Ocean Software

Ocean Software at a Glance

Ocean Software was a British developer and publisher founded in 1984 by David Ward and Jon Woods. The company started as a mail-order business called Spectrum Games before changing its name to avoid confusion on non-Spectrum systems. They operated from 1983 to 2018 with a heavy focus on the 1980s, releasing 66 games during that decade. Their output slowed in the 1990s with 49 titles and dropped significantly to just one game in the 2010s. By the time they stopped operating as an independent entity in 1998, Ocean had become part of Infogrames United Kingdom Limited. The studio released a total of 119 games on PlayPile, with 108 published and 54 developed by their own team. Their catalog spans many genres but leans heavily toward shooters with 48 titles and platformers with 41. Arcade games make up another significant portion at 30 titles. Most of their work appeared on the ZX Spectrum with 62 releases, followed closely by Commodore systems with 55. They also released 47 Amstrad CPC games and 40 for the Amiga. Later in their life cycle, they produced content for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and PC platforms. Quality varies widely across their library. The average IGDB rating sits at 61.9 out of 100 based on 43 rated titles. While three games scored great with over 80 points, five others fell into the poor category below 40. Jurassic Park from 1993 stands out as their highest-rated title at 97.2. Batman (1989), Mutants (1987), and Wizball (1987) also reached the great tier with scores above 80. Super Turrican 2 came close in 1995 with a score of 79.9. In the late 1990s, their recent releases like Mission: Impossible and Wetrix received mixed reviews around 65 to 66 points. Fighters Destiny scored a bit higher at 70.2. The data shows a company that had massive success in the 8-bit era but struggled to maintain consistent high scores as they moved into the next generation of consoles.

Release Timeline

Rating Distribution