Gremlin Graphics
| Gremlin Graphics | |
 |
|
| 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.
Contents
Games
Music Development
Commodore 64
Most of the time, Gremlin would have its own sound drivers.
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.
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.
HeroQuest had the music and sound outsourced to Neil Baldwin of Eurocom. He would write the music in assembly macros.
Gremlin also developed the NES version of Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine. The game uses Mark Cooksey's sound driver, which in turn is converted directly from his Commodore 64 driver. The code even has a write to the Commodore 64's master volume. However, whoever composed the game is controversial. For more details, see the game's page in the Game Credits section.
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.
GB
Their early games uses Alex Syrichas' variation of Ed Magnin's sound driver.
On Jeep Jamboree: Off-Road Adventures, Tommy Tallarico used original version of Ed Magnin's sound driver.
Last games, such as Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing and Zool, uses a custom sound driver by Paul Hiley. Like the NES sound driver, it was used by Pat Phelan, where the music was entered in assembly macros.
Audio Personnel
- Alex Syrichas
- Barry Leitch
- Ben Daglish
- David Whittaker
- Ed Magnin
- Hiroyuki Masuno - Provided instrument samples for Top Gear (SNES); Under contract from Kemco.
- Mark Cooksey
- Neil Baldwin - Composer for HeroQuest (NES).
- Neil Biggin
- Patrick Phelan
- Paul Hiley - Sound programmer.
- Rob Hubbard
- Tommy Tallarico
Picture Gallery
1984-1985.
1984-1994.
