Durell Software

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Durell Software is a UK software developer founded in 1983 by Robert White. Up to 1987 Durell developed about 19 games for various 8-bit computers such as Oric-1, ZX Spectrum, C64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron and Amstrad CPC. Their biggest hit was Harrier Attack that sold about 250,000 copies.

Toward the end of 1987 they sold the rights to publish most of their existing games to Elite Systems and changed focus to software for the insurance industry. Trading under the name Durell Solutions their main products are now "Financial Adviser", "General Broker" and "Office Manager", all available as free downloads.

In 2005 Mike Richardson, author of Durell's best selling titles for the ZX Spectrum, founded Durell Games Ltd. The first game to be developed by the company is Harrier Attack II, a sequel to their best-selling 8-bit game.

[edit] List of games

Chain Reaction
Combat Lynx
Critical Mass
Deep Strike
Fat Worm Blows a Sparky (1985)
Galaxy 5
Harrier Attack
Jungle Trouble
Lunar Landing
Mineshaft
Saboteur
Saboteur 2 - Avenging Angel
Scuba Dive
Sigma 7
Spitfire
Starfighter
Thanatos
Turbo Esprit

Death Pit

This game was advertised quite extensively in 1985 by Durell and was completed but not considered good enough for release. An article in issue 25 of Crash remarked: "although halfway through the project there was a moment when it looked like the game might make a commercial release, it didn't come up to scratch". Clive Townsend, however, did use some of the routines from this game in the programming of Saboteur. The available development version was recovered in 2007.