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스태틱소프트 Static Soft
Founded: December 12th, 1985
Status: active (as e.wall research)
Key People: 黃善卓 황선탁 Hwang Seontak:
President (1980s)
:
Vice president
김종모 Kim Jongmo:
CEO (today)
Website: www.static.co.kr (offline)
www.ewall.co.kr

Profile:

Static Soft started its career with producing games for Samsung's 8-bit home computer SPC-1000. Former president Hwang Seontaek founded the company as an outlet for his son's programming passion. Hwang Geonsun, who was a high school student at the time, produced all of Static Soft's game ports and a huge number of more "serious" software products single-handedly. The company's homepage claimed 30 titles delivered to Samsung in 19851, but Staticsoft kept supporting the conglomerate's home computers at least until 1989 with software. They also manufactured VDP units that enhanced the color capabilities of the SPC-1000.

Afterwards, Static Soft continued business in warious IT branches, but abandoned game development. On April 7th, 2005, the company changed its name to e.wall research. Hwang Geonsun remains vice president of the company until today.

Most of Static Soft's games were ports of PC-6001 or PC-8001 games, although some originals are not yet accounted for. After VDP units where available, they also released a ton of 1:1 conversions from MSX, which are omitted on this page (and others) due to their sheer quantity and the assumption that they were quick and simple semi-automatic conversions.

Only a small portion of their releases is properly documented so far, which is introduced below. There is a lot of software left only known by its title: Thunderball (pretty certainly the ASCII PC-6001 pinball game of the same title), 3D Car Race, IQ 4989, Fruits Field (SPC-1000 & MSX), Annie-ui Moheom ("Annie's Adventure"), Ujuseon Gyeokpa Game ("Spaceship Destruction Game"), Super Pungseon ("Super Bubble") and Gongsu Daejakjeon (the latter two released on two sides of the same tape). Other mentioned titles, possibly either made prior to the foundation of Staticsoft or MSX conversions, are Eunhaeng Kangdo ("Bank Robber"), Hyeongsa Q and Galaga (easy to guess which game this is based on).


Games:

달 구조대 (Dal Gujodae) / 루나 시티 SOS (Lunar City SOS) - SPC-1000 (1984)


Lunar City SOS

This game actually predates the founding of Static Soft. A port of the PC-8001 game by Takanari Suzuki (pen name: Geimu Kyouji), it was Hwang Geonsun's first success at the Samsung 3rd Software Competition, where he won a runner-up prize.

The player has to protect the city from an alien invasion. Starting with a single alien mothership, the player's efforts actually make the situation worse at first, as each destroyed enemy splits into two smaller ones, until the last form is defeated. A barrier keeps enemy bullets at bay for a time, but it is neutralized quickly.

Unlike most SPC-1000 games, Lunar City SOS gives players the choice between both the low-res color and hi-res monochrome screen modes, making the best use of each.



Lunar City SOS

아스트로이드 (Asteroid Belt) - SPC-1000 (1985)


Asteroid Belt (no color)

Another port of a Takanari Suzuki game. Given its 1985 "copyright", Asteroid Belt appears to be one of Static Soft's first games. The space shooter takes the barriers mechanic from Space Invaders, but applies more free-form, aggressive enemy waves to the concept. Like Lunar City SOS, the game supports both screen modes of the SPC-1000. The color mode is actually more difficult, though, as bullets do more damage to the barriers because of the lower resolution.

The similarity to SOS Lunar City was the reason that motivated further research into the former game, but actually Asteroid Belt is attributed in the title screen to one Kim Sangbeom. Given that he and Hwang Geonsun worked for the same company, though, it only makes sense that they would have shared their programming techniques.



Asteroid Belt (with color)

Super Lode Runner I & II - SPC-1000 (1985 & 1986)


Super Lode Runner

A port of Lode Runner. There have been two releases with different sets of stages.



Super Lode Runner

건담 III (Gundam III) - SPC-1000 (1986)


Gundam III

Gundam III is of course based on the immensely popular anime series. Gundam III is also the name of the suit used in the game, and probably also refers to the three transformations that are realized within the game. The game is only known through vague magazine coverage, so there's no information how those transformation states played out.



Gundam III

슈퍼 제비우스 (Super Xevious) - SPC-1000 (1986)


Super Xevious

Super Xevious is actually a port of the first Thunder Force, based on the PC-6001 version by Tecno Soft. The keyboard controls are a bit iffy. This is one of very few SPC-1000 games that feature background music during actual gameplay.



Super Xevious

명탐정 바베크 (Myeongtamjeong Vaveque) - SPC-1000 (1986)


Myeongtamjeong Vaveque

Myeongtamjeong Vaveque

Myeongtamjeong Vaveque

Cover

Port of the PC6001 game Muday by Compac. The title Myeongtamjeong Vaveque (Super Sleuth Vaveque) is based off a series in a Korean 1982 puppet show, which once again is said to be inspired by Johnston McCulley's Black Star. It's incredibly hard to find any footage of the series, but the game has nothing in common at least with the novels. The box also steals the title artwork from Legend of Zelda, talk about arbitrary.

Behind the confusing title stands a puzzle action game with a guy who looks like wearing a space suit and has to find colored keys in each of the 64 screens to access a series of doors to the exit. Five enemy types with individual movement and attack patterns try to prevent this, and the labyrinth stages and trampolines don't make the task easier, either. The hero can lie down on the floor to avoid enemy lasers, and also wields a gun himself. Enemies constantly respawn, however, and some are even immune to it.



Myeongtamjeong Vaveque

Myeongtamjeong Vaveque

Myeongtamjeong Vaveque

우주전자 피리아 (Ujujeonja Firia) - SPC-1000 (1986)


Firia

Another space shooter, this time in "monochrome" only. Little to say about this one.



Firia

펜저스피체 (Panzerspitze) - SPC-1000 (1986)


Panzerspitze

One more shooter, originally released for the PC-6001 by Compac. Here the player takes place in a tank. Panzerspitze (a overgermanization of Panzer Front) is a rather slow paced game, but it plays out quite interesting. The tank cannot move diagonally, but instead its turret can be rotated in 360 degrees. There is only one button assigned to it, though, so one press will turn it clockwise, and the next one counter-clockwise, etc., which takes some getting used to. The tank also uses up fuel, which can be recharged at fuel stations.



Panzerspitze

톰과 제리 (Tom & Jerry) - MSX, SPC-1000 (1986)


Cover

One of Static Soft's last PC-6001 ports, Tom & Jerry is based on Cheese World from PiO '84/08, but renamed to tie in with the famous cartoon of the same title. It's only known from short magazine coverage, but the screen composition is reminiscent of Boulder Dash.

Tom & Jerry was published by Aproman, who would later become known as the publisher of the first Korean RPG.



Tom & Jerry

References
1. Static Soft company history (stored June 2nd, 2003)


A History of Korean Gaming

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Table of Contents

HG101 Index