More of the same from Players, with the 3rd and final game in the series. The game got a release on the Spectrum and Amstrad, and got good grades to end things. The C64 version was mentioned within another Player’s game inlay and mentioned that it was coming soon.
Months past after the Spectrum and Amstrad releases, but no C64 version ever made it. Why?.. We are not sure.
For now we are assuming that the same author of the sequel on the C64 would have maybe done number 3 too. We need confirmation though. It could be another developer was assigned, but couldn’t get it finished for various reasons.
A lot more research needed, but could we find something like we did with Fungus 2?
Thanks to contributors, we have learnt that the Spectrum edition of the game did include loading instructions for the C64 edition. So it is seeming more and more likely that a C64 version is out there somewhere. And in late November 2019, Fabrizio Bartoloni dug out details of the developers from the Amstrad inlay, so we now know who was doing the conversion!
We managed to get in touch with the artist, who sadly has nothing of the game – but they confirmed that they had completed all their graphic work and handed everything over to Kevin Parker. They were surprised to learn that the game was never released.
We are now awaiting a response from Kevin to see if he may have something of the game. Watch this space!
Contributions: Marco 'Exile' Das, Fabrizio Bartoloni, Asophdel, Andy Severn
Supporting content
Available downloads
- joeblade3inlay (pdf)
Gallery
Update history
- 16/07/20 – Added scan thanks to Marco ‘Exile’ Das
- 17/12/19 – Solved developer names and made initial progress, thanks to Asphodel.
The instruction for the C64 / 128 version are actually mentioned in the Speccy inlay
Thanks Asphodel, I thought it was. I’ll have to dig out a scan of the inlay to add to the page. Must have been started by someone.
Commodore 64/128: rewind the tape, Hold down SHIFT and tap the RUN/STOP key
then press play on the tape deck. 128 owners ensure that your machine is in
64K mode.
Controls
C64 use a joystick in port two. Spectrum and Amstrad use the standard
keyboard or joystick controls. Unlike Joe Blade one and two to enter a door
above or below you, you must press the down control.
Pause the game by pressing Return/Enter (RUN/STOP on the C64) and Q will
abort
Typed for WOS by Simon Rooney 2003
Source: http://www.worldofspectrum.org/pub/sinclair/games-info/j/JoeBladeIII.txt
Two further notes:
* a comment on LemonC64 stresses the link to Prison Riot, a C64 game also by Players whose sprite is identical to JB III on Speccy and the overal game looks quite similar: http://gamebase64.com/game.php?id=5890&d=18&h=0
* here is a scan of the CPC inlay where C64 version is mentioned (same text as my previous comment quoting the Speccy inlay): https://www.cpc-power.com/extra_lire_fichier.php?extra=notice&fiche=1216&slot=1&part=A&type=.pdf BUT it’s worth noting it also features credits for the C64 conversion!
C64 code by B.C.P.
C64 graphics by Robert Browne
Original C64 music score by Sonic Graffiti.
Amazing detective work Fabrizio! I’ll get the page updated now!! :)
I’ll start doing some digging over the next few days :)
Just to note though that Prison Riot may just have been a quick clone – as it was on the Spectrum as well a year later. Might be the dev was involved though and was B.C.P.
World of Spectrum had an entry for a missing Joe Blade IV. But why we never got 3 I don’t know, not exactly a technically difficult job even on the Speccy. Don’t get me wrong, I love Joe Blade I and II but I’m just saying, a few weeks work at tops. Especially if it had been someone who wrote one of the conversions already and could re-use most of it.