Mark Cooksey

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Mark Thomas William Cooksey
Mcooksey1.jpg
Born January 18, 1966 (Age 48)
Birth Place Unknown
Nationality British   UK.svg
Aliases Tony Deaf, M.T.W. Cooksey, M Cooksey, Mark
Website sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/

Mark Cooksey is a British composer who has been working on video game music ever since the 1980's and is one of the better known game musicians. He started music when he played the piano as a small child. Mark graduated college with a degree in science and was looking for a job. He saw an ad for Elite looking for a programmer and it interested him so he went to apply for the job in 1985. The boss of Elite, Brian Wilcox, asked Mark to write him a 6502 assembly player on Mark's Oric Atmos computer. After he did that, Wilcox asked Cooksey to write a tune to their game Airwolf using the assembly player Mark wrote for him. After he did, he was given the job as an audio engineer which Mark did not expect. From that point on he composed music for almost all of Elite's games. In 1986, Mark left Elite but then later joined again 1989 and then he left again in 1990. While working at Elite, he moved on to their division MotiveTime, which paid their employees bonuses for based on Elite's profits. However, the bonuses gradually got lower and eventually disappeared. He later worked for NMS Software, which was a bunch of former Elite staff members. Mark also worked for Arc Developments and created the sound engines there. Mark's best known soundtracks are for Commodore 64 ports of Bomb Jack, Paperboy, and Ghosts and Goblins, which have had tons of remixes by C64 music fans alike. Mark continues to compose game soundtracks to this day and he even plays in a band. Mark says that writing music for video games inspired him to compose and play music.

Music Composition

C64

As stated above, Mark used an assembly player from his Oric Atmos computer.

GB

Mark composed his music on Notator for the Atari ST and wrote a tool that converted the MIDI files to his sound driver.

GEN

Mark composed MIDI files which were converted to his 68000 sound driver. Mark said he had a very difficult time programming instruments on it. During the development of Paperboy, Mark had Sega send him instruments.

GG/SMS

Mark wrote the music in Logic and Notator for the Atari ST. He would then convert his MIDI files to the GameGear and Master System using his own conversion tool and sound engine.

NES

All of Mark's NES music was composed in Notator for the Atari ST. He then converted the MIDI files in Notator to the NES. Mark also programmed his own sound driver for the NES. According to Mark, he was primarily trying to get "flutey" sounds out of the NES. His music was played back from a memory box from Spidersoft.

The game Joe & Mac uses digitized drum samples, which Mark says may have been supplied by Richard Frankish.

Gameography

Released Title Sample
1985-??-?? 911 Tiger Shark (C64)
1985-??-?? Airwolf (C64)
1986-??-?? 1942 (C64)
1986-??-?? Airwolf II (C64)
1986-??-?? Bomb Jack (C64)
1986-??-?? Bomb Jack II (C64)
1986-??-?? Commando 86 (C64)
1986-??-?? Ghosts 'N' Goblins (C64)
1986-??-?? Paperboy (C64)
1987-??-?? Battle Ships (C64)
1987-??-?? Buggy Boy (C64)
1987-??-?? Cataball (C64)
1987-??-?? Dead or Alive (C64)
1987-??-?? Jackal (C64)
1987-??-?? Ramparts (C64)
1987-??-?? Space Harrier (C64)
1988-??-?? A Question of Sport (AMI)
1988-??-?? A Question of Sport (C64)
1988-??-?? Battle Island (C64)
1988-??-?? Buggy Boy (ZXS)
1988-??-?? Forgotten Worlds (AMI)
1988-??-?? Ghosts 'N Goblins (AMI)
1988-??-?? Hoppin' Mad (C64)
1988-??-?? Live and Let Die: The Computer Game (AMI)
1988-??-?? Live and Let Die: The Computer Game (C64)
1988-??-?? Mike Read's Computer Pop Quiz (AMI)
1988-??-?? Overlander (C64)
1988-??-?? Salamander (C64)
1989-??-?? Aquablast (AMI)
1989-??-?? Commando (AMI)
1989-??-?? Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine (NES) Composer?
1989-??-?? Grand National (AMI)
1989-??-?? Overlander (AMI)
1989-??-?? Paperboy (AMI)
1990-??-?? Commando (AST)
1990-12-?? Dragon's Lair (NES) (ドラゴンズレア)
1990-??-?? Gremlins 2: The New Batch (AMI)
1990-??-?? Mighty Bomb Jack (AMI)
1990-??-?? Mighty Bomb Jack (AST)
1990-??-?? Mighty Bomb Jack (C64)
1990-??-?? Tournament Golf (AMI)
1990-??-?? World Championship Soccer (AMI)
1991-??-?? Paperboy (GEN)
1991-??-?? RoboCop Versus The Terminator (SMS)
1991-01-?? Dragon's Lair: The Legend (GB) (ドラゴンズレア)
1992-??-?? The Addams Family (SMS)
1992-??-?? Arch Rivals: The Arcade Game (GEN)
1992-??-?? Arch Rivals: The Arcade Game (GG)
1992-??-?? Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge (GB) (フェラーリ)
1992-??-?? Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (GB)
1992-??-?? The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Space Mutants (SMS)
1992-01-?? The Addams Family (GB)
1992-11-?? Prince of Persia (NES)
1992-11-?? Star Wars (GB)
1992-11-?? Super Off Road (GB)
1992-12-?? Dr. Franken (GB) (ドクター フランケン)
1993-??-?? Cool World (GB)
1993-??-?? F-15 Strike Eagle (GG)
1993-??-?? RoboCop Versus The Terminator (GG)
1993-??-?? Sensible Soccer: European Champions (GB)
1993-??-?? Speedy Gonzales (GB) (それゆ!けスピーディー・ゴンザレス)
1993-02-?? Dragon's Lair (SNES) (ドラゴンズ マジック)
1993-06-?? F-15 Strike Eagle (GB)
1993-06-?? Joe & Mac (GB) (Caveman Ninja)
1993-06-?? Joe & Mac (NES)
1993-06-?? StarHawk (GB)
1993-07-23 Jimmy Connors Tennis (GB) (ジミー コナーズ の プロテニスツアー)
1993-11-?? Cliffhanger (NES)
1993-11-?? Jimmy Connors Tennis (NES)
-
1993-12-?? Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Ubisoft (NES)
1993-??-?? Poker Face Paul's Blackjack (GG)
1994-??-?? Aladdin (NES)
1994-??-?? Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (GB) (インディアナジョーンズ 最後の聖戦)
1994-??-?? Math Blaster: Episode 1 (SNES)
1994-04-22 The Fidgetts (GB)
1994-06-24 The Addams Family (GG) (アダムス・ファミリー)
1994-10-?? Cool Spot (GB)
1994-12-?? Hurricanes (GG) Sound Driver?
1994-12-08 Aladdin (GB)
1994-12-16 Newman Haas IndyCar Featuring Nigel Mansell (GEN) (ナイジェルマンセル・インディカー)
1994-??-?? Poker Face Paul's Solitaire (GG)
1995-02-?? Pinball Fantasies (SNES)
1995-07-?? Jungle Strike (GB)
1995-12-31 Hyper 3-D Pinball (DOS)
1996-10-31 Hyper 3-D Pinball (SAT)
1997-01-?? Hyper 3-D Pinball (PS1)
1997-09-30 Mass Destruction (PS1)
1997-10-?? Dr. Franken II (GB)
1997-10-31 Mass Destruction (DOS)
1997-11-30 Mass Destruction (SAT)
1998-12-?? Pitfall: Beyond the Jungle (GBC)
1999-10-?? Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy (GBC)
1999-11-26 Les Visiteurs (GBC)
1999-12-?? Gex 3: Deep Pocket Gecko (GBC)
1999-11-10 Earthworm Jim 2: Menace to the Galaxy (GBC)
1999-11-26 Les Visiteurs (GBC)
1999-12-?? Gex 3: Deep Pocket Gecko (GBC)
2000-??-?? Papyrus (GBC)
2000-??-?? Spirou: The Robot Invasion (GBC)
2000-04-30 Gold and Glory: The Road to El Dorado (GBC)
2000-07-09 Men in Black II: The Series (GBC)
2000-09-15 Carl Lewis Athletics 2000 (GBC)
2000-09-15 Hype: The Time Quest (GBC)
2000-11-?? Army Men: Air Combat (GBC)
2000-11-27 Ultimate Fighting Championship (GBC)
2000-??-?? Spirou: The Robot Invasion (GBC)
2000-12-06 Playmobil Interactive: Laura (GBC)
2001-03-16 Flipper & Lopaka (GBC)
2001-03-30 Robin Hood (GBC)
2001-05-30 Commander Keen (GBC)
2001-08-24 VIP (GBC)
2001-09-?? Woody Woodpecker (GBC)
2001-09-23 Gremlins: Unleashed (GBC)
2001-09-28 Men in Black: The Series (GBA)
2001-09-28 Snood (GBA)
2001-10-09 Dracula: Crazy Vampire (GBC)
2001-11-14 Midnight Club: Street Racing (GBA)
2001-11-15 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (GBC)
2001-11-16 Kirikou (GBC)
2001-12-04 Top Gun: Firestorm (GBC)
2002-05-29 Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf (GBA)
2002-09-25 Smuggler's Run (GBA)
2002-11-26 Top Gun: Firestorm Advance (GBA)
2005-08-15 Millipede - Super Breakout - Lunar Lander (GBA)
2005-08-21 Connect Four - Perfection - Trouble (GBA)
2005-08-21 Risk - Battleship - Clue (GBA)
2005-08-21 Sorry! Aggravation - Scrabble Junior (GBA)
2005-10-28 Snood 2: On Vacation (GBA)
2005-10-31 Sky Dancers (GBA)
2005-11-07 Mousetrap - Operation - Simon (GBA)
2005-11-16 Snood 2: On Vacation (NDS)
2006-05-16 Tringo (GBA)
2007-??-?? Battleship - Connect Four - Sorry! - Trouble (NDS)
2007-??-?? Clue - Mouse Trap - Perfection - Aggravation (NDS)
2007-??-?? Garfield Gets Real (NDS)
2007-??-?? Garfield Gets Real (Wii)
2007-07-?? Deal or No Deal (NDS)
Unknown Solitaire on Vacation (IOS)
Unreleased The Adventures of Dr. Franken (NES)
Unreleased? Blackjack-Poker (GB)
Unreleased E.T.: Venron's Assault (GBA)
Unreleased? Gex 2 (GB)
Unreleased Home Alone 2 (GB)
Unreleased Hoppin' Mad (NES)
Unreleased? Kirouko 2 (GBC)
Unreleased? Matchbox: Cops & Robbers (GBA)
Unreleased? Mattel Pack 1 (GBA)
Unreleased Pinocchio (GB)
Unreleased? TXR Racing (GBA)

Picture Gallery

Links