A new Sensible Software book promises to immerse you in 16-bit nostalgia

Certain sensations have the power to plunge you back into your past – the feeling of popping candy in your mouth, the smell of your grandma’s perfume or the sound of the Woof theme tune (a popular early 1990s ITV drama where a boy turned into a dog). Well get ready for the ultimate retro snapback courtesy of Wallzo (aka Darren Wall) and his plan to produce the definitive biography of Sensible Software, the company that created the whole aesthetic of your misspent youth.

Sensible Software 1986-1999 will feature interviews with the company’s groundbreaking team, an essay charting its rise to world domination, beaver before seen archive material and of course al the visuals you can shake a (joy)stick at – title screens, sprites, game maps, typefaces, box art etc etc etc.

As Darren puts it: “Titles such as Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder, Mega lo Mania and Wizball were defining landmarks of the 16-bit era and embodied both the team’s meticulous focus on gameplay and its distinctive and uniquely British sense of humour. With its independent, often irreverent ethos, Sensible is for many gamers the ultimate independent software house.”

It’s the first work from the new Read-Only Memory games publishers and though currently a Kickstarter project, the sample spreads look incredible. Promising as it does to combine erudite, witty and well-researched copy with beautiful design values, this is certainly a project we hope and pray comes to fruition.