This illustrated cover sheet and instruction set belong to Donut Dilemma, an arcade-style platformer created by Brisbane-based developer Nickolas Marentes for the TRS-80 computer. Inspired by his family’s donut kiosk and the mechanisms of their donut-making machine, Marentes designed a game where a factory has gone hilariously awry. The bold colouring and DIY style of the box art sell the game’s comic premise and hint at its low-budget origins.

The title was later remade for the CoCo computer, making it an early example of a game ‘port’ or remake, highlighting both the creativity of early Australian developers and the evolving practices of game distribution and adaptation in the pre-industry era.