Spanish software exists and is very good. So much so that the national talent in the development of videogames still alive today despite almost 40 years that have elapsed since the first professional studios (then very amateurs at that time) began to be born, those that already released their first creations under labels such as Dinamic, Opera Soft, Topo, Amsoft, etc. in a format that today seems to be part of prehistory: cassette tapes.
A story of comings and goings
The future of videogames made in Spain are like the Guadiana, with visible parts and almost hidden parts in which they barely played a leading role. Surely the 80s are the most remembered, in what came to be called the The Golden Age of Spanish software and what constituted the most important panorama of everything we have experienced so far. Those were years of practically dominating the market, with publishers and studios all over the place that released dozens of new features a year and, most important of all, accepted by a public for whom Spanish software meant fun and quality.
The reason was very simple: developing for the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX and Commodore 64 was not complicated, there was no financial outlay to purchase development kits and it was possible to start a project with very little effort between two, three or four people. Then, if the result was good, you could find a distributor quickly and get into the wheel of professional development.
But the 90s arrived and with them the consoles. There already was an extra leap to 8 and 16 bits but, above all, to a much more demanding market, especially economically. The developers not only had to work on special kits for those machines (which cost their own), but also take care of expensive cartridge production that, at that time, was carried out by Sega and Nintendo. That made it impossible for most Spanish companies to make the leap and that is why very few tried. Only Dinamic dared with a cartridge like Risky Woods, which came to have its version for Mega Drive, but that experience already discouraged them from working for that industry that was brewing (his story deserves a separate story).
in those 90s the industry retreated, developers sought refuge in the PC, being the only market that maintained the development standards of the old microcomputers. Even so, barely a handful of those companies from the Golden Age of Spanish software survived with some titles that are today the history of the national talent of which we boast so much, and with good reason. In any case, it was at the beginning of the century when there was a radical change in the way of financing, developing and distributing video games.
The digital format arrives, salvation
It was in 2003 when Steam was released on PC. From that moment on, a new window opens through which many studios can avoid one of the biggest expenses they have to face: the manufacture and distribution of their games around the world. With the Valve platform (which would be followed by PlayStation and Xbox or Nintendo itself with Wiiware) It is already possible to develop a game, with limited resources but appealing to the talent to offer good ideas, and distribute it in dozens of countries with little effort, simply waiting for the word of mouth of the users to do its job and make it a success.
It is there when a new generation of programmers, better trained and eager to enter the industry, begin to work, first, for PC and, later, for consoles and mobile phones, once success has ensured the possibility of facing economic challenges. greater. He too through crowdfunding makes an appearance, This improves the feasibility options of many projects thanks to the trust placed in them by users, who pay in advance. The Microsoft and Xbox store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, the Apple App Store or the Android Play Store begin to receive countless new titles that many begin to call indies (independent) due to its practically wild nature, far from the big studios that dominate the AAA market.
It is just at that moment when Spanish software resurfaces with new studios that create authentic works of art, playable wonders that even reach established veteran companies, such as Mercury Steam, which come to take charge of weighty projects related to top-level franchises. Do you know what they are? Just in case, here is a list of the ones we believe are most important.
The Flea (1983)
https://youtu.be/-eeEnFWhDJQ
I could not miss The Pulga, which is considered the first Spanish video game commercially released by Indescomp in 1983. A jumping character who must risk his life avoiding enemies and reaching remote areas of the map, which is the work of Paco Suárez, one of the mythical names in the industry. Distributed outside of Spain as Bugaboo, The Pulga It is a true classic that you should know… and play.
Army Moves (1986)
What to say about the success that consolidated Dicamic as the leading company in the market in Spain, with a game that sold tens of thousands of units. It is, surely at the national level, one of the great indisputable successes (of many more that would come) of the time and that gave for a continuation and a comeback years later that was partially frustrated. Very funny.
The Abbey of Crime (1987)
For many it is the masterpiece of the history of native software. The creation of Opera Soft. Designed by Paco Menéndez and Juan Delcán, it is one of the most complex video games that have ever seen the light of day: a measured development, with characters that come and go in real time around the abbey and a routine that we have to complete to discover the murderer. If you are able to finish it without clues or instructions, you are a crack!
PC Soccer (1992)
With this game, Dinamic ensured its survival in the new video game market then governed by 16-bit consoles. This success allowed them to focus only on PC. and turn this soccer manager into one of the most remembered sagas in the entire history of Spanish software. Or not?
Risky Woods (1992)
It is an extraordinary platform, which had nothing to envy to the many that came out for consoles at that time and which became Dinamic's experiment to see if it could compete with guarantees in the new 16-bit market. Arrived for Commodore Amiga and Mega Drive and it is one of those national jewels that few remember... especially in its version for the Sega machine.
Commandos (1998)
What to say about what is until today the best-selling Spanish video game in the world. A completely original concept, inspired by those war models of fans of lead figurines, and that seduced us with its cooperative action between a group of allies trying to break through the enemy lines. although surely Commandos 2 be remembered as the best, this first must be here for being the one who started it all. Thank you PyroStudios!
Blades (2001)
Rebel Act was responsible for one of the games that caused the greatest expectation in Spain at the beginning of the century. The announcement of the ambitious project caused more to be demanded of it than it later offered, which was still outstanding, especially on a technical level where it reached a level of quality that few games of that time were capable of reaching. For many, is the first Dark Souls of history (before own Dark Souls) and it served so that some of the members of the study left to found, neither more nor less, than Mercury Steam.
Runaway (2001)
Runaway It is neither the first nor the best adventure of all those developed by Péndulo Studios, but it is the one that established them internationally. before with Igor Target Uikokahonia. o Hollywood monsters They had already shown signs of their talent, but this time their technique and management of graphic adventures took a huge leap. Do not miss this trilogy of Runaway and much less Yesterday Origins, Hidden runaway, New York Crimes o hollywood monsters 2.
Scrap Land (2004)
Mercury Steam is the most important Spanish developer considering its catalog of games in this selection, but if there is one that is especially good (and unknown), it is this one. Scrapland. It's technically his first game and it's a real wonderwith a spirit pre-sandbox in the times when there weren't even sandboxes were almost known as such, and with a superb technical finish. Its Xbox version deserves to be revisited and so much so that in 2021 it had a remastering.
Castlevania Lords of Shadows (2010)
Konami relied on Mercury Steam for the return of one of its best-known franchises. Gone are the Super Nintendo platforms and this time we have a game very inspired by the success of the God of War. The result is extraordinary and a title that became a hit on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Rhyme (2017)
Tequila Works is another of the most important Spanish studios of the last 10 years, which reached the culmination of its career with Rime. A beautiful game on a visual level, extremely fun and with highly worked mechanics that left us the outcome of a story of those that reach one to the depths of the soul. You have to play it.
Metroid Samus Returns (2017)
Mercury Steam had already crossed borders and Nintendo, for the first time, looked at them to develop a title for one of its most important franchises. In this case for Nintendo 3DS and with Samus Aran back. The result is a good Metroid, direct heir to the glories of the Super Nintendo versions and that would serve as a catapult to continue working with the Japanese.
GRAY (2018)
Nomada Studio is responsible for this authentic masterpiece that shows that video games are more than just entertainment and that they can reach the category of cultural work. We start from a title where the colors do not exist but we are recovering them as we dive into the mind of the protagonist and her world is conquering joy. An experience that you should try and that has a Spanish accent.
Blasphemous (2019)
You will never see Seville's Holy Week again with other eyes than those of this sensational Blasphemous. Example of an indie game developed by The Game Kitchen and that was a complete success in its development phase. through crowdfunding, was spread by word of mouth until its success allowed it to reach all consoles (and PC). with graphics pixel art and a development roguelike (or whatever it is called), it is one of the most outstanding Spanish games of the last five years. With a lot of difference.
Metroid Dread (2021)
After the good taste left by the Nintendo 3DS cartridge, the Japanese decided to trust Mercury Steam again for the premiere of Samus Aran on Nintendo Switch. The result is a superb Metroid game, one of the best, that incorporates a whole series of new mechanics and ways of moving through some scenarios that, as is customary in the franchise, have created a school (Metroidvania say some). And there was a Spanish study to put quality and talent.