Conversion Capers
How Savage compares across various systems
amstrad cpc
As the other platform that Savage was created for, the Amstrad understandably boasts a top-notch version of the game. Nick Bruty’s visuals are a showcase for what the system is capable of, and in gameplay terms the CPC’S Savage greatly benefits from the speed and mayhem made possible by David Perry’s coding.
atari ST
The 16-bit Savage versions are all but identical to look at, with Nick Bruty’s adaptations of his original 8-bit visuals representing a real step-up in terms of resolution and colour depth. The Atari ST version of Savage feels as intense as the originals, plus it has more bosses in stage one and more varied monoliths in stage two.
pc
Even when played in EGA mode, Savage on the PC falls far short of its Atari ST and Amiga counterparts in the looks department, and its ‘beepy’ tunes are not much more than on par with the Spectrum Savage’s intro music. As far as the actual game design goes, the PC Savage is just as challenging as the rock-hard 8-bit originals.
ZX Spectrum
Thanks to clever colour segregation, the Spectrum version of Savage is far more vibrant than many other games for the system. Its collision detection, smooth scrolling and the responsiveness of its controls are equally impressive, all of which you would expect given that Savage was designed with the Spectrum in mind.
commodore 64
Although the Commodore 64 version of Savage plays almost exactly like the original games, it doesn’t quite look the part. 8-bit maestro Steve Crow’s stage one and three visuals are well-defined but suffer from a dull colour scheme, and his second level graphics lack detail. However, the C64 Savage does sound great.
amiga
Like the Atari ST version, the
Amiga Savage looks fantastic; the only difference being that it has more vivid colours in places. The gameplay in the two conversions is exactly the same. Where the Amiga adaptation stands out is with its superior sound effects and grating music, which thankfully can be turned off, saving your sanity.