Company:CRL Group

From HandWiki
CRL Group PLC
FormerlyComputer Rentals Limited
TypePrivate
IndustryVideo games
FoundedApril 29, 1982; 44 years ago (1982-04-29)
FounderClement Chambers
Defunct1991 (1991)[1]
Headquarters9 King's Yard, Carpenters Road,
London E15 2HD
,
England
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Ian Ellery
ProductsTau Ceti, Academy

CRL Group plc was a British video game development and publishing company. Originally CRL stood for "Computer Rentals Limited".[2] It was based in King's Yard, London and run by Clem Chambers.[3]

They released a number of notable adventure games based on horror stories. Dracula and Frankenstein were rated 15 certificate by the British Board of Film Censors for their graphics depicting bloody scenes; Dracula was the first game to be rated by the BBFC.[4] Jack the Ripper was the first game to receive an 18 certificate, Wolfman also gained an 18 certificate.[5]

CRL-published games that achieved critical success include Tau Ceti and Academy.

The 1984 game of the series Terrahawks was one of the first video games based on a TV show.[6]

Games

1982

  • Rescue

1983

  • 3D Desert Patrol
  • Alien Maze
  • Bomber
  • Caveman
  • Crawler
  • Derby Day
  • Draughts
  • Escape from Manhattan
  • Galactic Patrol
  • Grand National
  • Jackpot
  • Lunar Rescue
  • One Day Cricket
  • Pandemonia
  • Test Match
  • The Omega Run
  • The Orb
  • Space Mission
  • Zaraks

1984

  • £.s.d.
  • Ahhh!!
  • Cricket 64
  • Glug Glug
  • Handicap Golf
  • Handy Andy
  • Incredible Adventure
  • Olympics
  • Orpheus in the Underworld
  • Show Jumping
  • Terrahawks[7]
  • The Great Detective
  • The Magic Roundabout
  • Tritz
  • Whirlybird
  • The War of the Worlds
  • The Warlock's Treasure
  • The Woods of Winter

1985

1986

1987

  • Ball Breaker
  • Book of the Dead
  • Cyborg
  • Death or Glory
  • Federation3
  • Frankenstein
  • From Darkness into Light
  • I-Alien
  • IQ
  • Jack the Ripper
  • Jet-Boys
  • Last Mohican
  • Lifeforce
  • Loads of Midnight
  • Mandroid
  • Murder off Miami
  • Ninja Hamster
  • Oink!
  • Outcast
  • Plasmatron
  • Sun Star
  • They Call Me Trooper
  • Traxxion
  • Vengeance

1988

1989

1990

  • Hellhole


Unreleased

  • Enchantress[9]
  • Spearhead[10]
  • The Blues Brothers[11]
  • The Malinsay Massacre[12]

Software

  • Fifth (1983)[13]
  • Stargazer Secrets (1983)
  • Highway Code (1984)[14]
  • 3D Game Maker (1987)
  • 2D Game Maker (1988)

Notes

1 Hercules was originally released in 1984 by Interdisc
2 Bored of the Rings and Robin of Sherlock were originally released in 1985 by Delta 4
3 Federation was originally released as Quann Tulla in 1985 by 8th Day Software
4 International Soccer was originally only released on cartridge in 1983 by Commodore International[15][16]

References

  1. ↑ "On-Line Time". The One for ST Games (EMAP Images) (32): 21. May 1991. https://archive.org/details/One_for_ST_Games_The_Issue_032_1991-05_EMAP_Images_GB/page/n19/mode/2up. ""CRL, the veteran London-based publisher finally closed up shop last month"". 
  2. ↑ "CRASH 9 - News". http://www.crashonline.org.uk/09/news.htm. 
  3. ↑ "From Cavemen to Rocky Horrors". Crash (Newsfield) (19): 30. 25 July 1985. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=986&page=30. Retrieved 31 July 2026. 
  4. ↑ "Bram Stoker's Dracula". 26 October 2007. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/bram-stokers-dracula-review. 
  5. ↑ "Dracula unbound: The story behind the first 18 certificated video game". March 2015. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-01-dracula-unbound-the-story-behind-the-first-18-certificated-video-game. 
  6. ↑ "Your Sinclair". http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=YourSinclair/Issue60/Pages/YourSinclair6000058.jpg. 
  7. ↑ "Your Spectrum 09 - Joystick Jury". http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27paw4/yr09/yr09_59.htm. 
  8. ↑ "Doctor What! At Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware". https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=1416. 
  9. ↑ "The Traveller’s Times". ACE (Future Publishing) (3): 100. December 1987. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=1729&page=100. Retrieved 31 July 2026. 
  10. ↑ "Under Raps!". Sinclair User (EMAP) (63): 20. June 1987. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=63&page=20. Retrieved 31 July 2026. 
  11. ↑ "The Blues Brothers (C64) - 1987 CRL - GTW64". https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/the-blues-brothers/. 
  12. ↑ "Wheatley Mystery from CRL". Sinclair User (EMAP) (56): 7. 18 October 1986. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.php?issue_id=56&page=7. Retrieved 31 July 2026. 
  13. ↑ Taylor, Richard. "Fifth User's Manual". https://worldofspectrum.org//pub/sinclair/games-info/f/Fifth.txt. 
  14. ↑ "Highway Code at Spectrum Computing - Sinclair ZX Spectrum games, software and hardware". https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=9110. 
  15. ↑ "Funny Old Game Innit Cecil?". Computer and Video Games (EMAP) (86): 99. December 1988. https://archive.org/details/cvg-magazine-086/page/n97/mode/2up. Retrieved 19 December 2022. 
  16. ↑ "Zzap Test: International Soccer". Zzap (Newsfield) (76): 75. 9 June 1988. https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-039/page/n75/mode/2up. Retrieved 19 December 2022. 

Further reading

  • Retro Gamer Magazine, issue 97, Graeme Mason



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Company:CRL_Group&oldid=4581560"