven is missing from some versions). Sections are linked by comic book graphics telling the story.The first level is a pseudo-3D forward scrolling flying level (similar to Space Harrier
Space Harrier
is a third-person rail shooter game, released by Sega in 1985. It was produced by Yu Suzuki, responsible for many popular Sega games. It spawned several sequels: Space Harrier 3-D , Space Harrier II , and the spin-off Planet Harriers ....
) where Superman, en route from Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
to S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
, is attacked by Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's Para-Demons.
Part two is set on a ship where Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
is being held hostage by terrorists. This takes the form of a side scrolling fighting game with Superman fighting off terrorists to reach and free Lois.
The third part is an overhead view vertical scrolling section set in space where Superman must escort a Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
, manned by Professor Gorwin, through an asteroid
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
and Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
field, to the S.T.A.R. Lab Satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
.
The next section is another side-scrolling level. Set inside the satellite, Superman must battle the faulty Robot Defence System which has mistaken Superman for an enemy intruder.
The fifth part is set outside the satellite when another asteroid field approaches. Gameplay is identical to level three.
Part six is similar to parts three and five but rather than asteroids, Superman must fly to an enemy satellite which is disrupting the signals from the S.T.A.R. Lab Satellite. On the way, he must battle Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
's Mini-Robots and a large boss robot.
Part seven is set outside the enemy satellite, now identified as belonging to Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
. Superman uses telescopic sight to identify and attack weak spots while avoiding the satellite's defences.
The final part is set inside Lex's satellite. Similar to part four, Superman must battle defence robots in a side-scrolling level. The object of the game is to destroy the 'geo-disruptor' found at the end of the level.
History and release
Tynesoft had ported and published First Star's Boulder DashBoulder Dash
Boulder Dash, originally released in 1984 for Atari 8-bit computers, is a series of computer games released for the Apple II, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and ColecoVision home computers, and later ported to the NES, BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, PC, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and many other platforms...
and Spy vs. Spy for Acorn
Acorn Computers
Acorn Computers Ltd. was a British computer company established in Cambridge, England, in 1978. The company produced a number of computers which were especially popular in the UK. These included the Acorn Electron, the BBC Micro, and the Acorn Archimedes...
platforms in the UK and were looking for other licenses. First Star held the home computer rights to Superman (which they had used for Superman: The Game
Superman: The Game
Superman: The Game is a 1985 game designed by Fernando Herrera and first published in the US by First Star Software for the Commodore 64. The title was ported to a number of other home computers in Europe.-Gameplay:...
). Tynesoft developed an entirely new game on as many different computers as possible. Versions were released for most home computer platforms of the day including Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
, Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
, MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
and Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
. A version for the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
was also created for the US market. The game was published in the US by Capstone Software
Capstone Software
Capstone Software was a subsidiary of IntraCorp, a Miami, Florida-based computer and video game company. Founded in 1984, Capstone created first-person games such as Corridor 7: Alien Invasion, William Shatner's TekWar and Witchaven, and is also known for releasing games based on movie/TV...
.
Critical reaction
The 16-bit versions generally received moderately favourable reviews. The OneThe One (magazine)
The One was a video game magazine in the United Kingdom which covered 16-bit home gaming during the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was first published by EMAP in October 1988 and initially covered computer games aimed at the Atari ST, Commodore Amiga, and IBM PC markets.Like many similar magazines,...
praised the game's incorporation of the style of the comic book source but found gameplay to be frustrating, particularly having to play the sub games in sequence. It gave a score of 69% for the Amiga version and 66% for the Atari ST version. Amiga Computing
Amiga Computing
Amiga Computing was a monthly computer magazine of a serious nature, published by Europress and IDG in both the UK and USA. A total of 117 issues came out. The games section was called Gamer, although later Amiga Action was incorporated into the magazine and became the games section.- External...
similarly praised the look of the game while also pointing out the "top notch" sound, awarding an overall score of 62%.
Reception of the 8-bit versions of the game was much more mixed. While still praising the presentation and graphics, Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
gave the C64 version an overall score of 39%, complaining of the lightweight nature of the sub games and the "tedious" multi-load
Multi-load
Multi-load is a term used to describe multi-part games that were developed for 8-bit computers, such as the ZX Spectrum, Atari and Commodore 64....
. This was a particular problem when loading from tape
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
as there was a lengthy load between each level and to start a new game, the tape would need to be rewound to the correct position for the first level. Crash
CRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
gave the Spectrum version 35% with praise only being given to the sound. Even the graphics in this version came in for criticism including the "matchstick figure" representing Superman in the sideways scrolling section. Electron User
Electron User
Electron User was a magazine targeted at owners of the Acorn Electron microcomputer. It was published by Database Publications of Stockport, starting in October 1983 and ending after 82 issues in July 1990....
was much more positive about the Acorn Electron version, giving an overall score of 8/10, but still criticised the multi-load and the frustrating gameplay.
External links
- Superman: The Man of Steel at Lemon64
- Superman: The Man of Steel at World of SpectrumWorld of SpectrumWorld of Spectrum is a website devoted to cataloging and archiving material for the ZX Spectrum home computer popular in the 1980s, and has been officially endorsed by Amstrad which holds the rights to the ZX Spectrum brand...