Interview with Marc Dawson
November 1997

How did you get started in computers?

When I was about 12 (1976) my dad brought a computer home from work. It was huge, I managed to break into a program accidentally and I saw the word BASIC on the screen, when I asked my dad what it was he didn't have a clue but brought home some manuals the next weekend. I taught myself Basic programming. A start..

When did you first see a Spectrum and what were your first impressions?

Well I would have to say the first thing I saw was the ZX80 obviously, a computer for £99, almost within my grasp but still about 20 times my weekly income. I never got one, nor did I get the slicker ZX81. My first computer was a VIC 20 actually and started to program games on that in 6502.

What was your first game?

My first ever published game was a listing in Computer and Video Games, which I received £50 for. It was called Ghost Trap (if anybody has this issue of C&VG about 1981/82) I would be eternally grateful if they could send me a photocopy of the pages.

My first Commercial game was BC Bill on the C64 for Imagine software. Mark Bradley did the PC version (Ally Noble and Steve Cain were the graphic artists) out of interest Dragon version by George Barnes.

What have you done on the Speccy?

Only messing about in Basic, oh and I did try and learn z80 at one point (or should I say one night when I got back from the pub, I got as far as a text print routine and then the sun rose and I had to get on with my C64 projects).

What do you think of your games? Which is your personal favourite?

Wow what do I think of games, that is a tough one. I love them to bits. I always have not just computer games, but any games/sports. I just love competing, against other people or a computer.

As for my favourite games, I guess it is hard for me to say, here are some of the games I have loved playing over the years:

Space Invaders, Galaxians (Arcade - The first big hook)
Moon Cresta (arcade)
Star Raiders (atari 800)
MULE (Electronic arts, atari 800)
Shamus (atari 800, Psynapse)
Lode Runner (Broderbund)
Manic Miner (Software Projects/Bug Byte)
Most of Ultimate's games (Cookie and Psst in the early days,
Underwurlde, Knightlore)
David's Midnight Magic (pinball game on C64/Atari 800)
Star Wars (Arcade)
Delta (C64, Thalamus)
Bruce Lee (C64/Atari 800 DATAEAST I think)
Dungeon Master (ST - God knows)
Lemmings(Amiga - Psygnosis)
Tetris (wow was that addictive)
Dr Mario (SNES/GBoy)
Doom, Duke Nukem, Quake...
Tetrisphere, Mario 64, Mario Kart, Wave Race
Golden Eye has me hooked at the moment
Soul Blade - my personal favourite fighting game to-date
Command and Conquer

How did you leave the Spectrum scene? Were you sad to leave?

When at Odin we started moving over towards the ST and Amiga.

What are you doing now?

I am now Senior Projects Manager at Software Creations working on N64 projects my last games were...

Separation Anxiety (SNES/PC/Genesis)
Mortal Kombat (Gameboy)
Hexen N64
Ken Griffey Jnr Baseball (Gameboy)

What were the best/worse things about the Speccy?

Best Thing - Manic Miner or Ultimate games

Worst thing - Dead Flesh keyboard and the horrible way you had to enter Basic Commands

What were your favourite Speccy games and why?

As mentioned above Manic Miner or Ultimate games, because they were smooth and slick and reeked of quality.

Favourite Speccy coders/artists/musicians?

Well you would think I would say Matthew Smith or the Stampers, but my vote has to go to Steve Wetherill. He was the best most consistent programmer I have ever met. All of his games were quality and slick. Jet Set Willy (CPC), Nodes of Yesod (Spec), Robin of the Woods (Spec), Heartland (Spec), Crosswise & Sidewise (Spec) to name but a few.

Do you use an emulator to play your old games (or any others)?

Oh yes. I have a huge collection of the emulators, I do not see the harm in these. Provided they are not effecting any sales of current games. I think we should concentrate on the pirates ripping off today's software and forget about people having copies of games that nobody will ever pay for again. I love the emulators. I do not care if anybody has any of my old games, I hope they enjoy them, that is why I made them in the first place.

What was the last Speccy game you wrote? Did you leave anything unfinished? (and if so is there any chance we'll ever get to see it!)

I never wrote any Spectrum games (well not commercially), but I wrote simultaneous versions of Odin's games on the C64. And sorry to say it but Manic Miner 3 - The Mega Tree was started on the C64 by Myself and Matthew Smith (he was designer, I was programmer and Stoo Fotheringham was the artist).

What do you think about modern games? Can they compete with the classics? Aren't they all presentation and no gameplay?

I actually disagree with this totally. People often look back in time and say the old games were the best. Granted there were some great games from years ago, but there were also a lot of terrible ones. Yes the graphics, sound and capabilities have changed drastically, but if you want to play great games now, just look at the top titles for PC, N64 and Playstation. True there are some duff ones too. But I think the ratio is about the same. One thing to remember is though that Bigger does not necessarily mean better, you will see that in some of today's best games.

Is there anything you miss about the old days?

Oh yes definitely, Getting pissed out of my skull and trying unsuccessfully to kop off with the last decent looking girl in a rock night club, programming all nighters, the freedom of youth, rebellion etc. Married with kids and a mortgage now (still that isn't such a bad thing)

Any amusing anecdotes/stories etc about the old days?

Many Many Many

The Imagine Software Re-union party. July 4th, 1985. The day I met my wife incidentally. We all congregated in a pub on Tithebarne street opposite Imagine's last offices. One of the guys had hired a coffin from a Theatre group and had a plaque on the front saying RIP Imagine.

The rose seller came round the pub and we each bought a red rose and laid it at the feet of the coffin. Some soft gets actually thought it was a person and called us sick gets, but there was about 80 of us and only a couple of them so we weren't too worried.

We eventually took the coffin to a rock club, there were about 15 of us left by then. Stoo Fotheringham decided that if they could turn me upside down, it would be my round, so I had to fight them all. I accidentally caught Stoo in the mouth, so he sunk his teeth into the back of my hand and bit out a huge cob of flesh, I still have the scar (but he still has one false tooth, but that's a different story. Maybe Stoo can fill you in on that one.

One Saturday at Software Projects, we had an Irish lad over, I can't remember his name I think it was Damian. Stoo, Matthew and I had made a pipe out of an old toilet roll, some sellotape and some silver foil, we decided to get stoned. Damian had never smoked pot before but said he would like some, so he did.

Surprisingly enough we got a bit peckish so we visited the local Threshers, where Damian(?) bought about 30 different chocolate bars. By the time we got back to the office he had eaten the lot. It was extremely amusing at the time.

At Odin, Stoo Fotheringham decided he would summon the devil to kill me after one typical night on the beer. I shat. And to be honest hid through the room where some of the guys were still programming and told them if the devil came in to wake me up so I could escape. He never did show up but we found Stoo in the morning with cut fingers where he had dipped a match in his blood and drawn a Pentagram..

Oh they were light hearted care free days.

Have you anything to say to people who still use the Speccy today?

Such as who, choose life, get an N64.

Many thanks to Marc for doing the interview.

Interview conducted by Philip Bee.
Text Copyright (c) Philip Bee and Marc Dawson.

As a final note Marc wanted to say "Hi to all the people I have worked with in the past that have made my years in the greatest industry a happy if not stress free one."