ACTION & EURODANCE: LOOKING BACK AT

The late-Eighties and early Nineties were a golden age for European home-computer development. One of the most unique studios in these days was a German company called Demonware. And this is its story

WORDS BY THOMAS NICKEL

» [Amiga] While the horizontal shooter Carcherodon: White Sharks is a little twitchy, it offers nice graphics and satisfying explosions.

» [Amiga] Exodus 3010 is a complex, menu-driven affair. In this screen, a pilot is thawed from cryo-sleep.

Compared to places like France or the United Kingdom, the German developer scene in the late-Eighties and early Nineties always felt a bit subdued. Apart from standouts like the Turrican series, many German studios specialised in simulations and generally more menu-driven, businesslike titles, leaving action and arcade games to their colleagues in other territories. Yet, there were exceptions – and one of these is a company called Demonware. Founded in the late-Eighties, this developer and publisher from the Frankfurt area set its eyes and focus on action games for the Commodore Amiga, but also the C64 and other home computers.

Demonware was started by Peter Uhlich and Alexander Koppisch, its first release in 1988 was a game called Evil-Garden. This Amiga shooter took some obvious cues from Dona Bailey’s and Ed Logg’s arcade-classic Centipede, but at the same time, doesn’t shy away from utilising the rich colour palette of the popular 16-bit home computer. In the same year, a 3D rail shooter in the vein of Sega’s Space Harrier called Mission Andromeda saw the light of day – both were released under the Demonware label. However,

Peter and Alexander were not too invested in their whole Demonware endeavour and soon after, Will Weber and Boris Kunkel joined the project. Boris and Will would prove to be the driving force of Demonware and with Peter and Alexander placing their focus elsewhere, the project was soon handed over to Boris and Will.