Games published by Colosoftware
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Burnin Rubber
On the cusp of a new home computer era, a small studio released Burnin Rubber for the Commodore 64 in 1983, a title that promised speed and adrenaline inside a modest square cartridge. Filmed in a smoky arcade glow translated to the living room, the game invited players to strap in for competitive laps across a handful of twisty circuits. The hardware danced around a tidy sprite budget, while the programmers exploited raster tricks and clever color cycling to push a convincing sense of velocity.
Controls offered responsive steering with keyboard or joystick, and players managed acceleration and brakes with a satisfying snap. The objective extended beyond crossing finish lines first; corners demanded throttle management and line discipline, while rival cars jostled for position. A simple pit of hazards offered peril: oil slicks, gullies, and occasionally bump traps that spun vehicles into new drift angles. Laps counted, time trials rewarded precision, and a rudimentary AI kept the asphalt restless in single player mode.
Graphically Burnin Rubber rode a top down perspective or behind the car depending on stage, using 8 by 8 sprites scaled cunningly to imply depth. The palette favored loud primary hues, with neon streaks that suggested motion. Sound came through the SID as gritty engine roars, clanks on metal, and tire screeches when the course demanded balance. Frame rate wobbled at times, yet the sense of speed rarely faltered, because the designers tuned the scrolling to keep the track ahead crisp.
Track variety spanned city streets, coastal ribbons, desert outlines and industrial boulevards, each with distinct hazards and shortcuts. A spare two player mode let friends duel, trading blows across a shared screen, a staple of home micro racing. The cartridge shipped with a battered manual full of tips, map glimpses, and occasional cheat codes that promised quicker triumphs. Although modest by 80s standards, Burnin Rubber cultivated a community that traded tips, high scores, and fan designed routes in newsletters and user groups.
Though quickly eclipsed by faster sequels, the title left a mark as a proof of concept that home computers could mimic arcade tempo without hardware leaps. Collectors remember its stubborn charm, the way a simple circuit of tracks could conjure hours of head to head excitement; the phrase burn in rubber became shorthand for pushing sprites to their edge. In the annals of early C64 racers, this speculative entry embodies the era when ambition outpaced silicon and players learned to read a screen for speed.
Pengo
In the early 1980s, a small and simple game made a big impact in the world of DOS gaming. Released in 1983, Pengo captured the hearts of players with its addictive gameplay and charming graphics. Developed by Sega, Pengo was a maze-based game that challenged players to guide a penguin named Pengo through a series of icy levels, collecting diamonds and avoiding enemies along the way.
Players took on the role of Pengo, a lovable penguin tasked with eliminating snow blocks by pushing them into walls or crushing them with sliding ice blocks. Each level featured a unique maze filled with four enemies - three Sno-Bees and a Sno-Bees queen. The queen would attempt to stop Pengo by releasing her minions to chase and corner him. But players could also use the ice blocks strategically to trap the enemies and earn bonus points.
What made Pengo stand out from other DOS games of the time was its simple yet challenging gameplay. With only four directional keys and a single button for pushing ice blocks, the controls were easy to grasp but mastering them required precision and strategy. The enemies moved in unpredictable patterns, making each playthrough a unique experience. And with 16 levels to conquer, Pengo kept players engaged for hours on end.
The graphics of Pengo, while not groundbreaking, added an element of cuteness to the game. The bright colors and cartoonish design of Pengo and the Sno-Bees made the game appealing to players of all ages. The music and sound effects were also well-crafted, adding to the overall charm of the game. It's no wonder that Pengo became a popular game in arcades and on the DOS platform.
To this day, Pengo remains a beloved DOS game among retro gaming enthusiasts. Its perfect combination of simple gameplay, challenging levels, and appealing graphics make it a timeless classic. So if you're ever feeling nostalgic and in the mood for some old-school gaming, why not give Pengo a try? It's a game that has stood the test of time and will continue to be a source of joy for generations to come.
