About
This site is dedicated to preserving and supporting our 2 classic vertical shooters Hybris and Battle Squadron on the Commodore Amiga, Apple iOS, Android,PC, Mac, AOS4, MorphOS and the history of creation of our other great games for the Amstrad, Commodore 64 and Sega Megadrive.
As of 2013 Cope-Com is now working on converting their great classic Amiga games to new formats, such as Apple iOS and Android.
Story
Cope-Com was founded in 1987 by Martin B. Pedersen and Torben B. Larsen with the aim of making great Amiga computer games. With the award-winning game titles Hybris and Battle Squadron they successfully proved the capabilities of the Amiga home computer.
Martin B. Pedersen started out with a ZX81 (actually an upgraded ZX80) in 1982 and later switched over to the ZX Spectrum, which was eventually exchanged with an Amstrad. In 1985 he did the game “The Vikings” on the Amstrad for the Danish software pioneer and publisher Kele Line. At the same time Torben B. Larsen was doing the graphics for the same game on the Commodore 64 and also working on the great vertical shooter Tiger Mission for the C64. This was how the two met and got started on doing their great classic Amiga games.
Feeling limited with the Amstrad and its technical abilities, Martin and Torben decided to take a closer look at the Amiga in 1985-86. The technical aspects of the Amiga in terms of more advanced processors, better screen resolution, more colors, and 8 bit sound sampling, was very impressive to both of them.
Being excited about the great possibilities of the in luring Amiga, they decided to develop games for this machine. They started out with their first Amiga title, a shoot’em up called Hybris. For this game they teamed up with the American publisher Discovery Software which folded a year later. Hybris was published worldwide in 1988 and was an instant success on the Amiga. Torben and Martin Pedersen invented and utilzed a hardware flaw on the Amiga thus enabling Hybris to use more than the default 8 sprites per scanline. Their sprite invention on the Amiga would later inspire many other developers. Hybris received several Amiga awards and was praised for its high technical standard, great game play, great music and sharp graphics.
Taking on the challenge after Hybris, they decided to develop an even better vertical shoot’em up for the Amiga called Battle Squadron. This time they teamed up with newly created Innerprise software, which Torben B. Larsen co-founded.
The game was released worldwide in 1989 and again an Amiga classic was born. The game featured 2 simultaneous players and a cool gaming “predator” enemy effect. Battle Squadron received a fantastic 109% rating in Amiga Computing, and 90-100% in many other computer magazines of that time.
Battle Squadron was also converted by Cope-Com to the popular Sega Megadrive/Genesis console and published by Electronic Arts (EA) in 1990. The Genesis conversion also featured parallax scrolling and the brilliant Amiga music and sound was re-arranged for the Genesis by the famed Commodore 64 music wizard Rob Hubbard.
In 2011 Battle Squadron was released for Apple iOS devices like iPod, iPhone and iPad and later updated with world’s first 2 player split-screen shoot’em up. Retro gamers are having an Amiga blast on their iOS devices and Battle Squadron has reached top ratings on App Store.
In 2012 the highly acclaimed Amiga version of Battle Squadron was also released for all Android devices. Again retro gamers are having a blast on their Android devices and ratings have reached a fantastic 5 star.
In the early 1990’s Martin B. Pedersen and Torben B. Larsen worked on the original and famed interactive Hugo the TV Troll series. Hugo the TV troll became a massive hit on TV and as a video game world wide.
Even today in 2013 millions of players are downloading Hugo the TV troll to their smartphones.
The Royal Danish National Library (Black Diamond)
In september 2009 The Vikings, Tiger Mission, Battle Squadron, Hybris, Sword of Sodan, Hugo The TV troll and many other famed games were on display at the Royal Danish National Library. The event was part of the danish digital cultural heritage.
Awards
Battle Squadron received the Golden Canal Plus Tilt 1990 “best shooter” together with Thunder Force III.
Gold Awards Tilt 1990, Tilt , No 85H, page 4-5, december 1990. The game also received numerous awards around the world.
Hybris received an Amiga Games Award 1988 – L’Amiga au Maximum Obligement. The game also received numerous awards around the world.
Sword of Sodan received an Oskar Award in 1988 for best arcade game of the year – Commodore Computing
Hugo The TV Troll has won awards for a best entertainment show in eight countries – VirTual Gamers
Information
Martin Pedersen
Holds a Ph.D. in Biotechnology.
Contributing game titles:
– The Vikings (Amstrad)
– Hybris (Commodore Amiga)
– Battle Squadron (Commodore Amiga, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Apple iOS, Android)
– Hugo the TV Troll (Commodore Amiga, TV platform)
Torben Bakager
Developer and 3D/2D artist and technical game designer and one of the pioneers within the Danish gaming industry.
“The most famous game graphic artist in Denmark from the mid-80s and a decade on was involved in most of the major Danish game productions.” – play:right – Danish Game Museum
“Torben Bakager was one of the lead artist on our Hugo the TV Troll series and truly the pioneer within danish computer art”.
Head of Graphic Design and Animation ITE A/S – Niels Krogh Mortensen
Contributing game titles:
– The Vikings (Commodore 64, Amstrad)
– Tiger Mission (Commodore 64)
– M.A.C.H. (Commodore 64)
– Thunder Force (Commodore 64)
– ZOOM! (Commodore 64/128, Amiga, DOS, CGA, EGA, Tandy)
– V.I.P. Virus Infection Protection. The first virus protection program on the Amiga.
– Hybris (Commodore Amiga)
– Sword of Sodan (Commodore Amiga, Apple IIgs(Only Demo), Macintosh, Sega Mega Drive)
– Battle Squadron (Commodore Amiga, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Apple iOS, Android, PC, Mac, AOS4 and MorphOS)
– Hugo the TV Troll Series (Commodore Amiga, PC Windows, Playstation, iOS, TV platform)
– Hugo Classic 1+2 (PC Windows)
– Hugo 2 (Playstation)
– Daggerfall (PC Windows)
– Double Clutch (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis)
– Complete list of games…
Interview books/media
68000: The Flame Wars (Atari/Amiga)
Available at microzeit.com
COMMODORE AMIGA: A VISUAL COMPENDIUM
Available at bitmap books
Pix’n love #26 Goldeneye
Events/Shows
Retro game days 2023 (Vejle bibliotekerne)
Amiga 32 – Neuss, Germany
Apple iOS / Android
Commodore Amiga
PC Windows
Commodore 64
Additional credits:
Daniel Müßener
Ron Klaren
Paul Van Der Valk
Yvo Zoer
Søren Grønbech
Thomas Zelikman
Andy Hook
Thomas Jakobsen
Viet Ngyuen
Copyright legal notice.
Hybris ONE © 2015
Battle Squadron ONE © 2010 – 2017
Battle Squadron 2 © 1989 – 1990
Battle Squadron © 1988 – 1989
Hybris © 1987 – 1988
Cope-Com ® 2017. All rights reserved.
Copying and/or distributing the intellectual property of Cope-Com is illegal and is strictly prohibited by domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Further information please use: mrcopecom@gmail.com
Cope-Com 