''Wriggler'' is a

Spectrum A spectrum (plural ''spectra'' or ''spectrums'') is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary, without gaps, across a continuum. The word was first used scientifically in optics to describe the rainbow of colors i ...

and Amstrad maze game published in 1985 by

Romantic Robot Romantic Robot is a small independent British company that publishes classical music recordings. In the 1980s it designed and produced peripherals and software for home computers. History Romantic Robot was founded in London in 1983 by Czech-bor ...

. The original release of ''Wriggler'' contained an

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

track on the B-side titled "Moons of Jupiter," composed by

Alexander Goldscheider Alexander Goldscheider (born June 22, 1950) is a Czech-born British composer, music producer, writer and computer specialist. Life and career He read music at Charles University in Prague, and received a PhD for his analysis of the music of ''The ...

Gameplay

Wriggler is based around maggot racing other maggots. The player controls a maggot and has to escape a maze consisting of 256 screens. The maze is divided into sections: garden, underground, hell, planet surface, the dungeon.

Development

The graphics, animation and cassette inlay artwork were created by

Allin Kempthorne Allin Kempthorne (born 1972) is a British actor, magician and entertainer. As a magician he works under three distinct identities as Alan Thorn, Professor Strange (with which he appeared on the television show Britain's Got Talent) and Gizmo. He ...

while still at school. He went on to become a writer and cartoonist for '' The Sun'' newspaper. He later became an actor and comedian, most noted for writing and starring in the comedy feature film ''

The Vampires of Bloody Island ''The Vampires of Bloody Island'' is a 2009 British comedy horror film directed by Allin Kempthorne and starring Pamela Kempthorne. The film also include stars Oliver Gray, John Snelling, and Leon Hamilton. The film had a theatrical release in the ...

''. The Spectrum version was programmed by his twin brother Matthew Kempthorne, and the Amstrad version was programmed by Matthew Kempthorne and David Vivian. A version of Wriggler was developed for the

Enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterprise ...

(ported directly from the Amstrad version), but not released. An article on ''The Making of Wriggler'' appeared in issue 114 of ''

Retro Gamer Magazine ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' soon became ...

''. Written by Graeme Mason, it contains interviews with both Matthew and

Reception

''Wriggler'' became the Star Game in ''

Personal Computer News ''Personal Computer News'' (''PCN'') was a magazine publication which reviewed software and hardware for computers. It was published initially fortnightly, and during the boom period of home computing within the United Kingdom. It was published ...

'' Personal Computer News, Issue 107, April 20, 1985. http://www.personalcomputernews.co.uk/pcnb/html/107/personal_computer_news_107_gameplay_spectrum_the_wriggler.html and the Game of the Month in ''

CRASH Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...

'' magazine.

References

External links

* * * Amstrad CPC games Maze games ZX Spectrum games 1985 video games Video games about insects Video games developed in the United Kingdom Single-player video games {{maze-videogame-stub