It’s equally likely, though, that you’ll remember Sensible Software for the string of games that really made their name in the early 90s: Mega Lo Mania, Sensible Soccer and Cannon Fodder. Although very different in terms of gameplay, each game was united by their pace and addictive qualities, their slick programming and presentation, trademark tiny sprites and, again, a sly and sometimes dark sense of humour. Simply glancing at the cover provides an instant rush of half-forgotten memories: countless hours with friends in front of Sensible Soccer, with games ending in laughter and ridiculously high lines. The often nail-biting tension of the top-down shooter-strategy hybrid Cannon Fodder, where one misplaced hand grenade could end a game in an instant. Flicking through the book uncorks yet more nostalgia, and even a few surprises. Your humble writer was entirely unaware, for example, that Sensible Software created the into-the-screen shooter Twister, Mother Of Charlotte on behalf of System 3. A game whose surreal imagery gave me nightmares as a 10-year-old, the sudden appearance of Twister screenshots in the middle of the book still made me shudder even 25 years after I last played the game. That first half is positively stuffed with entertaining interviews, which paint a portrait of the development scene of the 80s and 90s. Sensi founder Jon Hare talks vividly about he and friend Chris Yates began making games as teenagers, how they scored a great publishing deal with Ocean Software almost right away, and their subsequent rise to prominence in the 90s. There are also interviews with other people who worked with the pair throughout their partnership, such as Ocean’s software manager Gary Bracey, chiptune composing master Martin Galway, and even a brief contribution from Games Master presenter Dominik Diamond. Penn peppers these interviews with amusing and informative interjections, and thanks to his evident rapport with Hare and everyone else he talks to, the book has a relaxed, effusive atmosphere – entirely in keeping with the output of the studio in question. Candid, honest and insightful, Sensible Software 1986-1999 captures not only a snapshot of a studio’s rise and decline (Sensi was sold to Codemasters at the end of the 90s), but also an entire UK gaming landscape at a time of extraordinary innovation. That things like Mega Lo Mania, Cannon Fodder and Sensible Soccer – games played by tens of thousands of grateful players – were produced by relatively tiny groups of programmers makes their achievements all the more remarkable. A volume as entertaining to read as it is well designed, Sensible Software is a rare kind of videogame-related publication: a book rich with substance as well as style. Sensible Software 1986 – 1999 is available now from Read-Only Memory. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
