Nebulus

Nebulus from Hewson Consultants was released for the Commodore 64 in 1987 and became famous for its thoroughly unconventional concept — playing a creature named Pogo, the player must conquer a series of cylindrical towers rising from the sea by climbing around their circumference, destroying defense mechanisms, doors and platforms, and finally blowing up each tower with charges before escaping safely by boat. The character can move around the entire circumference of the tower, so the player only sees the part of the structure currently facing the screen, while the rest of the tower rotates along with the character's movement, revealing new dangers.

This rotating cylindrical platformer principle was technically and creatively exceptional for its time and demanded constant spatial awareness from the player, since enemies and obstacles could appear at any point as the tower rotated. The game also featured swimming sections in the sea between towers, where further enemies lurked, and falling from a height back down meant a noticeable loss of progress. On the C64 the game particularly excelled in the smooth animation of the towers' rotation and in its distinctive, unmistakable music by David Whittaker, which, together with the colourful, fairy-tale-like visuals, gave the game a unique atmosphere quite different from the wartime or sci-fi themes of competing titles of the era.

Nebulus was ranked in contemporary reviews among the most original and highest-rated platformers on the C64, and its unconventional approach to level design also inspired later creators looking for alternatives to the traditional side-scrolling screen. The game still feels fresh today thanks to its playful graphics and the clever rotating-tower mechanic, which even after all these years doesn't feel dated. It stands among the titles that best demonstrate how inventively British developers of the 1980s worked within the limits of 8-bit hardware while still delivering unique gameplay.

Why play it: Anyone looking for an unconventional platformer that swaps side-scrolling for a clever rotating-tower mechanic will find Nebulus still feels fresh today and showcases the ingenuity of 1980s British developers.