Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
A new retro collection of 8-bit titles that you might have placed but probably forgot is coming to Xbox this week in the Attic Archive.
If you remember the 8-bit era of gaming in the UK and Europe, you’ll remember plenty of cheap-yet-entertaining titles on the shelves of Boots, Woolworths, and WHSmith.
While two thirds of those retailers are now gone, and the survivor doesn’t stock games (or music) any longer, they played as big a part as independent computer shops in furnishing kids with some of the games we saw in computer magazines. For every classic of the era, another dozen titles were largely forgotten — or, thrown in the attic.
That’s where the Attic Archive comes in.
What is the Attic Archive?
This collection of 13 games was originally released across 3 systems: the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and Sinclair ZX Spectrum.
- Ah Diddums (for C64 and ZX Spectrum) – Escape a dangerous toybox as a teddy bear (1983)
- Arcadia (for C64 and ZX Spectrum) – Shoot down waves of deadly attackers (1982)
- Armageddon (for C64 and ZX Spectrum) – Protect cities from falling missiles (1983)
- B.C. Bill (for C64 and ZX Spectrum) – Experience life as a cartoon caveman (1984)
- Gilligan’s Gold (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Gather gold in a hazardous mine (1984)
- Mutant Monty (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Make your way through surreal environments to find precious treasure (1984)
- Mutant Monty and the Temple of Doom (for ZX Spectrum) – Delve the temple and grab artifacts (1984)
- Mutants (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Battle bizarre mutant strains to assemble a machine (1989)
- N.O.M.A.D. (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Control an advanced attack droid to destroy a criminal tyrant (1986)
- Paws (for Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum) – Rescue your kittens from dangerous dogs (1985)
- Superkid (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Become a superhero and save the city (1989)
- Skatin’ USA (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Save the city again, this time on a skateboard (1990)
- Superkid in Space (for C64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum) – Save the world from alien invasion (1990)
The video description (uploaded to the YouTube channel of a revived Imagine Software) reads:
The Attic Archive presents a curious collection of forgotten games from the 1980s.
Originally published for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer systems, these games are authentically reproduced in all their 8-bit glory. Featuring classics from Ocean Software, Artic Computing, Imagine Software, and Atlantis.
With platformers, shooters, exploration games, and more, whether you’re a seasoned retro fan, or a newer gamer curious about the games of yesteryear, the Attic Archive has you covered.
You can grab the Attic Archives collection for Xbox Series X|S and PC from September 3rd, 2025, via the Microsoft Store for just £5.99 ($7.19 / €7.19).
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
