zub Commodore 64 game

Zub is a platform video game from 1986 created by Ste and John Pickford, developed by Binary Design, and published by Mastertronic for various computer systems. The game centers around the player controlling Zub, who embarks on a mission to retrieve the Green Eyeball of Zub from different planets. An Easter egg called Lightfarce, a parody of the game Light Force, was included. The music was composed by David Whittaker.

The game received mixed reviews, with positive reception for some versions and negative feedback for others.

Plot and Gameplay:

The player assumes the role of Private Zub, assigned by King Zub to recover the Green Eyeball from his brother. Despite a long absence from combat, Private Zub is promoted to Sergeant and dispatched to planet Zub 10. The mission involves traversing the Zub system, spanning planets Zub 1 to 10, in order to reclaim the crown jewel and bring it back.

Development:

Zub was developed by the Pickford brothers and was initially titled Zob, which was altered due to its French slang connotations. It was released for the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum computers through Mastertronic's M.A.D imprint. David Whittaker composed the game's music. Lightfarce, a response to frustrations with Light Force's positive reception, was incorporated as an Easter egg during development.

Originally intended as a twelve-week endeavor, Zub's development took longer—sixteen to twenty weeks. Due to delays, the game was initially released for ZX Spectrum 48K, lacking certain features. A 128K version followed, and customers who purchased the 48K version were offered an enhanced version for free.

Reception:

Zub garnered mixed reviews. The ZX Spectrum and Amstrad versions received generally positive feedback for their presentation and graphics. The Commodore 64 version, however, was negatively criticized. The Pickford brothers estimated sales of around 60,000 copies for the Spectrum and Commodore versions and 50,000 for the Amstrad release. They considered the game to have been launched in an incomplete state.