Gremlin Graphics
Gremlin Graphics | |
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Founded | 1984 |
Closed | 1999 |
Headquarters | Carver Street, Sheffield, UK |
Other Names | Just Micro Gremlin Interactive |
Gremlin Graphics was an English game developer founded in 1984 by Ian Stewart and Kevin Norburn. The company started out as Just Micro. At the end of 1996, the company bought out DMA Design. In 1999, the company was acquired by Infogrames. However, in 2003, Gremlin founder Ian Stewart bought back the rights to Gremlin's games.
Games
Music Development
NES
Most of Gremlin's games had their music and sound outsourced to Barry Leitch of Imagitec Design. The sound driver was created by someone who went by the alias of "Mule the Top Lad" (possibly Axel Brown). Music was written in assembly macros. According to Leitch, he would personally go to Gremlin's office to do the music and sound, and admitted he usually worked fast so he could leave their office.
The games Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine (NES) and Hoppin Mad' (NES) use the same sound driver, possibly by Chris Harvey, Cybernoid's programmer.
Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing uses a custom sound driver by Paul Hiley, and is the only game to do so. It was used by Pat Phelan, where the music was entered in assembly macros.
SNES
In a similar approach to their NES music and sound effects, Gremlin outsourced their audio to Barry Leitch of Imagitec Design. The sound driver was Imagitec's variant of Nintendo's Kankichi-kun sound driver, modified by Axel Brown. Music was written in assembly macros.
The games Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing and Utopia: The Creation of a Nation use a custom sound driver by Paul Hiley, also based on Kankichi-kun. Patrick Phelan wrote his music on an Amiga and ran it through a converter, whereas Neil Biggin used Cubase.
Audio Personnel
- Barry Leitch
- Ben Daglish
- Hiroyuki Masuno - Composer for Top Gear (SNES); Under contract from Kemco.
- Neil Biggin
- Patrick Phelan
- Paul Hiley - Sound programmer.