Aackosoft

Aackosoft International B.V.

Industry	Video game industry Interactive entertainment Educational software Accounting software
Fate	Bankruptcy
Founded	1980s
Headquarters	Zoeterwoude / Leiden, Netherlands
Key people	Paul van Aacken, Guurt Kok (founders)
Products	Sprinter/The Train Game North Sea Helicopter

Aackosoft International B.V. (1983-1988) was a Dutch video game developer and publisher; it exclusively developed games for the MSX home computer.^[1] It also published some titles (mostly re-releases) for the ZX Spectrum^[2] and Commodore 64. The company became one of the biggest publishers for the MSX platform.^[3] It also developed accounting software and educational software for the MSX. Due to the declining popularity of the MSX Aackosoft filed for bankruptcy in 1988.

Aackosoft used multiple labels to release its software under. Besides under the Aackosoft brand name, software was also released under the labels Aackosoft Edusystems (for the educational titles), Eaglesoft (for its budget titles released on cassette tapes),^[4] Eurosoft, Methodic Solutions and The ByteBusters. The latest was also the name of Aackosoft's programming team.^[5]

Many of Aackosoft's games are clones (or even blatant rip-offs) of more famous arcade games by others, like Boom! (Galaxian), Hopper (Frogger), MacAttack (Burgertime), Oh Shit! (Pac-Man), Scentipede (Centipede), Jet Bomber (Zaxxon), Moon Rider (Moon Patrol), Space Busters (Space Invaders), Break In (Breakout) and Robot Wars (Berzerk). Some more original games include Life in the Fast Lane, Kick It!, Drome, Skooter, Time Curb, North Sea Helicopter and Ultra Chess. In 1986 Aackosoft released Sprinter (aka The Train Game), featuring a 3D train simulation.^[6]

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