Digital Eclipse released one of my “games of the year” in 2023 when they kickstarted the Gold Master series with The Making of Karateka. Equal parts documentary, game compilation and interactive museum, The Making of Karateka evolved the formula established in Atari 50 to tell the story of Jordan Mechner in a way that was exciting, engaging and above all, fun.
Needless to say, when Digital Eclipse announced their next title in the Gold Master series, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, I was sold. How sold was I? Well, so sold I took a day in my trip to Los Angeles to have some hands-on time with the game. I walked away impressed, but does the final product deliver, or is this an unfortunate sophomore slump?
To begin with the positives, of which there are many, there is still nothing else on the market quite like the Gold Masters series and its blood relative, Atari 50. What you have is an absolute treasure trove of interactive exhibits, documentary videos, notes and illustrations and, of course, faithfully emulated versions of the games in question. From the ease of use of the UI to the satisfying pop that plays upon successfully exploring the exhibits, the Gold Master series titles are incredibly cathartic and educational.
With Llamasoft, however, the Gold Master series goes for a broader scope similar to Atari 50, compared to the more singular, direct focus of The Making of Karateka. The team at Digital Eclipse aims to tell the story of game-designer Jeff Minter, and his company Llamasoft, from his early days making clones of titles like Centipede, to his groundbreaking work on light synthesizers and games like Tempest 2000, in the mid-90s. In practice, this approach comes with a number of upsides, as well as a few notable downsides.
Firstly, it needs to be said that Jeff Minter himself is an incredibly entertaining figure. From his love of Llamas and “Beasties”, to his merging of the avant-garde with game design, his eclectic worldview is a joy to soak in. His games also, for better or worse, reflect this personality to a tee.
It deserves to be said that the works of Jeff Minter are not for everyone, but frankly, there is a game by Jeff Minter in this collection that will click with you. His gameography is so varied and diverse, that no two games are alike (direct sequels excluded). His games are often tough, archaic by modern standards and overwhelmingly bizarre, but also stuffed to the brim with trippy and timeless visuals, fiendishly clever game mechanics and above all, a boatload of charm and heart. He brings a pop-art psychedelic energy to a conservative industry, and we are all the more enriched by his works.
And man, has he made a ton of games. In Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, I frankly lost count of the games I got to experience. According to the game’s page, it clocks in at 42. That about adds up. You’ll experience different games, different versions of games, light synths, other versions of those light synths. Choices! Choices! Choices! In many ways, this is a far cry from Making of Karateka which was primarily focused on many versions of a few games.
As a consequence, I feel in some regards Llamasoft is less strong narratively or in organization than Making of Karateka. With Making of Karateka, every facet of that game was unearthed, no stone went uncovered. By the end, you’d feel as if you were in Jordan Mechner’s room and front lawn as he filmed footage, traced it and programmed the game. Here, conversely, I’d argue the game does get a bit lost in the weeds at points, meaning the games take a bit of a back seat. This could be a reality of the titles they had on hand, and variety is the spice of life, but I did at times find myself missing the more focused approach of Karateka.
Thankfully, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story does improve from The Making of Karateka in other ways. The quality of the video footage is significantly improved, which adds to the overall documentary look and feel. Minter’s handwriting is clean and precise, helping with the overall legibility of what you are seeing (Alt text is unfortunately still absent). Even the UI is improved, with one really neat secret I won’t dare spoil.
And yes, the team at Digital Eclipse does again bring their modern touches to one of Minter’s games. The remaster of Grid Runner is exciting, fun and brimming with improved QOL while maintaining the original game’s tough, arcadey heart. Unfortunately, I did not notice this game in the timeline (it’s possible I missed) but please do not hesitate to jump in on the Games List.
Finally, to touch briefly on value, Llamasoft retails for $30 US or £24.99 GBP, still a remarkably fair price given the quality and variety of games on offer here.
All in all, I enjoyed jumping back into the Gold Master series, and with a host like Jeff Minter, I was in for one heck of an adventure. Bombastic, avant-garde and exciting, it’s hard not to fall in love with Minter and Llamasoft’s work, but sacrificing the more focused vision of The Making of Karateka does bring with it some drawbacks in the focus of Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story.
Still, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is an unmatched trip into one of gaming’s most unique minds, and you’ll be all the luckier for having gone in on it.
