Vortex Software
Encyclopedia
Vortex Software was a video game developer
founded by Costa Panayi
and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81
. They converted the game to the ZX Spectrum
, but due to the low sales of the ZX81 version they licensed the game to Abbex.
Luke Andrews, Costa's brother-in-law, and Crete Panayi, Costa's brother, became involved to handle the business affairs and advertising respectively. The company was based at 280 Brooklands Road, Manchester
, M23 9HD.
In the summer of 1984, Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
was offered a position and ported several of the games to the Amstrad CPC
in addition to writing Alien Highway
for the ZX Spectrum.
Chris Wood and David Aubrey-Jones were also associated with Vortex as outside contractors.
The company produced several notable games for the 8-bit
home computers of the period. Deflektor
was also ported to the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST
.
After the production of Hostile All Terrain Encounter in 1988, Costa spent the next two years deciding where he wanted to go. In 1990 Vortex was reborn with Costa, Mark and Luke and the intention to develop a game for the Amiga and Atari ST. They developed a much enhanced version of Highway Encounter in just three months, but unfortunately they never managed to find a software publisher
for the game, so it remained unpublished.
Several games achieved critical success; Tornado Low Level
and Highway Encounter
appearing in the Your Sinclair official top 100, for example.
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
founded by Costa Panayi
Costa Panayi
Costa Panayi was a computer game programmer during the 1980s. He founded Vortex Software with Paul Canter, publishing games for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC....
and Paul Canter in the early 1980s to sell the game Cosmos which Panayi had developed for the Sinclair ZX81
Sinclair ZX81
The ZX81 was a home computer produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Scotland by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and was designed to be a low-cost introduction to home computing for the general public...
. They converted the game to the 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...
, but due to the low sales of the ZX81 version they licensed the game to Abbex.
Luke Andrews, Costa's brother-in-law, and Crete Panayi, Costa's brother, became involved to handle the business affairs and advertising respectively. The company was based at 280 Brooklands Road, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, M23 9HD.
In the summer of 1984, Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
Mark Haigh-Hutchinson was an English video game developer. He is most notable for working on Paperboy, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Star Wars and the Metroid Prime games.-Biography:...
was offered a position and ported several of the games to the 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,...
in addition to writing Alien Highway
Alien Highway
Alien Highway: Encounter 2 is an isometric 3D arcade adventure game released by Vortex in for the Sinclair Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. It was programmed by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson and is the sequel to Highway Encounter.- Gameplay :...
for the ZX Spectrum.
Chris Wood and David Aubrey-Jones were also associated with Vortex as outside contractors.
The company produced several notable games for the 8-bit
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
home computers of the period. Deflektor
Deflektor
Deflektor is a puzzle game developed by Vortex Software and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1987. In this game, the player has to rotate mirrors to deflect a beam in order to destroy all the mines of each level. There are also other devices the player has to be careful not to touch with the beam...
was also ported to the Commodore Amiga and 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...
.
After the production of Hostile All Terrain Encounter in 1988, Costa spent the next two years deciding where he wanted to go. In 1990 Vortex was reborn with Costa, Mark and Luke and the intention to develop a game for the Amiga and Atari ST. They developed a much enhanced version of Highway Encounter in just three months, but unfortunately they never managed to find a software publisher
Software publisher
A software publisher is a publishing company in the software industry between the developer and the distributor. In some companies, two or all three of these roles may be combined ....
for the game, so it remained unpublished.
Several games achieved critical success; Tornado Low Level
Tornado Low Level
Tornado Low Level is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers, and released by Vortex Software in 1984. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter, Cyclone and Revolution.-Summary:The player controls a Tornado fighter jet and must...
and Highway Encounter
Highway Encounter
Highway Encounter is a computer game released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Commodore 64 by Vortex Software in 1985...
appearing in the Your Sinclair official top 100, for example.
ZX 81
- ZX81 Othello (19811981 in video gaming-Events:* November -** The British video game magazine Computer and Video Games starts.** Game & Watch - released in Sweden.* Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel found Electronic Games, the first magazine on video games and generally recognized as the beginning of video game journalism.-Notable releases:*...
) - Word Mastermind (19811981 in video gaming-Events:* November -** The British video game magazine Computer and Video Games starts.** Game & Watch - released in Sweden.* Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel found Electronic Games, the first magazine on video games and generally recognized as the beginning of video game journalism.-Notable releases:*...
) - Pontoon (19811981 in video gaming-Events:* November -** The British video game magazine Computer and Video Games starts.** Game & Watch - released in Sweden.* Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel found Electronic Games, the first magazine on video games and generally recognized as the beginning of video game journalism.-Notable releases:*...
) - Crash (19811981 in video gaming-Events:* November -** The British video game magazine Computer and Video Games starts.** Game & Watch - released in Sweden.* Arnie Katz and Bill Kunkel found Electronic Games, the first magazine on video games and generally recognized as the beginning of video game journalism.-Notable releases:*...
) - Cosmos (1983)
- Astral Convoy (1983)
- Serpent's Tomb (1983)
ZX Spectrum
- Cosmos (19821982 in video gaming-Events:* December 27 - Starcade, a video game television game show, debuts on TBS in the United States.-Notable releases:*October 13 - Mystique releases the Custer's Revenge adult video game for the Atari 2600 home console....
), Abbex Electronics - Astral Convoy (19821982 in video gaming-Events:* December 27 - Starcade, a video game television game show, debuts on TBS in the United States.-Notable releases:*October 13 - Mystique releases the Custer's Revenge adult video game for the Atari 2600 home console....
), Vortex Software - Gun LawGun lawA gun law is a law that pertains to firearms. Restrictions on gun ownership and use vary greatly both by country and the type of firearm used....
(1983) - Android 1: The Reactor Run (19831983 in video gaming-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
), Vortex Software - Android 2Android 2Android 2 is a shoot 'em up maze video game written by Costa Panayi and published by Vortex Software in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum and in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC.It is the sequel to Android 1: The Reactor Run, released earlier in 1983.-Gameplay:...
(19831983 in video gaming-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
), Vortex Software - Tornado Low LevelTornado Low LevelTornado Low Level is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers, and released by Vortex Software in 1984. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter, Cyclone and Revolution.-Summary:The player controls a Tornado fighter jet and must...
(19841984 in video gaming-Notable releases:* May 10, King's Quest , the first animated adventure game, the first in the King's Quest series, and the first to use the AGI engine.* June 4, Nintendo releases Donkey Kong 3...
), Vortex Software - CycloneCyclone (computer game)Cyclone is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K computer, released by Vortex Software in 1985. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Tornado Low Level, Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter and Revolution.-Summary:...
(19851985 in video gaming-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
), Vortex Software - Highway EncounterHighway EncounterHighway Encounter is a computer game released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Commodore 64 by Vortex Software in 1985...
(19851985 in video gaming-Notable releases:* Brøderbund releases Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, the first game of the prolific Carmen Sandiego series* Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. on September 13, 1985, which eventually sells 40 million copies making it the best-selling video game of all time until 2008.*...
), Vortex Software - Alien HighwayAlien HighwayAlien Highway: Encounter 2 is an isometric 3D arcade adventure game released by Vortex in for the Sinclair Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. It was programmed by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson and is the sequel to Highway Encounter.- Gameplay :...
(19861986 in video gaming-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
), Vortex Software - Revolution (19861986 in video gaming-Events:-Notable releases:*Namco releases Sky Kid Deluxe, Hopping Mappy, Toy Pop, The Return of Ishtar, which is the sequel to Tower of Druaga, Genpei Tōma Den, and Rolling Thunder....
), U.S. GoldU.S. GoldU.S. Gold was a British video game publisher and developer from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, producing numerous titles on a variety of 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit platforms.-History:... - DeflektorDeflektorDeflektor is a puzzle game developed by Vortex Software and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1987. In this game, the player has to rotate mirrors to deflect a beam in order to destroy all the mines of each level. There are also other devices the player has to be careful not to touch with the beam...
(19871987 in video gaming-Notable releases:* January 14, Nintendo releases Zelda II: The Adventure of Link in January for the Famicom Disk System in Japan only. The game would go unreleased in America for nearly two years afterwards.* February 20, Konami releases Contra...
), Gremlin Graphics - Hostile All Terrain Encounter (H.A.T.E.)Hostile All Terrain Encounter (H.A.T.E.)Hostile All Terrain Encounter is an isometric scrolling shoot 'em up similar to Sega's Zaxxon, developed by Vortex Software and released in 1989 for Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and Atari ST....
(19891989 in video gaming-Notable releases:* October 3, Brøderbund releases the Prince of Persia game, the first in a series of games, noted for its advancements in animation....
), Gremlin Graphics
Amstrad CPC
- Android 1: The Reactor Run (1985)
- Android 2Android 2Android 2 is a shoot 'em up maze video game written by Costa Panayi and published by Vortex Software in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum and in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC.It is the sequel to Android 1: The Reactor Run, released earlier in 1983.-Gameplay:...
(1985) - Highway EncounterHighway EncounterHighway Encounter is a computer game released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Commodore 64 by Vortex Software in 1985...
(1985) - Tornado Low Level (T.L.L.)Tornado Low LevelTornado Low Level is a game for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC computers, and released by Vortex Software in 1984. It was written by Costa Panayi who also coded Android, Android 2, Highway Encounter, Cyclone and Revolution.-Summary:The player controls a Tornado fighter jet and must...
(1986) - Alien HighwayAlien HighwayAlien Highway: Encounter 2 is an isometric 3D arcade adventure game released by Vortex in for the Sinclair Spectrum and Amstrad CPC. It was programmed by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson and is the sequel to Highway Encounter.- Gameplay :...
(1986) - Revolution (1986, published by U.S. Gold)
- DeflektorDeflektorDeflektor is a puzzle game developed by Vortex Software and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1987. In this game, the player has to rotate mirrors to deflect a beam in order to destroy all the mines of each level. There are also other devices the player has to be careful not to touch with the beam...
(1987, published by Gremlin Graphics) - Hostile All Terrain Encounter (H.A.T.E.)Hostile All Terrain Encounter (H.A.T.E.)Hostile All Terrain Encounter is an isometric scrolling shoot 'em up similar to Sega's Zaxxon, developed by Vortex Software and released in 1989 for Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and Atari ST....
(1988, published by Gremlin 1990, unfinished)
Commodore C64
- Highway EncounterHighway EncounterHighway Encounter is a computer game released on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K, Amstrad CPC, MSX, and Commodore 64 by Vortex Software in 1985...
(Pedigree Software, 1986, published by Gremlin Graphics) - DeflektorDeflektorDeflektor is a puzzle game developed by Vortex Software and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1987. In this game, the player has to rotate mirrors to deflect a beam in order to destroy all the mines of each level. There are also other devices the player has to be careful not to touch with the beam...
(Gremlin Graphics, 1987, published by Gremlin Graphics) - Hostile All Terrain Encounter (H.A.T.E.)Hostile All Terrain Encounter (H.A.T.E.)Hostile All Terrain Encounter is an isometric scrolling shoot 'em up similar to Sega's Zaxxon, developed by Vortex Software and released in 1989 for Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and Atari ST....
(Gremlin Graphics, 1987, published by Gremlin Graphics)
External links
- History of Vortex Software by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson
- Costa Panayi 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...