MORE FROM HENK

HIGHLIGHTS FROM HENK NIEBORG’S ILLUSTRIOUS DECADES-LONG CAREER

Ghost Battle 1991

While Henk’s first credited game was technically

1989’s Amiga puzzler Charly, it’s Ghost Battle that really showcased his pixel skills with character design, even if the game itself was mostly a clone of Ghosts ’N Goblins and Shadow Of The Beast. This was nonetheless the start of Henk’s career with German publisher Thalion Software.

Lionheart (1993)

One of the Amiga’s most technically accomplished titles, much praise was given to the moveset of feline warrior Valdyn that felt akin to a fighting game, no doubt also thanks to Henk’s detailed and expressive animations. Sadly it was also among the last of Thalion’s games as the company closed the following year.

Flink (1994)

After Thalion, Henk moved to Psygnosis where he designed the graphics for The Misadventures Of Flink (to give its full title). While it includes Cd-rom-based versions allowing for a higher-quality soundtrack, Henk’s excellent pixel work is the same on whichever format you play this otherwise bog-standard 2D platformer.

Lomax (1996)

Most developers may have taken the leap to 3D graphics with the arrival of Playstation, but Henk stuck to what he was best at in this action-platforming spin-off of Lemmings. Instead of shepherding the creatures to safety, you took control of lemming knight Lomax as he’s forced to fight his brainwashed and transformed brethren.

Xeno Crisis (2019)

After decades of freelancing, Henk returned to his pixel-art talents in full in the first collaboration with Bitmap Bureau, a hardcore Smash Tv-meetsAliens sci-fi arena shooter where you face aliens, robots and even Cthulhu. The game ran on Mega Drive hardware, though it’s also been ported to modern platforms.