Malc |
When
did you own or do you own a Spectrum Computer? |
Chris |
I got my first computer in 84 I believe. My brother
got a spectrum for Christmas and I took to it
straight away. My own followed not long after.
I still have my 128 which I bought on day of release
and a +3 which I picked up in 1990. |
Malc |
What
made you decide to remake a Spectrum title? |
Chris |
I
think my involvement with the Lords of Midnight
has just grown and taken over. I remade LOM under
DOS mainly as a challenge of working out what
it was doing, the conversion was a bi product
really. Doing a windows version just came the
obvious way to go. |
Malc |
How
long have you been remaking classic Spectrum games?
|
Chris |
I
converted LOM back in 91 |
Malc |
Are
there any other projects you are working on, either
Spectrum based or otherwise? |
Chris |
Too
many. I write games for a living so I have a few
work projects not to mention a few home ones.
I also do a dataformats section for my website
where I work out how old spectrum games work and
open up - the data. So I have a few projects going
there. |
Malc |
Are
you and the Retrospec team continuing to write
new remakes or have you ceased production? |
Chris |
After
I have finished the Midnight Engine I intend one
more remake which I don't want to announce yet.
After that I will have to wait and see. I think
Retrospec is still converting, especially John
Dow... production has just slowed, I think maybe
momentum has been lost for a while. . |
Malc |
What
games can we expect to see re-made in the future?
|
Chris |
No
comment. |
Malc |
When
re-making classic games do you first look at >the
original game and then code it or do you just
start from a mental image of the game? |
Chris |
My
work is from a complete disassembly of the original.
I also try to provide this to others. I've done
this for Starquake, Nodes of Yesod, Sabre Wulf,
Atic Atac, Knight Lore, Alien 8 and Dynamite Dan
to name a few. |
Malc |
For
the tech-heads out there what programming >language
do you use to code your games and roughly how
long do you spend in development? |
Chris |
I mainly use c++ nowadays. Time is an odd issue.
LOM and DDR dos version took just 2 weeks each
with about a further week each over a long period
of time. The midnight Engine has currently been
under development for over a year but I have only
actually spent about a month on it in real terms.
I just bit at it in between life. |
Malc |
Do
you take suggestions from the public on how the
new re-vamped game should look and what it should
include or is that side of the development left
to yourself? |
Chris |
I
keep in contact with people all the time. The
Midnight Engine has a definite direction that
I set, but I like to take input from as many people
as possible. |
Malc |
How
would you feel if the Spectrum computer made a
come back with modern technology? |
Chris |
I
think it would be pointless really. It would be
very hard for a new computer to break through.
Consoles are the only real new technology could
make it. |
Malc |
What is your favourite original Spectrum game?
|
Chris |
Lords
of Midnight |
Malc |
What
was the first game you ever played? - or at least
you remember playing? |
Chris |
It was either Sabre Wulf or The Hobbit. |
Malc |
Have
you ever developed software for other machines?
|
Chris |
Too
many. I have worked some very old CP/M machines.
Amiga, a japanese NEC-PC. And I have got the Playstation
2, Xbox and Dreamcast to look forward to in the
following year. |
Malc |
Do
you still own a Spectrum computer or do you use
one of the many great emulators? |
Chris |
Yes
I still have two Spectrums and I use a number
of emulators. |
Malc |
If
you haven't downloaded Lords Of Midnight (remake)
yet then please take a visit to: http://www.icemark.com
|
