Hewson Consultants were one of the smaller

software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consists ...

companies which produced

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

s for home computers in the mid-1980s. They had a reputation for high-quality games which continually pushed the boundaries of what the computers were capable of and can be compared favourably with other ground-breaking software houses like

Ultimate Play the Game Ashby Computers and Graphics Limited, trading as Ultimate Play the Game, was a British video game developer and publisher, founded in 1982, by ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper. Ultimate released a series of successful games for t ...

and

Beyond Beyond may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Beyond'' (1921 film), an American silent film * ''Beyond'' (2000 film), a Danish film directed by Åke Sandgren, OT: ''Dykkerne'' * ''Beyond'' (2010 film), a Swedish film directed b ...

. Fourteen of their games were awarded "Megagame" by ''

Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The ...

''. Hewson was founded by Andrew Hewson in the early 1980s. He became interested in computers while working at the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

when their first machine arrived. After learning to

program Program, programme, programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program management, the process of managing several related projects * Time management * Program, a part of planning Arts and entertainment Audio * Progra ...

, Andrew wrote the programming guide book ''Hints and Tips for the

ZX80 The Sinclair ZX80 is a home computer launched on 29 January 1980 by Science of Cambridge Ltd. (later to be better known as Sinclair Research). It is notable for being one of the first computers available in the United Kingdom for less than a h ...

''. Following the publication, bedroom coders began to send Andrew the games they had programmed on cassette tape, giving Andrew the idea to publish the games. Hewson Consultants was born, and initially released games via mail order advertisements in computing magazines. Andrew was also a columnist in ''

Sinclair User ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was publi ...

'' magazine throughout the 1980s.

Releases

* '' Space Intruders'' - 1981 - ''

Space Invaders is a 1978 shoot 'em up arcade game developed by Tomohiro Nishikado. It was manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and licensed to the Midway division of Bally for overseas distribution. ''Space Invaders'' was the first fixed shooter and set ...

'' clone for the ZX81 * ''Pilot'' - 1982 * ''Nightflite'' - 1982 *
Knight Driver
ref>Clive Brooker'' - 1983 * '' Quest Adventure'' - 1983 * ''

3D Space-Wars The Seiddab Trilogy is a series of video games designed by Steve Turner (as Graftgold) for the ZX Spectrum and published by Hewson Consultants. It consists of '' 3D Space-Wars'' (1983), ''3D Seiddab Attack'' (1984), and ''3D Lunattack''. All thr ...

'' - 1983 * ''

3D Seiddab Attack The Seiddab Trilogy is a series of video games designed by Steve Turner (as Graftgold) for the ZX Spectrum and published by Hewson Consultants. It consists of '' 3D Space-Wars'' (1983), ''3D Seiddab Attack'' (1984), and ''3D Lunattack''. All thr ...

'' - 1984 * ''

3D Lunattack The Seiddab Trilogy is a series of video games designed by Steve Turner (as Graftgold) for the ZX Spectrum and published by Hewson Consultants. It consists of '' 3D Space-Wars'' (1983), ''3D Seiddab Attack'' (1984), and ''3D Lunattack''. All thr ...

'' - 1984 - Reviewed in Crash issue 4 - 90% * ''

Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...

'' - 1984 - Reviewed in Crash issue 10 - 91% * ''

Technician Ted ''Technician Ted'' (also known as ''The Chip Factory: Featuring Technician Ted'') is a platform game for the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum home computers that was written by Steve Marsden and David Cooke and published in 1984 by Hewson Consultants ...

'' - 1984 - Reviewed in Crash issue 13 - 96% * ''

Dragontorc ''Dragontorc'' is an action-adventure game developed by Steve Turner's Graftgold and released for the Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum by Hewson Consultants in 1985. It is a sequel to 1984's '' Avalon The 3D Adventure Movie.'' The hero of ''Avalon,'' ...

'' - 1985 * ''

Astro Clone Astro may refer to: Entertainment and media * Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band * Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40 * Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band * Astro (Japanese band), a ...

'' - 1985 * ''

Paradroid ''Paradroid'' is a Commodore 64 computer game written by Andrew Braybrook and published by Hewson Consultants in 1985. It is a shoot 'em up with puzzle elements and was critically praised at release. The objective is to clear a fleet of spaceships ...

'' - 1985 * ''

Gribbly's Day Out ''Gribbly's Day Out'' is a Commodore 64 game by Andrew Braybrook, released by Hewson in 1985. It was written over a three-month period. The game is set on the planet Blabgor and centred on the exploits of Gribbly Grobbly and his attempts to resc ...

'' - 1985 * '' Firelord'' - 1986 * ''

Pyracurse ''Pyracurse'' is an isometric arcade adventure game released by Hewson in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum. Plot The archeologist Sir Pericles Pemberton-Smythe has disappeared while exploring the mysterious ruins of an ancient city in the forests of ...

'' - 1986 * ''

Quazatron ''Quazatron'' is an action game developed by Graftgold, and released in 1986 by Hewson Consultants. It was designed by Steve Turner for the ZX Spectrum. Plot In ''Quazatron'', the player-controlled droid (KLP-2 "Klepto", from the Classical Gree ...

'' - 1986 * ''

Southern Belle Southern belle () is a colloquialism for a debutante in the planter class of the Antebellum South. Characteristics The image of a Southern belle is often characterized by fashion elements such as a hoop skirt, a corset, pantalettes, a wide-b ...

'' - 1986 * ''

Uridium ''Uridium'' (released on the NES as ''The Last Starfighter'') is a science fiction side-scrolling shoot 'em up originally designed by Andrew Braybrook for the Commodore 64, and later ported to other 8-bit machines. It consists of fifteen levels, ...

'' - 1986 * '' Technician Ted: The Megamix'' - 1986 * ''

Cybernoid ''Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine'' is a shoot 'em up developed and published in 1988 by Hewson Consultants for the ZX Spectrum. It was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amiga, and Nintendo Entertainment System. It was programmed ...

'' - 1987 * '' Exolon'' - 1987 * ''

Zynaps ''Zynaps'' is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game published by Hewson Consultants for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64 in 1987 and for the Atari ST in 1988 and the Amiga. It was authored by Dominic Robinson, John Cumming ...

'' - 1987 * '' Impossaball'' - 1987 * '' Nebulus'' - 1987 * ''

Ranarama ''Ranarama'' (also ''Rana Rama'') is a top-down '' Gauntlet''-like action game developed by Graftgold and published by Hewson Consultants in 1987. It was released for the Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum home computers. The ...

'' - 1987 * ''Evening Star'' - 1987 * ''

Anarchy Anarchy is a society without a government. It may also refer to a society or group of people that entirely rejects a set hierarchy. ''Anarchy'' was first used in English in 1539, meaning "an absence of government". Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted ...

'' - 1987 * ''

Netherworld Netherworld (''nether'', ″beneath, lower″) may refer to: *Underworld, a region thought to be beneath the surface of the world in many religions and mythologies Film and television * ''Netherworld'' (film), a 1992 American horror film *''Nethe ...

'' - 1988 * '' Cybernoid II: The Revenge'' - 1988 * ''

Marauder Marauder, marauders, The Marauder, or The Marauders may refer to: * A person engaged in banditry or related activity ** Piracy ** Looting ** Outlaw ** Partisan (military) ** Robbery ** Theft Entertainment * ''Marauder'', the second novel in the ' ...

'' - 1988 * '' Zamzara'' - 1988 * '' Eliminator'' - 1988 * '' Battle Valley'' - 1988 * ''

Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

'' - 1989 * ''

Stormlord ''Stormlord'' is a platform game developed and published by Hewson Consultants in 1989. It was released for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, and MS-DOS. It was ported to the Sega Genesis by Punk Development for Razors ...

'' - 1989 * ''

Astaroth Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Asteroth), in demonology, was known to be the Great Duke of Hell in the first hierarchy with Beelzebub and Lucifer; he was part of the evil trinity. He is known to be a male figure most likely named afte ...

'' - 1989 * ''

Onslaught Onslaught may refer to: Characters * Onslaught (Marvel Comics), a Marvel Comics supervillain * Onslaught (DC Comics), a DC Comics team of Quraci terrorists * Onslaught (Transformers), the leader of the Combaticons in the ''Transformers'' series G ...

'' - 1989 * ''

Deliverance ''Deliverance'' is a 1972 American survival thriller film produced and directed by John Boorman, and starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, and Ronny Cox, with the latter two making their feature film debuts. The screenplay was adapted ...

'' - 1990 * '' Insects in Space'' - 1990 * ''

Zarathrusta ''Zarathrusta'' is a 1991 multidirectional shooter developed by Belgian video game developer The Whiz Kidz and published by Hewson Consultants for the Amiga. Written by Peter Verswyvelen and with graphics by Erlend Robaye, the game is inspired b ...

'' - 1991

Legacy

Andrew and other members of the Hewson management team went on to form 21st Century Entertainment after Hewson shut down in the early 1990s, releasing several games such as ''

Pinball Dreams ''Pinball Dreams'' is a pinball simulation video game developed by Digital Illusions and originally released for the Amiga in 1992. It spawned several sequels, including ''Pinball Fantasies'' and ''Pinball Illusions''. The MS-DOS port was digital ...

'', ''

Pinball Fantasies ''Pinball Fantasies'' is a 1992 pinball video game originally developed by Digital Illusions and published by 21st Century Entertainment in Europe for the Amiga home computers. It is the sequel to ''Pinball Dreams'', which was released earlier i ...

'' and ''

Pinball Illusions ''Pinball Illusions'' is an Amiga and MS-DOS pinball video game developed by Digital Illusions CE (DICE) in 1995 as a sequel of ''Pinball Fantasies'' and ''Pinball Dreams''. The original Amiga release featured three tables. The PC CD version ad ...

''. Andrew was also the founder of

ELSPA The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie) is a non-profit trade association for the video game industry in the United Kingdom (UK). Ukie was originally founded as the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), and the ...

(European Leisure Software Publishers Association) which continues to be the European regulating body for the video games industry.

References

{{Reflist Defunct video game companies of the United Kingdom