Spina the Bee

INTELLIVISION CARTRIDGE [UNFINISHED]

AKA: Zzzz!

Developed at Nice Ideas (Mattel Electronics France)

Design/Program: Simonot

Graphics: Bob del Principe

Music/Sound: Sam Zalan


PROGRAMMER'S DESCRIPTION

Gain as much pollen and bonus points as possible without raindrops pushing your bee into the water and without getting blown off the right side of the screen.

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

Another of the first games developed at the French office, Spina the Bee was based on a European cartoon character, popular with little girls. (Since the rights to Spina had not been obtained, the title Zzzz! was used on the prototypes.)

The French office had been set up to develop games with a European sensibility, but after the Mattel Electronics management change of July 1983 and subsequent programmer layoffs in August, Mattel started to consider the French office simply as a source of programmers to handle the overflow from the California headquarters. The games from France would have to have wide appeal in the United States, as well.

Spina the Bee was judged not to have that wide appeal and was killed.