Wizball was originally released in 1987 by Sensible Software, designed by Jon Hare and Chris Yates with music by Martin Galway. The version preserved here is the 2007 Retrospec remake by Graham Goring, with graphics by Trevor “Smila” Storey and music by Infamous (Chris Nunn).

The remake follows the Commodore 64 version of the game most closely: a strange, fast, colourful shooter where restoring colour to the landscape is the entire point.

What you do

Wizworld has been drained into dull greys. Each landscape is made of three colours, and your job is to restore them by:

  • shooting the red, green, and blue colour bubbles
  • collecting the falling droplets with Catellite
  • filling the cauldron with the right mix of colour
  • repainting the whole landscape

Some stages hold only one colour, so play involves moving between connected levels, collecting what you need, and surviving long enough to finish the job.

After each colour set is completed there is a bonus stage, and between worlds you can choose permanent upgrades instead of just taking score.

Controls

Default controls from the original remake readme:

  • Wizball: cursor keys to move, Z to fire, X to select the highlighted bonus
  • Catellite: W, A, D, S to move, P to fire

Controls can be rebound, and the game also supports gamepads.

Upgrades and bonuses

Collecting green pearls lets you cycle through bonus icons. These can grant upgrades such as:

  • better thrust and movement control
  • stronger beam weapons
  • a fresh Catellite
  • faster firing
  • spray protection
  • smart bombs
  • temporary shields

As Graham Goring noted in the original readme, the remake also adds a button-based way to choose bonuses rather than relying entirely on joystick waggle.

Background

This remake began in 2006 and was released in 2007 through Retrospec. The source was recovered in 2026, which is why this site now exists.

Useful references: