We gamers of a certain age will recall fond memories at hearing the name Dizzy. In 1986 the little eggy brainchild of developer duo Codemasters began rolling out onto home computing platforms such as ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Commodore 64 and bringing the gaming world one of its earliest mascots.
For those too young to remember, the Dizzy games were very involving free-scrolling puzzle platformers, featuring a little wandering egg as main protagonist. Dizzy could meet new friends and complete tasks by collecting items crucial to the progress of his quest. He was famed for having a limited jump and the characters movement was remembered for being very stiff, this could cause difficulty in a number of situations but it never stopped gamers trying. As a Dizzy gamer myself I don’t think I ever completed any of the early games!
A 33 second teaser video from Codemasters hints at a new adventure for the egg is coming! The clip features a warehouse worker sorting through dusty old boxes and there’s glimpse of an old Amiga home computer, which fires up an obscured Dizzy title screen. Then there’s a sound that make hairs stand to attention on the arms of the nostalgic gamer – Yes, it’s that familiar cassette loading screech from our favourite 80s games can be heard as the shot pans back. Chills!
A 3D reboot of Dizzy was planned for PS2, but hopes were sadly dashed. But if the trailer wasn’t confirmation enough, a website has been set up at Eggcitingnews.com which features an image of an egg box stamped with the vintage Codemasters logo, with pair of bright eyes staring out from the darkness. The caption reads “Guess Who’s Back?”
From humble beginnings in the Gadget Helpline’s nearby Crewkerne, Somerset, the Oliver Twins set up Codemasters, which has since been sld off in parts to companies across the world and has delivered games to a number of all time popular platforms, including both generations of Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox. We’re looking forward to our old pal Dizzy cracking onto a new generation of game consoles or perhaps even smartphones soon!
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Expect a special Retro Replay feature on the Second Coming of Dizzy egg when more news surfaces! Last time we covered the early days of Microsoft’s original Xbox in celebration of the console’s tenth anniversary.
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Video Source: Computer and Video Games