Critical Reception

Zzap!64 Issue 43, November 1988 — reviewed by Gordon Houghton, Matthew Evans & Paul Glancey

"Startlingly good, with perhaps the best use of shading I've seen on any 64 game."

"One of the best 64 shoot 'em ups of all time."

Armalyte's 97% remains one of the most celebrated scores in the magazine's history. Developed by Cyberdyne Systems (John Kemp, Dan Phillips, Robin Levy, John Harries), the game's near-flawless sprite work, Martin Walker's military soundtrack, and optional two-player co-op mode set it apart from every contemporary shoot-'em-up.

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Zzap!64 Issue 68, December 1990 — reviewed by Phil King, Robin Hogg & Stuart Wynne

The Rowlands Brothers - John (programming) and Steve (music and visual design) - had chronicled the development of Creatures in Zzap!64's development diary feature. When the finished game earned a Gold Medal, the magazine's editorial noted it was "the most award-laden Zzap! in ages." The 96% score was confirmed on re-release (Kixx budget label, Zzap!64 Issue 88, September 1992).

Creatures introduced the "Torture Screen" bonus stages - inventive, gruesome puzzles unique to the C64 platform - and is considered a showcase of what the machine could achieve at the very end of its commercial life.

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Zzap!64 Issue 24, April 1987 — reviewed by Gary Penn, Julian Rignall & Steve Jarratt

Delta's original 74% is the most controversial score in Thalamus history. Reviewers Julian Rignall, Gary Penn, and Steve Jarratt were divided: the Rob Hubbard soundtrack was universally praised, but some felt the gameplay didn't advance Fasoulas's earlier Sanxion sufficiently. Community discussion on Lemon64 has long regarded the score as an underrating.

Zzap!64 later revisited Delta in a retrospective feature and awarded it 92%, placing it fifth in their revised all-time ranking. Rob Hubbard's Delta theme dominated the magazine's music charts throughout 1988, finishing top for most of the year - the only interruption coming from Skate or Die.

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Zzap!64 Issue 40, August 1988 — reviewed by Gordon Houghton, Paul Glancey & Paul Sumner

"An addictive and beautifully presented shoot 'em up of the highest calibre."

"Even if you already have a great number of horizontally scrolling shoot 'em ups in your collection, Hawkeye is definitely not to be missed."

Hawkeye's Gold Medal remains divisive. The game marked the commercial debut of The Bytebusters (also known as Boys Without Brains), a Dutch demo-scene collective. Music by Marcel Donne (main theme) and Reyn Ouwehand (hi-score) was widely praised. Community members on the Zzap!64 forum have argued the score was inflated due to the Thalamus–Newsfield relationship; others maintain it was fully earned.

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Zzap!64 Issue 89, October 1992 — Phil King: 96%, Ian Osborne: 95%; overall 96%

Nobby the Aardvark was Thalamus's final C64 release and the last game produced by the Rowlands Brothers for the platform. Both reviewers awarded near-identical marks - Phil King 96%, Ian Osborne 95% - resulting in a Gold Medal. The score has drawn retrospective scepticism in fan communities; one Zzap!64 forum contributor described a 96% for Nobby as "something of a joke" when comparing it to contemporaries.

Whatever the score's merits, the game represents a technically accomplished final chapter for the Apex/Thalamus partnership and for Thalamus itself: the company folded in 1993 with Amiga projects over-budget and no further C64 income.

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Zzap!64 Issue 31, November 1987 — reviewed by Ciaran Brennan, Julian Rignall & Steve Jarratt

Quedex marked the end of Stavros Fasoulas's Thalamus trilogy. After two space shooters, he delivered something completely different: a metal ball navigating 36 abstract puzzle stages against a time limit. Reviewers praised its playability and Matt Gray's soundtrack as among his best work. The 92% Sizzler was a strong result for a game that deliberately defied genre conventions.

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Zzap!64 Issue 57, January 1990 — reviewed by Phil King, Robin Hogg & Stuart Wynne

Retrograde charted at number eight in the Zzap!64 Top 10 C64 Games following its release, reflecting strong reader enthusiasm. Steve Rowlands composed the music - filed under his scene alias Steve Turner in HVSC. The 94% Sizzler placed it among the highest-rated horizontal shoot-'em-ups of the C64's late commercial era.

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Zzap!64 Issue 19, November 1986 — reviewed by Gary Penn, Julian Rignall & Richard Eddy

Sanxion was the first Thalamus release and the first to be reviewed by Zzap!64. Its 93% score attracted accusations of favouritism from rival magazine Commodore User, pointing to the Thalamus–Newsfield relationship. Reviewers Gary Penn, Julian Rignall, and Richard Eddy awarded the score despite some feeling the game's later levels were too difficult. Rob Hubbard's iconic loading track - a synthesised orchestral piece unlike anything heard on the C64 at the time - was added to the Zzap!64 cover cassette in the June 1987 issue, where it topped the magazine's music charts by a considerable margin.

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Zzap!64 Issue 57, January 1990 — reviewed by Robin Hogg & Stuart Wynne

Snare's 88% placed it just outside Sizzler territory but earned a firm recommendation. The game's unconventional mechanic - a multi-directional glider that rotates the entire screen 90 degrees on direction changes - was unusual enough to divide opinion. Among the C64 community, Snare is remembered fondly for its loading music, which rivals even Creatures and Hawkeye in reputation.

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