Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story

90%
Game Brain Score Based on 50 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Game Cover
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
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"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.

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Reviews

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 50 reviews
graphics2 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game offers a fascinating and comprehensive look at Jeff Minter's career and the history of Llamasoft, making it a must-have for fans of retro gaming and aspiring developers.
  • The collection includes over 40 playable games across various platforms, showcasing Minter's unique and trippy game design style, with excellent emulation and presentation.
  • The interactive documentary format is engaging and informative, featuring interviews, historical context, and a wealth of archival material that enriches the gaming experience.
  • Many of the games included are poorly emulated, with some being inferior ports that do not do justice to the original versions, leading to disappointment among fans.
  • The collection lacks several notable games from Minter's later career, leaving it feeling incomplete and not fully representative of his contributions to gaming.
  • The price point is considered steep by some, especially given that many of the games are available for free on emulators, making it hard to justify the cost.
  • story8 mentions

    The story aspect of "Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story" is presented as an interactive documentary that chronicles Jeff Minter's creative journey and the evolution of his games over two decades. While some players found the narrative engaging and inspiring, others experienced a mix of surprise and disappointment as the story unfolded. Overall, it serves as a digital museum exhibit that invites players to appreciate Minter's artistic contributions to the gaming world.

    • “By the end, I was invested in Jeff's story and felt inspired by it.”
    • “In addition to the games, you will have a 'story mode', which is like an interactive documentary about Jeff Minter's creative mind.”
    • “My experience with the Jeff Minter story followed something of an upside down bell curve.”
    • “As the story progressed though, I found myself surprised and disappointed.”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay6 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a blend of derivative mechanics from well-known games, often with unique twists that may not enhance the experience. Players can observe the evolution of the designer's style, moving from traditional arcade influences to more innovative and non-violent gameplay elements. Overall, the gameplay reflects a journey of technical growth and artistic expression.

    • “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.”
  • graphics3 mentions

    The graphics in the game feature a reimagined version of the classic Gridrunner, allowing players to switch between the original C64 graphics and updated visuals seamlessly. The game runs smoothly on modest hardware, indicating good optimization.

    • “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.”
    • “Ran fine on i5-6500 with a basic service GT1030 (2GB DDR5) graphics card, no problem.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in "Hover Bovver" is described as both weird and hilarious, with a notable appreciation for the creator Jeff's passion and ambition in his visualizer programs, which adds an intriguing layer to the overall comedic experience of the game.

    • “Hover Bovver is weird and hilarious.”
    • “The funny thing is, I felt Jeff's visualizer programs were more of an interesting topic when it came to his games because even if I wasn't totally into them, Jeff had a clear passion for them as well as an ambition that was ahead of his time.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    While "Atari 50" offers a nostalgic exploration of video game history, some users feel it lacks a strong emotional connection to the featured games, making the experience more informative than heartfelt.

    • “That is a wholesome journey through video game history of Jeff Minter.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players appreciate the replayability of the game, highlighting the enjoyable mini-games and the engaging live-action interviews that provide valuable insights into the development process, making each playthrough feel fresh and rewarding.

    • “The variety of choices and paths in the game makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
    • “I keep coming back to this game because there are so many different strategies to explore.”
    • “The random events and dynamic world ensure that no two playthroughs are ever the same.”
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Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

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