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Who They Were

The Budget Revolution

When games cost £9.95 and lived only in specialist shops, Mastertronic asked a radical question: what if they cost £1.99 instead?

The Idea

London, 1983

Martin Alper, Frank Herman, Terry Medway, and Alan Sharam founded Mastertronic in London in 1983 with a simple but revolutionary premise: sell cassette games at £1.99 through mass-market retail channels - Woolworths, W.H. Smith, newsagents, petrol stations - rather than specialist computer shops that most families never entered.

The strategy worked spectacularly. Mastertronic became one of Britain's largest software publishers within three years, selling millions of cassettes across the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Atari 8-bit, and beyond.

The Catalogue

Budget to M.A.D.

Mastertronic published dozens of original titles across the 1983–1988 period. Their roster included motorcycle trials game Kikstart, the action platformer Action Biker featuring Clumsy Colin, the treasure-hunt classic Finders Keepers, and the creepy Chiller.

The premium M.A.D. (Mastertronic Added Dimension) sub-label launched in 1985 with The Last V8 at £2.99, and later published the first UK licensed edition of Tetris for C64 and Spectrum - a landmark moment in gaming history.

The Legacy

1988 and Beyond

A 1987 Sega distribution deal led to Virgin Games acquiring a stake, and by 1988 Mastertronic was absorbed into Virgin Interactive Entertainment. Along the way they had given the Darling brothers their first publishing deal - the same brothers who would found Codemasters.

Their Arcadia arcade venture brought Amiga hardware to arcades. Their budget philosophy democratised gaming. And their back-catalogue continues to be lovingly preserved and played by retro gaming communities worldwide.

From the Spinner Rack

See It in Action

Kikstart - the motorcycle trials classic that launched a franchise

Kikstart (1985, C64) - one of Mastertronic's most enduring titles, with its addictive motorcycle trials gameplay. Rob Hubbard SID soundtrack included.

Spinner Rack Classics

Over 400 Games, One Price

From original commissions to Soviet puzzles - how the label built its library

The Originals

1984-1987

Mastertronic's own label titles were commissioned from small independent studios at flat fees. The developers took the risk of a fixed payment; Mastertronic took the risk on retail performance. The model produced genuine hits: Kikstart by Mr Chip Software gave Rob Hubbard the canvas for one of the SID chip's most iconic compositions. Action Biker brought a licensed television character to a scrolling open world. Finders Keepers built an isometric treasure hunt that spawned two sequels.

Not every title was a polished gem - the economics demanded volume - but the catalogue's highs were genuine achievements that exceeded what the price tag suggested was possible. Browse every title on the full catalogue page.

The M.A.D. Tier

Mastertronic Added Dimension

Launched in 1985 with The Last V8 at £2.99, the M.A.D. sub-label was Mastertronic's premium imprint. It allowed the company to pursue bigger licences and higher production values without breaking the £1.99 positioning of the core label.

M.A.D.'s most historically significant release was the UK's first officially licensed edition of Tetris in 1987 - secured before the larger publishers who would later fight over the game's rights. Flash Gordon, Terra Cresta, and other licensed titles followed, showing that a budget publisher could compete for meaningful IP. Read the development stories on the flagship titles page.