▌RETRO//COLLECTION
Cover of Memories of Rainbird & Beyond: The Unofficial & Unauthorised History

Memories of Rainbird & Beyond: The Unofficial & Unauthorised History

by Richard C. Hewison

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Publisher
Fusion Retro Books
Year
2026
ISBN
978-1-9192364-3-8
Kind
book

The history of Telecomsoft's Rainbird and Beyond labels, by a former Telecomsoft insider.

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Contents

  1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS p. 6
  2. TELECOMSOFT & BEYOND COLLEAGUES p. 6
  3. OTHER HELPFUL SOULS p. 6
  4. 316 INDEX p. 7
  5. FOREWORD p. 8
  6. August 2024 p. 9
  7. INTRODUCTION p. 10
  8. December 2025 p. 11
  9. CHAPTER 1 p. 12
  10. Fire then Rain (1984-1986) p. 12
  11. HOME SWEET HOME p. 16
  12. APPLICATIONS p. 16
  13. THE OCP ART STUDIO p. 17
  14. THE MUSIC SYSTEM p. 20
  15. NEW STAFF p. 23
  16. (1985-1989) p. 26
  17. THE GOLDEN FLEECE p. 29
  18. TELECOM GOLD p. 29
  19. LIVE HACKS p. 31
  20. ABOUT JOHN p. 32
  21. GLORIOUS MUD p. 33
  22. MODEM MAGIC p. 36
  23. TOUCHING THE SKY p. 36
  24. A LEAP p. 36
  25. APPROACH VECTOR p. 37
  26. FRESH p. 41
  27. THE CONVERTED p. 41
  28. NOT COINING IT IN p. 44
  29. A SOLID SEQUEL p. 45
  30. ACRONYM p. 48
  31. ARGASMIC p. 50
  32. 8-BIT CONVERSIONS p. 51
  33. COMMODORE p. 52
  34. A WINNING FORMULA p. 53
  35. (1989-2004) p. 53
  36. FIXING FLAWS p. 55
  37. NINTENDO DO p. 55
  38. CHIPS p. 59
  39. A CROC OF GOLD p. 60
  40. RETURNS p. 60
  41. MALICIOUS ALIENS p. 62
  42. RETURNS p. 62
  43. RIGHT BOXES p. 63
  44. THE ART OF MAGIC p. 64
  45. ACQUISITIONS p. 65
  46. CATASTROPHE p. 67
  47. (1986-1989) p. 68
  48. THE PAWN p. 69
  49. COLLECTION p. 70
  50. AMBITIONS p. 71
  51. PAWN PORTS p. 75
  52. GIVEN THE BOOT p. 75
  53. RESPECTED RIVALS p. 83
  54. YOUR COMPUTER! p. 85
  55. REFERENCES p. 86
  56. ARTISTIC LICENSE p. 87
  57. WOSSNAMES p. 90
  58. MYSTERY p. 90
  59. CORRUPT TIMES p. 92
  60. ALLERGY p. 93
  61. A VERY FISHY GAME p. 94
  62. WASCO p. 95
  63. (1989-1993) p. 96
  64. SOLUTION p. 96
  65. THE LEGACY p. 99
  66. On The Level (1986-1987) p. 102
  67. THE HIGH YEARS p. 104
  68. COLOUR CODING p. 109
  69. SIMON ASPINALL p. 110
  70. TIM NOYCE p. 111
  71. JAMES HORSLER p. 112
  72. ANDREW DEELEY p. 113
  73. THE SECRET MOLE p. 114
  74. MAGIKAL TIMES p. 117
  75. GODFREY DOWSON p. 118
  76. BT CALLING p. 120
  77. DARKNESS p. 120
  78. AVALON p. 123
  79. THE ENSUING KAOS p. 123
  80. KNIGHT ORC p. 124
  81. BOTTLING IT p. 126
  82. SILICON DREAMS p. 127
  83. TIME & MAGIK p. 127
  84. THE CHALICE p. 130
  85. GOING IT ALONE p. 130
  86. 1988-1991 p. 130
  87. FREE p. 131
  88. DEVELOPMENTS p. 132
  89. DETAILS p. 134
  90. MISSING MURDERS p. 134
  91. AEON p. 135
  92. THE CRYSTAL MAZE p. 136
  93. THE FINAL LEVEL p. 137
  94. Above & Be# Above & Be# yond# yond (1983-1985)# (1983-1985) p. 140
  95. DOING THE ROBOT p. 143
  96. EARLY TITLES p. 144
  97. MAGIC p. 146
  98. SPIES LIKE US p. 149
  99. CHANGES BY DESIGN p. 154
  100. SHADOWFIRE p. 155
  101. MIDNIGHT p. 156
  102. MONOLITH p. 158
  103. OF THE DICE p. 163
  104. CALLING BT p. 167
  105. WHAT CAME NEXUS p. 170
  106. SUPER DUPER p. 171
  107. NOD p. 173
  108. (1986-1987) p. 176
  109. DEVELOPMENTS p. 177
  110. PLAY ACTING p. 178
  111. MAELSTROM GAMES p. 179
  112. MAGAZINE REVIEWS p. 180
  113. STARTING TO TREK p. 181
  114. ARTISTIC LICENSE p. 183
  115. AUTHENTICITY p. 186
  116. PLOTTING STARS p. 187
  117. OF THE GONE p. 188
  118. LAST BATTLEFIELD p. 192
  119. ALL GOOD THINGS p. 195
  120. AND FOUAD KATAN p. 198
  121. (1986-1987) p. 198
  122. BACK ON TRACK p. 199
  123. FLYING THE NEST p. 202
  124. REORGANISATIONS p. 202
  125. WHAT TONY DID NEXT p. 203
  126. BY CHRIS HINSLEY p. 206
  127. FORWARDS p. 206
  128. UNIFICATION p. 208
  129. EUGENE MESSINA p. 210
  130. NEW LOOK p. 210
  131. BRAYBROOK p. 213
  132. SCHEDULE p. 214
  133. ANDY KANAKARES p. 215
  134. SOFTWARE LTD p. 217
  135. FLI-ING THE FLAG p. 223
  136. FAILURES p. 224
  137. RAINBIRD p. 225
  138. PC SHOW 1988 p. 226
  139. Changes# Changes (1989-1991)# (1989-1991) p. 228
  140. THE REAL PRIZE p. 232
  141. NEW LOOK p. 234
  142. BY CHRIS NEWCOME p. 239
  143. BY PETE COOKE p. 242
  144. AND TIM MOORE p. 243
  145. DEL## AYS p. 245
  146. JAMES HUTCHBY p. 245
  147. MAELSTROM GAMES p. 251
  148. BY EZRA SIDRAN p. 254
  149. REALTIME GAMES p. 255
  150. SIGNING OFF p. 256
  151. CLOSURE p. 259
  152. CARL CROPLEY p. 260
  153. Lost Legends# Lost Legends (1985-1989)# (1985-1989) p. 260
  154. BY EPC p. 262
  155. SUTHERLAND p. 264
  156. EASY ART p. 268
  157. AND RICARDO PINTO p. 270
  158. MALCOLM HELLON p. 275
  159. BY ARGONAUT p. 276
  160. BY MINDWARE p. 277
  161. JOHN JONES-STEELE p. 278
  162. MOON, BY ODE p. 279
  163. BY MAELSTROM p. 281
  164. BY RIC## ARDO PIN## TO p. 282
  165. LEVEL 9 COMPUTING p. 283
  166. SINGLETON p. 284
  167. Release Catalogue p. 288
  168. MICROPLAY (MICROPROSE US) p. 288
  169. SINCLAIR MICRODRIVE p. 288
  170. Notes p. 289
  171. Exclusions p. 289
  172. Rainbird Software p. 289
  173. Notes p. 294
  174. Beyond Software p. 294
  175. Cover Gallery p. 297
  176. RAINBIRD SOFTWARE — UK (BT/MICROPROSE) p. 297
  177. FIREBIRD LICENSEES INC — NORTH AMERICA (BT/FLI) p. 299
  178. (BT/MEDIAGENIC) p. 300
  179. Unsolved Cases p. 300
  180. BEYOND SOFTWARE (EMAP/BT) p. 301
  181. Rainbird Software p. 303
  182. Memorabilia p. 303
  183. Beyond p. 311
  184. James Follett p. 313
  185. Beyond Software (1984-1986) p. 316
  186. Photos p. 316
  187. INDEX p. 318
  188. People p. 318
  189. Software p. 323
  190. About the author. p. 329