Hammerfist

Vivid Image

Company type	Private
Industry	Video game development
Founded	1988
Founder	Mev Dinc, Hugh Riley, John Twiddy
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Hammerfist

Hammerfist is a side-scrolling beat 'em up title released in 1990, developed by Vivid Image and published by Activision for platforms including Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum.

Plot

The narrative unfolds in the year 2215 AD, where the global landscape is dominated by the corporation Centro-Holographix, also referred to as Metro-Holographix. This entity replaces humans with compliant holographic replicas. Two agents, Hammerfist and Metalisis, experience malfunctions and subsequently revolt against their creators in an effort to dismantle the corporation and regain their human identities. After merging into a single being capable of alternating between their two forms, they escape from an underwater laboratory. Their journey involves combating aquatic creatures and penetrating the devastated city that houses Centro-Holographix’s headquarters. The climax features a confrontation with The Master, the corporation’s leader, whom they ultimately defeat before parting ways independently.

Gameplay

Players alternate control between Hammerfist and Metalisis, utilizing their distinct skill sets: Hammerfist is proficient in combat, boasting greater resilience and powerful energy-based fist strikes, whereas Metalisis offers agility through acrobatic maneuvers such as cartwheels to overcome obstacles. Advancement requires clearing rooms by eliminating enemies and destroying computer terminals using the complementary abilities of both characters.

Each character has an individual health meter; losing one restricts gameplay to the remaining character. Collecting power-ups obtained by defeating foes and breaking terminals enhances abilities; however, failing to gather these power-ups empowers The Master, eventually causing power-ups to become detrimental if ignored too long. Some rooms feature health recharge stations. Losing both characters results in restarting the game.

Development

Hammerfist marked the first release from UK-based developer Vivid Image, established by Mev Dinc, Hugh Riley, and John Twiddy. The founders departed from System 3 immediately after completing Last Ninja 2 in 1988 to form their own studio.

A version intended for the Konix Multisystem was developed but never launched due to the console’s cancellation.

Reception

The game garnered positive feedback across various platforms. The Amiga edition received commendation from A.C.E., which described it as "graphically superb" and superior to many arcade conversions. Amiga Format awarded it an 89% rating, emphasizing its depth and enduring gameplay value. Zero scored it 87/100, praising its demanding gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack.

On the Commodore 64, The Games Machine lauded its graphical quality, while Zzap!64 assigned a 90% score for its detailed sprite work and fluid animation. The ZX Spectrum version was also well regarded; Computer and Video Games noted that despite its monochromatic graphics, it distinguished itself among recent arcade-style titles.

External links

• Hammerfist at Atari Legend
• Hammerfist at Lemon Amiga