Morpheus

Morpheus appeared in 1988 for the Commodore 64, developed by the British studio Graftgold and published by Rainbird. The catalogue notes a side view and support for more than one player.

Graftgold was among the most respected British studios of the 8-bit years. Its Commodore 64 games were known for technical care and for refusing to simply copy established formulas, preferring to try mechanics of their own. That is why its output is still discussed by people who study the home computer scene of the eighties closely.

1988 marked maturity for the Commodore 64. The machine had been on sale for six years, programmers knew its graphics and sound chips in detail and could extract results nobody had considered at launch. Games from this window tend to be the most ambitious the 8-bit generation received, visually and technically.

Rainbird was a publisher associated with demanding titles rather than fast mass production. Its name on the sleeve signalled something at the time: buyers expected a game that asked for attention and would not give itself away in the first minute.

The multiplayer note is intriguing for a computer game from 1988. The Commodore 64 had two joystick ports, so a pair could take turns or play at the same time, but in an action title that meant dividing already scarce processing time between two characters. Studios willing to attempt it were signalling technical confidence.

The British scene of the period had another peculiarity: games were reviewed in magazines with enormous circulations, and a score decided sales. A publisher like Rainbird therefore sent nothing to market that could not stand comparison with domestic competition, which was exceptionally strong.

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