Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: collage of Attack of the Mutant Camels and Tempest 2000 art]
Overview
Jeff Minter founded Llamasoft in 1982 and promptly filled British shelves with neon shooters starring ungulates and particle storms. His work combined tight arcade mechanics with humour that felt unmistakably personal.
Fast facts
- Debut: Gridrunner (1982) on the VIC-20, ported widely.
- Trademark: surreal themes—llamas, camels, pulsating rainbows—paired with serious scoring depth.
- Longevity: still releasing games like Akka Arrh (2023) and touring with live “light synth” performances.
Lesson connections
- BASIC Block 1’s experiments with loops and colour echo the playful prototypes Minter shared in magazines like Your Commodore.
- Block 4’s sound lessons cite Llamasoft tracks as examples of expressive SID modulation.
- Assembly Act II examines sprite multiplexing tricks that his C64 shooters popularised.
Influence
Minter championed self-publishing, mail-order distribution, and direct fan communication—habits that map neatly onto modern indie practices. His dev diaries in magazines offered transparency rare for the era.