Underground Development

Logo description and capture by EnormousRat Editions by CuriousGeorge60

Background: The company was founded in 1994 as "Z-Axis" and in May 2002 it was acquired by Activision. In February 2008 the name was changed to "Underground Development", but later in May the company was closed. However the studio remained open and moved to new office in the Redwood Shores area of Redwood City, California in February of 2009. In February 10, 2011, Activision closed the studio.

Z-Axis Games

1st Logo (1995-1999)

Logo: The logo is designed as the blue name "Z-AXIS" in custom, italics-like font, with "Z" letter's spine ending into three green points. There are variants for each game developed.

Variants: On Space Invaders, the spaceship moves below, trying to shoot the alien vessel above, but hits the logo hanging in the center. For the third time he shoots past the hyphen mark and succeeds, then a man climbs out of the ship and celebrates. On Alexi Lalas International Soccer, we see a blue cloudy background, with thunder appearing at the center. Electricity then makes part of the Z, then the other parts of the logo appear and meet. The finished logo glows. On Thrasher: Skate and Destroy, the logo is seen on the wall of a skate park. 2 Skaters skate through, one of them falling off, sending the skateboard flying into the camera and destroying it. FX/SFX: Depends on the variant.

Music/Sounds: Depends on the variant.

Music/Sounds Variants: On the Alexi Lalas International Soccer logo, we hear the thunder, followed by a whoosh, a synth chord, pounding sounds and a crowd cheering. Availability: Seen on the games from the time.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (2000-2002)

Logo: We see the Z-Axis logo as before on a black background, but is 2D and in a rounded rectangle. Each game that featured this had its own variant.

Variants: On Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX, the logo appears on a bandage seen on a BMXer. Then the doctor gets a chainsaw out and cuts to the 2D Z-Axis logo with "Developed by" on the top in a white Arial Black font and the slogan "Bring the Pain." on the bottom also in white. This also appears in the Maximum Remix version of the game. On Freestyle Motocross: McGrath vs. Pastrana, the logo appears without the rectangle, and then catches on fire. On Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, the logo appears normal at first with "Developed By" on the top in white. Then after a split second orange text saying "Rock." appears before cutting to a fast slideshow of pictures of staff from Z-Axis, before finally changing into a video of the company's flag waving on the sky. On Aggressive Inline, the logo has a quote on the bottom from G.W.F. Hegel that says "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion" alongside the usual "Developed By" text, then it fades to a FMV of a programmer throwing a fit and cussing (bleeped out due to the game's T rating) at the computer when it breaks and then throws the thing from the top of the Z-Axis building. After that he is seen stomping on the remains and continues to cuss at it before leaving. On BMX XXX, the logo is on the shirt of a girl alongside the "Developed By" text in green, as effects play through the video which include the logo moving quickly to the left. The PS2 version of BMX XXX instead features the logo, sans the rectangle zooming onto a white background alongside a quote from Oscar Wilde, which says "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." FX/SFX: Depends on the variant.

Music/Sounds: Depends on the variant.

Music/Sounds Variants: On theAlexi Lalas International Soccerlogo, we hear the thunder, followed by a whoosh, a synth chord, pounding sounds and a crowd cheering. Availability: Seen on the games developed by the company at the time, during their partnership with Acclaim Entertainment.

Editor's Note:None.

2nd Logo (November 16, 2005-May 16, 2006)

Nicknames: "Science Man" [Untitled] Logo: First there appears a purple vertical rectangle, full of microscheme pattern, which flashes out and returns with the picture of dictator-looking scientist holding his arms around the source of ray light. Under the picture, the name "Z-AXIS GAMES" appears, stylized somewhat similar to previous logos. The ray light decreases, then flashes again and the logo is gone.

FX/SFX: The flashes and ray tracing over the background.

Music/Sounds: Whooshing sounds.

Availability: Appeared on True Crime: New York City and X-Men: The Official Game.

Editor's Note: None. _______________________________________________________________

Underground Development

(May 27, 2008-December 22, 2009) Underground Development (2009) Logo: There is a metallic shield in a form of down-pointing arrow, which has dark words over it:

UNDERGROUND --- DEVELOPMENT

FX/SFX: Presumably none.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Appeared on Guitar Hero: Van Halen and the PlayStation 3 version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

Editor's Note: None.