Tarantula Studios

A British video game developer active in the late 1990s, known for Game Boy Color titles and ports.

Action

Driving

Racing

Strategy

Founded

1992

Acquired

1998

HQ

Lincoln, United Kingdom

Parent

Rockstar Games (Take-Two Interactive)

Known for

Handheld ports / Pinball / Racing

25

Games

1998–2001

Years

5

Platforms

$38.56

Ø CIB

+28.8%

24M change

About

Tarantula Studios was a development subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive that specialized in handheld games. The studio developed titles such as Montezuma's Return, Cool Hand, and Reservoir Rat (also known as Rats) for the Game Boy Color. They also worked on major handheld adaptations for the Grand Theft Auto and Formula One franchises before being rebranded as Rockstar Lincoln.

The studio's early output focused on translating diverse genres to portable screens. In 1998, they released Cool Hand (published as Las Vegas Cool Hand in North America), which simulated traditional card games like blackjack, solitaire, and cribbage. That same year, the developer reimagined classic action-adventure gameplay with Montezuma's Return, a puzzle-platformer featuring intricate level design. They followed this with the platformer Rats, which was subsequently released in European markets as Reservoir Rat in 1999.

These projects established the developer's capability to optimize complex mechanics for restricted hardware, leading directly to their work on major intellectual properties. Within the Grand Theft Auto franchise, the studio adapted the sprawling, top-down urban environments of the original entries, preserving the open-ended criminal gameplay. Similarly, for the Formula One franchise, they engineered precise racing physics and track layouts within strict technical limitations. This technical proficiency in handling high-profile licensed properties defined the studio's operational era, cementing their role in bringing expansive home console experiences to portable devices.