DEVELOPER Q&A

We talk to Roger Hulley of Alternative Software about Skool Daze and Alternative’s remake, Skool Daze Reskooled

Why did you choose Skool Daze for re-release back in 1987?

We looked for quality games that had received good reviews, and some that had not got the shelf space they should have through lack of distribution and so on. The Microsphere catalogue was a little different as several of their titles had already been released at a budget price, and on compilations. But I was very keen on Skool

Daze and as such thought we could give it a further lease of life within our range.

Did you contact Microsphere directly? Yes, I called Helen and Dave and asked if they would like to sell the game. Dave was surprised at my interest as first as he thought it had run its course. During the call he also mentioned that he was planning to pull out of developing games altogether, so I asked if we could buy all his games. We discussed a price, and a deal was done.

What do you think makes the original such a classic?

It was such an original idea at the time, indeed one of the first sandbox games. To have fun you didn’t need to beat the game, you could just live and play around within its own small world, causing mayhem and mischief and blaming it on the other characters. Plus of course you could write rude words on the blackboards. We can now safely say it was years ahead of its time.

Why did you change the cover?

We were keen to give it a new lease of life so [we] decided to move away from the Tom

Brown’s School Days look and give it a more cartoony and wacky cover. It worked; it went back to number one on the budget chart and hung around the top 30 for some time.

Why did you choose to go down the route of remaking Skool Daze?

Well if you’re going to do a remake, it might as well be for a true classic, as is the case within the film and music industries. And of course it’s one of my very favourite games.

What can gamers expect to find in your new version?

We have kept most, if not all, of the original characters and puzzles, including one or two more tasks. Plus Skool Daze Reskooled also includes the remake of Back To Skool, and an new additional game called Nu Skool.

Finally, does Alternative have any plans for more remakes of Spectrum classics?

Yes, we would love to, if this one does well.