Alligata

Alligata Software Ltd. was a computer games developer and publisher based in Sheffield in the UK in the 1980s.

The company was founded by Mike Mahoney and Dave Palmer around 1982. They produced games for a number of home computers including the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, ZX Spectrum and Dragon 32. They also published budget priced software under the Budgie label.

Dave Palmer left in October 1986 to set up the budget label Alternative Software. Mike Mahoney also left in 1988 with the company effectively closing. The name and back catalogue were sold to Superior Software. Two titles were released under the joint Superior/Alligata label for ports of Superior's BBC/Electron games to other systems. Superior also included some old Alligata games on their Play It Again Sam compilations.

Notable games

• 1983 Aztec Tomb (C64)
• 1983 Here Comes The Sun (ZX Spectrum)
• 1983 Bug Blaster (C64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Lunar Rescue (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Blagger (C64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, MSX, Commodore 16) A version was also released through Amsoft for the Amstrad CPC
• 1983 Guardian (C64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Contract Bridge (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Fruit Machine (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Primary Art (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1983 Primary Time (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1984 Tarzan Boy (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1984 Loco (C64, ZX Spectrum, Atari 8-bit)
• 1984 Son of Blagger (C64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro)
• 1985 Who Dares Wins (C64)
• 1985 Jack Charlton's Match Fishing (C64, ZX Spectrum)
• 1985 Blagger Goes to Hollywood (C64)
• 1985 Crown Jewels (Acorn Electron)
• 1985 Q-Bix (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1985 Diamond Pete (Acorn Electron)
• 1985 Hell Hole (Acorn Electron)
• 1986 Who Dares Wins II (C64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, MSX, Amstrad CPC)
• 1986 Night World (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron)
• 1987 Livingstone, I Presume (C64, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC) UK release of Spanish Opera Soft game Livingstone, Supongo
• 1987 Addicta Ball (C64, MSX, Amiga, Atari ST) An unreleased version was developed for the ZX Spectrum
• 1988 By Fair Means or Foul (C64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC) A Superior/Alligata release
• 1989 Repton Mania (ZX Spectrum) Ports of the first 2 Repton games - A Superior/Alligata release

Budgie label

Alligata published budget games under the Budgie label from 1985. When a typical Alligata game would cost around £6.95, Budgie games sold for only £1.99 in order to compete with the likes of budget software pioneer Mastertronic, already selling games at that level. Almost all titles were original rather than re-issues of Alligata games. Probably the most well known game is space shoot 'em up Video's Revenge (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron) with others including Convoy (ZX Spectrum), Super Sam (ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC), Raskel (C64) and Shuffle (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron).

External links

• Alligata at World of Spectrum
• Alligata at the BBC Games Archive
• Budgie at World of Spectrum