Fantasy Software
{{short description|Software company}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Fantasy Software
| logo = Fantasy Software Logo.png
| type = Video game developer and publisher
| fate =
| predecessor = Quest Microsoftware
| successor = n/a
| foundation = 1983
| defunct = 1985
| location = Falconberg Lodge, 27A St. Georges Road, Cheltenham, Glos, GL50 3DT, EnglandEarly Fantasy adverts contained a typo with the address as "Fauconberg Lodge" instead of "Falconberg Lodge".{{cite web|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1475&page=136|title=Fantasy - the battle could be yours... (C&VG advert - typo address)|date=October 1983|publisher=EMAP|page=136|access-date=6 May 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=969&page=29|title=Fantasy - the battle could be yours... (Crash advert - correct address)|date=March 1984|work=Crash|publisher=Newsfield Publications Ltd|page=29|access-date=6 May 2025}}
| industry =
| products =
| key_people = Paul Dyer, Bob Hamilton, Darren Hamilton, Ian Hamilton
| num_employees =
| parent =
| subsid =
}}
Fantasy Software, which started out as Quest Microsoftware, was one of the smaller software companies which produced games for home computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum during the early 1980s. The company was founded in early 1983 by Bob Hamilton and Paul Dyer.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/crash-magazine-02/page/n25/mode/2up|title=Crash Magazine Issue 02|date=March 1984}} It had a number of reasonable successes in the early days of the computer boom but never became one of the major software production houses. Most of its releases were written by Bob Hamilton.
Released games
- The Black Hole (1983) (as Quest){{Cite web|url=https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/software/games/the-black-hole-quest-microsoftware|title = World of Spectrum - the Black Hole}}
- Violent Universe (1983) (as Quest){{Cite web|url=https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/software/games/violent-universe-quest-microsoftware|title=World of Spectrum - Violent Universe}}
- The Pyramid (1983) — reviewed in Crash issue 2: 83%{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/crash-magazine-02/page/n25/mode/2up|title=The Pyramid & Doomsday Castle review|date=March 1984|work=Crash 02|publisher=Newsfield Publications Ltd|page=26|access-date=29 April 2025}}
- Doomsday Castle (1983) — reviewed in Crash issue 2: 87%
- Beaky and the Egg Snatchers (1984) — reviewed in Crash issue 7: 75%
- Backpackers Guide to the Universe (1984) — reviewed in Crash issue 12: 83%{{Cite web|url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxsr.php?id=376|title = Backpackers Guide to the Universe at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware}}
- The Drive-In (1984) — reviewed in Crash issue 13: 70%
The Pyramid, Doomsday Castle and Backpackers Guide to the Universe all featured the character "Ziggy" and can be considered sequels to each other. Backpackers Guide to the Universe was intended to be the first part of a trilogy, and originally billed as Backpackers Guide to the Universe Part 1 but Fantasy went bankrupt before subsequent titles could be written.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Crash_Magazine_010/page/68/mode/2up|title=Backpackers Guide to the Universe Part 1|date=November 1984|work=Crash 10|publisher=Newsfield Publications Ltd|page=69|access-date=29 April 2025}}
Backpackers Guide to the Universe was heavily influenced by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, making reference to Foord Perfect and Arthur Dont as well as the number 42. The distributed cassette includes the game itself on side 1, and the eponymous "Backpackers Guide to the Universe" on side 2, which contains useful tips on collecting - and keeping alive - all the creatures in Ziggy's quest.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/Crash_Magazine_009/page/26/mode/2up|title=The Backpackers Guide to the Universe - the return of Ziggy|date=October 1984|work=Crash 09|publisher=Newsfield Publications Ltd|pages=26–29|access-date=29 April 2025}}
History
- In issue 19 of Crash magazine, they stated that a number of companies owed advertising fees including Fantasy Software, with a debt of £4,190.[http://www.crashonline.org.uk/19/news.htm] Crash issue 19, page 19
Notes
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