The Adventures of Quik & Silva
| Industry | Video game development |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Kaiko (alias) |
| Products | The Adventures of Quik & Silva |
The Adventures of Quik & Silva is a platform game that debuted on 10 May 1991 in the United Kingdom for the Amiga and Atari ST systems. Created by Kaiko under the alias "New Bits on the RAM," it first appeared as a covermount disk included with issue 7 of Amiga Fun, which featured only the Amiga edition. In 1992, the title was reissued as public-domain software, with the Amiga version receiving a review in issue 18 of Amiga Power. The game's music was composed by Chris Hülsbeck.
Plot
In the whimsical island realm of Funnyland, King Walter decides to relinquish his crown to lead a more modest existence, entrusting the throne to his determined daughter, Princess Leila. Her initial decree involves repainting the royal carriage in pink and light blue shades. Meanwhile, at Funnyland's toy factory—known for producing plush toys—negligent employees leave a microwave door ajar. A rhinoceros-fly lands on its main switch, activating the microwave and transforming the toys into hostile monsters that endanger the kingdom.
The inhabitants turn to Leila for solutions amid this chaos. She remembers two robots, Quik and Silva, whom she had invited to her most recent birthday celebration; they run "QUIK & SILVA Computer Game Heroes Inc." She reaches out to them for assistance. The robots then set off on a quest to protect Funnyland from the rampaging mutated toys.
Gameplay
Players assume control of Quik and Silva as they navigate through eight stages alternating between surface and subterranean environments while evading various enemies. Collectible power-ups include "P" icons that upgrade the robots' plasma torpedoes, alongside "B" and "X" symbols that grant bonus points and additional lives. These rewards are obtained by striking and bouncing on blocks and platforms, many of which are cleverly concealed.
Development
The Adventures of Quik and Silva was developed by Peter Thierolf (programming), with Frank Matzke responsible for graphics, and Chris Hülsbeck providing music, sound effects, and voice work. Created in less than two weeks to alleviate financial difficulties following Apidya, Kaiko received payments of 15,000 Deutsche Marks per platform (Amiga and Atari ST) from Amiga Fun magazine, facilitating swift development, release, and distribution. To distance themselves from direct credit, Kaiko published under the pseudonym "New Bits on the RAM," adopting aliases inspired by industry veterans Andrew Braybrook and Mark Coleman. The logo parodied the Bitmap Brothers' hand emblem but replaced it with a thumbs-up gesture.
Enemy designs drew inspiration from characters found in games like Bubble Bobble, Nebulus, R-Type, and Super Mario. Initially distributed as a UK cover disk game—which temporarily circumvented copyright complications—the title gained wider recognition after its release as public domain software. Notably, it includes an unofficial depiction of Sonic the Hedgehog as an adversary, marking its first appearance in a home video game setting.