The Greatest BBC Micro Programmers

[PitfallJones]

So here's the list of the guys responsible for countless hours spent in front of my BBC micro:

Adrian Stephens
Escape from Moonbase Alpha
Killer Gorilla
Mr. Ee
Crazy Painter
Donkey Kong Jr.
ColourSpace

Nick Pelling
Arcadians
Chess
Zalaga
Frak
Firetrack

Geoff Crammond
Aviator
Super Inavders
Revs
The Sentinel

Neil Raine
Meteors
Planetoid
Hopper
Magic Mushrooms

Jonathan Griffiths
Snapper
Rocket Raid
JCB Digger

Tim Dobson
Monsters
Maze
Magic Mushrooms

Ian Bell
Freefall
Elite

Peter Irvin
Starship Command
Exile

Jeremy Smith
Thrust
Exile

[Samwise]

*cough* Doug Anderson *cough* David Braben ... *clears throat*

Sam.

[PitfallJones]

Ahh...

But they are both 'One Shot Wonders' and thus ineligible for the title (along with Tim Tyler...) I think the 'Greatest BBC Programmer' should have demonstrated a sustained devotion to the machine. :-)


Of course we could start a "Greatest BBC Game" thread - ideally we need some sort of html vote button. (or some sites just count the downloads for each game)

- PJ

[Kecske Bak]

If we're talking sustained devotion it has to be Peter Scott.

[LeeB]

And if you're talking greatest game then it's got to be Exile.

[Samwise]

Tim Tyler did Repton 2 or does it have to be a different IP to count as a non-one hit wonder?

Unless you're putting a limit on the number in your list, I have to disagree with you on Doug, tho - he also wrote Cylon Attack, which is featured in the latest issue (#80) of Retro Gamer. Hac Man from The Micro User went so far as to suggest Acornsoft's later classic Elite could be described as a rich man's Cylon Attack.



Doug also authored a game called Painter for A&F which, although simple, is a fairly enjoyable Qix-like game.

HTML vote button? Just edit your first post, and make it a poll ...

And, as for greatest BBC micro game topic, we have already had a few along those lines: "New to BBC Micro - Recommended Games?", "Best original BBC micro games?", "Most advanced BBC game?".

Sam.

[CMcDougall]

(or some sites just count the downloads for each game)

it Was on this site, showing top downloads per year and month, but now its gone, along with the search engine for disc images

[Rich Talbot-Watkins]

Also, let's not forget:

Gary Partis:
Positron - Micropower
Wongo - Icon
Ultron - Micropower
Dr Who and the Mines of Terror - Micropower
Psycastria - Audiogenic
Sphere of Destiny - Audiogenic
Syncron - Superior
Impact - Audiogenic
Saigon - Tynesoft
Circus Games (as 'Gary James') - Tynesoft

plus, these titles which never made it to the shelves:
Star Wars
Wheelie
Par for the Course
Daxis
And All Because...

And the author of some of my favourite games, Peter Johnson:
Spitfire Command - Superior
Star Battle - Superior
Overdrive - Superior
Wallaby - Superior
Space Pilot - Superior
Star Warp - Superior
Airlift - Superior
Crystal Castles - Atarisoft/US Gold
Sinistar/Deathstar - Superior
Beachhead - US Gold
Yie Ar Kung Fu - Imagine
Mikie - Imagine
Impossible Mission - US Gold
Yie Ar Kung Fu II - Imagine
Arkanoid - Imagine

Chris Roberts:
Wizadore
Match Day
Stryker's Run
(any more?)

...and of course, the prolific Peter Scott (I'm sure he'll be along sometime to say if I've missed any out...):
Hunkidory
Yoyo
Last of the Free
Pandemonium
Network
Thunderstruck
Thunderstruck II
Omega Orb
Ransack
Spycat (as 'Dylan')
Barbarian (as 'Dylan')
The Last Ninja
Barbarian II
Predator
Ballistix
Superior Soccer
The Last Ninja II
Hostages
Sim City

[billcarr2005]

If we're talking programmers, not just of games...

Gary Partis must get another mention for his protection schemes
Kevin Edwards too for the VIA protections and also the games he programmed...
and another vote for Peter Scott!

[regregex]

Dude... Kevin Edwards!
Alien 8
Nightshade (including some of the hardest copy protection ever seen on the Beeb)

I would add that Gary Partis also dabbled in copy protection (Starquake, Bubble Bus) -- a hallmark of thorough system knowledge -- and even used the technique to save custom frame sets in Impact. I enjoyed looking for and reading the hidden messages in some of his programs.

(There is a convention for readability of bolding people's names in such cases (eg. yearbooks, reviews). I'm tempted to wave my magic mod wand, as long as the Admins aren't tempted to yell Expelliarmus)

[billcarr2005]

The custom frame sets were only written to a certain track/sector of the disk using OSWORD &7F
Circus Games is a good protection scheme by him... simple and elegant!
ISTR Castle Quest was his too...
Thought the nested EORs of Starquake were by the authors of the game though...

[Rich Talbot-Watkins]

Circus Games is a good protection scheme by him... simple and elegant!

How did it work? Never saw that game until the 'cracked' version you put on here a while ago.

Thought the nested EORs of Starquake were by the authors of the game though...

Yeah that was my guess too... I spent days unravelling that lot, the slow way. But, at the end, your reward is a Partis decrypter and custom tape loader. Nice! I remember there always seemed to be some loophole in Gary's protection systems that made them reasonably trivial to crack, despite their advanced technical pedigree. Kevin Edwards', on the other hand, were about as secure as they could possibly be - I still can't possibly imagine how anyone could've cracked Nightshade without resorting to a hardware mod, although apparently it was done entirely in software by Michael Archer, and it's a shame he never stuck around to explain how he did it.

Incidentally, I've just been enjoying the old Nightshade protection thread again that you linked to!

[regregex]

The custom frame sets were only written to a certain track/sector of the disk using OSWORD &7F

Have you tried the tape version?

[billcarr2005]

How did it work? Never saw that game until the 'cracked' version you put on here a while ago.

I'll try to find my limited notes, to explain things better if you want...

Yeah that was my guess too... I spent days unravelling that lot, the slow way. But, at the end, your reward is a Partis decrypter and custom tape loader.

I only had the disc version to play with, and generally avoid tapes due to the associated memory relocation and speed of being able to have a "quick look". The Firebird ones were interesting though!

Have you tried the tape version?

See above

[PitfallJones]

>>Doug also authored a game called Painter for A&F which, although simple, is a fairly enjoyable Qix-like game.
Man I got Doug all wrong - Painter is one of my favourite games ! - I'll have to add him to the list!

>>If we're talking sustained devotion it has to be Peter Scott.
I was just over http://www.beebgames.com - he certainly wrote a lot although none of his games are in my top 20 - I think I must have 'grown up' and moved over to the Atari ST by the time he got into his stride - ha! ha!

Peter Johnson, Chris Roberts and Kevin Edwards however have written some brilliant ones - and so many - I'll have to compile some sort of authors database I think.

Cybertron Mission is another one of my favourites - did Matthew Bates write any others?

This thread has turned out really interesting...

- PJ

[mjforbes]

Also, let's not forget:

Gary Partis

I wonder if anything ever came of his relationship with Tracy? He was forever professing his undying love for her ...

Just a (wildly off-topic) thought

Matt

[Rich Talbot-Watkins]

Luckily, Gary used to document the details of his personal life in every game he released

Hidden in Dr Who and the Mines of Terror:

Code: Select all

Doctor Who and the Mines of Terror. Written by Gary Partis. Game & graphics design and title music transcription by Micro Power LTD. All code which did not originate from Micro Power is dedicated to Tracey Dianne Nicholson. Thanks to Steven,Chris & Andrew Simpson for 'Test Playing'. To Alan Butcher,Tony Sothcott,Ian Clemmett and Paul Johnson for map design,charactor definitions,story line,title music, plus the ham sandwiches and cans of coke!!! Thanks also to Chris from the Micro Power Show Room for his test playing and his never ceasing ability to find the most obscure bugs!!! And of course, thanks to you the buyer/pirate who has so kindly pulled my protection apart and unearthed this hidden message. I dont like people doing this like that, but I am powerless to stop the determined persons who are intent on cracking software protection...... (C) Micro Power 1985. All rights reserved.

...and...

Code: Select all

All code in this game which did not originate from Micro Power LTD is dedicated to Tracey Dianne Nicholson... (C) Micro Power LTD and written by Gary Partis - ILTDN the Mega Being.....

Hidden in the executable of Psycastria:

Code: Select all

Hi there Mr Nosey - what do you want??? Please go away and die in some smelly armpit.... (C) Gary Partis 1986. Dedicated to Tracey Dianne Nicholson. ILTDN the Mega Being rules Okay........

...and later...

Code: Select all

What on Earth are you doing reading this. I bet you think you are a smart arse for breaking the protection this far. But you have achieved nothing, as the protection was rather trivial to start with... Just fuck off and do not come back... By the way, you make make me puke, puke, puke, vomit, spew, puke.... By the way, if I ever find out who put a brick through the window of my 3 day old Talbot Sunbeam 1.3LS and stole my car stereo, I shall personally rip them apart and I am not joking

This, in the executable of Sphere of Destiny:

Code: Select all

Hi there Mr Nosey - what do you want??? Please go away and die in some smelly armpit.... (C) Gary Partis 1987. Not dedicated to Tracey Dianne Nicholson. XILTDN rules Okay........

...and later...

Code: Select all

Well this game most be my first ever game (over 4 years) which is not dedicated to Tracey Dianne Nicholson. For those who don't know, Tracey and I have broken off our engagement - or rather, she broke off the engagement. Instead, this game is dedicated to the good times of the past when everything was 'hunkydory' and nothing could go wrong... Maybes one day we'll get back together - but I will always live in hope... 7th November 1986. Or die in vain... 1st December 1986. Or live a life of constant torment... 7th December 1986. I will get her back some how... 29th December 1986. Or start afresh in 1987... 6th January 1987. All the same, I want her, need her, love her beyond all comprehension... 19th January 1987. Why doesn't she just walk back through the door back into my life??? 1st Febuary 1987. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!! 10th Febuary 1987.

From Syncron:

Code: Select all

Hi, well this must be my first game ever which is not dedicated to Tracey Dianne Nicholson. No doubt it will not be the last. May be one day there may be a game which contains the legendary (!!!) 'ILTDN' name, but as yet I can see no chance of such an occurance. Instead this game is dedicated to four and a half years of an intimate relationship, and one year of being engaged to be married. It did not work out - but planned events rarely do... I suppose I am an old romantic at heart, we are a dying breed, do not let modern charactoristics contaminate the old fashioned romatic life style... Gary Partis 18th December 1986

From Psycastria 2:

Code: Select all

Hello again, how are you today... I am pretty well pissed off as last night I was caught by the Police doing 114mph... But that's life as they say. Have you seen any of Peter Scott's new games? Not bad! That compilation called the 'Peter Scott Trilogy' has a fucking naff picture of Peter on the font!!! He actually looks worse than that!!! Anyway, I am off now to listen to some Rush, Marallion and anything else that takes my fancy... Bye bye...

Then, he found Kerry (but not for long). From Impact:

Code: Select all

Why are you reading this? You should not have broken the protection... This renders your lifetime guarantee on this product nul and void... If this is a copy then you should be hung, drawn and quartered, infont of your family... This is the first game in a new era... Instead of ILTDN (Tracey) or XILTDN (no Tracey) or ILKM (Kerry), we have no one...!!! Coming soon, another game by me??? or maybe not... July 1987... Which bastard stole my `200 Philips car hifi and `50 4-way bass reflex speakers from my Cavalier SRi, which was parked in the same car park in Newcastle where [...]

I think he's happily married these days (not with Tracey either!). Has he ever found his way over to these forums?

[Samwise]

>>Doug also authored a game called Painter for A&F which, although simple, is a fairly enjoyable Qix-like game.
Man I got Doug all wrong - Painter is one of my favourite games ! - I'll have to add him to the list!

Just to be clear, given the way the rest of this topic has panned out, I didn't particularly suggest Doug based on the technical achievements of the code behind his games. I was going off your initial criteria which was about authors who had created games you enjoyed playing. I don't think there was a lot technically that stood out from Doug's games, but as far as playability goes he just seemed to have somewhat of a Midas touch which was quite at odds with much of the rest of what was published by A&F.

Luckily, Gary used to document the details of his personal life in every game he released

Wow. It's like a blog. If I had the talent, I'd have been cracking his games just to see what happens next.

I think he's happily married these days (not with Tracey either!). Has he ever found his way over to these forums?

I think Arcadian told me in the past that he's been in contact with him by email, maybe phone. I don't know whether he ever talked him into joining up here.

Sam.

[Rich Talbot-Watkins]

Chris Roberts:
Wizadore
Match Day
Stryker's Run
(any more?)

Talking of whom, I had no idea he had found so much success!

Chris Roberts founded Ascendant Pictures in early 2003 and in just a short time, established himself and the company as a force in the world of independent film production and finance. In 2004, Roberts earned an Executive Producer credit on The Punisher and produced The Big White (Robin Williams, Holly Hunter, Woody Harrelson) and Lord Of War (Nicolas Cage, Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto). In 2005, Roberts produced Lucky Number Slevin. In addition, he served as Executive Producer on The Jacket (Adrien Brody and Keira Knightly) and the upcoming Robert Towne film, Ask The Dust (Colin Farrell and Selma Hayek).

A gaming wonder kid, Roberts sold his first computer game at the age of 14, and by the age of 20, Roberts had developed three #1 hits in his native U.K.: Match Day, Wiz Adore and Stryker's Run.

[Kevin Edwards]

The first game that Chris wrote, IIRC, was the 'King Kong' game which featured in one of the very early issues of The Micro User - the one with the dreadful Gorilla suited bloke on the front.

I can't remember if he used a pseudonym or if his name was actually used. Does someone have a scan or original mag with the details?

Cheers,
Kevin.

[MartinB]

Hi Kevin. I have the magazine (it's Volume 1 Number 2) and have just looked but strangely the game has no credits whatsoever, either in the accompanying article or in the listing itself. TMU haven't even got ther own copyright header in the listing as they did for all software later on.

[iomanoid]

Wasn't it him in the suit?

[MartinB]

Could have been

I wonder if Scratch'n'Smell had been invented by then coz my magazine certainly has the aroma of a sweaty gorilla.

[billcarr2005]

Kerry is mentioned in the Sphere of Destiny scroller...

Wow, that Kerry woman sure is a great piece of skirt...

and

Hi to Pete, Dax, Spike, Bruce, Art Crew, all at Cramlington Karate Club (minus one or two individuals), Dave Reeder, and every one else! Oh yes, and Kerry, from Conexions...

[Kecske Bak]

Wow, that Kerry woman sure is a great piece of skirt...

If ever Germaine Greer retires I think Gary Partis can step right into her shoes.

[Jeremy Grayson]

And the author of some of my favourite games, Peter Johnson:
Spitfire Command - Superior
Star Battle - Superior
Overdrive - Superior
Wallaby - Superior
Space Pilot - Superior
Star Warp - Superior
Airlift - Superior
Crystal Castles - Atarisoft/US Gold
Sinistar/Deathstar - Superior
Beachhead - US Gold
Yie Ar Kung Fu - Imagine
Mikie - Imagine
Impossible Mission - US Gold
Yie Ar Kung Fu II - Imagine
Arkanoid - Imagine

...plus VTOL as well, I think, if you're wanting to include those remaining unreleased or unfinished-but-playable.

I do have an authors list on a floppy disk (remember them?) somewhere, which covered all the BBC games in the Archive for publishers beginning with A to F inclusive (limited only by my inability to crack certain games for author names if they weren't given freely). Must get round to digging it up one day.

gc

[Rich Talbot-Watkins]

Wow, that Kerry woman sure is a great piece of skirt...

If ever Germaine Greer retires I think Gary Partis can step right into her shoes.

Just had a big LOL at that! Thanks Dave...

[msknight]

Is this Partis now? http://www.partis.org/home/main.php

[RobC]

Is this Partis now? http://www.partis.org/home/main.php

Yes - I bought an upgrade for my Powertec SCSI card from him a few months ago.

I've also got the Electron he wrote most of his games on. I bought it off him with a load of other stuff on eBay a few years ago.

Cheers,

Rob

[Jeremy Grayson]

Tim Tyler did Repton 2 or does it have to be a different IP to count as a non-one hit wonder?

One-and-a-half hit wonder, at the very least, if one includes his co-authorship of BMX On The Moon. Not the most polished of all the incalculable Dune Rider-type games on the Beeb, perhaps, but for whatever reason the one that has me coming back the most.

"Full of the wrong notes and the wrong key changes and the right Everything Else", as my favourite indiepop label of yore used to describe their releases.

gc