imported>The Space Enthusiast: Importing Wikidata short description: "Video game developer"

2025-06-09T20:23:49Z

Importing Wikidata short description: "Video game developer"

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{{Short description|Video game developer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Apex Computer Productions
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| location = [[United Kingdom]]
| key_people = John Rowlands<br />Steve Rowlands
| industry = [[Video game industry|Video games]]
| products =
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}}
'''Apex Computer Productions''' was the brothers [[John Rowlands (programmer)|John]] and [[Steve Rowlands]], [[United Kingdom|British]] based [[game designer]]s and programmers on the [[Commodore 64]] in the late 1980s and early 1990s.<ref name=itproportal />

They programmed in pure [[assembly language]] and their earliest commercial release was ''[[Cyberdyne Warrior]]'', a platform shooter, for [[Hewson Consultants|Hewson]] in 1989. Soon after, they entered a relationship with [[Thalamus Ltd|Thalamus]], the game publishing arm of [[Newsfield]], who published their next game, [[Thalamus Ltd|Retrograde]].

==Thalamus relationship==
After ''Creatures'', Apex began work on the sequel ''[[Creatures II: Torture Trouble]]'', still developing on the [[Commodore 64]]. In a startling coup—since Thalamus were associated with a rival magazine publisher in Newsfield, the home of ''[[ZZAP!64]]'' — ''[[Commodore Format]]'' (Future Publishing) secured the rights to serialise the development of the game, which again proved very popular. ''Creatures II'' was received favorably by the critics. ''Creatures II'' focused more on the popular torture screens than on the side-scrolling platforming of ''Creatures''.

Thalamus collapsed shortly after the publication of ''Creatures II'', as the Commodore 64 had started to wane in popularity. Apex then decided to publish for themselves.

==Solo==
''[[Mayhem in Monsterland]]'' was their swan song.<ref name=PI /> Platformers had become very popular, with ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video game)|Sonic The Hedgehog]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' on the consoles. ''Mayhem'' was a game fashioned after ''Sonic'', though mostly a direct descendant of ''Creatures''.

''Mayhem in Monsterland'' was given a "perfect" 100% score when reviewed by ''[[Commodore Format]]'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://commodoreformat.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/cf38_nov1993.jpg|title=Cover page November 1993}}</ref> This proved controversial both because the game contained bugs (not all stars could be collected on all levels), and because the Rowlands brothers had close ties with the magazine, documenting the development of the game in game diary features.

==Games==
*''[[Cyberdyne Warrior]]'' ([[Hewson Consultants|Hewson]], 1989)
*''[[Thalamus Ltd|Retrograde]]'' ([[Thalamus Ltd]], 1989)
*''[[Creatures (Commodore 64 game)|Creatures]]'' (Thalamus Ltd, 1990)
*''[[Creatures II: Torture Trouble]]'' (Thalamus Ltd, 1992)
*''[[Mayhem in Monsterland]]'' (Apex, 1993)

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=itproportal>{{cite web|url=http://www.itproportal.com/2011/05/09/museum-computing-launches-bedroom-coding-day/|title=Museum of Computing launches bedroom coding days|author=Staff Writer|publisher=ITProportal|date=9 May 2011|accessdate=28 January 2012}}</ref>
<ref name=PI>{{cite web|url=http://punto-informatico.it/2623809/PI/News/vita-oltre-morte-del-c64.aspx |title=La vita oltre la morte del C64 |date=15 May 2009 |author=Fabrizio Bartoloni |accessdate=28 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111221074302/http://punto-informatico.it/2623809/PI/News/vita-oltre-morte-del-c64.aspx |archivedate=21 December 2011 }}</ref>
}}

[[Category:Video game development companies]]
[[Category:Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom]]

Apex Computer Productions - Revision history

imported>The Space Enthusiast: Importing Wikidata short description: "Video game developer"