{{short description|Spanish computer programmer}} thumb|right|'''Paco Menéndez''', 1989 '''Francisco''' "'''Paco'''" '''Menéndez''' (1965–1999) was a Spanish computer game programmer who wrote games for 8-bit computers. His most famous work is ''La abadía del crimen'', which is regarded as one of the best games made for the ZX Spectrum.<ref>Spectrum 128 perfect ten games. Retro Gamer 48, pages 64 and 65</ref>
==Early works== Menéndez's first work was ''Fred'', an arcade maze game released in 1983 which was followed by a sequel, ''Sir Fred'', in 1986. Both games were later distributed in the United Kingdom and translated into English. Quicksilva distributed ''Fred'' while Mikro-Gen handled ''Sir Fred'''s UK release. Both games were well received with critics, and ''Crash Magazine'' gave ''Sir Fred'' a 91 percent rating.
==''La abadía del crimen''== In 1988, Menéndez teamed with Juan Delcán to write ''La abadía del crimen'' (''The Abbey of Crime'') for Opera Soft. The game was to be a version of Umberto Eco's book ''The Name of the Rose'' but a license was not obtained as Eco never replied to Menéndez's request, so the game was renamed ''La abadía del crimen''. Originally made for the Amstrad CPC, it was then ported to other 8-bit computers the ZX Spectrum and the MSX. The game was critically acclaimed for its graphics, sound and detail. The game helped Menéndez claim the Best Spanish Programmer award from Spanish Spectrum magazine MicroHobby. Despite its very positive critical reviews, and its moderate commercial success, the game was never officially released outside Spain.
==Aftermath== After ''La abadía del crimen'', Menéndez left the scene in order to finish his degree in Telecom Engineering. It is believed that the progressive commercialism in the videogame market and bad experiences with Mikro-Gen's distribution of ''Sir Fred'' was Menéndez's reasons for his sudden departure. Though he only made three games, Menéndez is widely considered as one of Spain's greatest ever game programmers.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}
==Death== In 1999 Paco Menéndez committed suicide by jumping from his apartment in Sevilla. He was aged 34.<ref>[http://www.meristation.com/v3/des_articulo.php?pic=GEN&id=4824&idj=&idp=&tipo=art&c=1&pos=10 Information regarding Paco Menéndez's suicide]{{Dead link|date=February 2026}} {{in lang|es}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.worldofspectrum.org/tribute.html#pacomenendez Paco Menéndez tribute on World of Spectrum]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Menendez, Paco}} Category:1965 births Category:1999 suicides Category:People from Avilés Category:Suicides by jumping in Spain Category:1999 deaths