Dave Semmens

It's now over three years since I featured a platformer called Spellfire The Sorceror, something that I hadn't previously heard about, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's tons of fun and very easy to pick up & play. Plus, another glaring example is that the Atari ST can scroll - when in the hands of talent.

It was programmed by Dave Semmens, the same guy who gave us Kid Gloves II, but he also made a couple of older ST games which, ahem, left a lot to be desired. I began to wonder what could have changed for such an immense leap in quality compared to those earlier efforts. The difference is quite staggering!

So I tracked him down to find out, and then asked a few more questions too! :-) Dave was more than willing, and I thank him for being such a great guy, taking the time to chat with me. I hope you enjoy this little interview and don't forget to check out his incredible photography (and FaceBook group) which are both linked below.

- The Dave Semmens Interview -

Hello Dave, tell us all how you began...

I got interested in computers when I bought a C64 as a teenager. I soon started programming in basic and then looked at assembler. Within a short period, I realised that I wanted to try Z80 so sold the C64 (which was 6502) and bought a ZX Spectrum with microdrive. I bought an assembler and started coding simple games like TRON. One of my mates spotted an advert for programmers in Otley. I decided to give that a try and got the job.

The company was Source The Software House and they did many conversions from arcade/other home computer formats. I worked on a number of Spectrum titles and then added Amstrad (which is also Z80) to the list and then moved up to 16-bit with the Amiga and Atari ST. After a couple of years at Source, I went freelance and spent around 4 years working for Mirrorsoft, Probe and US Gold on various 8 and 16-bit projects.

What were you using back then?

We used a system called Programmers Development System (PDS) - it allowed a PC to be connected to the target machine and for all the assembly of code to be done on the PC then downloaded to the target. This meant that if the machine crashed (which it did often) then the code was still safe. Originally, I started with a basic Amstrad PC that didn't even have a hard drive - just huge floppy disks. We slowly moved over to faster and better-equipped PCs as time progressed and the codebases/graphics for each game got larger.

I still have my Atari ST in the loft along with copies of all the games I worked on and quite a lot of magazines with reviews of my games. But it's much easier these days to just boot up an emulator to play them :)

Dave, hard at work in 1986 in an office made in heaven!

What was it like working in the games industry?

This industry is not like any other I have worked in. The people (most of them) would put themselves through hell to get a game out. I have worked with teams that spent days in the office, with very little sleep, and that was on floors or couches in the meeting rooms. I remember rushing disks down to a waiting motorbike courier, who would speed off at high speed to deliver the latest build to our QA people. I always said that crunch time to get a game out (normally the last 2 months) was the best of times and the worst of times.

To see a team come together and work together in this period was fantastic - the late-night antics and comradery were brilliant. But the impact it had on people was huge 20-hour shifts; nothing but take-away food for days on end was a killer and I had one lead engineer end up in the hospital with heart problems after one game.

How did you find this development?

I was always pushing to speed up the code as I wanted it to be better than anything out there - I wanted to have a proper dual playfield parallax not just a wrapping background etc. So I was always looking to improve. I discovered that, on the Atari ST, if I had the sprites at a 0-pixel shift when they hit the scroll point, then I had more processor time to scroll the screen which compensated for the lack of hardware for screen/sprite manipulation.

Any inspirations?

The games by Ultimate always blew me away - such great games and so playable.

Rainbow Warrior, eh?

This was late in my time at Source and the project had been given to an engineer. He was new to the company (if I remember correctly) and, in the end, he didn't get it completed. I found that the programmers coming in, who had not worked on the 8-bit systems, did not have the same concerns for memory. They had 512k to play with and didn't have to worry about finding ways to compress the graphics and save as much memory as possible.

As this was based on several mini sub-games, it was decided to split them up across a few programmers. I picked up a couple of levels and (maybe) the front end. I think Rainbow Warrior was my first Atari ST/Amiga game.

And then SAS Combat Simulator?

SAS was a straight conversion from one of the 8-bit versions (C64 I think) so I was just asked to create a like for like version for the Atari ST. The problem with budget conversions was that you were limited to what was possible on the 8-bits. There wasn't much time to do the conversion if you wanted to make good money, so it was a case of doing the best you could in a short time. The game played ok as it followed the playable C64 version.

By the time you had finished any game, it was hard to judge how playable it really was as you had to spend so much time playing and replaying sections yourself to test it. That got very repetitive!

But then two fantastic games!

I think one main reason for both Spellfire and Kid Gloves 2 being better and more polished is because they were my games. They were not conversions - I designed and put in more time/effort as they would not have had the same time limitations as the other conversions. As I designed the games, I could also make the mechanics fit well with the limitations of the system I was working with. Time and polish = quality :)

I was also on a royalty deal for both so made sure everything was as perfect as possible. As a programmer, I had a set of routines that I would use for all games - the basics like sprite and scroll routines. I would improve these over time and the main time to put extra effort into improving these was for my own creations.

Looking back, would you do anything differently?

No - I loved my time in the industry and would do it all again. I wish I had been 3/4 years earlier as that is when the big money was flying around. I will always remember the teams and people I worked within the Games Industry. I have yet to find a more dedicated bunch of people and, as I am getting on a little, so I doubt I ever will.

So what are you up to these days?

I now work as a project manager/agile data specialist for the largest online betting companies in the world. I still code in VBA and Tableau. I have a wife (the same one who suffered the games industry :) ), three kids (all grown up), a grandson and a small yappy Yorkshire terrier. My passion is now photography - not writing code. You can find some of my images on Flickr and I have a Facebook Group :) His photography is outstanding!! -Steve

Into The Vertical Blank

The boys are back in town

If you love retro gaming, especially using the world's best 16-bit computer, then check this out. These guys are Atari 8-bit masters who also prove their knowledge of ST. Into The Vertical Blank has recently released two new compilation videos that feature a ton of Atari ST games - Photon Storm, Rainbow Islands, Stunt Car Racer, Sideways, Scooby-Doo, Fire & Ice, Oids, James Pond, Bubble Bobble, and others.

Hold your horses, there's also a hefty wedge for the overlooked Atari STe!! Stuff like Rock 'n' Roll Clams, Asteroidia, Uridium, Prince of Persia, No Buddies Land, and other (Atari STe) upgraded titles.

Both videos feature fast & fluent presentation; ie, they don't drag on with overly long clips. This means you get to watch many games within a short time. I also enjoyed the varied range of games, along with the fact that the Atari STe was used whenever possible. I hope there are more in the pipeline! Both videos are on YouTube, but don't forget to check out their excellent website with ST games, Podcasts, and much more.

My greetings to Fultonbot and 8bitrocket. Keep up the fantaSTic work, lads.

Ooze

Get ready to be scared stiff!!

I'm often a little sceptical of so-called horror games because they're never really gonna be that scary. In fact, the only game that has ever made me jump was the Jaguar's Alien vs Predator - it was late at night and I jumped out of my skin when an alien shrieked. Terrifying at 3am!! Anyhow, enough of my scooby-doo adventures.

I actually bought this game years ago, so figured it was about time I dusted it off and booted it up. This is an adventure developed by H. J. Braendle and Guido Henkel of Dragonware Games back in 1988. My box is quite battered with floppy disks that no longer work! But at least I have the manual, which is, for a number of reasons, most helpful.

Helpful because I'm not a massive fan of text adventures if I'm brutally honest. Though I have enjoyed a few over the years on both my ZX Spectrum and Atari ST. And, more recently, I bought a couple of crackers - Hibernated 1 and The Curse of Rabenstein, so I felt confident with Ooze to see what kind of horrific journey might be on offer.

Okay, let's begin with a screenshot from the beginning of our adventure, at Carfax Abbey...

We begin standing outside and looking at our inheritance. Oh, how I wish this were real life!!

I love cheeseburgers!

We play a character called Ham Burger and have inherited Carfax Abbey from our late uncle, Cheez Burger (these names are killing me). Yep, this sounds like a horrifying comedy? Anyhow, it appears he died under mysterious circumstances. So, rather than enjoying our wealthy new lifestyle, we instead investigate what's happened. Typical...!

From the start, the game dictates the expected creepy atmosphere. Upon arriving, we cautiously check out our new home. Thunder is rumbling, and an old signpost details the address, 666 Rue Morgue. Nervously walking up, we see the porch and an old rocking chair, but this ain't an ordinary chair because it's haunted. That's right! In fact, almost every room is haunted by something, so it's a good idea to take it slow and ponder the environment carefully. Very carefully.

Ooze has a good sense of humour. Wait too long, and a panicky message appears asking if you're still there. Don't leave me here alone, it whimpers lol. Just try sitting on the porch chair for an eye-opening experience that I did not expect. The characters are excellent, and I laughed when rescuing Marie: "Marie EnToilet"!! However, Murx is an oddity which made me chuckle and scratch my head. Oh, and when you die, the game pranks you - by banning you from the RAM!!

Oh yes, there are lots of silly pranks and fun places to explore, so let's see some more screenshots...

I cannot spoil what happened, but you can still get a glimpse of the humour!

You might not see it, but the text can be very vivid to portray the scene nicely.

More humour after a wrong decision. But look at those weird trophies. Nice graphics!

I'm rich and also haunted!

The world of Carfax Abbey is small but feels bigger because of the time spent at each location. It's tempting to rush off and explore, but that means you will miss everything important (as expected) and probably die. So be warned! Getting around is done using the expected compass directions (N/S/E/W) plus U/D for up/down. It's possible to 'sit down' or 'run south' to hastily exit. A handy command called 'exits' will inform you of all possible routes from your location.

Each area has a vivid description that is extremely long-winded, so it's possible to overlook something blatant, like the lance, which was totally infuriating. I know, I know, all adventures require that you read the room's description, but it's apparent that Ooze takes this to the extreme thanks to the amount of detail mixed with subtle hints. Thankfully, that feature can be changed by using the 'brief' command, which I did from the moment I entered the Abbey!

The parser is good, but I fear something was lost in translation (German roots). Simple commands are often confused by a pedantic requirement for correct input. Try unlocking a door, searching a trunk or switching on the lights. Well, light... Irritating!! Level 9 quality, this is not. Whatever you read in the description, examine that said object fully because nothing is obvious. Find the chalk if you can (agony that). Or suss out what you're supposed to do with the Parlour rope.

Surely you're interested in seeing more? I thought so, so let's view some more screenshots...

We're starting to get somewhere now, but then this happened... but then a "plopp". Hmm...

Some areas really do offer nothing valuable other than a lovely walk to the next room.

Oh my, things are hotting up in the bedroom!

An adventure with an atmosphere?

Visually, I loved how Ooze combined the two resolutions for great effect. Low is obviously used to display a range of gorgeous images, whilst the clarity of Medium is put to great use to read the text. This is superb and works well. Weirdly, not every room you visit appears to have its own separate image, which I found a little confusing at first.

Those with a crisp monochrome monitor will be happy to know Ooze works in high resolution. The text looks wonderful but the images... hmm... not so much. It's as if the low-res images have simply been converted on the fly, rather than drawn specifically for this particular display mode. Which is a shame.

The audio is superb with lots of samples for eerie creaks, footsteps, ghoulish screams and so on. However, the atmosphere is spoiled by the ST's keyboard clicks, which I didn't see any way to disable. It's no big deal, but I'd have preferred to disable them because they are a lot louder than the sampled sound effects. (and no, XControl did not work)

Looks great, sounds great. That can only mean one thing: more screenshots...

Sometimes the player can be too daft for his own good...

Think before you act, but whilst you're here, check out this artwork!

Sometimes the descriptions don't match the visuals, which is a tad annoying.

The CryptO'pinion?

Ooze is a great adventure and will undoubtedly appeal to those looking for something of a horror nature rather than a predictable fantasy theme. Sadly, I found the room descriptions overly long-winded and, at times, poorly translated into English. Also, basic exploration can sometimes be finicky - right from the moment you enter the Abbey (walking upstairs is quite the event). If ever there was an adventure that demanded you make a map, this is definitely it.

I found it impossible to explore upstairs otherwise. There ends my one and only hint!

This isn't something you can easily pick up, not without spending a lot of time. But, if you fancy a break from those fancy Magnetic Scrolls, then I am sure you will love this game, which is worth the effort. Ooze offers a sarcastic twist on the horror genre with neat puzzles. Plus, it has a fantastic sense of humour: give Marie a juicy kiss! Go on, do it... Brilliant!!

- Download the floppy disks -

A preview image from another game that was never released. What happened, I wonder?

Recovery

The Atari ST cannot scroll

Recovery is a shooter by New Deal Productions that takes us on a *Fantastic Voyage* through the lower parts of some poor soul in need of medical assistance. I presume we're trying to help him recover from something nasty as we begin at the bottom, working our way up through the liver (I think), and then onto the heart before finally smashing through the old grey matter. Yeah, we get to rock through the human body!

This game is very similar to Menace or R-Type, but at a faster pace. The whizzing body parts make dodging almost impossible. Our ship is agile and armed with a laser, so don't think - shoot first and never ask dumb questions. I love finding something 'new' to play, and this is an exciting shooter.

Let's take a break and see some screenshots...

I got AGT vibes from this screenshot, which pleased and depressed me equally.

It's a shooter, so shoot!

Each body part represents a distinct stage and is incredibly long, almost making you think it will never end. Trust me, these levels are lonnnnnng. Despite this, they all feel similar, presenting a vast array of "aliens" to avoid or eliminate. These employ various attack patterns, but touching them depletes energy levels. Consequently, poorly skilled pilots ultimately lose yet another life. Interestingly, there’s no end-of-level boss. A monstrous tumour would have been a fitting final boss - now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say!

The joystick controls are excellent - swift and responsive without any lag. Our main weapon is an effective laser beam - pressing and holding fire shoots this laser and kills anything in front of you. It's wicked!! Sadly, there are no other types of upgrades or special weapons, so all we have is one laser and nothing more.

Thankfully, our sleeping patient has popped many pills, which you'll see floating through his body just waiting to be collected. These can boost your weapon's rate of fire, energy and shields, which are all displayed in the status bar. I never figured out what "LIGH" is for - I tried hitting every key, but nothing, nada, zip.

Let's take a break from the boring reading and view another lovely screenshot...

A menacing screenshot with the colour scheme. This game is fast, so shoot and move quick!

Aesthetics?

Visually, this is a mixed-body bag that isn't as healthy as you would hope. Don't get me wrong, a scrolling shooter needs to scroll. And this game scrolls smoothly with parallax layers. Sadly, the backgrounds are sometimes bare-bones. Although there are tons of sprites zooming around at impressive rates!

Hitting F4 flips between 50/60Hz to speed things up even more - if you can handle it?

Sonically, this is outstanding and foot-tappingly awesome - makes you realise just how cool your Atari ST is. However, any insane people might wish to turn it off for the sound effects. No problem, just hit F2/F3, but why would you ever wanna do that? Wait, I think that I know the answer, it's because you're stupid.

Okay, you've guessed it - stop reading and enjoy another gorgeous screenshot...

Come on, you cannot deny the style of this game? It looks the business with a style I love.

The CryptO'pinion?

Recovery is technically impressive and a damn good shooter. It slaps the faces of those lazy programmers who said the ST cannot scroll. Sadly, the gameplay could be better, as each stage feels excessively long, and that static style lacks progression and becomes monotonous after a while. Furthermore, the inability to upgrade our weapons is a significant disappointment, but not as much as the absence of bosses to fight.

I've enjoyed blasting through some fella's intimate body parts all in the name of science fiction. Recovery is definitely worth booting up for a quick game or two - especially to see who can survive the longest!!

Check out my screenshots before deciding whether to download for hard disk or floppy...

Ambermoon Music Demo

Let's kick back and enjoy some toons!

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I've had this gem on my hard drive for ages and finally got around to recording what is nothing less than a jaw-dropping collection of chiptunes converted by Gunnar Gaubatz, aka Big Alec. It was (eventually) released for Sommarhack 2019 by Grazey of Psycho Hacking Force. I've recorded snippets from each track, but it's advisable to download this to enjoy it properly. Remember, nothing beats real hardware. Certainly not YouTube!

But what about Amberstar?

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Well, Thalion may not have released the ST game, but this got me thinking of its prequel, Amberstar. A game I've never actually played - not ever! I remember seeing it featured in magazines, and the graphics looked very nice. So, today, I downloaded the pre-configured HDD version by 8BitChip and had myself a playtest...

Atari Legend has the floppies but there's three of 'em. Good luck with that disk swapping!

We begin with an overhead view of a graveyard, which is a dead interesting place (sorry). This leads to the City of Twinlake, which flips our view from 2D to 3D, ala Dungeon Master. Now the adventure begins with plenty of places to explore and folk just waiting for a good natter. The aesthetics look and sound brilliant. However, I was unsure of the clunky user interface, which initially feels a little cumbersome and messy.

Amberstar is difficult to get into from the start, and I'm perplexed that I wasn't able to create my own characters, but I hear that's something to do with a dodgy installation? Anyhow, the world of Amberstar appears huge, so I'm wondering if I should add it to my ever-growing list of Atari ST games to play over a quiet weekend. Yeah, I often say this a lot... sigh... I think we all know how that plan will go. Hmm.

An early CryptO'pinion

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I'm quite taken aback by what appears to be an in-depth RPG. There's so much to initially overcome from the interface and characteristics, as with any new game. Graphically, it's amazing, and the storyline is interesting with dread and captivation. Although I'm wondering if I need another life-sucking RPG, especially as I still play Temple of Apshai, Rogue, and the mighty Shadowlands. Not to mention the obvious ST classic!

Hey, have you played it? Are there any fans? What can you share about this Thalion RPG? I'm looking forward to hearing what you guys think because it looks intriguing. For now, it's something for me to ponder over.

Until then, take a gander at these screenshots and try not to drool at the gorgeous pixel art...

Well, that's me heading northward the moment he turns his back!

Who knows who you'll meet under the beautiful skies?

Look at that lovely artwork. Very Ultima and very sexy!

Come on, how can you not love reading stuff like that!

The inventory here will take ME some time to master as I'm fussy like that.

A map. A freaking map!! This isn't cheating, as it aids the quality of your adventure.