Speedball 2: Bitmap Brothers Interview

BB's Mike Montgomery tells us about the recently released Xbox Live Arcade remake of the sports classic.

It was 20 years ago that the Bitmap Brothers came together in Wapping, founding one of the more recognizable independent developers of games in the UK at the time.

Over the course of the next two decades the small team would work on more than a dozen games. Last we heard from them, they were working on World War II: Frontline Command a real-time tactical war game for the PC. That was in 2002. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Mike Montgomery and the rest of his team announced that they were working on a new game for the Xbox Live Arcade.

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is a remake of the Bitmap Brothers' 1990 hit, described by some as a game of hockey-meets-handball gone violently awry. The redone Xbox 360 version includes everything that made the original so popular and some new features too.

For more on the game, we caught up with Montgomery.

Kikizo: For those who don't know, can you sum up Speedball 2?

Mike Montgomery: Speedball 2 is a fast-paced ultra-violent futuristic sports game. We released it originally about 17 years ago on the Amiga , Atari ST, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and other systems.

Kikizo: How many units did the game sell back in its heyday?

Montgomery: Over all the formats we did in excess of 2 million units and with the just-released XBLA version, and new PC and DS versions coming out in the next 6 months we hope to double that.

Kikizo: What does the Xbox Live Arcade version offer over the original?

Montgomery: We developed the XBLA version from the original code-base but added new a menu style and also add an extra 3D mode. But the game play is identical to the original. Plus you can now play it online for the first time.

Kikizo: How do you think it stands up to other Live Arcade remakes like the superb Prince of Persia or Puzzle Quest?

Montgomery: I think it stands up very well. But wait till you see Chaos Engine...

Kikizo: What happened to the Bitmap Brothers after World War II: Frontline Command? Did you guys disappear off the face of the Earth?

Montgomery: As an independent developer the cost of doing lengthy full-price games became too high as well as the risk involved but things like XBLA now gives a chance to get great games out again.

Kikizo: Who are the remaining Bitmap Brothers?

Montgomery: At the moment we are a three-man team consisting of myself (coding and design), John M Phillips (coding and design) and Mark Coleman (art).

Kikizo: The music was pretty celebrated in the original. Being as Richard Joseph passed away earlier this year, who handled the score?

Montgomery: We all miss Richard a lot. As we don't have any in house musicians we used PitStop.

Kikizo: What other titles are you currently updating for Xbox Live Arcade?

Montgomery: We are currently working on Chaos Engine but do not have a publisher so if any publishers are reading this and would like to get involved please contact me though our web site www.bitmap-brothers.co.uk

Kikizo: What other machines are Bitmaps making games for? Will we see a PSN version of Speedball, Chaos Engine or indeed Z?

Montgomery: We are looking at Wii and PSN as other formats for SB2. As for other titles such as Z your have to wait and see but this will be for 360 or PC.

Kikizo: Do you have anything closing to share?

Montgomery: Z is looking good.

Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe is out now on Xbox Live Arcade

Thanks to Daniel Boutros for helping to set up this interview.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo