Invade-a-Load

Invade-a-Load title screen
Developer(s)	Richard Aplin
Platform(s)	Commodore 64
Release date(s)	1987
Genre(s)	Shooter

Invade-a-Load was a fast loader routine used in software for Commodore 64 computer. It was used in commercial computer games that were stored on Compact Cassette tape and loaded using the Datassette.

Invade-a-Load contained a notable feature other than its fast loading routines: While the actual game was loading—a process which usually took a long time, even with optimized loader routines—the loader allowed the user to play a smaller game to pass time. The game was a clone of the famous Space Invaders game. The minigame was loaded in under a minute, providing entertainment while waiting for the actual game to load which could take a further five to ten minutes.

It mostly appeared in games sold in the United Kingdom, as, by the time it was written, the Commodore market in the United States had mostly switched to floppy disk media.

History and use

The loader was written by Richard Aplin for Mastertronic's own use.

The loader itself has a copyright date of 1987, but the first games that used the loader showed up in 1988. Over the following years, Mastertronic used the loader in dozens of titles.

The loader was also memorable for the soundtrack, originally made by Rob Hubbard for the Mastertronic title One Man and His Droid.

Patents

In 1995, Yoichi Hayashi of Namco Ltd. invented a variant of this technique for use with optical disc based platforms such as PlayStation and applied for a patent. U.S. Patent 5,718,632 was granted in February 1998 and assigned to Namco.