Zzap!64 Period Reviews
Blagger
Zzap!64 · 1984
Blagger was reviewed positively by Zzap!64 during its coverage of the early Alligata catalogue. The reviewers noted its addictive quality and the tight, responsive platform mechanics. The SID music received particular mention — its bouncy, energetic theme becoming associated with the game in readers' memories.
Crowther's early chart success was noted in the "Diary of a Bedroom Programmer" features that Zzap!64 ran during this period, giving solo developers like Crowther profile alongside the more celebrated names of the era.
Aliens
Zzap!64 · Issue 18, October 1986
Aliens received strong coverage in Zzap!64, which was the primary critical venue for serious C64 game assessment. The game's multi-section structure — unusual for a licensed title in 1986 — was noted as a strength. The SID music received particular praise for capturing the film's atmospheric tension in three chip voices.
"Crowther has done the licence justice. Each section feels distinct, the graphics are as good as the hardware allows, and the music genuinely creates tension."
— Zzap!64, Issue 18, October 1986
The Electric Dreams partnership was acknowledged as a step up from earlier Alligata releases — better production, better distribution, higher market expectations that Crowther's solo development met.
Skimmer
Zzap!64 · 1988
Skimmer's Electronic Arts connection gave it significant press coverage. The EA label carried quality expectations in 1988, and reviewers assessed the game against those standards. The C64 version's smooth scrolling and responsive hovercraft physics were noted as technical achievements; the Amiga version received attention for how well it translated the gameplay to the 16-bit platform.
The review context in 1988 was different from 1983 — by this point the C64 market was mature, reviewers were more technical in their expectations, and Crowther was being assessed as a professional developer rather than a talented amateur. Skimmer held up.
Lemon64 Retrospective Ratings
Lemon64 aggregates user ratings from the C64 community — players who discovered these games in the 1980s and players who have come to them since through emulation. The ratings represent decades of retrospective assessment rather than launch-day impressions.
Blagger — Lemon64 Community
Lemon64 · Retrospective
Blagger maintains strong community ratings on Lemon64, where it is remembered as one of the defining early C64 platform games. Players cite the tight controls and addictive structure as holding up well against later, more technically sophisticated titles. The SID music remains its most-mentioned quality: people remember hearing it.
Aliens — Lemon64 Community
Lemon64 · Retrospective
Aliens is well-remembered on Lemon64, with reviewers noting both the game's multi-section ambition and the atmospheric SID score. The film licence holds up — the connection to Cameron's film is still vivid enough that players can assess how well the game captured it — and the consensus is that Crowther did something creditable with a demanding brief.
Suicide Express — Lemon64 Community
Lemon64 · Retrospective
Suicide Express rates well for its speed and difficulty. Lemon64 reviewers note it as one of the better train/racing games of the early C64 era — harder and faster than Loco, with a SID score that matches its intensity. Often cited in discussions of early Crowther as the title where his compositional voice became most distinct.