Alligata Explained

Alligata Software Ltd. was a computer games developer and publisher based in Sheffield in the UK in the 1980s.^[1]

The company was founded by brothers Mike and Tim Mahony and their father J.R. Mahony in 1983. They produced games for a number of home computers including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, ZX Spectrum and Dragon 32. The company published many of Tony Crowther's early Commodore 64 games, including Aztec Tomb, Blagger and Loco.^[2] Chris Butler was another programmer whose earlier games were released by Alligata.^[3] The company also published budget priced software under the Budgie label.

Tim Mahony took over the day-to-day running of the company in 1987 and closed the company nine months later. The name and back catalogue were sold to Superior Software.^[4] Two titles were released under the joint Superior/Alligata label for ports of Superior's BBC/Electron games to other systems. Superior also included some old Alligata games on their Play It Again Sam compilations.

Games

• 1983 Aztec Tomb (C64)^[5]
• 1983 Here Comes The Sun (ZX Spectrum)^[6]
• 1983 Bug Blaster (C64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)^[7]
• 1983 Lunar Rescue (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Blagger (C64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, MSX, Commodore 16) A version was also released through Amsoft for the Amstrad CPC^[8]
• 1984 Loco (C64, ZX Spectrum, Atari 8-bit)^[9]
• 1984 Son of Blagger (C64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro)^[10]
• 1985 Who Dares Wins (C64)^[11]
• 1985 Jack Charlton's Match Fishing (C64, ZX Spectrum)^{[12] [13]}
• 1985 Blagger Goes to Hollywood (C64)^{[14] [15]}
• 1986 Who Dares Wins II (C64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, MSX, Amstrad CPC)^{[16] [17]}
• 1986 Night World (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1987 Kettle (C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC)^[18]
• 1987 Livingstone, I Presume? (C64, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC)^[19] UK release of Spanish Opera Soft game Livingstone, Supongo
• 1987 Addicta Ball (C64, MSX, Amiga, Atari ST)^[20]
• 1988 By Fair Means or Foul (C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC)^[21] A Superior/Alligata release
• 1989 Repton Mania (ZX Spectrum) Ports of the first 2 Repton games - A Superior/Alligata release^[22]

Budgie label

Alligata published budget games under the Budgie label^[23] from 1985. When a typical Alligata game would cost around £6.95, Budgie games sold for only £1.99 in order to compete with the likes of budget software pioneer Mastertronic, already selling games at that level. Almost all titles were original rather than re-issues of Alligata games. Probably the most well known game is space shoot 'em up Video's Revenge (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron) with others including Convoy (ZX Spectrum), Super Sam (ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC), Raskel (C64) and Shuffle (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron).

External links

• Alligata at World of Spectrum
• Alligata at the BBC Games Archive
• Budgie at World of Spectrum
• Who Dares Wins game ending by Alligata Software

Notes and References

1. Web site: ALLIGATA SOFTWARE LIMITED. Free business summary taken from official companies house information. Free alerts. Registered as 01742202 . 2018-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180507085606/https://companycheck.co.uk/company/01742202/ALLIGATA-SOFTWARE-LIMITED/companies-house-data . 2018-05-07 . dead.
2. Web site: The BBC Games Archive - Welcome. Beebgames.com. 13 March 2019.
3. Web site: The Butler did it! » Codetapper's C64 Site. Codetapper.com.
4. News. Acorn User. 76. Redwood Publishing. November 1988. 11. 10 July 2024.
5. Web site: Aztec Tomb - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
6. Web site: Sinclair ZX Spectrum Reviews . 2016-08-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160810100724/http://zxspectrumreviews.co.uk/Review.aspx?rid=5049&gid=2492 . 2016-08-10 . dead.
7. Web site: Bug Blaster - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
8. Web site: Blagger Amsoft/Alligata. PressReader. 30 May 2022.
9. Web site: Loco - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
10. Web site: Son of Blagger - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
11. Web site: Who Dares Wins - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
12. Web site: STADIUM 64 - Game Infos: Jack Charlton's Match Fishing. Stadium64.com. 13 March 2019.
13. Web site: Jack Charlton's Match Fishing - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
14. Web site: Impossible to Display Scan. Zzap64.co.uk. 13 March 2019.
15. Web site: Blagger goes to Hollywood - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
16. Web site: Who Dares Wins II - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
17. Web site: Who Dares Wins II - World of Spectrum. Worldofspectrum.org. 13 March 2019.
18. Web site: Kettle - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
19. Web site: Livingstone, I Presume? - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
20. Web site: Addicta Ball - Commodore 64 Game / C64 Games, C64 reviews, downloads & SID tunes. Lemon64.com. 13 March 2019.
21. Web site: STADIUM 64 - Game Infos: By Fair Means Or Foul. Stadium64.com. 13 March 2019.
22. Web site: Sinclair User Magazine Issue 085. Archive.org. April 1989.
23. Web site: Archived copy . 2016-08-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160410120117/http://www.ysrnry.co.uk/articles/tzers0287.htm . 2016-04-10 . dead.