Ports of Entry: Mindscape

Unknown lead platform:

 

Crime and Punishment

First released for PC in September 1984

Released for Apple II and C64 in December 1984

 

Although the PC version has the earliest listed release date, scans of the instruction manual reference all three platforms. Curiously, the C64 version, which is the best looking one to my eyes, only uses four colors, the same number as PC, while the Apple II uses six and I think is worse looking than either. I expect that either C64 or PC is a palette swap of the other, plus tweaks to the judge's face such as the addition/removal of a mustache.

The Chessmaster 2000

First released for Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and C64 in June 1986.

Released for PC in August 1986.

Released for Amiga in September 1986.

Ported to MSX in 1986 by Gamart.

Released for Macintosh in January 1987.

Released for Atari ST in March 1987.

Life & Death

First released for PC and Macintosh in November 1988.

Released for Apple IIgs in 1989.

Mario is Missing!

First released for PC and SNES in 1992.

Released for NES in 1993.

Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat

First released for Windows 3.x and Windows 95 in November 1995.

Released for Playstation on November 11, 1996.

 

This is probably a PC->PS1 conversion, but it's hard to know if development focused on 16-bit Windows 3.x or 32-bit Windows 95.

Warhammer: Dark Omen

First released for Windows 95 in March 1998.

Released for Playstation on 1998.

 

I'd be a little shocked if this wasn't a PC->PS1 conversion.

Select chronology: 

 

Heath/Zenith era:

Mobygames lists separate releases for "CP/M" and "Heath/Zenith" platforms, but I don't really understand why. CP/M is an operating system while Heath/Zenith is a computer family which could run CP/M, and all of the initial Software Toolworks CP/M releases specify "Heath/Zenith" version. So as far as I know, these are the same release.

Title	Date	Contemporary ports
Invaders	1981-2	1982 Osborne version
Munchkin	1981-5	1982 Osborne version
Space Pirates	1981-6
Eliza	1981-9	Initially a 1966 mainframe program Previously ported to Apple II, Commodore PET, and TRS-80
Adventure	1982-2	Initially a 1977 mainframe program with many, many ports and variants

 

8-bit era:

 

Title	Lead platform	Date	Contemporary ports
Crime and Punishment	???	1984-9	Same-year releases on Apple II, C64, & PC
Racter	DOS	1984	1985 ports to Apple II & Macintosh
Indiana Jones in the Lost Kingdom	C64	1984-12
Balance of Power	Macintosh	1985-10	1986 ports to Amiga & PC
The Chessmaster 2000	???	1986-6	Simultaneous releases on Apple II, Atari 8-bit, and C64 Same-year releases on PC, Amiga, & MSX 1987 releases on Atari ST & Macintosh

 

16-bit era:

 

Title	Lead platform	Date	Contemporary ports
Balance of Power: The 1990 Edition	Macintosh	1988-9	Same-year port to PC 1989 ports to Amiga, Apple IIgs, & Atari ST
Life & Death	???	1988-11	Simultaneous releases on PC and Macintosh 1989 release on Apple IIgs
Moonstone: A Hard Days Knight	Amiga	1991	1992 port to PC by Images Software
D/Generation	DOS	1991	1992 ports to Amiga & Atari ST by Abersoft Limited
Mario is Missing!	???	1992	Simultaneous releases on PC and SNES 1993 port to NES by Radical Entertainment

 

Warhammer era:

 

Title	Lead platform	Date	Contemporary ports
Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat	???	1995-11	Simultaneous Windows 3.x & Windows 95 release 1996 release on PS1
Warhammer: Dark Omen	???	1998-3	Same-year releases on Windows 95 and PS1