Epyx
Epyx, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher active in the late 1970s and 1980s. The company was founded in 1978 as Automated Simulations by Jim Connelley and Jon Freeman, publishing a series of tactical combat games. The Epyx brand was introduced when the company branched out to a series of more action-oriented titles. In 1983, as these types of games now represented the majority of their product line, the company was renamed to match. Epyx published a long series of games through the 1980s. The company's assets are currently owned by Bridgestone Multimedia Group Global.
History
Formation
In 1977, Susan Lee-Merrow invited Jon Freeman to join a Dungeons & Dragons game hosted by Jim Connelley and Jeff Johnson. Connelley later purchased a Commodore PET computer to help with the bookkeeping involved in being a dungeon master, and he came up with the idea of writing a computer game for the machine before the end of the year so he could write it off on his taxes. Freeman had written on gaming for several publications, and he joined Connelley in the design of a new space-themed wargame. Starting work around August 1978, Freeman wrote the basic rules, mission sets, background stories and the manual, while Connelley coded up the system in PET BASIC.The BASIC era
The two formed Automated Simulations around Thanksgiving 1978 to market their first game, and released it in December as Starfleet Orion. Examining contemporary magazines suggests this is the first commercial space-themed wargame for a personal computer. As the game was written in BASIC, it was easy to port to other home computers of the era, starting with the TRS-80 and then the Apple II, the latter featuring rudimentary graphics. They followed this game with 1979's Invasion Orion, which included a computer opponent so as not to require two human players.The company's next release, Temple of Apshai, was very successful, selling over 20,000 copies. As the game was not a "simulation" of anything, the company introduced the Epyx brand name for these more action-oriented titles. Rated as the best computer game by practically every magazine of the era, Apshai was soon ported from the TRS-80 to additional systems, such as the Atari 8-bit computers and Commodore 64. Apshai spawned a number of similar adventure games based on the same game engine, including two direct sequels, branded under the Dunjonquest label. The games were so successful that they were later re-released in 1985 as the Temple of Apshai Trilogy.
Using the same BASIC game engine, a series of "semi-action" games followed under the Epyx brand, including Crush, Crumble and Chomp!, Rescue at Rigel, and Star Warrior, each of which added twists to the Apshai engine.
Growth and action focus
Freeman became increasingly frustrated by Connelley's refusal to update the game engine. He left the company to start Free Fall Associates in 1981, leaving Connelley to lead what was now a large company.A year later, Epyx was starting to have financial difficulties. Jim Connelley wanted and received money through venture capital, and the venture capitalists installed Michael Katz to manage the company. Connelley clashed with new management, left Epyx, and formed his own development team, The Connelley Group, with all of the programmers going with him, but continued to work under the Epyx umbrella.
With no programmers to develop any games in-house, Michael Katz needed to hire programmers to ensure a steady supply of games. Several venture capital owners involved in Epyx also had ownership of a company called Starpath. While Starpath had several young programmers and hardware engineers, they were facing financial difficulties as well. Around this time, an independent submission to publish a game called Jumpman came through and was a big hit for Epyx. The success of Jumpman made Epyx a lot of money, so Michael Katz had the capital to create a merger between Epyx and Starpath, bringing Starpath's programmers and hardware engineers under the same company. Michael Katz left Epyx in 1984 after being hired away by Atari Corporation as their President of Entertainment Electronics Division, and was replaced by Gilbert Freeman.
By 1983 Epyx discontinued its older games because, Jerry Pournelle reported, "its managers tell me that arcade games so outsell strategic games that it just isn't cost-effective to put programmer time on strategy." By early 1984, InfoWorld estimated that Epyx was the world's 16th-largest microcomputer-software company, with $10 million in 1983 sales. Many successful action games followed, including the hits Impossible Mission and the sports game Summer Games. The latter created a long run of successful sequels, including Summer Games II, Winter Games, California Games, and World Games. The company produced games based on licenses of Hot Wheels, G.I. Joe, and Barbie. In Europe, U.S. Gold published Epyx games for the Commodore 64, and also ported many of the games to other major European platforms such as the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC.
For the Commodore 64, Epyx made the Fast Load cartridge which enables a fivefold speedup of floppy disk drive accesses through Commodore's very slow serial interface. Another hardware product was the Epyx 500XJ Joystick, which uses high-quality microswitches and a more ergonomic form factor than the standard Atari CX40 joystick while remaining compatible.
Starting in 1986, Epyx realized that the Commodore 64 was starting to show its age, and they needed to think about the future of the company. They hired Dave Morse to explore the next generation of consoles and computers and to learn about their strengths. David's son wanted his father to come up with a portable game system, so he had a meeting with former colleagues at Amiga Corporation, RJ Mical and Dave Needle, to see if there was a way to design a portable gaming system. Internally, the handheld gaming system they were working on was called the Handy. Unable to continue due to high costs, it was sold to Atari Corporation which brought it to market in 1989 as the Atari Lynx.
Litigation
In 1987, Epyx faced an important copyright infringement lawsuit from Data East USA regarding Epyx's Commodore 64 video game World Karate Championship. Data East thought the whole game, and particularly the depiction of the referee, looked too much like its 1984 arcade game Karate Champ. Data East won at the US District Court level and Judge William Ingram ordered Epyx to recall all copies of World Karate Championship. Epyx appealed the case to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, who reversed the judgment and ruled in favor of Epyx, stating that copyright protection did not extend to the idea of a tournament karate game, but specific artistic choices not dictated by that idea. The Court noted that a "17.5 year-old boy" could see clear differences between the elements of each game actually subject to copyright.Bankruptcy and asset sales
Epyx was unable to fulfill its contract with Atari to finish developing Lynx hardware and software, and the latter withheld payments that the former needed. By the end of 1989, Epyx discontinued developing computer games, began making only console games, and filed for Chapter 11, Title 11, [United States Code|Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection]. According to Stephen Landrum, a long-time game programmer at Epyx, the company went bankrupt "because it never really understood why it had been successful in the past, and then decided to branch out in a lot of directions, all of which turned out to be failures."Epyx had shrunk from 145 employees in 1988 to fewer than 20 by the end of 1989. After emerging from bankruptcy the company resumed game development but only for the Lynx, with Atari acting as publisher. In 1993, with eight employees left, they decided just to sell off the rest of the company. Bridgestone Media Group eventually acquired the rights the rest of Epyx's assets. Job offers were extended to the eight remaining employees, but only Peter Engelbrite accepted.
In 2006, British publisher System 3 announced it had licensed certain Epyx's assets on a time limited basis to release games such as California Games and Impossible Mission for Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and Wii in 2007.
Products
Games
| Name | Year | Platforms | Description |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | Amiga | An off-road racing game | |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | Amstrad CPC | An off-road racing game | |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | Atari ST | An off-road racing game | |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | Commodore 64 | An off-road racing game | |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | MS-DOS | An off-road racing game | |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | MSX | An off-road racing game | |
| 4x4 Off-Road Racing | ZX Spectrum | An off-road racing game | |
| Alien Garden | Atari 8-bit | An "art game" that required experimentation to understand and win | |
| Armor Assault | Atari 8-bit | A turn-based tank strategy game between Soviet and NATO forces | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | Acorn Electron | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | Amiga | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | Amstrad CPC | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | Apple II | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | Atari ST | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | BBC Micro | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | Commodore 64 | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | MS-DOS | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior | ZX Spectrum | Also known as Death Sword, a fighting game, players fight gory combat against one another or for the sake of a bikini-clad princess. Controversy over the game's packaging in the UK stoked this game's success. | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | Acorn Electron | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | Amiga | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | Amstrad CPC | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | Atari ST | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | BBC Micro | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | Commodore 64 | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | MS-DOS | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | MSX | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbarian II: Dungeons of Drax | ZX Spectrum | Also known as Axe of Rage, a fighting game, garnered much less attention than its predecessor | |
| Barbie | Commodore 64 | Players must successfully prepare for a date with Barbie's male counterpart, Ken | |
| Battle Bugs | MS-DOS | A real-time tactics game featuring bugs battling in common household environments | |
| Battle Bugs | PlayStation | A real-time tactics game featuring bugs battling in common household environments | |
| Battle Bugs | Windows | A real-time tactics game featuring bugs battling in common household environments | |
| Blue Lightning | Jaguar CD | One of the first games for the Lynx, a pseudo-flight simulator where the pilot commands a military aircraft | |
| Blue Lightning | Lynx | One of the first games for the Lynx, a pseudo-flight simulator where the pilot commands a military aircraft | |
| Break Dance | Commodore 64 | A rhythm game similar to Simon inspired by the then-current fad of breakdancing | |
| Boulder Dash Construction Kit | |||
| California Games | Amiga | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Amstrad CPC | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Apple II | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Apple IIGS | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Atari 2600 | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Lynx | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Atari ST | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Commodore 64 | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | MS-DOS | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | MSX | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | NES | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Master System | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Genesis/Mega Drive | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | Virtual Console | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games | ZX Spectrum | A hit for Epyx, a collection of sport games purportedly popular in California, such as half-pipe skateboarding and surfing | |
| California Games II | Amiga | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | |
| California Games II | Atari ST | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | |
| California Games II | MS-DOS | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | |
| California Games II | PlayStation Network | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | |
| California Games II | Master System | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | |
| California Games II | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | ||
| California Games II | Virtual Console | A sequel to California Games, a collection of more California-themed sports games | |
| Championship Wrestling | Apple II | A professional wrestling sports game | |
| Championship Wrestling | Atari ST | A professional wrestling sports game | |
| Championship Wrestling | Commodore 64 | A professional wrestling sports game | |
| Chip's Challenge | Amiga | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | Amstrad CPC | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | Lynx | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | Atari ST | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | Commodore 64 | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | MS-DOS | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | Windows | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Chip's Challenge | ZX Spectrum | Originally designed for the Lynx, this puzzle video game was subsequently ported to several other platforms, sometimes more than once. | |
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | Apple II | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed | |
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | Atari 8-bit | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed | |
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | Commodore 64 | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed | |
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | VIC-20 | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed | |
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | MS-DOS | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed | |
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | TRS-80 | A movie monster strategy game where the player controls a monster and tries to destroy a city without getting killed | |
| Crypt of the Undead | Apple II | a.k.a. The Crypt, a fantasy adventure game with light RPG elements. | |
| Crypt of the Undead | Atari 8-bit | a.k.a. The Crypt, a fantasy adventure game with light RPG elements. | |
| Curse of Ra | An expansion to Temple of Apshai, requiring the original game to play. Included in Temple of Apshai Trilogy | ||
| Danger in Drindisti | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | ||
| ' | Apple II | A "prequel" to Temple of Apshai and part of Epyx's loosely tied Dunjonquest series, a role-playing video game, perhaps the first example of an action role-playing game | |
| ' | Atari 8-bit | A "prequel" to Temple of Apshai and part of Epyx's loosely tied Dunjonquest series, a role-playing video game, perhaps the first example of an action role-playing game | |
| ' | PET | A "prequel" to Temple of Apshai and part of Epyx's loosely tied Dunjonquest series, a role-playing video game, perhaps the first example of an action role-playing game | |
| ' | TRS-80 | A "prequel" to Temple of Apshai and part of Epyx's loosely tied Dunjonquest series, a role-playing video game, perhaps the first example of an action role-playing game | |
| Destroyer | Amiga | A well-received naval combat simulation | |
| Destroyer | Apple II | A well-received naval combat simulation | |
| Destroyer | Apple IIGS | A well-received naval combat simulation | |
| Destroyer | Commodore 64 | A well-received naval combat simulation | |
| Destroyer | MS-DOS | A well-received naval combat simulation | |
| Dragon's Eye | Atari 8-bit | - | |
| Dragon's Eye | Apple II | - | |
| Dragon's Eye | PET | - | |
| Dragonriders of Pern | Atari 8-bit | A strategy video game based on the series of books by Anne McCaffrey | |
| Dragonriders of Pern | Commodore 64 | A strategy video game based on the series of books by Anne McCaffrey | |
| ElectroCop | Lynx | An action game where the player has to rescue the President's daughter | |
| Escape from Vulcan's Isle | |||
| Fax | |||
| Final Assault | Amiga | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Final Assault | Amstrad CPC | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Final Assault | Apple IIGS | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Final Assault | Atari ST | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Final Assault | Commodore 64 | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Final Assault | MS-DOS | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Final Assault | ZX Spectrum | A mountain climbing simulation. Released as Chamonix Challenge in Europe. | |
| Fore! | Apple II | Published as Automated Simulations, a golf game. | |
| Apple II | An action shoot 'em up game based on the popular action figure | ||
| Commodore 64 | An action shoot 'em up game based on the popular action figure | ||
| The Games: Summer Edition | |||
| The Games: Winter Edition | |||
| Gates of Zendocon | Lynx | A sci-fi shoot 'em up | |
| Gateway to Apshai | Atari 8-bit | An action-adventure role-playing video game that served as a prequel to the earlier Temple of Apshai | |
| Gateway to Apshai | ColecoVision | An action-adventure role-playing video game that served as a prequel to the earlier Temple of Apshai | |
| Gateway to Apshai | Commodore 64 | An action-adventure role-playing video game that served as a prequel to the earlier Temple of Apshai | |
| Hellfire Warrior | An entry in the Dunjonquest series of role-playing video games | ||
| Hot Wheels | Commodore 64 | ||
| Impossible Mission | Acorn Electron | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Amstrad CPC | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Apple II | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Atari 7800 | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | BBC Micro | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Commodore 64 | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Nintendo DS | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | NES | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Oric Atmos | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | PlayStation 2 | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | PlayStation Portable | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Master System | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Virtual Console | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | Wii | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission | ZX Spectrum | The player is a secret agent trying to thwart an evil genius's nefarious plans. Debuting on the Commodore 64, this widely hailed game featured aspects of various different game genres, such as action games, adventure games and platform games. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Amiga | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Amstrad CPC | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Apple IIc | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Apple IIe | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Apple IIGS | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Atari ST | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | Commodore 64 | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | MS-DOS | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. | |
| Impossible Mission II | 1989 | NES | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. |
| Impossible Mission II | 1988 | ZX Spectrum | Follow-on sequel to Impossible Mission with expanded gameplay. |
| Invasion Orion | Apple II | A sci-fi strategy video game | |
| Invasion Orion | Atari 8-bit | A sci-fi strategy video game | |
| Invasion Orion | PET | A sci-fi strategy video game | |
| Invasion Orion | TRS-80 | A sci-fi strategy video game | |
| Jabbertalky | |||
| Jet Combat Simulator | Commodore 64 | Also known as Fighter Pilot. Developed by Digital Integration Ltd. Game Program Designed by David K. Marshall; Adapted for the Commodore 64 by Darrel Dennies. | |
| Jumpman | Apple II | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release | |
| Jumpman | Atari 8-bit | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release | |
| Jumpman | Commodore 64 | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release | |
| Jumpman | MS-DOS | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release | |
| Jumpman | TI-89 | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release | |
| Jumpman | Virtual Console | Designed and programmed by Randy Glover, a platform game, a very successful game for Epyx, who sold it for years after its initial release | |
| Jumpman Junior | Atari 8-bit | A "lite" version of Jumpman with only 12 levels | |
| Jumpman Junior | ColecoVision | A "lite" version of Jumpman with only 12 levels | |
| Jumpman Junior | Commodore 64 | A "lite" version of Jumpman with only 12 levels | |
| ' | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | ||
| King Arthur's Heir | |||
| L.A. Crackdown | |||
| Legend of Blacksilver | Apple II | A fantasy role-playing video game that was met with lukewarm reception due to its stale graphics and unimaginative presentation | |
| Legend of Blacksilver | Commodore 64 | A fantasy role-playing video game that was met with lukewarm reception due to its stale graphics and unimaginative presentation | |
| Mind-Roll | Amiga | Also known as Quedex. A marble dexterity game made by Thalamus. | |
| Mind-Roll | Commodore 64 | Also known as Quedex. A marble dexterity game made by Thalamus. | |
| Monster Maze | VIC-20 | ||
| Morloc's Tower | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | ||
| ' | Apple II | An action game where the player gets to assume the role of one of various monster movie standards | |
| ' | Commodore 64 | An action game where the player gets to assume the role of one of various monster movie standards | |
| New World | |||
| ' | |||
| Oil Barons | Apple II | A peculiar hybrid of video game and board game, this game sold poorly upon its release and is very rare today | |
| Oil Barons | Commodore 64 | A peculiar hybrid of video game and board game, this game sold poorly upon its release and is very rare today | |
| Oil Barons | MS-DOS | A peculiar hybrid of video game and board game, this game sold poorly upon its release and is very rare today | |
| Omnicron Conspiracy | |||
| Pitstop | |||
| Pitstop II | Apple II | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing | |
| Pitstop II | Atari 8-bit | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing | |
| Pitstop II | Commodore 64 | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing | |
| Pitstop II | IBM PC | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing | |
| Pitstop II | TRS-80 Color Computer | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing | |
| Pitstop II | Virtual Console | A widely hailed racing game, the first to implement a split-screen for simultaneous two-player racing | |
| PlatterMania | Atari 8-bit | ||
| Project Neptune | |||
| Purple Saturn Day | Amiga | A sports game with a variety of Olympic-themed sci-fi events that garnered high praise | |
| Purple Saturn Day | Amstrad CPC | A sports game with a variety of Olympic-themed sci-fi events that garnered high praise | |
| Purple Saturn Day | Atari ST | A sports game with a variety of Olympic-themed sci-fi events that garnered high praise | |
| Purple Saturn Day | MS-DOS | A sports game with a variety of Olympic-themed sci-fi events that garnered high praise | |
| Purple Saturn Day | ZX Spectrum | A sports game with a variety of Olympic-themed sci-fi events that garnered high praise | |
| Puzzle Panic | Atari 8-bit | A puzzle game featuring a lightbulb named "Benny" | |
| Puzzle Panic | Commodore 64 | A puzzle game featuring a lightbulb named "Benny" | |
| Rad Warrior | Commodore 64 | Published as The Sacred Armour of Antiriad outside of North America and set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, a combination action puzzle and platform game; came with a 16-page comic book | |
| Rad Warrior | MS-DOS | Published as The Sacred Armour of Antiriad outside of North America and set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, a combination action puzzle and platform game; came with a 16-page comic book | |
| Rad Warrior | TRS-80 | Published as The Sacred Armour of Antiriad outside of North America and set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, a combination action puzzle and platform game; came with a 16-page comic book | |
| Rescue at Rigel | Apple II | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel | |
| Rescue at Rigel | Atari 8-bit | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel | |
| Rescue at Rigel | PET | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel | |
| Rescue at Rigel | IBM PC | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel | |
| Rescue at Rigel | TRS-80 | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel | |
| Rescue at Rigel | VIC-20 | Probably inspired by the Iran hostage crisis, the player must rescue hostages on an asteroid orbiting the star Rigel | |
| Revenge of Defender | |||
| Ricochet | |||
| Rogue | Amiga | A groundbreaking dungeon crawler that introduced a number of game innovations. Originally developed on the Berkley Unix distribution, Epyx paid for three ports to home computers. | |
| Rogue | Atari ST | A groundbreaking dungeon crawler that introduced a number of game innovations. Originally developed on the Berkley Unix distribution, Epyx paid for three ports to home computers. | |
| Rogue | TRS-80 Color Computer | A groundbreaking dungeon crawler that introduced a number of game innovations. Originally developed on the Berkley Unix distribution, Epyx paid for three ports to home computers. | |
| Snowstrike | |||
| Silicon Warrior | Atari 8-bit | An action-puzzle game developed by The Connelley Group | |
| Silicon Warrior | Commodore 64 | An action-puzzle game developed by The Connelley Group | |
| Sorcerer of Siva | An entry in the loosely tied Dunjonquest series of fantasy role-playing video games | ||
| Space Station Oblivion | Amiga | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game | |
| Space Station Oblivion | Amstrad CPC | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game | |
| Space Station Oblivion | Atari ST | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game | |
| Space Station Oblivion | Commodore 64 | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game | |
| Space Station Oblivion | MS-DOS | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game | |
| Space Station Oblivion | ZX Spectrum | Released as Driller outside North America, a sci-fi puzzle game | |
| Spiderbot | Commodore 64 | Originally released in Europe as Arac by Addictive Software in 1986. | |
| Starfleet Orion | Apple II | The first game by Epyx, then Automated Simulations, a sci-fi turn-based strategy video game. A success, leading to their development of further games. | |
| Starfleet Orion | PET | The first game by Epyx, then Automated Simulations, a sci-fi turn-based strategy video game. A success, leading to their development of further games. | |
| Starfleet Orion | TRS-80 | The first game by Epyx, then Automated Simulations, a sci-fi turn-based strategy video game. A success, leading to their development of further games. | |
| Star Warrior | Apple II | Branded as being part of their loosely related "Starquest" series, an early sci-fi role-playing video game when Epyx was still "Automated Simulations" | |
| Star Warrior | Atari 8-bit | Branded as being part of their loosely related "Starquest" series, an early sci-fi role-playing video game when Epyx was still "Automated Simulations" | |
| Star Warrior | TRS-80 | Branded as being part of their loosely related "Starquest" series, an early sci-fi role-playing video game when Epyx was still "Automated Simulations" | |
| Street Sports Baseball | Apple II | A baseball sports game. | |
| Street Sports Baseball | Commodore 64 | A baseball sports game. | |
| Street Sports Baseball | MS-DOS | A baseball sports game. | |
| Street Sports Basketball | Amiga | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games | |
| Street Sports Basketball | Amstrad CPC | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games | |
| Street Sports Basketball | Apple II | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games | |
| Street Sports Basketball | Commodore 64 | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games | |
| Street Sports Basketball | MS-DOS | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games | |
| Street Sports Basketball | ZX Spectrum | A sports game of basketball featuring 3-a-side games | |
| Street Sports Football | Commodore 64 | A football sports game | |
| Street Sports Football | Apple II | A football sports game | |
| Street Sports Soccer | Commodore 64 | Another in Epyx's "street sports" line, this one featuring soccer | |
| Street Sports Soccer | Apple II | Another in Epyx's "street sports" line, this one featuring soccer | |
| Street Sports Soccer | MS-DOS | Another in Epyx's "street sports" line, this one featuring soccer | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Amiga | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Apple II | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Apple IIGS | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Atari ST | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Commodore 64 | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | MS-DOS | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Mac | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Sub Battle Simulator | Tandy Color Computer 3 | A naval combat simulation game set during WWII where players can play as the American or German forces | |
| Summer Games | Amiga | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Apple II | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Atari 2600 | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Atari 7800 | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Atari 8-bit | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Commodore 64 | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Master System | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | ZX Spectrum | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games | Windows Mobile | A sports game including several games featured in the Summer Olympic Games such as pole vaulting, platform diving and gymnastics, among others | |
| Summer Games II | Amiga | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | Amstrad CPC | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | Apple II | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | Atari ST | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | Commodore 64 | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | MS-DOS | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | ZX Spectrum | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Summer Games II | Virtual Console | A sequel to Summer Games, this sports game features additional events from the Summer Olympic Games | |
| Super Cycle | Amstrad CPC | A motorcycle racing game. | |
| Super Cycle | Atari ST | A motorcycle racing game. | |
| Super Cycle | Commodore 64 | A motorcycle racing game. | |
| Super Cycle | ZX Spectrum | A motorcycle racing game. | |
| Sword of Fargoal | Commodore 64 | A popular but difficult dungeon crawler featuring several aspects of the roguelike games | |
| Sword of Fargoal | PET | A popular but difficult dungeon crawler featuring several aspects of the roguelike games | |
| Sword of Fargoal | VIC-20 | A popular but difficult dungeon crawler featuring several aspects of the roguelike games | |
| Temple of Apshai | Amiga | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | Amstrad CPC | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | Apple II | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | Atari 8-bit | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | Atari ST | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | Commodore 64 | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | PET | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | VIC-20 | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | MS-DOS | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | Mac | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai | TRS-80 | An early role-playing video game released during the height of the initial popularity of Dungeons & Dragons, the first entry in the Dunjonquest series was an enormous hit for Epyx, then known as Automated Simulations | |
| Temple of Apshai Trilogy | A repackaging of Temple of Apshai with its two expansion packs, Upper Reaches of Apshai and Curse of Ra | ||
| Tuesday Morning Quarterback | Apple II | Released under Automated Simulations, an American football simulation, featuring single player and player-vs.-player gameplay. | |
| Tuesday Morning Quarterback | TRS-80 | Released under Automated Simulations, an American football simulation, featuring single player and player-vs.-player gameplay. | |
| Upper Reaches of Apshai | An expansion pack for Temple of Apshai that required the original program to run. Included in Temple of Apshai Trilogy | ||
| Winter Games | Atari 2600 | A sports game including several events featured in the Winter Olympic Games such as alpine skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, among others | |
| Winter Games | Atari 8-bit | A sports game including several events featured in the Winter Olympic Games such as alpine skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, among others | |
| Winter Games | Commodore 64 | A sports game including several events featured in the Winter Olympic Games such as alpine skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, among others | |
| Winter Games | MS-DOS | A sports game including several events featured in the Winter Olympic Games such as alpine skiing, ski jumping and biathlon, among others | |
| World Games | Amiga | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Amstrad CPC | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Apple IIe | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Apple IIGS | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Atari ST | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Commodore 64 | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | MS-DOS | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | MSX | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Master System | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | Virtual Console | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Games | ZX Spectrum | A continuation of their successful Olympic-themed games such as Summer Games and Winter Games, this sports game features several events that are popular in different parts of the world, but not necessarily featured in the Olympic Games, such as log rolling and sumo wrestling. | |
| World Karate Championship | Amstrad CPC | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Apple II | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Atari 8-bit | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Atari ST | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Commodore 16 | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Commodore 64 | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | MS-DOS | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Game Boy Advance | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Game Boy Color | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | MSX | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | Virtual Console | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| World Karate Championship | ZX Spectrum | A karate fighting game, known as International Karate outside North America | |
| Zarlor Mercenary | Lynx | Vertically scrolling shooter |