The Beatles Apparently Had A Video Game, And It Has Resurfaced

Video Games

Jan 30

The Beatles: Rockband was The Fab Four’s gracious debut into the world of pixels and polygons…at least that’s what was once thought to be true. Recently, an unknown entry into The Beatles’ video game universe was uncovered: a text adventure for the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum called Beatle Quest. The game was developed and published by Number 9 Software and programmed by Garry Marsh. It was released in 1985 and was intended to be the first part of a trilogy that would have included A Day in the Life, Part 2, and Across the Universe. Beatle Quest is set in the year 2953, and the player is a “Keeper of the Archives who takes care of Ancient Earth knowledge while space pioneers look for a New Earth to colonize.”

During this research, the keeper comes across “The Four Kings of EMI” and becomes fascinated with the group, enough to enter a computer simulation of a Beatles-influenced Liverpool in the 1960s. There are 150 locations with scenarios, people, and locations inspired by Beatles lyrics, such as Maxwell and his sliver hammer and “Penny Lane.”

The game received mixed reviews upon release and it languished in obscurity for years. However, it was recently uncovered on Internet Archive, where it can be played in a browser. So, if you want to take a “Magical Mystery Tour” through Beatles-inspired locations and lore, the game is available for you to check out!

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