MayhemUK Commodore 64 archive

These sorts of lists can be rather tricky to put together, and are always open to discussion and debate. These are my personal favourites for various categories, and not much is going to persuade me on these facts! Having spent almost 20 years playing video games of one sort or another, I've seen and experienced a lot around me. Feel free to write and tell me what differences you have with what is down below. I would be glad to hear any input on this matter! The lists are not in any order, they just make up the ten. Trying to grade them against each other would be just too hard now! Click on the link under each list and you will get a zip of emulator files to use on your PC. Some of the files I had to make my own because I couldn't find any existing on the net already. So you may get a small part of my own collection!

So you might be needing something to actually use these images with now, eh? Okay, well here's a link to a very good Windows C64 emulator called CCS64 which runs fast and gives good emulation, if you know what I mean! The rival to CCS64 is VICE which has some benefits and disadvantages. Try them both out and see which one you prefer. Also there are plenty of zip files for using the SID sounds, of which here are two. For Windows 95 users and above, there is a plug-in for the popular music player WinAmp, the other is a straight player called SidPlay designed to run stand-alone. Either should be able to play all the music files on this page and much, much more.

Top 10 games on C64

International Karate +

Before the likes of Streetfighter et al, this was THE fighting game to own, and this was the best version released. The most immediate feature is 3 fighters on screen, and this opens up all possibilities. Who needs special moves when you have a game that plays so well without them? All kinds of attack are possible, even headbutts and double face kicks. And to break up the action, a bonus game of skill and speed deflecting balls out of the way. True masterpiece from Archer Maclean. The superb graphics and atmospheric tune from Rob Hubbard are the icing on the cake.

Wizball

A masterpiece of visual and aural delight from the Sensible lads. Control your Wizball to recolour your homeworld avoiding the aliens and other assorted hazards. The unusual controls to begin with, special weapons, bonus game, 2-player co-operation mode and design of the landscapes all reek quality and the Galway title track is superb. How this failed to get a Zzap! Gold Medal no one will know. Pity the conversions did not live up to the immense status this game holds.

Bubble Bobble

In my opinion, the finest coin-op conversion around on the C64. Take control of the bubble blowing dinosaurs and clear 100 screens of mayhem to rescue your girlfriends. The variety of enemies and tactics required keep your mind working, and the competition for the bonuses adds to the gameplay. The graphics and sound are not spectacular, but keep to the atmosphere of the game itself. A game that will keep you playing and playing even after completing it, trying to beat high scores and finding the secret rooms.

Mercenary

Paul Woakes' masterpiece of free exploration on a warring planet. Control the mercenary as he attempts to earn enough money to escape from the battle stricken planet of Targ. Trade objects, discover hidden items, secrets galore, 'novel' spaceships and much much more in full fast 3D vector graphics. Yes the C64 can do them and how! Minimal sound but you don't need it. With more than one way to complete the game, this was a virtual reality situation years ahead of its time.

Paradroid

The finest work of Braybrook given the first Zzap! diary treatment. Take hold of an influence device as you attempt to bring under control 8 rogue dreadnoughts whose robots have gone berserk. By exploring the decks of the ship, transferring control to better robots, you can eventually take on defeat the highest and most powerful mechanoids around. Functional but classy graphics and sound plus a huge challenge make this a classic game of strategy and arcade action.

Impossible Mission

After Manic Miner made platformers a concept, this took the whole idea and broke the concept. Years ahead of its time, you must prevent global destruction by piecing together a security password found by searching furniture. Sounds weird? How about laser firing homing robots, heat seeking metal balls and huge chasms to fall down? Everything was so brilliant, even the speech was faultless. A true classic game that everyone should have the right to play.

Laser Squad

Quiet one this, not many people got a chance to play it, even though it was Commodore Force's #2 all time game. Take control of a band of soldiers and in a turn-based combat system, go about scoring points to win the scenario. The complexities, variety, tactics, weapons, combat methods, intricacies and individual soldier characteristics are too numerous to mention in detail here. Functional but clear graphics and the odd sound FX make the game easier to get into than you think. And once you start, you just want to keep playing. The 2 player mode makes for great strategic contests as you battle in the blind against another human....

Mayhem in Monsterland

One of the finest platform games released, written by the now legendary Apex brothers. At basic length it can be described as a cross between Mario and Sonic as the hero Mayhem is very fast and you need some brain power to get around the landscape. Which he is trying to recolour after a freak magic accident rendered his home grey. But the game as a whole is superb, everything oozes quality and professionalism, and you always want to just have another go. The last commercial game to be released for the C64 and it happens to be one of the best.

The Sentinel

The name Geoff Crammond is a legend amongst game players. His ideas were inspirational, and in this game, uncopyable. Much like a game of chess, The Sentinel has you moving your energy force around a playing surface by transferring to hollow 'clones' you create. But your job is to absorb the Sentinel, only possible when you can see the square on which he resides. Of course in true gaming tradition, the Sentinel is searching you out, trying to absorb you. A classic battle of brains, wits, strategy and forethought, the graphics and sound do their job. But there was never a game like it before, and there never will be again.

Dropzone

Well here's my all time C64 game. Based on Defender and improved on, Archer Maclean created the finest 2-way blaster around. Protect and rescue the scientists working on Io from marauding aliens and ensure their cargo of crystals return to moonbase. But the aliens come in many forms, some try to kill the men direct, others aim their attention on yourself. Super slick, fast, well animated graphics and pumping sound FX urge you onwards in a traditional battle against the enemy and your highest score! The amount I wasted on this is unbelievable. I just could not put it down to start with, and even now is worthy of a blast every so often.

Obtain a zip with all 10 files in it.

Top 10 C64 music

Monty on the Run (Rob Hubbard)

Possibly my favourite set of C64 music. Right from the start, the haunting chords draw you in and start to race away with your imagination. It really does feel like you are running along with the game! Good drum samples (Hubbard said he took 2 weeks to perfect them) and a 2 minute guitar/drum solo followed by a violin solo to finish wrap this out superbly. And the high score table tune is emotional as well! What more could you ask for in a game?

Arcade Classics (Rob Hubbard)

One of his later pieces this, before he went off permanently to work in the US for Electronic Arts. A testing ground for the guitar sample track of Skate or Die, however this tune has more of a grunge side to it and has extra bite. Though I have heard the samples coming out slightly different on various machines. Better tune that SID chip! One to get your head banging to, literally. Anyone trying to copy this is going to have to produce real guitars for the MP3 now!

Auf Wiedersehen Monty (Rob Hubbard)

Ben Daglish wrote the in game ditties, but the credit for the title track goes to Rob. Even more haunting than On the Run, this tune speaks of desperation for the mole, and the task lying ahead to secure his freedom. Rather moody and developed, again building to a crescendo like On the Run. The start is very much like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata but reversing the triplet (goes down instead of up). The rest of it almost sounds improvised at times!

Last Ninja 2 (Matt Gray)

The best of the Ninja games, and the best of the ninja music. Actually the piece that hits you when loading the first level is the best, and sets the scene for the rest of the game. All 12 pieces within the game are superb and different from each other. Very oriental sounding, but with a western kick given to it. Each piece suits the type of level that it is played on, with different tempos and styles. Possibly the best suite of music in any C64 game. And you can even hear a couple of Driller voices in there...

Stormlord (Maniacs of Noise)

Competing with Hubbard for the C64 music crown were the duo Jereon Tel and Charles Deenan, with occasional help from Johannes Bjerregaard, aka Maniacs of Noise. Hailing from Holland, they brought a new sound, a more Europoppy type tune which in the most part were catchy and rather good to listen to. The two pieces for the title screen and in game are some of their best work IMHO. Very moody and dark, both take a while to get going, but it's worth the wait!

Turbo Outrun (Maniacs of Noise)

The two pieces used in the intro sequences were both sample laiden, and hit you straight away with their brilliance. The first was a remix of the original Outrun coin-op piece called "Magical Sound Shower" (the voice you hear is Jeroen himself!), whilst the other was a rip-roaring slow dance track with plenty of speech. Technically brilliant on both counts, it pushed the SID chip to new limits given enough memory to achieve the results!

Phantoms of the Asteroid (Rob Hubbard)

Back with the old maestro here. I first heard this tune on the "loading game" to a Bulldog game. Intrigued, I tracked down the source of the original. Very funky, weird voices and racey with it, it has the usual rawness of Hubbard's early work. One which some people probably haven't heard but should. In retrospect it actually suited the tempo of the "loading game" as well! However with less of the harshness in the BIT3 track, it sounds just as good though.

Hunter's Moon loading (Matt Gray)

Unusual choice, when many people may not have gotten to hear it. Possibly the best original loading music around, equally contested by Galway's piece for Rambo. A marching tune, with plenty of drums and a melody that offers both hope and desperation within. Until the SID came along, I hadn't found a way of hacking this so I had to load the game and stop the tape when it started! Driller just missed the top 10 and would have made it a triple for Matt Gray...

Delta (Rob Hubbard)

Anyone in the C64 scene should know the short racey and very catchy title track here that amazed when first heard back in 1987. There is more to the sound than just that. The in game track is meandering and trancy and rather long in length. Good luck staying alive long enough to listen to all of that! The end game music is celebratory and full of arpeggios and twiddly bits. Pity many people didn't get to hear that now. So go dig a listen to the SID or the cover versions...

Parallax (Martin Galway)

And then we have a piece weighing in at 11 mins 20 seconds where 7:20 is taken up with the intro and the last 90 seconds taken with the exit. So much for the main tune! But it's the best thing Galway did, and for its slowness, it remains very spiritual, hypnotic and driving, with a touch of sadness. Words cannot describe the musical experience, you have to just sit back and listen to all.

Obtain a zip with all 10 files in it.

Another 10 C64 music

Well isn't this just nice? The trouble with doing a top 10 is inevitably some popular pieces will be left out, and everyone will have their own choices of top tunes now. Though if you look back to my top 10 games list, with the exception of IK+ and Wizball, all the rest have hardly any noticeable music between them. Sure Mayhem has its dinky little pieces and Paradroid has its burbles, but nothing to rival what is listed below now. Also none of the games from my top 10 are present in the music category. Most of the top ranking music do belong in quality games, just not the uber-quality though. How peculiar, though some people would argue that IK+ and Wizball should be somewhere in the music list too. Anyhow, I present another list, call it the 11-20 entries perhaps. We have listings for Tim Follin at last, with more pieces by those people listed above too. So go and enjoy!

Last Ninja (Anthony Lees/Ben Daglish)

So back to the original Ninja music. In general Lees did the loading music whilst Daglish did the level music. Either way it was a strange collaboration that worked in this instance. They set the style for later Ninja games, with different themes, styles and tempos for each level. My favourite is level 1, which seems to be many other peoples', given the number of cover versions I've heard. But all the pieces are excellent and enhanced the ground-breaking visuals.

Thrust (Rob Hubbard)

The loud siren noises at the start of the pieces tell you immediately that this is not an ordinary piece of music. From then on, drums rule with some guitar chords jives and cymbal smashes. So good it inspired a demo concert around the music, written by the duo Stoat and Tim. Zzap! didn't like it initially, but then marked it UP in their Zzapback when they found they'd been listening to a corrupt version. Now that doesn't happen very often!

Driller (Matt Gray)

The music that brought Matt Gray to my attention. Then again, at the time, I had no idea who had done it, I just thought it was a great piece of music. Slightly industrial in nature, plenty of snare drums, trancy bits and a lovely feeling of just closing your eyes and listening to it. At over 8 minutes long it takes patience to listen, but it is well worth it. The version on "Back in Time 2" even manages to improve on it, and that is no mean feat.

Comic Bakery (Martin Galway)

One of those pieces I just happened to come across because Zzap! had given the game such a bad review, and I never would buy such games now! I borrowed it from a mate to see if the score was justified (yes!), but got hooked on the catchy title music courtesy of Galway. A piece that grows on you, as the swirling synth sounds envelop your ears and draw you inwards. Not that I would advocate dancing to it now, but it does have that rhythm!

Bionic Commando (Tim Follin)

Title music is very clunky, metallic and industrial (expect to see that word a few more times here) and is completely apart from the rest of the suite. We go through 70s funk to war style to latin themes over the 5 varied levels. Levels 3 and 4 are the ones best on my ear, blending fast paced rifts with tech-noir ambience. Not only did it firmly put the name of Software Creations in peoples' minds, it also established Follin as a music name to be looked at in the future.

Warhawk (Rob Hubbard)

Well, what to say about this piece now? Erm, industrial?! If there is one piece which can sum up the style of Hubbard, it could be this. Plenty of hard hitting drums, more whining vocals and that inimitable catchiness that only Hubbard could put into his work. The piece was originally to be called "Proteus" (as that was the name of the game) and was minus the initial intro. Personally I think it sets the piece up for the remainder of the time.

Ghosts 'n Goblins (Mark Cooksey)

Rather spooky, rather cookey type tune. Well, Cooksey actually. It's a great tune, though it might grate after a while. Okay, enough of the word play here. The baseline is superb, though he did say it is ripped from some other piece of music. And that is nothing compared to the weird voices used for drums within the piece. But it all works and definitely fits the game as a whole. A tune out of left field if you ever heard one.

Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Tim Follin)

And then there's the suite of music produced for the conversion of the sequel. The title piece knocked me backwards the first time I heard it, incredible sounds coming from the speakers without a sample in sight. The music for each level is terrific also, from mellow voices on the first level, to crescendo building tension on the last. Though as the game was so hard, not many people got to hear that now! So once more, go dig the ripped tunes...

Hawkeye (Maniacs of Noise)

More europop style substance from the men over in Holland. The new mix-a-load was good to begin with, but the rest of the music backed up the impressive start. After the success of Cybernoid, this helped to get the Maniacs more well known. Title piece is loud and catchy as always, with the in-game pieces a little more subdued to allow the sound effects to come through. The end of level piece is also just too damn catchy!

Zoids (Rob Hubbard)

The first thing to say about this piece is that not many people may have gotten to hear it originally. After all, it was Zoids, a toy-based tie-in and the game wasn't easy to play either. Shame. That word "industrial" comes back once more, as Hubbard built a driving tune to match the imagined nature of action on-screen. Plenty of clashing drums as usual with a very hummable melody and my favourite, minor chords, shining through.

Obtain a zip with all 10 files in it.

Random 10 C64 music

Well this section isn't really random now. These are pieces of music which I find rather catchy, or were probably not heard by many and should get a chance to feature. They might not necessarily be the best sounding, but the melody and hook are where it's at with C64 music now! So sit back and enjoy some off-the-wall selections.

Cuthbert in the Jungle (prob. Steve Bak)

One of the first games I ever played on the C64 was this Pitfall clone by Microdeal. Actually it wasn't too bad compared to the original now. Whilst the game may have faded mostly from memory, the title track hasn't. It doesn't play well, but for some reason it has just got stuck there. I suppose this is the computer equivalent of all those bad songs you hear on the radio and try desperately to forget. Except in this case it isn't so terrible.

Enforcer (Markus Siebold)

The game by Manfred Trenz is essentially Katakis 2, and what a game it is to play. Sadly it never made it officially outside Germany, so we poor Brits have to rely on cracking groups to bring it on over. The music is done by the same guy who put together the varied Turrican 2 music, so credentials established already. Very racy, catchy and heavy tracks to go along with all the blasting action in the usual German style.

Fairlight (Mike Alsop)

It's short, it's sweet and insanely round the bend. It was also written rather quickly so I hear. Still in the traditional sense of medieval times, the voices evoke a feeling of being 500 years back in the past and the nature of the tune keeps with that. Very floaty and unpredictable for the 45 seconds or so that it lasts. Still it would be something to expand upon now in a remix. Well now it has actually in the form of The Soundwavers, and what wierdness ensues!

Glider Rider (Dave Whittaker)

Mr Dave "Zombie Nation" Whittaker as he shall now be known, also wrote some other pretty decent tunes in his time. This happens to be one of my favourites. The title and game pieces are built from the same basic structure, but then deviate off on their own separate way after each convergence. The title is more sombre and industrial whilst the main piece is slightly faster in time with the action in the game. Wonder if anyone will sample this now?

Robocop 3 (Jeroen Tel)

This falls into the "not out there much" category. Ocean were cutting back on their cartridge production and this one the penultimate game to be released on the format. It also suffered from average sales for a pretty decent game. Still the music within the game is fresh and metallic, but the title track is what dragged me in the proceedings. Yes, it is catchy to my ears so that is why it is here in the section. Starts off bubbly and then gets down to the usual Europop business we know and love.

R-Type (Chris Huelsbeck)

Well you all probably know the story here about Katakis and R-Type infringements. The funny thing was that Activision got Rainbow Arts to do the conversion anyhows! Pity the game was then rushed to meet the Xmas deadlines. Still, the music comes out with some credit courtesy of Chris Huelsbeck. The title piece is short (just over 2 minutes) but has just the right balance between the rawness of the instruments and the melody coming through over the top.

Sheep in Space (James Lisney)

Well we can actually thank Mr JS Bach for the music, as he originally composed it some 400 years previous to it being covered here. That was a trend in the early days of computer music for composers to cover classical pieces; such examples being Revenge of the Mutant Camels, Jet Set Willy, Killer Watt and Manic Miner. This piece lasts just over a minute and is cute, sad and thought-provoking. I like Bach, so this will naturally have some reason to be included.

Steg the Slug (Ashley Hogg)

Reflective Designs had already made a small name for themselves on the Codemasters label courtesy of games such as DJ Puff and Spike in Transylvania, when they came up with this bizarre game. The music on the title is rather basic, in that there are minimal voices used, but that doesn't seem to make much difference to the quality. It gradually builds up towards a crescendo and then stops. Only to restart with a twiddly end sequence similar to that in Monty on the Run. And then it really is over.

Untouchables (Matthew Cannon)

As for covering well-known pieces of music, this game comes down pretty well actually. Only the title music is original, and that was decent too. As a fan of 20s America and rag music, then the tunes used within the game are much to my liking. And faithful too, getting the spirit and tempo just about right. Everyone should have heard the level 1 music before buying the game, and the themes continue through the program with most of the sounds coming from Joplin.

Wizardry (Mike Alsop)

Again, much like Fairlight, these short tunes were apparently written rather quickly. We all know about proper records being composed in 15 minutes, well here's the computer equivalent. Essentially this is the Fairlight style repeated a number of times for each individual piece. Favourite is the title music because it evokes those medieval themes with a slightly upbeat tempo. But all are rather catchy, however they might not be what you are really paying attention to when trying to complete the damn game!

Obtain a zip with all 10 files in it.

International Karate +
Before the likes of Streetfighter et al, this was THE fighting game to own, and this was the best version released. The most immediate feature is 3 fighters on screen, and this opens up all possibilities. Who needs special moves when you have a game that plays so well without them? All kinds of attack are possible, even headbutts and double face kicks. And to break up the action, a bonus game of skill and speed deflecting balls out of the way. True masterpiece from Archer Maclean. The superb graphics and atmospheric tune from Rob Hubbard are the icing on the cake.

Wizball
A masterpiece of visual and aural delight from the Sensible lads. Control your Wizball to recolour your homeworld avoiding the aliens and other assorted hazards. The unusual controls to begin with, special weapons, bonus game, 2-player co-operation mode and design of the landscapes all reek quality and the Galway title track is superb. How this failed to get a Zzap! Gold Medal no one will know. Pity the conversions did not live up to the immense status this game holds.

Bubble Bobble
In my opinion, the finest coin-op conversion around on the C64. Take control of the bubble blowing dinosaurs and clear 100 screens of mayhem to rescue your girlfriends. The variety of enemies and tactics required keep your mind working, and the competition for the bonuses adds to the gameplay. The graphics and sound are not spectacular, but keep to the atmosphere of the game itself. A game that will keep you playing and playing even after completing it, trying to beat high scores and finding the secret rooms.

Mercenary
Paul Woakes' masterpiece of free exploration on a warring planet. Control the mercenary as he attempts to earn enough money to escape from the battle stricken planet of Targ. Trade objects, discover hidden items, secrets galore, 'novel' spaceships and much much more in full fast 3D vector graphics. Yes the C64 can do them and how! Minimal sound but you don't need it. With more than one way to complete the game, this was a virtual reality situation years ahead of its time.

Paradroid
The finest work of Braybrook given the first Zzap! diary treatment. Take hold of an influence device as you attempt to bring under control 8 rogue dreadnoughts whose robots have gone berserk. By exploring the decks of the ship, transferring control to better robots, you can eventually take on defeat the highest and most powerful mechanoids around. Functional but classy graphics and sound plus a huge challenge make this a classic game of strategy and arcade action.

Impossible Mission
After Manic Miner made platformers a concept, this took the whole idea and broke the concept. Years ahead of its time, you must prevent global destruction by piecing together a security password found by searching furniture. Sounds weird? How about laser firing homing robots, heat seeking metal balls and huge chasms to fall down? Everything was so brilliant, even the speech was faultless. A true classic game that everyone should have the right to play.

Laser Squad
Quiet one this, not many people got a chance to play it, even though it was Commodore Force's #2 all time game. Take control of a band of soldiers and in a turn-based combat system, go about scoring points to win the scenario. The complexities, variety, tactics, weapons, combat methods, intricacies and individual soldier characteristics are too numerous to mention in detail here. Functional but clear graphics and the odd sound FX make the game easier to get into than you think. And once you start, you just want to keep playing. The 2 player mode makes for great strategic contests as you battle in the blind against another human....

Mayhem in Monsterland
One of the finest platform games released, written by the now legendary Apex brothers. At basic length it can be described as a cross between Mario and Sonic as the hero Mayhem is very fast and you need some brain power to get around the landscape. Which he is trying to recolour after a freak magic accident rendered his home grey. But the game as a whole is superb, everything oozes quality and professionalism, and you always want to just have another go. The last commercial game to be released for the C64 and it happens to be one of the best.

The Sentinel
The name Geoff Crammond is a legend amongst game players. His ideas were inspirational, and in this game, uncopyable. Much like a game of chess, The Sentinel has you moving your energy force around a playing surface by transferring to hollow 'clones' you create. But your job is to absorb the Sentinel, only possible when you can see the square on which he resides. Of course in true gaming tradition, the Sentinel is searching you out, trying to absorb you. A classic battle of brains, wits, strategy and forethought, the graphics and sound do their job. But there was never a game like it before, and there never will be again.

Dropzone
Well here's my all time C64 game. Based on Defender and improved on, Archer Maclean created the finest 2-way blaster around. Protect and rescue the scientists working on Io from marauding aliens and ensure their cargo of crystals return to moonbase. But the aliens come in many forms, some try to kill the men direct, others aim their attention on yourself. Super slick, fast, well animated graphics and pumping sound FX urge you onwards in a traditional battle against the enemy and your highest score! The amount I wasted on this is unbelievable. I just could not put it down to start with, and even now is worthy of a blast every so often.

Monty on the Run (Rob Hubbard)
Possibly my favourite set of C64 music. Right from the start, the haunting chords draw you in and start to race away with your imagination. It really does feel like you are running along with the game! Good drum samples (Hubbard said he took 2 weeks to perfect them) and a 2 minute guitar/drum solo followed by a violin solo to finish wrap this out superbly. And the high score table tune is emotional as well! What more could you ask for in a game?

Arcade Classics (Rob Hubbard)
One of his later pieces this, before he went off permanently to work in the US for Electronic Arts. A testing ground for the guitar sample track of Skate or Die, however this tune has more of a grunge side to it and has extra bite. Though I have heard the samples coming out slightly different on various machines. Better tune that SID chip! One to get your head banging to, literally. Anyone trying to copy this is going to have to produce real guitars for the MP3 now!

Auf Wiedersehen Monty (Rob Hubbard)
Ben Daglish wrote the in game ditties, but the credit for the title track goes to Rob. Even more haunting than On the Run, this tune speaks of desperation for the mole, and the task lying ahead to secure his freedom. Rather moody and developed, again building to a crescendo like On the Run. The start is very much like Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata but reversing the triplet (goes down instead of up). The rest of it almost sounds improvised at times!

Last Ninja 2 (Matt Gray)
The best of the Ninja games, and the best of the ninja music. Actually the piece that hits you when loading the first level is the best, and sets the scene for the rest of the game. All 12 pieces within the game are superb and different from each other. Very oriental sounding, but with a western kick given to it. Each piece suits the type of level that it is played on, with different tempos and styles. Possibly the best suite of music in any C64 game. And you can even hear a couple of Driller voices in there...

Stormlord (Maniacs of Noise)
Competing with Hubbard for the C64 music crown were the duo Jereon Tel and Charles Deenan, with occasional help from Johannes Bjerregaard, aka Maniacs of Noise. Hailing from Holland, they brought a new sound, a more Europoppy type tune which in the most part were catchy and rather good to listen to. The two pieces for the title screen and in game are some of their best work IMHO. Very moody and dark, both take a while to get going, but it's worth the wait!

Turbo Outrun (Maniacs of Noise)
The two pieces used in the intro sequences were both sample laiden, and hit you straight away with their brilliance. The first was a remix of the original Outrun coin-op piece called "Magical Sound Shower" (the voice you hear is Jeroen himself!), whilst the other was a rip-roaring slow dance track with plenty of speech. Technically brilliant on both counts, it pushed the SID chip to new limits given enough memory to achieve the results!

Phantoms of the Asteroid (Rob Hubbard)
Back with the old maestro here. I first heard this tune on the "loading game" to a Bulldog game. Intrigued, I tracked down the source of the original. Very funky, weird voices and racey with it, it has the usual rawness of Hubbard's early work. One which some people probably haven't heard but should. In retrospect it actually suited the tempo of the "loading game" as well! However with less of the harshness in the BIT3 track, it sounds just as good though.

Hunter's Moon loading (Matt Gray)
Unusual choice, when many people may not have gotten to hear it. Possibly the best original loading music around, equally contested by Galway's piece for Rambo. A marching tune, with plenty of drums and a melody that offers both hope and desperation within. Until the SID came along, I hadn't found a way of hacking this so I had to load the game and stop the tape when it started! Driller just missed the top 10 and would have made it a triple for Matt Gray...

Delta (Rob Hubbard)
Anyone in the C64 scene should know the short racey and very catchy title track here that amazed when first heard back in 1987. There is more to the sound than just that. The in game track is meandering and trancy and rather long in length. Good luck staying alive long enough to listen to all of that! The end game music is celebratory and full of arpeggios and twiddly bits. Pity many people didn't get to hear that now. So go dig a listen to the SID or the cover versions...

Parallax (Martin Galway)
And then we have a piece weighing in at 11 mins 20 seconds where 7:20 is taken up with the intro and the last 90 seconds taken with the exit. So much for the main tune! But it's the best thing Galway did, and for its slowness, it remains very spiritual, hypnotic and driving, with a touch of sadness. Words cannot describe the musical experience, you have to just sit back and listen to all.

Last Ninja (Anthony Lees/Ben Daglish)
So back to the original Ninja music. In general Lees did the loading music whilst Daglish did the level music. Either way it was a strange collaboration that worked in this instance. They set the style for later Ninja games, with different themes, styles and tempos for each level. My favourite is level 1, which seems to be many other peoples', given the number of cover versions I've heard. But all the pieces are excellent and enhanced the ground-breaking visuals.

Thrust (Rob Hubbard)
The loud siren noises at the start of the pieces tell you immediately that this is not an ordinary piece of music. From then on, drums rule with some guitar chords jives and cymbal smashes. So good it inspired a demo concert around the music, written by the duo Stoat and Tim. Zzap! didn't like it initially, but then marked it UP in their Zzapback when they found they'd been listening to a corrupt version. Now that doesn't happen very often!

Driller (Matt Gray)
The music that brought Matt Gray to my attention. Then again, at the time, I had no idea who had done it, I just thought it was a great piece of music. Slightly industrial in nature, plenty of snare drums, trancy bits and a lovely feeling of just closing your eyes and listening to it. At over 8 minutes long it takes patience to listen, but it is well worth it. The version on "Back in Time 2" even manages to improve on it, and that is no mean feat.

Comic Bakery (Martin Galway)
One of those pieces I just happened to come across because Zzap! had given the game such a bad review, and I never would buy such games now! I borrowed it from a mate to see if the score was justified (yes!), but got hooked on the catchy title music courtesy of Galway. A piece that grows on you, as the swirling synth sounds envelop your ears and draw you inwards. Not that I would advocate dancing to it now, but it does have that rhythm!

Bionic Commando (Tim Follin)
Title music is very clunky, metallic and industrial (expect to see that word a few more times here) and is completely apart from the rest of the suite. We go through 70s funk to war style to latin themes over the 5 varied levels. Levels 3 and 4 are the ones best on my ear, blending fast paced rifts with tech-noir ambience. Not only did it firmly put the name of Software Creations in peoples' minds, it also established Follin as a music name to be looked at in the future.

Warhawk (Rob Hubbard)
Well, what to say about this piece now? Erm, industrial?! If there is one piece which can sum up the style of Hubbard, it could be this. Plenty of hard hitting drums, more whining vocals and that inimitable catchiness that only Hubbard could put into his work. The piece was originally to be called "Proteus" (as that was the name of the game) and was minus the initial intro. Personally I think it sets the piece up for the remainder of the time.

Ghosts 'n Goblins (Mark Cooksey)
Rather spooky, rather cookey type tune. Well, Cooksey actually. It's a great tune, though it might grate after a while. Okay, enough of the word play here. The baseline is superb, though he did say it is ripped from some other piece of music. And that is nothing compared to the weird voices used for drums within the piece. But it all works and definitely fits the game as a whole. A tune out of left field if you ever heard one.

Ghouls 'n Ghosts (Tim Follin)
And then there's the suite of music produced for the conversion of the sequel. The title piece knocked me backwards the first time I heard it, incredible sounds coming from the speakers without a sample in sight. The music for each level is terrific also, from mellow voices on the first level, to crescendo building tension on the last. Though as the game was so hard, not many people got to hear that now! So once more, go dig the ripped tunes...

Hawkeye (Maniacs of Noise)
More europop style substance from the men over in Holland. The new mix-a-load was good to begin with, but the rest of the music backed up the impressive start. After the success of Cybernoid, this helped to get the Maniacs more well known. Title piece is loud and catchy as always, with the in-game pieces a little more subdued to allow the sound effects to come through. The end of level piece is also just too damn catchy!

Zoids (Rob Hubbard)
The first thing to say about this piece is that not many people may have gotten to hear it originally. After all, it was Zoids, a toy-based tie-in and the game wasn't easy to play either. Shame. That word "industrial" comes back once more, as Hubbard built a driving tune to match the imagined nature of action on-screen. Plenty of clashing drums as usual with a very hummable melody and my favourite, minor chords, shining through.

Cuthbert in the Jungle (prob. Steve Bak)
One of the first games I ever played on the C64 was this Pitfall clone by Microdeal. Actually it wasn't too bad compared to the original now. Whilst the game may have faded mostly from memory, the title track hasn't. It doesn't play well, but for some reason it has just got stuck there. I suppose this is the computer equivalent of all those bad songs you hear on the radio and try desperately to forget. Except in this case it isn't so terrible.

Enforcer (Markus Siebold)
The game by Manfred Trenz is essentially Katakis 2, and what a game it is to play. Sadly it never made it officially outside Germany, so we poor Brits have to rely on cracking groups to bring it on over. The music is done by the same guy who put together the varied Turrican 2 music, so credentials established already. Very racy, catchy and heavy tracks to go along with all the blasting action in the usual German style.

Fairlight (Mike Alsop)
It's short, it's sweet and insanely round the bend. It was also written rather quickly so I hear. Still in the traditional sense of medieval times, the voices evoke a feeling of being 500 years back in the past and the nature of the tune keeps with that. Very floaty and unpredictable for the 45 seconds or so that it lasts. Still it would be something to expand upon now in a remix. Well now it has actually in the form of The Soundwavers, and what wierdness ensues!

Glider Rider (Dave Whittaker)
Mr Dave "Zombie Nation" Whittaker as he shall now be known, also wrote some other pretty decent tunes in his time. This happens to be one of my favourites. The title and game pieces are built from the same basic structure, but then deviate off on their own separate way after each convergence. The title is more sombre and industrial whilst the main piece is slightly faster in time with the action in the game. Wonder if anyone will sample this now?

Robocop 3 (Jeroen Tel)
This falls into the "not out there much" category. Ocean were cutting back on their cartridge production and this one the penultimate game to be released on the format. It also suffered from average sales for a pretty decent game. Still the music within the game is fresh and metallic, but the title track is what dragged me in the proceedings. Yes, it is catchy to my ears so that is why it is here in the section. Starts off bubbly and then gets down to the usual Europop business we know and love.

R-Type (Chris Huelsbeck)
Well you all probably know the story here about Katakis and R-Type infringements. The funny thing was that Activision got Rainbow Arts to do the conversion anyhows! Pity the game was then rushed to meet the Xmas deadlines. Still, the music comes out with some credit courtesy of Chris Huelsbeck. The title piece is short (just over 2 minutes) but has just the right balance between the rawness of the instruments and the melody coming through over the top.

Sheep in Space (James Lisney)
Well we can actually thank Mr JS Bach for the music, as he originally composed it some 400 years previous to it being covered here. That was a trend in the early days of computer music for composers to cover classical pieces; such examples being Revenge of the Mutant Camels, Jet Set Willy, Killer Watt and Manic Miner. This piece lasts just over a minute and is cute, sad and thought-provoking. I like Bach, so this will naturally have some reason to be included.

Steg the Slug (Ashley Hogg)
Reflective Designs had already made a small name for themselves on the Codemasters label courtesy of games such as DJ Puff and Spike in Transylvania, when they came up with this bizarre game. The music on the title is rather basic, in that there are minimal voices used, but that doesn't seem to make much difference to the quality. It gradually builds up towards a crescendo and then stops. Only to restart with a twiddly end sequence similar to that in Monty on the Run. And then it really is over.

Untouchables (Matthew Cannon)
As for covering well-known pieces of music, this game comes down pretty well actually. Only the title music is original, and that was decent too. As a fan of 20s America and rag music, then the tunes used within the game are much to my liking. And faithful too, getting the spirit and tempo just about right. Everyone should have heard the level 1 music before buying the game, and the themes continue through the program with most of the sounds coming from Joplin.

Wizardry (Mike Alsop)
Again, much like Fairlight, these short tunes were apparently written rather quickly. We all know about proper records being composed in 15 minutes, well here's the computer equivalent. Essentially this is the Fairlight style repeated a number of times for each individual piece. Favourite is the title music because it evokes those medieval themes with a slightly upbeat tempo. But all are rather catchy, however they might not be what you are really paying attention to when trying to complete the damn game!