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Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story

Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
85%Game Brain Score
humor, emotional
story, gameplay
92% User Score Based on 118 reviews
Critic Score 78%Based on 12 reviews

Platforms

NSNintendo SwitchPCPCP4Playstation 4P5Playstation 5WinWindowsXOXbox OneXSXXbox Series X|SPlaPlayStationXboxXbox
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About

"Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story" is an interactive documentary that explores the history of eccentric game developer Jeff Minter, known for his psychedelic and animal-themed shooters. The game features 42 playable classics from Minter's career, spanning 8 different platforms, as well as design documents and video features. It offers a unique look into the life and work of a true independent game design pioneer.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story screenshot
+5

92%
Audience ScoreBased on 130 reviews
humor4 positive mentions
graphics3 negative mentions
  • Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is a beautifully crafted interactive documentary that provides a comprehensive look into Jeff Minter's life and career, featuring a wealth of historical material, interviews, and playable games.
  • The collection includes over 40 playable Llamasoft games, showcasing Minter's unique design style and evolution as a developer, making it a nostalgic experience for fans and an informative one for newcomers.
  • Digital Eclipse has done an excellent job with the presentation, offering a slick timeline UI, high-quality emulation, and engaging documentary clips that enhance the overall experience.
  • The collection lacks significant content from Minter's later career, leaving out notable games and giving a somewhat incomplete picture of his contributions to the industry.
  • Some of the games included are poorly emulated, particularly the Atari ST titles, which are inferior ports that do not do justice to the originals.
  • While the documentary is interesting, it sometimes feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative that fully explains Minter's significance in gaming history.
  • story
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story" provides an engaging and comprehensive look into the life and career of Jeff Minter, blending elements of an interactive documentary with a timeline of his games. While many players found themselves invested and inspired by Minter's journey, some noted inconsistencies in storytelling that led to moments of surprise and disappointment. Overall, it serves as a well-crafted tribute to a significant figure in the gaming industry, though it may not fully meet all expectations.

    • “Llamasoft: the Jeff Minter story is a great way to experience the mind of Jeff Minter and his work.”
    • “Beautifully put together with a wealth of painstakingly researched historical material, candid looks at Jeff's storied life from Jeff himself, and just about all of the games that heralded his rise to prominence in the games industry packed in for kicks, Llamasoft: the Jeff Minter story is a masterclass in how you find out about one of the charismatic and genuinely talented legends of the games industry - and you'll have a great time doing it.”
    • “The second of the Gold Master series from Digital Eclipse that are less retro game collection and more digital museum exhibit, Llamasoft: the Jeff Minter story invites you into a comprehensive overview of the first twenty years of Jeff Minter's career and encourages you to treat it as indeed the exhibit of an artist.”
    • “As the story progressed though, I found myself surprised and disappointed.”
    • “The latest, though not greatest from Digital Eclipse (due to some lapses in storytelling), Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, still offers a good experience.”
    • “My experience with the Jeff Minter story followed something of an upside down bell curve.”
  • gameplay
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in Jeff Minter's titles is characterized by a focus on unique mechanics that often draw inspiration from well-known games, though they may not always succeed in enhancing the experience. His works, such as "Space Giraffe" and "Tempest 4000," showcase a progression in technical skill and personal style, appealing to players who appreciate mechanically rich and esoteric designs. While Minter's approach may not resonate with everyone, those willing to invest time will find rewarding gameplay experiences.

    • “If you're into games that are mechanics-focused, Jeff Minter is a name you need to know if you don't already.”
    • “Minter's design style and ideas aren't for everyone, and some of his most esoteric titles are included here, but they're very mechanically rewarding for those willing to put in the time.”
    • “Go and buy Space Giraffe and Tempest 4000, which may look similar but in true Minter style have quite different gameplay mechanisms.”
    • “Nearly everything is derivative of better known games, and while he usually puts a twist on the gameplay, it is always to the game's detriment.”
    • “A narrative starts to emerge of a pioneer game designer who started out imitating the trigger-happy gameplay of every arcade machine, and then perhaps shifted in a different direction of trippy, quietly satirical non-violence.”
    • “Just like any other artist exhibit, you slowly see Jeff grow in technical proficiency and develop his personal style and motifs - whether that's visual elements like the light synthesizer or gameplay mechanics like the assist droid.”
  • graphics
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are noted for their weird and trippy visuals, with a standout feature being the reimagined Gridrunner remastered, which allows players to switch between updated and classic C64 graphics seamlessly. The game runs smoothly on modest hardware, showcasing excellent emulation and a visually appealing user interface that enhances the overall experience. This combination of nostalgic and modern aesthetics caters well to fans of retro gaming.

    • “But you also get the reimagined Gridrunner Remastered, which is the C64 version with updated graphics, and you can switch between graphics on the fly.”
    • “[A comprehensive dive into the mind of an industry legend, great mix of text, videos, image galleries, and playable games, slick timeline UI with clear visuals and easy-to-read text, excellent emulation, some rare and lost classics that are unplayable elsewhere.]”
    • “But you also get the reimagined Gridrunner remastered, which is (I think?) the C64 version with updated graphics, and you can switch between graphics on the fly.”
    • “A golden ticket into learning about how a company rose from making unlicensed ports into making entire full-on games with weird and trippy visuals (music, too).”
    • “For a certain demographic of gamers, it could be a nostalgic-filled romp.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Hover Bovver" is described as both weird and hilarious, showcasing a unique comedic style that resonates with players. Reviewers appreciate the creator Jeff's passion and ambition, which adds depth to the game's quirky humor, even if they find some of his other projects more intriguing.

    • “Hover Bovver is weird and hilarious.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    While "Atari 50" is praised for its comprehensive exploration of video game history, many users report a lack of emotional connection to the featured games, suggesting that the nostalgic value may not resonate deeply with all players.

    • “That is a wholesome journey through video game history of Jeff Minter.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the high replayability of the game, citing the enjoyable mini-games and engaging live-action interviews that provide insight into the development process. This combination of entertaining content encourages multiple playthroughs.

  • music
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is noted for its unique and trippy qualities, complementing the bizarre visuals and enhancing the overall experience. It reflects the evolution of the company from creating unlicensed ports to developing fully realized games.

    • “A golden ticket into learning about how a company rose from making unlicensed ports into making entire full-on games with weird and trippy visuals, including the music.”

78%Critics’ scoreBased on 12 critic reviews

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