Cool Spot is a 1993 side-scrolling platformer developed and published by Virgin Games, first released for Mega Drive/Genesis and SNES, then ported to Sega Master System, Game Gear, Game Boy, Amiga, MS-DOS and more. Its protagonist is 7 Up’s mascot Cool Spot, a red dot in sunglasses.
Players control Cool Spot to jump and attack by throwing soda bubbles in any direction, and climb objects via jumping. Each level requires collecting a set number of "spots" to rescue trapped friends, with the required amount rising as the game progresses. Health is shown by Cool Spot’s facial expression, which distorts and eventually falls off when taking damage. The game has a time limit and flag-style checkpoints.
The European version modified 7 Up branding: the opening’s 7 Up bottle was replaced with a similar-colored plain soda bottle, collectible 7 Up logos became red Virgin-branded discs, and the letter collectibles changed from "UNCOLA" to "VIRGIN". This was because Fido Dido had been 7 Up’s official mascot in Europe since the 1980s.
Cool Spot was praised for its smooth animation and detailed graphics. Its soundtrack by Tommy Tallarico boosted the game’s energy. Its success led to the 1995 sequel *Spot Goes to Hollywood*, an isometric adventure set across multiple movie scenes.
