Head Over Heels
1987 · Isometric Action · ZX Spectrum / Multiple
Overview
Head Over Heels (1987) is Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond's isometric puzzle adventure: two mismatched heroes who can split up or combine.
Deep Dive
Head and Heels are spies sent to free the planets of the Blacktooth empire, captured separately and exploring hundreds of isometric rooms. Head jumps high, glides and can fire doughnuts; Heels runs fast and can carry objects in a bag. Many puzzles need one or the other, and once reunited the two can stack into a single, far more capable character. Built on the isometric approach of the pair's earlier Batman, it is regarded as one of the finest games on the ZX Spectrum.
Developer Story
Head Over Heels was designed by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond at Ocean Software in 1987. Two characters — Head (who could jump and shoot) and Heels (who could run fast and carry items) — solved puzzles independently or combined into a single character. The isometric 3D world was vast and full of interconnected rooms. It won numerous awards and is considered one of the finest ZX Spectrum games ever made.
Did You Know?
- Head Over Heels had two protagonists with different abilities — the game could be played with either character, but combining them unlocked the full experience.
- The isometric 3D world was one of the largest ever created for the ZX Spectrum, with hundreds of interconnected rooms.
- Head can glide and fire doughnuts from a hooter; Heels runs fast and can carry objects in a bag — two very different heroes in one game.
- Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond's previous game, Batman (1986), established the isometric engine they perfected in Head Over Heels.
Sources & further reading
- Head over Heels (video game) — Wikipedia
