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The Bitmap Bros. are renowned for their excellent games, titles that are both well-presented and that play great. Speedball on the Genesis is a great example of that, but the Master System port, done by Mirrorsoft/Image Works, doesn’t fare as well. Everything that made the Genesis version so good is missing, so there’s no reason to bother with this version.
Like ball games? Violence? How about if we combine the two? The Bitmap Bros. did just that with its Speedball series, and Genesis gamers received the second game via Arena. Simple in presentation and gameplay but big on challenge, Brutal Deluxe strove to live up to its namesake despite changes made during the porting process.
In 1987, a company was founded in England and quickly began to turn out hit after hit, making a name for itself over several platforms. That company was the Bitmap Brothers, and you’ve probably played a few of their offerings, like Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Soldiers of Fortune, and Gods. Sega-16 recently had the chance to briefly talk with the Bitmap Brother’s founder, Mike Montgomery, about his time on Sega’s 16-bit wonder and the era in general.