iNTERVIEW WITH rICHARD aPLIN - BY kRIS OF aNARCHY


  sd :- uSUAL BORING SHIT FIRST.  hOW OLD ARE YOU?
  ra :- uMMM..  21 i THINK!
  sd :- wHERE ARE YOU BASED?
  ra :- bRISTOL.

  sd :- aND WHAT GAMES HAVE YOU WRITTEN THEN?
  ra :- aHH..   fIRST  THERE  WAS  fLY  sPY  ON THE  aMSTRAD FOR
        mASTERtRONIC, IT WAS ALRIGHT BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE SAW IT.
        tHEN  i  DID  SOME  CRAP c64 CONVERSIONS BUT THEY'RE NOT
        WORTH MENTIONING!!  aFTER THAT i DID SOME WORK ON dOUBLE
        dRAGON 1 ON THE st AND  aMIGA, THEN THE  aMSTRAD VERSION
        OF  sHINOBI  FOLLOWED  BY  THE  st  AND aMIGA VERSION OF
        dOUBLE  dRAGON  2 AND THE cpc VERSIONS OF dd1 AND dd2 BY
        WHICH  TIME i WAS GETTTING PRETTY PISSED OFF WITH dOUBLE
        dRAGON  CONVERSIONS.   lINE OF fIRE WAS MY LAST RELEASED
        GAME AND NOW i AM WORKING ON fINAL fIGHT.

  sd :- bLOODY HELL THAT'S QUITE A FEW GAMES rICH , wHO DOES THE
        GRAPHICS?
  ra :- nO ONE , wE RIP  THE GRAPHICS  OUT OF  THE  ARCADE rom'S

  sd :- sMART  IDEA , i  SUPPOSE   YOU  GET  MORE  MONEY  THEN ?
  ra :- wELL WE  GET PAID ON A SALARY BASIS , AND ONLY GET EXTRA
        MONEY IN EXCEPTIONAL CICUMSTANCES.

  sd :- wHAT  SETUP  DO  YOU  USE AND  WHAT DO YOU  ASSEMBLE ETC
        WITH?
  ra :- i  HAVE A PRETTY BORING SETUP REALLY, i  ASSEMBLE ON  AN
        a500  WITH  AN  a590  AND  2 MEGS OF ram AND DOWNLOAD TO
        ANOTHER  aMIGA  WITH  1  MEG OF ram AND AN aCTION rEPLAY
        2...
  
  sd :- yEAH , THEY'RE REALLY NICE..
  ra :- sERIOUSLY hOT SEX......  tO WRITE  MY CODE  i USE cYGNUS
        eD  PRO  2  WHICH IS FUCKING COOL AND THEN ASSEMBLE WITH
        gENIM2
  
  sd :- i USE IT TOO , iT'S SWEET!!

  sd :- gIVE  US  A  BRIEF  OUTLINE  OF  YOUR  CAREER  THEN.....
  ra :- i  STARTED  AS  A FREELANCER  AND THEN  WENT IN HOUSE AT
        mASTERtRONIC  ,  i DIDN'T REALLY DO THAT MUCH CODING , i
        WAS  JUST  A  BIT  OF  A  TECHIE BLOKE i DID THIS LOADER
        SYSTEM FOR THE 64 WHERE  YOU COULD  PLAY SPACE  INVADERS
        WHILE IT WAS LOADING.
  
  sd :- nICE , THEN WHAT?
  ra :- i JOINED bINARY DESIGN , THAT'S WHERE  i DID  ALL THE dd
        WORK.   i  STAYED  THERE  FOR  1 HALF YEARS AND THEN THE
        COMPANY  SORT  OF DIED BUT cREATIVE mATERIALS WAS FORMED
        AND RE-HIRED ALL THE OLD PEOPLE.

  sd :- wHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?
  ra :- sLEEP ALOT , PLAY MUSIC ALOT BUT i DO THAT IN THE OFFICE
        AS WELL!!  DRINK OCCASIONALLY!!  (hE EXPLAINED HERE THAT
        HE  IS  NOT  DRUNK ALL THE TIME - JUST AT THE SHOWS!!  -
        yEAH yEAH, hEARD IT BEFORE!! - kris!)

  sd :- hOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PROGRAMMING THEN?
  ra :- fUCKING AGES...
  
  sd :- wHAT COMPUTERS HAVE YOU HAD?
  ra :- eRRR.  i MUCKED  ABOUT ON A  cOMMODORE pet IN 1982 FOR A
        BIT  BUT  THAT WAS JUST THINGS LIKE iNPUT a$ ETC.  sTILL
        IT  WAS  FUN  AT  THE  TIME....  tHEN i HAD A CRAPPY z80
        BASED  COMPUTER (nOT AN EXCELLENT sPECCY!) AND THEN CAME
        ALONG AN aMSTRAD cpc A c64 AND AN st - ( ha ha ha -ed! )
  
  sd :- oH NO!!
  ra :- oNLY FOR 2 WEEKS HONEST!  i GOT AN aMIGA THEN.

  sd :- cAN  YOU  TELL  US  ANY  CHEAT  MODES  FOR  lof  PLEASE?
  ra :- uMM.  YES, IF i CAN REMEMBER , GOTO THE OPTION SCREEN BY
        PRESSING  SPACE  AND THEN TYPE OPERATION FERRET , IF YOU
        PRESS del DRING THE GAME YOU CAN CONTROL YOUR VEHICLE OR
        WHATEVER!

        hERE   IS   WHERE   STARTED  SPEAKING   ABOUT   LOTS  OF
        IRRELAVENT  SHIT  WHICH  i  CAN'T  BE ASRSED  TO TYPE!!!

  sd :- oK , NICE SPEAKING TO YOU AGAIN rICH.  BYE.
  ra :- yEAHH BYE.