Resources
External links for research, emulation, and exploration of Ocean Software's catalogue and legacy. All links open in a new tab.
Research Links
Curated external resources covering Ocean's music, games, platforms, and history. These are the primary databases and archives used as references throughout this site.
HVSC — High Voltage SID Collection
The definitive archive of Commodore 64 music in SID format. Martin Galway's Ocean Loaders 1–3 and Wizball are in the MUSICIANS/G/Galway_Martin/ directory; Jonathan Dunn's work is under MUSICIANS/D/Dunn_Jonathan/. An essential resource for anyone researching Ocean's C64 soundtracks.
MobyGames — Ocean Software
Complete game database listing all Ocean titles with platform breakdowns, developer credits, and release dates. MobyGames is the most comprehensive structured record of Ocean's commercial output across all formats.
Hall of Light — Amiga
The Amiga database. Ocean published extensively on Amiga from 1987 onwards, and Hall of Light documents all Amiga releases with screenshots, box art scans, and technical metadata. Indispensable for researching Ocean's Amiga catalogue.
Lemon64 — Ocean Software
Community ratings, reviews, and downloads for Ocean's Commodore 64 catalogue. Lemon64 combines a searchable game database with a long-running community of C64 enthusiasts who have reviewed and documented Ocean's C64 output in depth.
CSDb — C64 Scene Database
The definitive C64 scene archive. Essential for researching Ocean SID files and technical analysis. CSDb catalogs cracktros, music rips, and scene releases alongside comprehensive composer and programmer credits.
DeepSID
In-browser SID chip emulator. Listen to the Ocean Loaders, Wizball, RoboCop, Batman, and all other Ocean SID compositions without any software installation. DeepSID accesses the full HVSC library directly in the browser and displays technical chip register data alongside playback.
Science + Industry Museum Manchester
The Manchester museum that has documented Ocean Software's contribution to British computing culture and Manchester's gaming heritage. Ocean's Golden Square headquarters placed it at the heart of Manchester's 1980s technology scene.
World of Spectrum
Archive of ZX Spectrum software. Ocean's Spectrum catalogue is extensively documented with scanned inlays and cassette artwork. World of Spectrum is the go-to resource for Ocean's early 48K and 128K Spectrum titles and their cover art by Bob Wakelin.
Internet Archive — Ocean Software
The Internet Archive holds in-browser playable versions of many Ocean titles and scanned documentation including instruction manuals, magazine advertisements, and press releases. A growing number of Ocean games are playable directly in the browser via in-browser emulation.
Retronauts — Bob Wakelin Tribute
The Retronauts podcast produced a tribute episode examining Bob Wakelin's life and artistic legacy after his death in 2016. Wakelin painted the iconic box art for Ocean's most celebrated titles across C64, Spectrum, and Amiga. Search the Retronauts archive for the Bob Wakelin episode.
Recollection Magazine
The Commodore fan magazine that published in-depth interviews with Martin Galway and Jonathan Dunn examining their Ocean work in technical detail. Volume 1 includes the Martin Galway interview covering the Ocean Loaders, Wizball, and his compositional approach to the SID chip.