Post by The Laird on Jul 29, 2015 16:24:08 GMT
Firstly I have to ask you about the lost Atari 7800 version of Gauntlet because in an old issue of Zero magazine it was mentioned that you were programming the Atari 7800 version of Gauntlet back in the day. This game is considered the lost holy grail for 7800 fans and was hoping you would be able to elaborate on that?
As much as I would have loved to have been involved in a 7800 version of Gauntlet, I'm not even aware of a version existing anywhere. I only worked on the Atari computer version of the game.
I did do the 7800 version of Nebulus though (released as Tower Toppler). If you ever track down a 7800 version of Gauntlet, please let me know - hopefully in time for the 30th anniversary, next year!
So do you have any idea who was coding it then? As they seem to suggest they saw it running in said article!
I'd take anything you read in a games magazine with a pinch of salt - after all, I'm the one on the right wink emoticon Can't remember the details, but Tony and I often had a chuckle about things we had supposedly said during interviews. I can only guess that the management had plans for the 7800 version, but the relevant rights couldn't be obtained, the market wasn't deemed to be large enough, or something like that.
So, apart from Tower Toppler did you ever work on anything else for the 7800 that was never released?
Actually I did a 7800 version of Deflektor, but it was never released, so I wonder if Gauntlet suffered the same fate! I was trying to remember when Atari Corp. went out of business. Last time I can remember being in contact with them was when I 'fixed' the NTSC version of Double Dragon, to work on PAL - this was shortly after 1992 I think.
Wow, Deflektor, that was a great puzzle game! I don’t suppose you still have any assets from that do you?
Probably lost in the archives at Atari/US Gold, but could have something lurking on one of those old-fangled 3.5 inch disks. Not sure when I'll get chance to look - or even how much use it would be though!
Did you ever work on anything for the original 8-bit Atari machine, the 2600 VCS?
No sadly, but i’ve got a source code listing of 2600 centipede somewhere - given to me by the legendary Dave Staugas, in person. He wrote that, along with various other 2600 games as well as NeoChrome for the ST.
So back to the Atari 8-bit computers, how did you find them compared to the other 8-bit computers of the time?
I still have a loft full of them myself! Much preferred them over the Commodore 64, as they had a proper documented OS, rather than a kernel that was reverse engineered by third parties. I used an Atari 800 to develop all my games for both Atari and Commodore machines.
You also did the Atari 8-bit version of the Amiga Boing demo didn't you?
The 130xe bouncing ball/scrolling text/ fly aircraft demo, yep I most certainly did, totally forgot about that one!
Do you have any interesting Atari related stories from those times?
I once had a wee next to Jack Tramiel when I visited Atari in Sunnyvale - not sure if I should be proud of that or not!
Also, if you've got an Atari 8bit computer and the disk version of Gauntlet, try booting it with the Atari Basic cartridge inserted!
This interview was conducted by Kieren Hawken and is not to be shared elsewhere without strict permission.