Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story
- March 13, 2024
- Digital Eclipse
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
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Get on Xbox Games Store"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.
Reviews
- The collection offers a fascinating and comprehensive look into Jeff Minter's career, showcasing his unique contributions to the gaming industry.
- It includes over 40 playable games across various platforms, allowing players to experience a wide range of Minter's work with excellent emulation.
- The interactive documentary format is engaging, providing historical context and personal insights into Minter's creative process, making it a valuable resource for fans and newcomers alike.
- Many of the games included are poorly emulated, particularly the advertised Atari ST titles, which are actually inferior Jaguar ports.
- The collection lacks several notable games from Minter's later career, leaving it feeling incomplete and disappointing for long-time fans.
- The price point is considered steep by some, especially given that many of the games are available for free on emulators, leading to concerns about the overall value of the package.
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story in "Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story" is presented as an interactive documentary that chronicles the first twenty years of Jeff Minter's career, blending personal insights with a timeline of his games. While some users found the narrative engaging, others expressed disappointment as it progressed, suggesting a mixed reception to its storytelling approach. Overall, it serves as a digital museum exhibit that invites players to explore Minter's creative journey.
“It'll give you Jeff Minter's story (partly at least) and a timeline of the games he's made over the years.”
“- In addition to the games, you will have a 'story mode', which is like an interactive documentary about Jeff Minter's creative mind.”
“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, I found myself surprised and disappointed.”
“In addition to the games, you will have a 'story mode', which is like an interactive documentary about Jeff Minter's creative mind.”
“The second of the Gold Master series from Digital Eclipse that is less a retro game collection and more a 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
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative 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
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative 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
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative 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 interesting 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 a more interesting topic when it came to his games. Even if I wasn't totally into them, Jeff had a clear passion for them and an ambition that was ahead of his time.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While "Atari 50" offers a nostalgic exploration of video game history, many users feel a lack of emotional connection to the featured games, despite appreciating the overall package. The experience is described as wholesome but may not resonate deeply on an emotional level for all players.
“That is a wholesome journey through video game history of Jeff Minter.”
Critic Reviews
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review - A True Industry Legend Finally Gets His Due With This Superbly Produced Interactive Documentary
An industry iconoclast, beloved eccentric and arguably the father of modern high score chasing, the sort of spotlight that the Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story puts on its titular subject feels hugely overdue to say the least. 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 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.
85%Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review
Like Atari 50 and The Making of Karateka before it, Digital Eclipse's latest interactive documentary is a wonderful glimpse into the mind of one of gaming's most fascinating figures. Even if you've got no prior knowledge of Minter or his games, the selection of videos, image galleries, quotes, and playable games included here will provide you with a newfound respect for this niche yet immensely important segment of gaming history. Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is another triumph for Digital Eclipse, and we can't wait to see what the studio tackles next with its Gold Master Series.
90%A little better than Wikipedia
The latest in Digital Eclipse's Gold Masters series is shallow and baffling.
40%
