If you find yourself unable to take part in Australia Day traditions like throwing a BBQ, getting sunburnt, and sculling a keg of beer before rolling around in green and gold paint (that’s what we’re meant to do, right?), then the least you — nay, WE, the least WE can do — is play some of these Aussie classics.
Developed by Beam Software (a studio that was later sold to Krome Studios) and published by Melbourne House, The Hobbit isn’t the easiest game to track down, but if you manage to find it you’ll be able to bask in the warm and fuzzy glow of one of the most successful games to come out of Australia. The Hobbit won the 1983 Golden Joystick Award for best strategy game and sold over 100,000 copies in its first two years at a retail price of £14.95 (keep in mind that this was the early 80s!). By the late 1980s it had sold over a million copies. *single happy tear*
A one-on-one karate game that picked up Game Of The Year at the Golden Joystick Awards and was followed up with the sequels Fist 2: The Legend Continues (1986) and Exploding Fist +… oh Beam Software, please come back and never let us go!
Fifteen years before L.A. Noire spent millions of dollars on motion capture technology to make the dude from Mad Men look like a video game bro, The Dame Was Loaded just… you know, filmed real people. This FMV point-and-click adventure of the noir genre was, at the time, the largest multimedia production ever made in Australia. Money well-spent, team! *CLAPCLAPCLAP*
Yes, it’s another game from Beam Software published by Melbourne House. It would not be a stretch to say that Beam Software led the way in Australian game development, so let’s remember their contribution to the game development scene by blasting some agriculture robots.
Praised for its impressive graphics, Powerslide does a wonderful job of capturing a post-apocalyptic desert that isn’t too dissimilar from our own sunburnt country. We hereby award it The Brownest Australian Game Ever Made.
We know that Shane Warne Cricket (named Brian Lara Cricket in the UK) was made over in The Motherland, but I once overheard someone say that “nothing is more Australian than Shane Warne”, so I’d be a fool to not take their word for it. It’s the Australian sport game that people still remember fondly. I don’t know why.
Look, I’m not trying to say that the Tasmania Tigers can only blame themselves for their extinction (because that would be a jerk thing to suggest!), but if they were anything like Ty the Tasmania Tiger then I am pretty sure they would still be around today. An animal with so much attitude and such a dashing pair of board shorts just doesn’t go extinct. This is scientific fact.
Aside from being a joyous experience, de Blob came at a time when Australia needed (and in the eyes of many, still needs) a lesson about tolerance and acceptance. It’s about embracing differences, celebrating diversity, and uniting to judo-roll over the monochromatic, fascist Inkies.
Krome Studio’s last game, Blade Kitten is the finest furry platformer. Wait, are we allowed to talk about furries on Kotaku? Well, too late! COME CENSOR ME BRO! Blade Kitten didn’t do particularly well. I can’t imagine why…
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What other Aussie-made classics do you think we should drag out for Australia Day? We’ve made our list, now it’s over to you to let us know what classics we’ve missed out on!
D.C.
January 26, 2012 at 1:04 PM
I’d put L.A. Noire and Flight of the Amazon Queen on the list. :P
Report PermalinkRuffleberg
January 26, 2012 at 1:04 PM
The greatest Australian made game of all time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7aEesG9PO4
Report PermalinkNotheMama
January 26, 2012 at 1:11 PM
That is brilliant!! Had no idea it even exsisted! So very lame….yet I must play it!
Report PermalinkMartin
January 26, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Play it whilst listening to the Neighbours christmas LP.
Report PermalinkJiff
January 27, 2012 at 12:30 AM
That reminds me of the episode where Ramsay St went on forever and there was shit all over the road. Also there were no cast.
Love the Australia pointer
Report PermalinkBlaghman
January 26, 2012 at 1:06 PM
That’s not a Game, that’s a spoon!
Sorry, it had to be said.
Report PermalinkStevorooni
January 26, 2012 at 1:53 PM
ah I see you’ve played gamey/spooney before!
Report PermalinkRuffleberg
January 26, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Beam Software also have a fantastic game called “Aussie Games” But finding gameplay footage of it is impossible.
Report PermalinkNotheMama
January 26, 2012 at 1:09 PM
Where the bloody hell is Aussie Rules Footy on Nes?! That’s a bloody outrage it is! I’m gonna take this all the way to the prime minister. “Hey! Mr. prime minister!” “ANDY!!”
Report Permalink“hey lads, whats the good word?” Lol
Ben
January 26, 2012 at 1:09 PM
I’ll admit that, of the game shere that I’ve played, Powerslide is my favourite (and one of my favourite all-time games). Pity it doesn’t run on modern graphics cards – it’s part of the reason I’m building a Windows 98 computer for old games.
Report PermalinkCrazyguy1990
January 26, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Another alternative to Shane Warne Cricket would be Cricket 96. Still one of the best cricket games I’ve ever played, and it’s made by Beam Software.
Report PermalinkLaurence 'GreenReaper' Parry
January 26, 2012 at 1:19 PM
“Blade Kitten” comes pre-censored; the uploader has not made it available in my country.
Report PermalinkBadger
January 26, 2012 at 1:23 PM
Dark Reign
Jurrasic Park: Operation Genesis
Freedom Force
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood Of Steel
Flight of the Amazon Queen
Transformers (PS2)
Destroy All Humans!
We’ve made some goodness
Report PermalinkBadger
January 26, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Also the Panther Games catalogue, like “Conquest of the Aegean”, which are extremely well received by the wargaming community (and virtually unheard of outside of it).
Report PermalinkHAiD
January 26, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Oh man…
Report PermalinkOperation Genesis.. the only game i ever bought for both xbox and pc..so worth it
NotheMama
January 26, 2012 at 1:34 PM
I LOVED Operation Genesis!! such a surprise after dismissing it after watching my nephews play it. I wish I had a copy…
Report PermalinkPowalen
January 26, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Operation Genesis was Australian made? :O That’s one of my favourite games of last-gen. I also loved Destroy All Humans (the first two games, at least). Very cool!
Report PermalinkBadger
January 26, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Yep. Operation Genesis was probably Blue Tongue’s crowning achievement (either that or De Blob).
Report Permalinkmchaza
January 26, 2012 at 1:52 PM
I believe destroy all humans 2 was made by the brisbane team but number 1 was the US team. But the Brisbane team also made Star wars BattleFont 2
Report PermalinkGrandmaster B-Funk
January 26, 2012 at 1:37 PM
oh man, played a LOT of shane warne cricket when i was young.
i loved how there was only like, one statement by the commentaters recorded for certain situation.
for examlpe
*somone hits the ball very hard* “ITS HIGH IN THE AIR”
and this can then split into two possible outcomes, either
A) *if they are caught* “AND OUT”
B) if the get a six “AND SIX”
EVERY TIME….
however it actually was a good cricket game for its time.
Report PermalinkMartin
January 26, 2012 at 1:45 PM
Oz only HES packaging. Wonderboy and leaderboard golf on c64 cartridge!!!!! YAY
Report PermalinkMartin
January 26, 2012 at 1:54 PM
HES – OZ only packaging. Leaderboard and wonderboy c64 cartridges. All hail OZISOFT!!!!
Report PermalinkStevorooni
January 26, 2012 at 1:55 PM
Good old Beam Software. I remember reading an article about them in Megazone, so I wrote them a letter asking how to get into the games industry and they responded with some good advice.
and look at me now! Nowhere near the game industry!
crap
Report PermalinkSam Timmins
January 26, 2012 at 2:14 PM
How the hell did you miss SHADOWRUN?!
Report Permalink(The awesome one for the SNES, not the shitty XBOX title.)
Sam Timmins
January 26, 2012 at 2:14 PM
“Blade Kitten didn’t do particularly well. I can’t image why…”
You mean imagine.
Report PermalinkTracey Lien
January 26, 2012 at 3:04 PM
Yes that is what I meant!
Report PermalinkMrTaco
January 26, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Oh man, Powerslide… I don’t know how we ended up with that. Dad just came home from the markets one day with a CD in a sleeve and gave it to us I think. I played the hell out of that at the time though. I wonder if we still have it…
My machine’s still win98, so I should be able to run it right? :P
Report PermalinkCrispus
January 26, 2012 at 2:47 PM
I’ll add Fruit Ninja and Jetpack Joyride
Report PermalinkPottsy
January 26, 2012 at 3:30 PM
BIOSHOCK! Well partially but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been as great without Irrational/2K Canberra
Report PermalinkThe Steeng
January 26, 2012 at 3:41 PM
Happy Invasion Day, crackers.
Report PermalinkRedIon1992
January 26, 2012 at 4:53 PM
If anyone needs me, I’ll be off playing Slime Cricket.
Report PermalinkScruffy
January 26, 2012 at 5:41 PM
Super International Cricket (SNES- Beam Software). It had an appeal button, so you could endlessly spam “HOWZAT!!” which really annoyed whoever you were playing against.
Report PermalinkMVFC
January 27, 2012 at 3:24 AM
That was my favorite game on the SNES, still have it on the shelf.
Report PermalinkAlso the finest Cricket game ever made
EmbraceThePing
January 26, 2012 at 7:03 PM
It’s 4 in the afternoon and it’s still currently 40.4 degrees centigrade in the shade here in Perth.
Report PermalinkThe only thing I’m doin today is stayin the fuck inside with the aircon on high and hitting up some TF2/Skyrim/Waves/Kotaku/Reddit/KYM.
Desert Dog
January 26, 2012 at 7:40 PM
Yeah +1 for Shadowrun SNES and Transformers PS2 (both Beam/Melbourne House) – I worked on one of them, so I might be biased.
Report PermalinkCollie
January 26, 2012 at 8:02 PM
Escape Velocity NOVA created by ATMOS
Report Permalinktokyodove
January 27, 2012 at 4:37 AM
how could you forget dash dingo from the simpsons?
http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Dash_Dingo
YOU MUST DEVOUR THE SEVEN CRYSTAL BABIES MUAHAHAHA
Report PermalinkGAME OVER MATE!!