Last Updated on January 20, 2022
80 classic Amiga games have been bought by Ziggurat Interactive in a deal that gives it access to the works of legendary German developer Rainbow Arts.
Launched in 1984 by Marc Ullrich and Thomas Meiertoberens, Rainbow Arts released most of its titles on the Commodore 64 and Amiga. Key titles include the Turrican series, the Nintendo-taunting Great Giana Sisters, Earthworm Jim and Earthworm Jim 2, Katakis, R-Type for the Commodore 64, Denaris, X-Out, and many more.
“Rainbow Arts was a premiere and iconic European video game publisher of the ’80s and ’90s,” said Ziggurat Interactive svp of business development Michael Devine.
“Each game released during that time frame – mainly made for the C64, Amiga, and PC – evokes memories of 16-bit wonders, colorful graphics, and playful challenges the moment you see the rainbow logo appear. We can’t wait to revitalize these games and share them with today’s classic gaming fans.”
The recent release of Turrican on the Nintendo Switch and PS4 has obviously proven the worth of Rainbow Arts’ contribution to the 8-bit and 16-bit era. WIth this in mind, it’s not so surprising to find the company up for grabs.
The deal also includes Render Ranger: R2, also known as Targa outside of North America. This title was relesed on the Super Famicom, with only 10,000 copies made. An obvious choice for a re-release? Time will tell.
One thing we do know: Ziggurat Interactive has been reissuing classic games (mostly through GOG) for some time now, and the Rainbow Arts catalogue is in good company.
Gaming since 1984, retro gaming since 2004. Contributes to Linux Format magazine and MakeUseOf.com.
