I was told I was “on the chopping block” in my first job in games.

Chapter 5 of my memoir is now live.

This continues my time at Software Projects in 1984, with no real idea what I was doing and nobody there to tell me otherwise, learning fast as I went.

It includes a wiped Tatung Einstein boot disk and porting *Manic Miner* and *Jet Set Willy* without the original source code.

It also marks a turning point. Getting those first games shipped, and realizing I could actually do this.

Posting on a Saturday this time instead of the usual Monday. We’ll see how that goes.

https://stevewetherill.substack.com/p/chapter-5-the-caveman-and-the-pirate

#GameDev #RetroGaming #SoftwareDevelopment #Programming #80sComputing #ZXSpectrum #Amstrad #ComputingHistory #VideoGames #Memoir #Writing #Substack

Chapter 5: The Caveman and the Pirate Ship

"The cavemen didn't need paintbrushes." Tommy Barton, 1984

Steve Wetherill

@stevewetherill Thank you for a fascinating read - I had Jetset Will II on my Spectrum, when I was about 14-15. I was terrible at it, because I was terrible at all games (and then gave up, as writing software is way easier than using it). Thanks for the memories, and the fun. The music on mine was I Dovergubbens Halle, to give it its original Norwegian name. I recall a friend who had, I think a Commodore, with music I did not recognise, but can still recall - and now wondering if that was yours.

Thanks to @arclight for boosting this into my feed.

@grumpysmiffy @arclight thanks for your comment. If I am not mistaken, when Derrick ported the game back to the Spectrum, the music from the original Manic Miner, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Grieg was used. I think that’s the English version of what you wrote. :) I do vaguely recall somebody from Software Projects asking me to port the in game music I’d written for the Amstrad version back to the Spectrum after I’d left, but I never did that, so presumably they just ripped the music from Manic Miner and went with that.

The music I did sounded something like this (done on a lazy Sunday morning in Garage Band a few years back). Obviously the amount of sound processing in Garage Band is massive compared to the humble AY chip in the Amstrad. :)

@stevewetherill That's the one! Thank you for one of my oldest earworms - considering that I only heard it the once. @arclight