Iain Mew
@superchartisland.com
Writing a British history of popular video games one UK sales chart #1 at a time. Now in 1986. Also into pop music and writing on The Singles Jukebox. He/him. http://www.superchartisland.com
Pinned
Iain Mew
@superchartisland.com
· Oct 27
Over the last two months on my blog, I've written about the history of each of the nine computer games to reach #1 in UK sales charts during 1985.
Here is a thread with links to those posts, plus one thing I learned for each of them
www.superchartisland.com
Here is a thread with links to those posts, plus one thing I learned for each of them
www.superchartisland.com
To much of the UK in 1986, baseball was just something that happened in Peanuts. One Commodore 64 game by Accolade was so gorgeous a version of the sport that it reached #1 in the charts here anyway, with a small assist from Channel 4. New post on HardBall:
www.superchartisland.com/hardball
www.superchartisland.com/hardball
HardBall – “Fastball ⬆️ Screwball ⬅️ Changeup ⬇️ Curveball ➡️”
In 1979 a group of four Atari programmers left and set up a new company. They felt that they weren’t getting their due for creating the games that made up the majority of Atari’s sales, and their a…
www.superchartisland.com
December 1, 2025 at 6:33 AM
To much of the UK in 1986, baseball was just something that happened in Peanuts. One Commodore 64 game by Accolade was so gorgeous a version of the sport that it reached #1 in the charts here anyway, with a small assist from Channel 4. New post on HardBall:
www.superchartisland.com/hardball
www.superchartisland.com/hardball
Reposted by Iain Mew
ICYMI, my post this week was on Kung-Fu Master (originally called Spartan-X). Read about:
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
Kung-Fu Master – “Martial arts experts and demons of every description”
In 1982, Takashi Nishiyama directed an arcade game called Moon Patrol, for Irem. It featured a moon buggy which moves constantly across a lunar landscape, where you have to jump over holes while sh…
www.superchartisland.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:17 PM
ICYMI, my post this week was on Kung-Fu Master (originally called Spartan-X). Read about:
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
Researching for a future post on Uridium and it turns out its developer Andrew Braybrook has published something detailed and interesting on his games career, including its development, just a month ago:
uridiumauthor.blogspot.com/2025/10/here...
uridiumauthor.blogspot.com/2025/10/here...
The Beginning
Here are some articles I wrote, for free, but got fired before the completion of the series, ostensibly for writing another article, for fre...
uridiumauthor.blogspot.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Researching for a future post on Uridium and it turns out its developer Andrew Braybrook has published something detailed and interesting on his games career, including its development, just a month ago:
uridiumauthor.blogspot.com/2025/10/here...
uridiumauthor.blogspot.com/2025/10/here...
Reposted by Iain Mew
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
November 27, 2025 at 11:57 PM
This line from Video Games (Apr 83) was too prescient. One of the more frustrating things to me about the state of video game preservation is what feels like a general lack of interest in pre-'80s games; I will never stop banging the drum about the importance of '70s games (especially Death Race).
ICYMI, my post this week was on Kung-Fu Master (originally called Spartan-X). Read about:
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
Kung-Fu Master – “Martial arts experts and demons of every description”
In 1982, Takashi Nishiyama directed an arcade game called Moon Patrol, for Irem. It featured a moon buggy which moves constantly across a lunar landscape, where you have to jump over holes while sh…
www.superchartisland.com
November 28, 2025 at 3:17 PM
ICYMI, my post this week was on Kung-Fu Master (originally called Spartan-X). Read about:
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
- its Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee inspirations
- how the makers of the UK #1 hit C64 port never made another game but did trouble Bill Gates
- Jan 1986 being thought "late in the day" for martial arts games
Reposted by Iain Mew
If you haven't got around to VIDEOVERSE yet, this is the best way to support me today. 20% off, too!
November 28, 2025 at 10:57 AM
If you haven't got around to VIDEOVERSE yet, this is the best way to support me today. 20% off, too!
Reposted by Iain Mew
When you say Men are so BACK you mean...Brett Anderson?
November 28, 2025 at 9:46 AM
When you say Men are so BACK you mean...Brett Anderson?
Reposted by Iain Mew
Closest thing you'll see from me maybe ever to a personal essay about a video game vgbees.com/im-great-at-...
I'm Great At Baby Steps Because I Walk Like That In Real Life - VGBees
CW: medical talk, surgical talk, bones, car accident In late May, an uninsured Lexus driver ran a yellow light and pulled in front of me...
vgbees.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Closest thing you'll see from me maybe ever to a personal essay about a video game vgbees.com/im-great-at-...
Reposted by Iain Mew
I wrote about systemic medical bias, chocolate medals and Eamonn Holmes
Diagnosed but not believed: Autistic women and the medical gaze
A GP I met for the first time three minutes ago is glancing over my electronic health record, trying to match it with the woman before him…
medium.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:26 AM
I wrote about systemic medical bias, chocolate medals and Eamonn Holmes
Reposted by Iain Mew
relevant to this & posted just now 👉 www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/alt...
Alternative Games From The Fringes Of Cyberspace (fighting for art and something better in this dystopian digital world)
www.nathalielawhead.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:49 PM
relevant to this & posted just now 👉 www.nathalielawhead.com/candybox/alt...
Reposted by Iain Mew
Almost emotional to listen to this - as a huge Imogen Heap fan, it's been disheartening to see her flush herself down the NFT/AI drain, so to hear someone flawlessly continue where she left off is nothing short of extraordinary.
In a world of cookie cutter EDM, you owe yourself a listen to this.
In a world of cookie cutter EDM, you owe yourself a listen to this.
. ★⋆. ALBUM RELEASE . ★⋆.
stutter is out now ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡
🖇️ ⋆｡「 linktr.ee/laryssaokada 」
this record is a reflection of my innermost thoughts & pains over this past year. my god it's been a long one. but despite the world's horrors, we must persevere & create art. we must maintain our whimsy!
stutter is out now ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡
🖇️ ⋆｡「 linktr.ee/laryssaokada 」
this record is a reflection of my innermost thoughts & pains over this past year. my god it's been a long one. but despite the world's horrors, we must persevere & create art. we must maintain our whimsy!
November 27, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Almost emotional to listen to this - as a huge Imogen Heap fan, it's been disheartening to see her flush herself down the NFT/AI drain, so to hear someone flawlessly continue where she left off is nothing short of extraordinary.
In a world of cookie cutter EDM, you owe yourself a listen to this.
In a world of cookie cutter EDM, you owe yourself a listen to this.
Reposted by Iain Mew
The Story of the 12 Tribes of Lemming Island, a pack-in novel with some releases of Lemmings 2: The Tribes, has been scanned and archived (thanks to @capnkabuki.bsky.social for donating this!) Please enjoy!
archive.org/details/The-...
archive.org/details/The-...
November 26, 2025 at 8:10 PM
The Story of the 12 Tribes of Lemming Island, a pack-in novel with some releases of Lemmings 2: The Tribes, has been scanned and archived (thanks to @capnkabuki.bsky.social for donating this!) Please enjoy!
archive.org/details/The-...
archive.org/details/The-...
Reposted by Iain Mew
this is insane both on its face and with several more insane details once you read the full thing
Our upcoming game HORSES was preemptively banned from Steam, with no path to appeal. The game will still launch next week on December 2nd and will be available on EGS, GOG, Humble, and Itch for $4.99. Here is a detailed FAQ covering what happened: horses.wtf/BannedFromSt...
November 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
this is insane both on its face and with several more insane details once you read the full thing
Reposted by Iain Mew
NEW VIDEO: Phoenix Games is beyond notorious for releasing metric tons of garbage for the the PlayStations 1 and 2, sometimes in compilations of asset flips.
What if, though, one of these games was kinda... okay? And how would such a thing be possible?
youtu.be/EngHesUk2g8
What if, though, one of these games was kinda... okay? And how would such a thing be possible?
youtu.be/EngHesUk2g8
That time Phoenix Games accidentally released something kinda okay
YouTube video by Alien Bob
youtu.be
November 25, 2025 at 11:02 AM
NEW VIDEO: Phoenix Games is beyond notorious for releasing metric tons of garbage for the the PlayStations 1 and 2, sometimes in compilations of asset flips.
What if, though, one of these games was kinda... okay? And how would such a thing be possible?
youtu.be/EngHesUk2g8
What if, though, one of these games was kinda... okay? And how would such a thing be possible?
youtu.be/EngHesUk2g8
#TheTwen2ie5
Day 50
Jens Lekman - Wedding in Leipzig
(2025, Sweden)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQBU...
The full Jens Lekman experience in one gentle 10 minute epic: fantasia strings, thoughtful vulnerability, wedding DJ farce & a lesson in pronouncing the name of a European city
Day 50
Jens Lekman - Wedding in Leipzig
(2025, Sweden)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQBU...
The full Jens Lekman experience in one gentle 10 minute epic: fantasia strings, thoughtful vulnerability, wedding DJ farce & a lesson in pronouncing the name of a European city
Jens Lekman - Wedding in Leipzig (Official Lyric Video)
YouTube video by JensLekmanVEVO
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:56 AM
#TheTwen2ie5
Day 50
Jens Lekman - Wedding in Leipzig
(2025, Sweden)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQBU...
The full Jens Lekman experience in one gentle 10 minute epic: fantasia strings, thoughtful vulnerability, wedding DJ farce & a lesson in pronouncing the name of a European city
Day 50
Jens Lekman - Wedding in Leipzig
(2025, Sweden)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQBU...
The full Jens Lekman experience in one gentle 10 minute epic: fantasia strings, thoughtful vulnerability, wedding DJ farce & a lesson in pronouncing the name of a European city
Reposted by Iain Mew
I wasn't expecting the throughline from Nintendo's Famicom version of Spartan-X to Super Mario Bros. to be quite so visually obvious (we wanted to get away from black backgrounds, said Miyamoto)
November 24, 2025 at 3:59 PM
I wasn't expecting the throughline from Nintendo's Famicom version of Spartan-X to Super Mario Bros. to be quite so visually obvious (we wanted to get away from black backgrounds, said Miyamoto)
Reposted by Iain Mew
A 1984 arcade game of a Jackie Chan movie kicked off the beat-'em-up genre. Then those who made it and its ports took what they learned to Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., and a Windows rival that briefly had Microsoft worried. New post on Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
Kung-Fu Master – “Martial arts experts and demons of every description”
In 1982, Takashi Nishiyama directed an arcade game called Moon Patrol, for Irem. It featured a moon buggy which moves constantly across a lunar landscape, where you have to jump over holes while sh…
www.superchartisland.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:01 AM
A 1984 arcade game of a Jackie Chan movie kicked off the beat-'em-up genre. Then those who made it and its ports took what they learned to Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., and a Windows rival that briefly had Microsoft worried. New post on Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
What do Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo and Chris Hawley of Berkeley Softworks have in common? Not very much, but they did both work on hit conversions of the same game.
The story of Spartan-X aka Kung Fu aka Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
The story of Spartan-X aka Kung Fu aka Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
Kung-Fu Master – “Martial arts experts and demons of every description”
In 1982, Takashi Nishiyama directed an arcade game called Moon Patrol, for Irem. It featured a moon buggy which moves constantly across a lunar landscape, where you have to jump over holes while sh…
www.superchartisland.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:56 PM
What do Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo and Chris Hawley of Berkeley Softworks have in common? Not very much, but they did both work on hit conversions of the same game.
The story of Spartan-X aka Kung Fu aka Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
The story of Spartan-X aka Kung Fu aka Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
Ah, like how Jacques Villeneuve became Driverone Williams in Formula 1 97 and Driver Williams in F-1 World Grand Prix
Another stupid one from the games I have on my Steam Deck: in WRC 2001, you can play as beloved racer FORD DRIVER due to the WRC license granting a full roster of drivers, teams, and tracks from the 2001 season but Colin McRae’s name and likeness already being snapped up for his own series.
November 24, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Ah, like how Jacques Villeneuve became Driverone Williams in Formula 1 97 and Driver Williams in F-1 World Grand Prix
A 1984 arcade game of a Jackie Chan movie kicked off the beat-'em-up genre. Then those who made it and its ports took what they learned to Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., and a Windows rival that briefly had Microsoft worried. New post on Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
Kung-Fu Master – “Martial arts experts and demons of every description”
In 1982, Takashi Nishiyama directed an arcade game called Moon Patrol, for Irem. It featured a moon buggy which moves constantly across a lunar landscape, where you have to jump over holes while sh…
www.superchartisland.com
November 24, 2025 at 7:01 AM
A 1984 arcade game of a Jackie Chan movie kicked off the beat-'em-up genre. Then those who made it and its ports took what they learned to Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros., and a Windows rival that briefly had Microsoft worried. New post on Kung-Fu Master:
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
www.superchartisland.com/kung-fu-master
#TheTwen2ie5
Day 48
Fred Again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax - Victory Lap
(2025, UK)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=08C9...
Superbly chosen and used Doechii sample, and they carry the momentum through from there
Day 48
Fred Again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax - Victory Lap
(2025, UK)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=08C9...
Superbly chosen and used Doechii sample, and they carry the momentum through from there
Fred again.. x Skepta x PlaqueBoyMax - Victory Lap (NYC, 17th June 2025)
YouTube video by Fred again . .
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:24 AM
#TheTwen2ie5
Day 48
Fred Again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax - Victory Lap
(2025, UK)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=08C9...
Superbly chosen and used Doechii sample, and they carry the momentum through from there
Day 48
Fred Again.., Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax - Victory Lap
(2025, UK)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=08C9...
Superbly chosen and used Doechii sample, and they carry the momentum through from there
Reposted by Iain Mew
#Discourse2000 is back! This intro post sets the scene for the 1978 posts with an overview of the different tribes of early #2000AD creators - the professionals, the rebels, the fans and the outsiders - and their visions of what the comic is
freakytrigger.co.uk/wedge/2025/1...
freakytrigger.co.uk/wedge/2025/1...
Dance Our Way Out Of Our Constrictions: INTRO ’78
Previously on Discourse 2000: After successfully helping launch war comic Battle, editor Pat Mills had the opportunity to launch a new kind of boys’ comic at publishers IPC – Action, a title which tur...
freakytrigger.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 6:26 PM
#Discourse2000 is back! This intro post sets the scene for the 1978 posts with an overview of the different tribes of early #2000AD creators - the professionals, the rebels, the fans and the outsiders - and their visions of what the comic is
freakytrigger.co.uk/wedge/2025/1...
freakytrigger.co.uk/wedge/2025/1...
#TheTwen2ie5
Day 48
Meovv - Hands Up
(2025, Korea)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL0p...
Teddy and YG haven't had a girl group properly take off in a while, but I like this apocalyptic dance pop more than anything by Blackpink this decade. Love the bit where it turns into its own remix.
Day 48
Meovv - Hands Up
(2025, Korea)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL0p...
Teddy and YG haven't had a girl group properly take off in a while, but I like this apocalyptic dance pop more than anything by Blackpink this decade. Love the bit where it turns into its own remix.
MEOVV(미야오) - ‘HANDS UP’ M/V
YouTube video by THEBLACKLABEL
www.youtube.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:02 AM
#TheTwen2ie5
Day 48
Meovv - Hands Up
(2025, Korea)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL0p...
Teddy and YG haven't had a girl group properly take off in a while, but I like this apocalyptic dance pop more than anything by Blackpink this decade. Love the bit where it turns into its own remix.
Day 48
Meovv - Hands Up
(2025, Korea)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL0p...
Teddy and YG haven't had a girl group properly take off in a while, but I like this apocalyptic dance pop more than anything by Blackpink this decade. Love the bit where it turns into its own remix.
Reposted by Iain Mew
this is how you lose the dish war
November 22, 2025 at 4:22 PM
this is how you lose the dish war
Reposted by Iain Mew
the post credits cutscene of kingdom hearts 3 only makes sense if you're aware of the events of TWO different mobile phone games that aren't available anymore, one of which was japan-exclusive
(they recap them in the collections but only partially!!!)
(they recap them in the collections but only partially!!!)
After "film trilogy that dropped a critical plot point exclusively via timed Fortnite event" and "video game series whose story only makes sense if you're aware of the events of a canon pachinko machine", I feel like there are whole frontiers of user-hostile narrative design waiting to be explored.
November 22, 2025 at 6:02 AM
the post credits cutscene of kingdom hearts 3 only makes sense if you're aware of the events of TWO different mobile phone games that aren't available anymore, one of which was japan-exclusive
(they recap them in the collections but only partially!!!)
(they recap them in the collections but only partially!!!)