Skyhigh 20 Cherry Software

Cherry Software




1995 was the year where a Swedish based software
firm had its breakthrough. This was the year where
they really played with the muscles. What most pro-
bably started within a little group of people, has
started to grow and to show the face to the rest of
the world. I am naturally talking about:

C H E R R Y   S O F T W A R E
C H E R R Y   S O F T W A R E


Yep, this name shouldn't be unknown to the readers
of this magazine. A few issues back Skyhigh brought
another article from the above mentioned software
firm.

Anyway, I had this idea to give them another shot in
this magazine, so I had some letter corrospondance
with the secretary of Cherry Software. Surprise,
surprise... Suddenly there was this letter in my mail
from Sweden. A quite anonymeous envelope with a
hand writing I had never seen before. With crossed
fingers I opened it, and yes... certainly I had got a
positive reply.

A letter from the Marketing manager Per Jacobsson
(which heaps of you also know as the main power be-
hind the Tribute Party and ofcourse as Newscopy of
F4CG!!) stated the fact that they, Cherry software
(from now on named as CS!), were happy to see their
article brought in Skyhigh, and would love to have
this piece of free advertisements and to help both
themselves and me with some CS update.

I was supplied with the official Press release from
December 1995, An insider mag, and some previews.
The previews has already been circulating in the C64
(cracker) scene for a while and therefore has no use
for me. I could have enclosed some of them, but I do
not find them attractive enough, as most of you most
certainly has seen them before. To be a bit more pre-
cise then I can inform you that the the previews
where promising titles like:

ZONE OF DARKNESS
ZONE OF DARKNESS

BOUNCY BALLS
BOUNCY BALLS

MAGICAL FORMULA
MAGICAL FORMULA

FUTURE WORLD
FUTURE WORLD

So the word 'active' sure gets a meaning here. Four
titles which should be close to be released soon, and
more on its way.
For those of you who haven't seen, or heard about
these titles I will fill in some details.

ZONE OF DARKNESS.
This is a very promising project from CS. The team be-
hind this production involves people from the very
popular Polish group Taboo!! In the preview you see a
car of filled vectors (I think) driving through a land-
scape drawn by Cruise. Look out for this one!

BOUNCY BALLS
This game has been previewed in most of the commer-
cial magazines, counting mags like Commodore Format,
64'er, Commodore World and more. The team behind the
project involves wellknown people from the (former?)
Censor Designs.

MAGICAL FORMULA
I guess the title tells it all. This is naturally a car
game. So for all the high-speed, octane loving freaks
Better watch out.

FUTURE WORLD.
The last one, is based on the ELITE plot (the game
ELITE that is.) The code will be taken care of by no
one else than my good Swedish pal Henrik Hagberg, or
probably better known as Devil of F4CG. Unfortunate
ly then I was never catched by the Elite fever back
then, but for all you who were; prepare for this one!


The insider magazine is only for CS employes, and I
can therefore not reveal any of it contents for the
scene. But the press release...


PRESS RELEASE / DECEMBER 1995
MARKETING DIVISON, CHERRY SOFTWARE.


* CHERRY SOFTWARE continues to grow. In house and
freelancing, the sphere consist of 58 people, all
currently working with fullprice productions for the
Commodore 64. Chery Software will be covering the
consoles and other formats spring next year, but
will in no way cease production of software for the
Commodore 64. Per Jacobsson, Chairman say "It is
still very financially motivated to work with the 8 bit
wonder."

* CHERRY SOFTWARE and plenty of titles have been
covered in Swedish, German and Polsih magazines re-
cently. Computerpress has marvelled about the forth
comming productions.

* BOUNCY BALLS will be the first game in a set of huge
marketingstunts by the company. The cute, addictive
game, featuring bouncing NIGEL will be out before
Christmas. The preview was seen on the coverdisk of
64'er not long ago, and features a neat 3-player
possibility. A polish magazine hyped it as "the best
game since Mayhem in Monsterland".

* MAGICAL FORMULA is another cute game, being de-
veloped by ELECTRIC BRAINS DEVELOPMENTS and NEW
ENTRY. EBD was involved in the making of another
huge success, being LEMMINGS on the 64. New Entry
have recently programmed WALKERZ from ELECTRIC
BOYS ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE (EBES).

* FUTURE WORLD is being developed by NEMESIS PRO-
DUCTION for CHERRY SOFTWARE. Being the first of its
kind since ELITE (FIREBIRD 1986), the game brings high
hopes on the market. The game will be covered on 2
disksides, with some stunning effects yet to be seen.
Future World will be available in late 1995.

* DAVE SPEED and SCORPION are two games at a very
early stage. The programmers has done miracles with
both games. Dave Speed is a GIANA SISTERS look-a-
like with incredible gameplay, while Scorpion very
well could go as a sequel to the successful TURRICAN
games from RAINBOW ARTS. Releasedate is yet unknown.

* For car-racing addicts, we have developed MAXIMUM
OVERDIRVE with a German inhouse team. If you ever
played SLICKS (CODEMASTERS, 1992), you will love this
highly enchanced type of game. The game is set for
release March 1996.

* COSMOS DESIGNS, makers of the popular HEAVEN-
BOUND (EBES, 1994), have signed up to work with
Cherry Software. Their next title will feature their
famous GOTTIFANT, even though it is still inknown
when it will be launched. A preview will be available
soon. "We are very pleased to be working with Cosmos
Designs, being one of the most professionals devel-
opers we know in the field", say Per Jacobsson.

* CHERRY SOFTWARE are digging into the possibilities
of making a DOOM-clone on the Commodore 64. A ta-
lented demoprogrammer has developed a routine that
would very well do the job, but according to Mathias
Hedblom, Head of Staff, "we have to evaluate the
work behind it, being a very complex production."

* Due to immense expansion in Cherry Software, 2
sistercompanies have been formed. Cherry Software /
German Division will mostly market and communicate
with media in Germany, while Cherry Software / Polish
Division will cover everything from sales to media-
coverage.




Lots of stuff going on you may say. It really seems
like they seriously mean it, and that it isn't just
notions in the heads. No, on the opposite it really
seems like there'll be games released to the hungry
game addicts.

Looking through all the names and groups this may
not occure as a big surprise to anyone. When people
from Taboo, Censor Design, Cosmos Designs and more,
take Cherry Software for serious and sign up with 'em
for game products it should be taken much more than
a pad on the shoulder, and I know that CS is aware of
this. I belive they really know they're into something
here.
To tell you the truth then I personally wouldn't had
given the C64 game-industry much of a chance for a
further living. But I must admit after having seen the
proffesionalism, the results and the enthusiasm of
Cherry Software I am about to give it another go!
Yes I actually believe in them. No asslicking here, I
really think they got what it takes to get far. Just
take a look at it; CS has 58 people under their wings.
Not 58 people which is friends from the same town in
Sweden, no 58 people from all over Europe. Not only
do they have their headquarter in Sweden, they also
have opened up divisions in countries like Poland and
Germany. Everybody knows that Germany took over
the throne as UK abandoned the game production, and
just take a look at Poland. Heaps of brilliant new
talents in the shape of coders, composers and gra-
phicians are about to conquer the world. New blood
has been transfused into the 'C64 veins'.
I tip my hat for Cherry Software for daring to take
the chance, for believing in them selves. I too starts
believing in them! That combined with their experience
and the wellknown 'workers' leave me with lots of
hope for the future. But not only do they believe in
themselves, they also seems to have remembered
what it's all about, what keep it all running. Allow me
to quote Per Jacobsson in the editorial of their in-
sider magazine (I hope this is ok with you Per!!):

"Many of our people wonder if there is a shot for
fame and fortune in the Commodore 64. We are optimis
tic and have dared more than any company on the 64
today.................But we have to keep one delicate thing
in mind as we do this: It is fun to make games"

There you got it... It is not just cold business, you
must still have fun with it, you must have your heart
with it aswell. This is what it's all about...

My respect for that....


At last I will say that a lot more is going on in the
game industry than I thought. I have seen many well-
known names in the supplied material; many of my
friends around in the scene are also fighting to keep
up the games, and with that the C64 alive. So come on
readers, why not make sure that the C64 will live for
a long time to come.. Do you have some skills which
people like Cherry Software could use and you even
might make a few bucks on it aswell, then maybe you
should give game developing a serious thought.

I will wrap this up with a little message to CS. I would
like to offer my help, in the shape of disk space for
this magazine. In other words, I will be honoured if
you would consider any future articles or perhaps
even a regular chapter in this magazine.
Finally I will bring he address of Cherry Software, if
you have any ideas, questions or whatever. And do
remember the words of Per: it is fun to....

biz kid





CHERRY SOFTWARE
CHERRY SOFTWARE

Rullargatan 9, S-415 26 Gothenburg, Sweden

Tel: +46-31-373297    Fax: +46-31-372397
E-mail: cherry*algonet.se