Review: Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (Switch)
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)With its efforts on Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration and The Making of Karateka, developer Digital Eclipse is cementing itself as a true pioneer in the interactive documentary space. Truth be told, itâs a niche that the studio completely owns at this point, and though weâre surprised other major players in the video game industry have yet to dive into it themselves, we canât imagine anybody tackling the form without sneaking a few cheeky glances at Digital Eclipseâs work.
Following on from Karateka, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is the second in the Gold Master Series and takes a deep dive into the career and mind of Jeff Minter (sometimes referred to as âYakâ), an English video game designer and programmer who founded Llamasoft. Though well-known within the industry and by veteran players, you could be forgiven for not knowing a great deal about Minter beyond some of his more famous works, including Tempest 2000, Gridrunner, Akka Arrh, and Attack of the Mutant Camels. Thatâs where Digital Eclipse comes in.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
Even if youâre not aware of those aforementioned titles, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story does an exceptional job of bringing you up to speed and laying out the history of what is undoubtedly one of video gaming’s most fascinating and creative minds. Starting from Minterâs days in high school sixth-form learning how to code BASIC on a Commodore PET, the documentary takes you through his life as he creates Llamasoft, experiences an explosion of popularity, begins to experiment with light synthesisers, and ultimately grapples with the growing corporatisation of the industry throughout the â90s.
This is all brought to life wonderfully through a combination of text, image galleries, archival videos, new interviews (including the likes of Gary Whitta, Harold Goldberg, and Bex Trista), and yes, playable games. In the now-familiar fashion, The Jeff Minter Storyâs timeline is separated into four chapters, each of which represents a significant period in the creatorâs career. Within each chapter, you can explore the timeline to your heartâs content, with the vast majority of entries containing multiple visual accompaniments or anecdotal quotes. Everythingâs been given a lovely personal touch to highlight Minter’s interests and quirks, so while the experience isnât as broad as Atari 50 or as focused as The Making of Karateka, Jeff Minter’s is a much more intimate story.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
In addition to the main timeline, the package also allows you to view Minterâs complete âgameographyâ from start to finish, with each entry providing a brief overview of the creatorâs game projects along with a handful of in-game images, from 1981âs Deflex to the 2023 revamp of Akka Arrh. 42 of Minterâs games are fully playable, and while these are all found periodically throughout the timeline itself, you can browse the complete collection at your leisure.
Youâve got the aforementioned Tempest 2000 here, of course, but there are also several more niche titles, including the light synthesiser Colourspace, the lawn-mowing game Hover Bovver, and an unofficial version of Centipede.
If thatâs not quite niche enough, the collection also includes a demo for Attack of the Mutant Camels â89 for the unreleased British console, the Konix Multisystem, with Digital Eclipse utilising Minterâs source code for the game alongside specific technical specs of the Konix to pull off the emulation. Much like the inclusion of titles like Aquaventure and the original Akka Arrh in Atari 50, the addition of Attack of the Mutant Camels â89 might not bring unbridled joy to every gamer on the planet, but itâs a win for game preservation and a fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse into what might have been.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
One notable omission from the selection, however, is Defender 2000 for the Atari Jaguar, which is down to the fact that neither Minter nor Atari (who, remember, acquired Digital Eclipse in late 2023) owns the rights to the game. A disappointment, but not the end of the world.
Of course, not every game included here is great, and some, like 1982âs Ratman, are particularly egregious even by Minterâs own admission. And sure, if you go into this collection and just dive straight into the list of playable games without experiencing the crucial context that the timeline itself provides, then you might struggle to find the fun. But learning the background behind each title included allows you to appreciate the thought and intent behind each game; not to mention Minterâs love of llamas and sheep.
Once again, Digital Eclipse has provided an effortlessly slick interactive experience. Everything from the timeline itself to the emulation of the games is pitch-perfect, and the combination of the subtle psychedelic timeline backgrounds with appropriately cool, ambient music provides a wonderfully professional and welcoming wrapper. Of course, if you want something a bit more upbeat, a quick tap into the options menu will let you swap in âThe Minter Mixâ, a selection of electronic tracks that feel perfectly suited to the experience.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
We only came across one significant flaw throughout our time with The Jeff Minter Story, and itâs when the audio during video segments would occasionally fall out of sync with the visuals. This didnât happen often, and a quick tap of ‘L’ to slightly rewind the segment solves the Switch-specific issue. Thankfully, Digital Eclipse flagged the problem and intends to fix it shortly with a post-launch patch.
Conclusion
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.
