IN THE KNOW
» PUBLISHER: BITMAP BUREAU
» DEVELOPER: BITMAP BUREAU
» RELEASED: 2019 - 2023
» PLATFORM: MEGA DRIVE, VARIOUS
» GENRE: SHOOTER
DEVELOPER HIGHLIGHTS
88 HEROES (PICTURED)
SYSTEM: PC, VARIOUS
YEAR: 2017
NINJA SHODOWN
SYSTEM: PC, VARIOUS
YEAR: 2017
FINAL VENDETTA
SYSTEM: PC, VARIOUS
YEAR: 2022
When Mike Tucker and Matt Cope founded Bitmap Bureau seven years ago, they set a confidently straightforward plan in place. The longstanding friends weren’t looking to revolutionise the cutting edge of contemporary AAA gaming, or even wildly reinvent retro genres for new modern audiences.
“It’s a bit of a cliche, but I just wanted to make games that appeal to me,” reveals Mike, Bitmap Bureau design director and cofounder. “Since I was a kid, I’ve had ideas for games in my head and I’ve carried some of those from my younger years. So Bitmap Bureau was really about making things that Matt and I enjoy making and would enjoy playing in the hope that other people would also enjoy them.”
That understated assertion of Bitmap Bureau’s founding, however, belies the remarkable quality of the team’s work, and Mike’s own rich history in the gaming industry. He joined the realm as a tester for SCi Games way back in 1995, before moving into the likes of level design at the outfit that would ultimately get scooped up by firm Square
