An Anthology of Sound Chips Vol. 1: Arcade, Console and Home Micro Sound Chips (1977-1986) by Chris Abbott & Andrew Laggan

Author:Chris Abbott & Andrew Laggan [Abbott, Chris & Laggan, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: High Technology Publishing Ltd.
Published: 2021-11-07T00:00:00+00:00

There is a lot wrong with this statement. Daley’s didn’t use most of the Novaload code Commodore was adopting, Novaload was first seen in Encounter, and Ocean were in a gradual process of evolving Novaload into the iconic Ocean Loader, first seen in Roland’s Rat Race, one of Martin’s first pieces, created before his driver acquired Pulse Width Modulation abilities in Cyclone/Helikopter Jagd.

Fun fact: there actually was a short-lived attempt to start a tape loader in November 1984 in the same driver as Kong Strikes Back (before Martin properly joined Ocean in January 1985). Some Ocean waves and a start-up jingle are all that remain.

The piece now known as “Ocean Loader 1” was never meant to be called “Ocean Loader” at all. The original idea was for each Ocean game to have its own loader.

The tune we know as “Ocean Loader 1” was the “Hyper Sports Loader”. Ocean Loader 2 was the “Comic Bakery Loader”. However, while some tunes received a memorable Galway treatment (Rambo First Blood 2 being a loader as iconic as Hyper Sports), most had to share their loader with other games.

Whatever it’s called, the Hyper Sports loader blew minds and put cassette loading music on the map. Julian Rignall of Zzap!64 called it “a real megatune” and it was highly praised by Jeff Minter in his “Nature of the Beast” newsletter, which is where the discerning C64 fan got their industry gossip in those days.

There is also an Ocean Loader III from Martin that was never finished as he left the company shortly after starting it. After the customary opening, it bursts into an upbeat and uplifting three-chord sequence with the melody played on a filtered bass.

Paul Hughes’ arrival at Ocean followed a bit later by Jonathan Dunn’s meant an increasingly powerful “Freeloader” system and more memorable loading experiences for a flood of games, compilations, and re-releases, with music from Jon (and latterly, Matt Cannon) no longer based on Martin’s venerable driver.

Back in 1985, Martin’s original Hyper Sports loader had raised the bar for both music and loading experiences.

Ocean’s Bill Barna was also put to good use implementing the Frankie Goes To Hollywood fast loader with Fred Gray’s stunning filter-heavy cover of “Relax”, for example.

Imposing Sanxion

The next giant step forward combined two major talents: Rob Hubbard and John Twiddy for the Sanxion loader. That tune, later named “Thalamusik”, probably to keep Zzap!64 happy, was the star of the first loader to use John’s new Cyberload system. By that time gamers were used to turbo loaders, but Sanxion was special, with its scrolling message and mysterious glowing Thalamus logo.

It was also Cyberload that played host to classic loading tunes from two more of the big names: Ben Daglish and Matt Gray. John Twiddy’s System 3 connection guaranteed that, giving us loaders for The Last Ninja (Ben, with Anthony Lees) and its sequel (music by Matt). Ben had been in the industry since 1984’s Percy the Potty Pigeon, but The Last Ninja “Wastelands Loader” is widely regarded as one of his masterworks.

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