Mike Westlake / S. Brockelhurst

[R-Tape]

Sinclair sleuth @PeteProdge has been busy and deduced that S. Brockelhurst is the nickname of Mike Westlake. As per this thread.

Summary:
-MW's Tarantula is a MOD from SB's Roller Coaster.
-SB's Animator1 has graphical similarities to MW's tall sprite games, and Merlin has code blocks that load directly into Animator1.

Googling shows that MW is the label, and SB is the nickname:

That's a pen name for Mike Westlake, it has to be. SU directs you to send a cheque to "B.C.S." to a "Grantham House" in Macclesfield. The Softcat Micros address in adverts was a PO Box in Macclesfield. A bit of hardcore Googling shows a Mike Westlake is a member of a Macclesfield local Facebook group, his profile shows he's following LOTS of Facebook pages dedicated to satellte TV dish installations. Googling on the Grantham House address reveals it is (or was) home to 'BCS Satellites'. I would say that Mike Westlake and 'S Brocklehurst' are the one and the same.

I don't think this was noticed when Pete first mentioned. It looks to me like they should be linked. All say aye?

The only thing I find strange is that his games started out as the nickname, and he adopted the real name later.

[R-Tape]

As an aside, does anyone know how and who spotted that Tarantula is a MOD from Roller Coaster? I can't look in great detail right now, but playing them side by side, I can't see any similarities!

[Van_Dammesque]

As an aside, does anyone know how and who spotted that Tarantula is a MOD from Roller Coaster? I can't look in great detail right now, but playing them side by side, I can't see any similarities!

From the screenshots I had doubts but playing the video shows these:
- sound
- screen effects including flickering when losing energy
- speed in the movement of the sprites
- font
- similar loading and screen$ draw routine
- placement of energy and score.

Similar maps dimensions:

[Einar Saukas]

viewtopic.php?t=1885

[Van_Dammesque]

SMOKING GUN:-
The poke to remove the noise when your energy drains for Roller Coaster (38364,33) also works for Tarantula!

[R-Tape]

viewtopic.php?t=1885

Cheers. Oh jeez - I even posted in one that Alessandro linked to, discussing this very thing. In my defense, it was 2017, and I've slept since then.

OT Anyone disagree about the authors being linked?

[5MinuteRetro]

Not that I've seen or followed this until now but also check the graphics within the maps. The top is Roller Coaster, the bottom is Tarantula:

[spider]

As an aside, does anyone know how and who spotted that Tarantula is a MOD from Roller Coaster? I can't look in great detail right now, but playing them side by side, I can't see any similarities!

That would be me. As to why, I'm not sure now!

viewtopic.php?t=1885

Thank you.


oh the stuff about Fireman in that topic , that was legit afaik.

[PeteProdge]

oh the stuff about Fireman in that topic , that was legit afaik.

Yes, the true custodian and creator of Magic Knight, David Jones, has clarified on The Other Place that Mastertronic asked him to "give the [Incredible Shrinking Fireman] creators a little bit of help".