A highlighted review from the http://www.gtw64.co.uk archives
1988 Firebird/Maelstrom
Had it found its way onto the 8-bit market, Whirligig would have been that rare thing for the time, a game released on all the major gaming markets, the 8-bit, 16-bit and the PC. However, although it was released on the ST and the Amiga, and then later the PC, the 8-bit versions never saw the light of day.The game itself is a 3D space exploration game, although in reality it seems like only a few of the sprites, including the player, were drawn in 3D and the game itself plays pretty much in 2D. In fact it plays like a souped-up version of the classic Asteroids and as such seems like it could be easily ported to an 8-bit system.
A review of the game in Computer and Video Games Magazine from August 1988 states that the 8-bit versions were to follow in the autumn along with the PC version, no earlier than October. The PC version made it, so why didnt the 8-bit versions?
We know from an interview Chris Pink did with the Amstrad CPC Games resource website (http://tacgr.emuunlim.com) that not only did he create the graphics for the PC version of Whirligig but that he also programmed the 8-bit versions.
So a version of Whirligig existed for not only the C64 but also the Spectrum and the CPC, so what happened to them? Pink doesnt specify, only to say they never made it onto the platform. Possibly the 8-bit versions couldnt handle the 3D effect and as such had no real selling point, but if thats the case then Pink, who created the 8-bit versions, doesnt mention it.
Pink now lives in the states working for Boss Game Studios, perhaps he holds the answer to the whereabouts of the lost 8-bit conversions and maybe he even still has his copies of the games he himself programmed.
We know the game existed; now its just a case of finding it!
Concept and Atari ST version Mike Singleton
8-Bit conversions Chris Pink
I remember? seeing whirligig mentioned and screen-shotted in some CPC magazine to? little did we realise then how procedurally infinite games are actually quite dull ;) as no-one needs an infinite game as no-one has an infinite time ;) though procedurality has its place in game development. though gauntlet may as well have been infinite on the CPC considering how much it crashed and had no save feature except code words ;)
Thanks! Would be good to find which magazine and issue that was. Something to trawl through some day I think :)