Paperboy (1986)

Paperboy is an arcade action game released in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum 48K. Published by Elite Systems, the game was developed by Steve Lamb, Tony Mack, Rory C. Green, and JAF.

The game utilizes oblique 3D graphics with multi-directional and diagonal scrolling. A single player controls a paperboy navigating suburban streets, with the engine incorporating border effects. The game supports Kempston and Interface 2 joysticks, as well as cursor controls.

The original cassette release was priced at £7.95. The title saw extensive multi-platform support, appearing on systems such as the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, NES, Amiga, and Sega Mega Drive.

The game holds an average magazine score of 83.75%. It earned the C+VG Hit award and was named a Your Sinclair Megagame, receiving perfect scores from both ACE and Sinclair User magazines.

In the Soviet Union and Russia, the game frequently appeared in local gaming charts and top-list selections. Magazines regularly featured POKE codes and cheats for the title, while crackers like Bill Gilbert and Sayva released hacked cassette versions. Numerous TR-DOS adaptations were also produced by groups such as Alexey Vagin, Artem Surunov, and SG-Team.