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Operation Thunderbolt

Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:16 am
by LeeT
This might have been mentioned before, but 'Operation Thunderbolt' has been added to GTW64 and there is a bit of info about Robin Hogg reviewing the game... :shock:

Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:03 am
by Iain
Interesting.. That GTW site has got to be one of the best C64 sites out there.

Even more interesting is Zzap reviewing a not fully completed game and giving it high marks for reasons other than merit.. especially given the magazines strong stand against reviews of non complete games in its early days. :(

Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:16 am
by Fab
Hooray to Frank Gasking and his site. BTW, he tracked the programmer of C64 Murder, one of the most sought-after games. Let's hope the game is found!

Op Thunderbolt is a very big stain on Zzap! pure and incorruptible reputation (well, Hawkeye is another...). Something that puzzles me is the statement in the re-release review (issue 78, pages 72 and 74): "it bore little resemblance to the original program at all - as Lloyd pointed out so well in the Rrap! at that time". I don't remember, nor I found, anywhere in the Rrap! where that topic was discussed. Does anybody?

Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:37 am
by gordon
Fab wrote:Op Thunderbolt is a very big stain on Zzap! pure and incorruptible reputation (well, Hawkeye is another...)
Oi! At least Hawkeye was finished! ;)

to be fair to all reviewers around that time, exclusivity in reviews often meant covering a game that at the very least never had instructions or packaging, and sometimes didn't have finished code. The ideal for every editor/reviewer would have been to get sealed copies for review every month, but no one would have bought the mag as a result. I think with Op Thunderbolt they were just unlucky in the reviewing game that everyone played.

Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:41 am
by Professor Brian Strain
Iain wrote:Interesting.. That GTW site has got to be one of the best C64 sites out there.

Even more interesting is Zzap reviewing a not fully completed game and giving it high marks for reasons other than merit.. especially given the magazines strong stand against reviews of non complete games in its early days. :(
Reminds me of another Robin review... when he went to Graftgold HQ to review Ivan Ironman Stewart's Super Off Road Racer. Now, I'm not implying the game wasn't finished, just that there could have been subtle pressure to give it a good review (and the cover)...

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:15 am
by robin hogg
Hello

Just had a look at the GTW bit on Op Thunderbolt and I must clarify one point
in particular.

If there was a deal between ZZAP and Ocean involving hyping up Op Thunderbolt in exchange for access to future game(s) (Amiga or C64) then I wasn't party to that deal. I think the Op Thunderbolt (p)review got out of hand at ZZAP! Towers (maybe it was a weak issue for games that month, I can't recall what other games were in that issue that time). Not our finest hour I admit.

I wonder if Brian Flanagan is around to tell me what game was promised to be previewed in exchange for hyping Op Thunderbolt? Was Batman coming up after that?

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:58 am
by fgasking
Hi Robin,

I'm not sure of the full story about who struck the deal etc, though I can ask Brian more questions if you wish?

I was a bit surprised, but just printed what he said. If you'd like to have your own say for me to add, i'm happy to do so. Certainly not trying to cause any arguements, but just to paint a picture of what happened with the game, and in particular the earlier version. Nothing was intended to be directed towards you.

I think I was more bothered by Trevor Brown's treatment, than Zzap's deal imo... Very sad indeed.

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 9:33 am
by CraigGrannell
robin hogg wrote:If there was a deal between ZZAP and Ocean involving hyping up Op Thunderbolt in exchange for access to future game(s) (Amiga or C64) then I wasn't party to that deal.
So, explain the gold house you live in, then! Hah!

*gets slapped by a 40-foot banana*

Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 7:32 pm
by Iain
fgasking wrote:I think I was more bothered by Trevor Brown's treatment, than Zzap's deal imo... Very sad indeed.
Very fucked up indeed, you would think people working in the IT industry back then would have been a little less racist than some other industries! :(

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:18 pm
by hazard
Sorry to drag up an old thread... I bought Op Thunderbolt solely on the strength of the review. I don't think any of my friends liked it either. I want my ten quid back! :roll: