druellan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 26, 2020 4:15 am
Interesting to see full credits on the instructions, now we can complete the credits on the games!
On Uridium Plus, Steve Turner is mentioned as the music author and programmer, but I'm not sure if this is related to the Spectrum or the C64 version, since Stephen Crow was also involved on the project.
Edit: in fact, I can see a lot of names on the proper ZX Spectrum instructions, for example:
https://ia600604.us.archive.org/view_ar ... Zynaps.txt
@Audionautas can you take a look? I don't want to credit authors that worked on other versions by mistake.
Hi
Beware here [mention]druellan[/mention]. There's a lot of people credited but you have to think that this instruction booklet was exactly the same for the Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad CPC, so they credited everyone who took part in the different versions of those games. In my opinion we must be cautious when we credit people based on multi-system compilation instructions.
* Exolon. It's essentially correct, Cecco did the Z80 based versions and Nick Jones the MOS 6510 based version, but it's not really specific, because Nick Jones composed the music for the 128K Spectrum version and Nigel Brownjohn designed the Vitorc character (Exolon), and we know that thanks to Cecco's Log, several interviews and coverages over the years, etc. So it's way better what we have on ZXDB.
* Uridium Plus. In my opinion these credits are quite simple and not very accurate, not crediting everything. I think what is credited on the game itself prevails because that's what wrote the people that programmed the game but sometimes important information is missing. On the other hand the instructions manual was written normally by the marketing or administrative team, so it can add new and interesting information but must be always double checked.
We know that Andrew Braybrook is the designer and programmer of the C64 original version, Dominic Robinson was de coder and graphic artist of the ZX Spectrum version, Steve Crow did the loading screen on the ZX Spectrum and CPC (S.C or SJC was his signature) and Steve Turner composed the music (not credited on the game and not credited on ZXDB, both on Uridium and Uridium Plus entries). One thing is the music composition and another one the music creation on a specific version of the game. Although is not credited on the game itself, we know Steve Tuner composed the music on C64 because he said so in several interviews over the years. But I haven't found if he exactly did the Spectrum 'beeper' version, so I just asked him on Twitter if he also composed the Spectrum tune or was adapted from the C64 version by someone else. I hope he answers soon. Stay in tune. On the other hand, when they say "music composed and programmed by Steve Turner" I think they are referring that Steve programmed the music to be included on the game itself on C64, not that he programmed other parts of the game.
* Zynaps. These are the credits for the 8 bit versions.
Game Design. Dominic Robinson/John Cumming. Code. Dominic Robinson (ZX Spectrum), John Cumming (C64), Michael Croucher / Dominic Robinson (CPC).
Graphics. Dominic Robinson / Steve Crow (ZX Spectrum), John Cumming / Steve Crow (C64), Mark A. Jones / Steve Crow (CPC).
Music. Steve Turner (ZX Spectrum), Nigel Grieve (not Greave. Also Kevin "Greave" cited but not in the game itself) (C64). J. Dave Rogers (CPC).
Cover art. Steve Weston.
I strongly believe that the game design was done by Dominic Robinson only. The Spectrum version is the original version of the game and in the game Dominic credits himself as "Zynaps by Dominic Robinson" not citing Cumming at all. On the C64 version the credit is "Design by John Cumming & Dominic Robinson", but that's simply because Dominic did the original version and John added that. Well, Dominic and John were the tiny Hewson in-house development team in 1987. They worked together in a portacabin in a carpark, just outside Hewson HQ in Abingdon, so it's evident they interchanged ideas about any development, but Andrew Hewson himself comissioned Zynaps to Dominic Robinson (according to Retro Gamer magazine issue 77) and some interviews from back in the day.
* Rana Rama. Just to mention that I have an original copy of this Four Smash Hits compilation and the box included two sets of booklets. In one hand a booklet including instructions for Exolon, Uridium Plus and Zynaps in English, French and German. Because the Rana Rama instructions were quite long in three languages, it seems that Hewson decided to include it separately. I also have a Rana Rama original, so I can confirm that both are exactly the same instruction manual.
Nice!
