Mystery of Bandersnatch: The Game that VANISHED | Nostalgia Nerd
Check out sponsor 1inch Wallet for a safe and easy way to store your assets: https://jn3rg.app.link/Nostalgia_Nerd_1inch ~ In 1984 there existed a company called Imagine Software. They went under the label of Imagine The Name of the Game, and they developed lots of games for machines like the Commodore VIC-20, Sinclair ZX81 and ZX Spectrum. But their best known title is one which never actually got published. It’s a game that has become legendary for it’s hype and promised offerings. That game was called Bandersnatch, and just like it’s Netflix spinoff, the story of it is a whole world of adventure. So settle in and let’s get ready to enter the Bandersnatch (whilst not forgetting Psyclapse), and see how it broke the dreams of an entire gaming generation.
Bandersnatch, Bandersnatch, *Bandersnatch* (hoping it’s like candyman)
Thanks to Elliot Coll of @TheRetroFuture for lending his beautiful voice.
⌚Timings⌚
0:00-01:03 Introduction
01:03-07:13 Imagine’s Early Years
07:13-10:50 Imagine’s Problems
10:50-14:08 The MEGAGAMES
14:08-19:04 Bandersnatch
19:04-21:56 Psyclapse
21:56-28:11 Imagine’s Demise
28:11-33:33 Prototypes
33:33-35:22 Fate of the MEGAGAMES
35:22-37:04 1Inch
37:04-39:00 This isn’t the end
39:00-40:14 Credits
🔗Video Links🔗
Retro Hour Interview with John Gibson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71BkmPZrsxY
Retro Hour Interview with
Games That Weren’t: https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64/psyclapse/
ZX Golden Years with Bruce Everiss: https://www.zxgoldenyears.org/bruce-everiss
John Gibson Forum Interview: https://oceanexp.proboards.com/thread/162/john-gibson-interview
Imagine Software BBC News Segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcfzvG3cWEI
Bandersnatch resources: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/9525/ZX-Spectrum/Bandersnatch
Mark Jones on Twitter: https://twitter.com/markrjones1970/status/1189146112671846401
PCW 86 Show: https://www.crashonline.org.uk/46/pcw.htm
West 57th: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWBptsqpSy0
Commercial Breaks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChmQBK_EaUQ
QL Forum: https://qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2033
Tired Old Hack: https://tiredoldhack.com/2019/01/02/bandersnatch-the-game-that-killed-a-company-and-inspired-a-black-mirror-episode/
Newspaper Research: https://www.newspapers.com/
Gift from the Gods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sRZxYHwO_0
Brataccas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPzlR0bnruY
Wacky Waiters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlT4Pv0BZZ0
Ah Diddums: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QluTU1Honc
Zzoom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogbZ6k9yzl8
Alchemist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayjsENoWOs
Zip-Zap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0QcNjN4Djk
C64 Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdMaBtPfY_Q
VIC-20 Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK9VU1aJvTI
BBC Micro Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gtgd22mtlt8
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@lucasoheyze4597
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
If you're watching a video about Bandersnatch it's unlikely you'll need the history of the computer at the start 👎
@MagicChibiBunny
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
what's the credits music?
@MrMightyZ
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
I haven’t pirated since the PS1 but as little kids we did tape to tape copies of C64 games and less than half actually worked.
Then I got a good quality Panasonic ghetto blaster and 2/3 or 3/4 of the copies worked but THEN we started using our mate’s dad’s stunning component hifi system (worth either $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000-I can’t remember which) and with high quality tapes every copy worked every time. We felt like we were some high-tech futuristic criminal mofos! With our high tech crime ring and knobbly knees and buck teeth and thick glasses etc.
@selfaware3940
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Back then, it was perfectly legal to use a car phone while actually driving
@testvideo44
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Top notch viewing, thank you!
@terry-
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Great!
@GepettoTrio
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Piracy in the 80s was not the issue it was made out to be. It was was used as a skapegoat by Imagine and other companies for their own mismanagement
@philswales
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
I love Jumping Jack! I still play it on my emulator sometimes.
@AthosJosue
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
The only true Megagame on the Spectrum was Elite.
@noaag
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
17:32 a game about a space colony on the edge of a large galaxy, you say?
So that's why Black Mirror is so messed up, it is a game of Rimworld
@jonminton1878
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Though a very different game and premise in some ways, I think the Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch did capture something genuine about the way a Big Idea can be so exciting it deranges people. Only in reality it sounds like the derangement was company wide rather than just affecting one home programmer
@wongadob
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Really enjoyed this and it brought back many happy memories of my days at Imagine. They were fun times as a developer
@Ferpsf
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Fantastic video!
@Junkboy888
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Man I was reading about this game in Mags and waiting for it to come out for the Commodore 64. Yes I'm that old. This bring back a lot of memory. Great job on the video. Well worth a Sub.
@jamestoney6108
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
BBC archive just released the TV show https://youtu.be/buuUZFh_pyk?si=wy8P1knm9dsVM8ze
@v7bdv7bd34
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Мошенники они были, наворовали денег пока можно было и не чего не вкладывали в будущее компании.
@memermetalthemiddleagedaut99
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
kinda makes me laugh, they wanted the adapter to have an extra 64k memory but sinclair eventually released the 128k spectrum😂
@enverhaase8562
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
15:20 I love it how the advert is asking "will they succeed?". Hahahaha, no they did not.
@marieascot
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Excellently put together. This needs to be a liked to video for the Netflix's show.
@bmobert
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Instead of, "Imagine were doomed," I heard, "Imagine we're doomed."
And I thought, "Not hard."
@rainnaxil
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
In italy we say: CHI TROPPO VUOLE NULLA STRINGE!
@----.__
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
I slept with the lead guitarist of an all female group once. Don't mind me some bandersnatch.
@DrGooseDuckman
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Balder what?!
@Corvoattano13
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
So this would have been the original AAA game as we know it now.
@hyrondongle2473
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Dongles are great!
@mariotaz
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Lol FTX
@deadjesterstudio8556
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
I dont know what it is.. but seeing old footage of good ol blighty in the 80s just makes me smile every time.. and when its connected to computing back then.. im in fat mans heaven!!! Making games back then was so RAW and fundamental.. it was like the wild west.. this would defo be my time travel destination of voice.. possibly in clive sinclairs garage.. id sleep in one of his little cars!
@Mentski
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Interesting story regarding Kiltdale cassette duplication company from 22:45 : They had their premises backed up upon an area of Cheltenham called Sandford Park. We'd often invade their property by jumping a fence in the park, hopping over a very shallow River Chelt that ran between both, and rummaging the skips the had at the back of their facility.
We got so many free games…. So many.
@amirmohamad474az
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
"you should do your own research" is another term for "I'm covering my bases so you can't sue me".
@edwardevans8685
March 25, 2026 at 6:45 pm
Most of the imagine games were not very good, Ocean games and Ultimate were better quality
Comments are closed.