AD

Reminiscing About Virgin Games 15 Years Later

Virgin Group have always had an interest in gaming, forming Virgin Games Ltd over 15 years ago in 1983, and whilst Virgin Games Ltd went defunct in 2003 they were responsible for some pretty iconic titles.

After cosying up with Sega in the late 80s and distributing the Sega Master System in Europe it became a very successful venture. Getting the rights to create and publish a large variety of licensed titles, perhaps most famously the Disney titles, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Here I look back at five of their huge selection of titles across a multitude of platforms.

Chuck Rock - Mega Drive/Genesis

1992

The eponymous Chuck Rock was an overweight, stereotypical caveman with a big gut that he used to attack enemies. When Ophelia Rock is kidnapped by Garry Gritter (yes, really!) it’s up to Chuck to save the day as he platforms his way across a variety of landscapes before ending up in a dinosaur graveyard.

This appeared on nearly every system of the time including the SNES, Amiga, Game Boy and many more. It also spawned a sequel in the form of Chuck Rock II: Son of Chuck in 1993.

Corporation - Mega Drive/Genesis

1992

This atmospheric sci-fi first-person shooter tasked you with descending a tower after landing on its roof. Your mission: to find evidence that would allow the authorities to shut down illegal genetic experimentation.

Corporation was interesting as it used non-textured 3D visuals. Unfortunately there wasn’t really much else to the game once you stripped away its unique presentation.

Caesars Palace - Genesis

1993

This casino game was unique in that it allowed you to wander around freely, choosing which activity to partake in. From craps, roulette and video poker to the every popular slot machines, most activities are here.

Published in North America by Virgin it was potentially an omen as to what lay ahead as whilst the videogame side of Virgin is no longer around, Virgin Games lives on in the form of online gambling and gaming which you can try with this Virgin Games Promo Code. It’s more likely to earn you real money than playing this unusual almost RPG-like take on the genre.

Cool Spot - Mega Drive/Genesis

1993

This classic platformer probably needs no explanation. Initially released for the Mega Drive/Genesis it eventually made its way onto a wide array of platforms. Following the antics of the titular 7-Up mascot as you jumped and threw soda bubbles at enemies and attempted to rescue other spots trapped in cages throughout the levels.

Interestingly, in Europe the mascot for 7-Up was a monochromatic human outline called Fido Dido so a lot of the branding was toned down so as not to connect it so strongly to the 7-Up drink.

Disney’s Aladdin - Mega Drive/Genesis

1993

Probably Virgin’s most fondly remembered gem! Unique from the Super Nintendo title made by Capcom, Virgin’s take on Disney’s Aladdin focused on large expressive sprites that animated beautifully in an action-packed platformer.

They worked with Disney’s animation studio and it shows, every part of the game was visually stunning and it set a precedent for the other Disney games that would follow like Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book and The Lion King the following year

So there you go, a quick look back at some interesting and important relics from Virgin’s gaming past, whilst they might no longer be with us, they’ve left a legacy of games that will be fondly remembered for a long time.