In many ways I'm glad it hasn't ever been found. It's impossible that it would ever have lived up to the expectations put on it by fans of Ultimate, and tbh by that time it would more likely be a Bubbler than an Atic Atac. It will alwys be a better game in our imaginations than in reality.
I'd like to think that one day, eventually it will see the light of day, or part of it perhaps but somehow I doubt it.
If I was bored I'd auction my Mire Mare ROM cartridge on e-bay :p. I wonder how much it would go for :-o.
Being serious I don't think it will ever be found. It is a pity neither of the Stamper brother haven't agreed to be interviewed by Retro gamer as at least they could put speculation to rest.
If I was bored I'd auction my Mire Mare ROM cartridge on e-bay :p. I wonder how much it would go for :-o.
Being serious I don't think it will ever be found. It is a pity neither of the Stamper brother haven't agreed to be interviewed by Retro gamer as at least they could put speculation to rest.
Why would they want to ? Keeping talk of them and their games can only be a good thing, commercially speaking.
All the time I was at Rare I didn't find anyone who could really confirm whether it existed or not. One of my regrets was that I never just came out and confronted either Tim or Chris about it. I had it on good authority, however, that it never went any further than some ideas and Tim's glorious box art. Then again Tim did like a mystery.
With the amount of time that's passed with not even a screenshot available i think we can safely say that it doesn't exist.
Maybe the Stampers could confirm it once and for all.
All the time I was at Rare I didn't find anyone who could really confirm whether it existed or not. One of my regrets was that I never just came out and confronted either Tim or Chris about it. I had it on good authority, however, that it never went any further than some ideas and Tim's glorious box art. Then again Tim did like a mystery.
I wish I'd worked for Rare although I might not have had the bottle to ask them about Mire Mare either.
With the amount of time that's passed with not even a screenshot available i think we can safely say that it doesn't exist.
Maybe the Stampers could confirm it once and for all.
You cant believe anything the Stampers say anyhow, they deny having anything to do with Bubbler or Cyberun, yet these games are clearly the precursors of Snake Rattle and Roll and Solar Jetman, not only that the artwork has their name all over it!
You cant believe anything the Stampers say anyhow, they deny having anything to do with Bubbler or Cyberun, yet these games are clearly the precursors of Snake Rattle and Roll and Solar Jetman, not only that the artwork has their name all over it!
Tim (Stamper) did all the Ultimate cover art but by the time of Cyberun and Bubbler they weren't writing or designing the games. I think the last one they had direct involvement with was Gunfright.
With all these old dev Kickstarter books popping up it'd be great to have a definitive Ultimate one. Have to get Tim and Chris to pipe up, though.
Personally I believe Chris and Tim distanced themselves from the later releases because of the bad reviews, too many similarities between those 'bad' Ultimate releases and their later Nintendo titles.
The very first time I saw SR+R I thought of Bubbler, not realising it was a Stamper game. Perhaps its the thing that follows you in the water or the bottles/funnels spewing out baddies and mystery objects, I don't know.
Solar Jetman, guide an inertia stricken ship around a cave system looking for parts of a ship and fuel for it... Now where have I done this before?!?!
Personally I believe Chris and Tim distanced themselves from the later releases because of the bad reviews, too many similarities between those 'bad' Ultimate releases and their later Nintendo titles.
The very first time I saw SR+R I thought of Bubbler, not realising it was a Stamper game. Perhaps its the thing that follows you in the water or the bottles/funnels spewing out baddies and mystery objects, I don't know.
Solar Jetman, guide an inertia stricken ship around a cave system looking for parts of a ship and fuel for it... Now where have I done this before?!?!
Purely coincidence?
Definitely not coincidence as some of the guys who were working on those games (I think Mark Betteridge did Bubbler) were also working for Rare on those NES titles.
Definitely not coincidence as some of the guys who were working on those games (I think Mark Betteridge did Bubbler) were also working for Rare on those NES titles.
If it was found (speculation) it would no doubt not be permitted on here anyway ie distro denied like all the other Ultimate titles, not a problem for someone to find them but to comply with WOS's guideslines I mean it would not be here. ?
I guess there's still some fading hope though lol of it appearing.
You cant believe anything the Stampers say anyhow, they deny having anything to do with Bubbler or Cyberun, yet these games are clearly the precursors of Snake Rattle and Roll and Solar Jetman, not only that the artwork has their name all over it!
Haha, that really would rile people! Imagine the Stamper Brothers reveal that the game was fully completed - but unfortunately it can't be downloaded as it's denied.
If it was found (speculation) it would no doubt not be permitted on here anyway ie distro denied like all the other Ultimate titles, not a problem for someone to find them but to comply with WOS's guideslines I mean it would not be here. ?
I guess there's still some fading hope though lol of it appearing.
I'd genuinely part with cash for it, and I wouldn't be the only one...
I can imagine the tiebreakers in an imaginary Kickstarter campaign:
?1 - sleep well at night, knowing the game actually exists
?10 - get a digital download
?50 - get a physical tape copy (limited to 1000 copies)
?200 - get a signed poster (limited to 250 copies)
?1000 - get a sprite in the game redesigned to look like you (limited to 5 sprites)
The question is what their goal would be, surely at least ?250,000 assuming the game already exists and is possible to retrieve from master copies?
I'm torn over this. Of course I'd like to see it if it did actually exist but, in a way, it's far more exciting as the mystery it is. The fact that there's the exit link in Underwurlde and the box art just makes it even more tantalising.
I'm sure Tim and Chris Stamper just aren't bothered (if they even know about any interest in the first place). They certainly don't need the money or the publicity. I'm sure if they do know about people still talking about it Tim Stamper would just smile and keep schtum.
Comments
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7327
;)
you wouldn't think that english was my first language, it sounded better in my head
If I was bored I'd auction my Mire Mare ROM cartridge on e-bay :p. I wonder how much it would go for :-o.
Being serious I don't think it will ever be found. It is a pity neither of the Stamper brother haven't agreed to be interviewed by Retro gamer as at least they could put speculation to rest.
Why would they want to ? Keeping talk of them and their games can only be a good thing, commercially speaking.
They don't make games any more. But they have never been keen to talk to the press.
Edit - nevermind Google knows lots
Maybe the Stampers could confirm it once and for all.
I wish I'd worked for Rare although I might not have had the bottle to ask them about Mire Mare either.
You cant believe anything the Stampers say anyhow, they deny having anything to do with Bubbler or Cyberun, yet these games are clearly the precursors of Snake Rattle and Roll and Solar Jetman, not only that the artwork has their name all over it!
Tim (Stamper) did all the Ultimate cover art but by the time of Cyberun and Bubbler they weren't writing or designing the games. I think the last one they had direct involvement with was Gunfright.
With all these old dev Kickstarter books popping up it'd be great to have a definitive Ultimate one. Have to get Tim and Chris to pipe up, though.
The very first time I saw SR+R I thought of Bubbler, not realising it was a Stamper game. Perhaps its the thing that follows you in the water or the bottles/funnels spewing out baddies and mystery objects, I don't know.
Solar Jetman, guide an inertia stricken ship around a cave system looking for parts of a ship and fuel for it... Now where have I done this before?!?!
Purely coincidence?
Definitely not coincidence as some of the guys who were working on those games (I think Mark Betteridge did Bubbler) were also working for Rare on those NES titles.
Ah, so that's the link...
Here's the link to download it:
Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
I guess there's still some fading hope though lol of it appearing.
Haha, that really would rile people! Imagine the Stamper Brothers reveal that the game was fully completed - but unfortunately it can't be downloaded as it's denied.
I'd genuinely part with cash for it, and I wouldn't be the only one...
?1 - sleep well at night, knowing the game actually exists
?10 - get a digital download
?50 - get a physical tape copy (limited to 1000 copies)
?200 - get a signed poster (limited to 250 copies)
?1000 - get a sprite in the game redesigned to look like you (limited to 5 sprites)
The question is what their goal would be, surely at least ?250,000 assuming the game already exists and is possible to retrieve from master copies?
I'm sure Tim and Chris Stamper just aren't bothered (if they even know about any interest in the first place). They certainly don't need the money or the publicity. I'm sure if they do know about people still talking about it Tim Stamper would just smile and keep schtum.