Difference between revisions of "Mark Cooksey"
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− | {{ | + | {{Infobox Composer |
− | | Name = Mark Thomas William Cooksey | + | | Name = Mark Thomas William Cooksey |
− | | Picture = Mcooksey1.jpg | + | | Picture = Mcooksey1.jpg |
− | | Born = | + | | Born = 1966-01-18 |
− | | BirthPlace = Unknown | + | | BirthPlace = Unknown |
− | | Nationality = British | + | | Nationality = British |
− | | Flag = UK | + | | Flag = UK |
− | | | + | | Aliases = Tony Deaf, M.T.W. Cooksey, M Cooksey, Mark, Dr K |
− | + | | Website = sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/ | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | | Website = sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/ | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | '''''Mark Cooksey''''' is a British composer who has been working on video game music ever since the | + | '''''Mark Cooksey''''' is a British composer who has been working on video game music ever since the 1980s and is one of the better known game musicians. |
− | + | Cooksey played the piano as a small child and used computers at school around 1982. In 1984, he bought himself an [[Oric Atmos]] with 32k and left school with A-Levels in Chemistry, Physics (his favorite subject) and General Studies. He then unsuccessfully looked for a job in electronics. | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | + | In February 1985, [[Elite]] were looking for programmers at the local job centre. Finding it close enough, Cooksey applied as a trainee games programmer and landed an interview with the boss, Brian Wilcox, the next day. At the end, Cooksey was tasked with programming a music driver in assembly for his Oric and arranging [[Airwolf Main Theme]] on it. Over the weekend, he did it using a very simple assembler he had programmed in BASIC. On this basis, he got employed "more or less on the spot", tasked with arranging the same song on someone else's [[Commodore 64]] music driver, and next, and unexpectedly, with composing music for almost all of Elite's games. | |
− | |||
− | === | + | Elite made Cooksey a freelancer from 1986 to 1989 and laid him off in 1990 for financial reasons. While working at Elite, he moved on to their division [[MotiveTime]], which paid their employees bonuses for based on Elite's profits. However, the bonuses gradually got lower and eventually disappeared. He later worked for [[NMS Software]], which was a bunch of former Elite staff members. Cooksey also worked for [[Arc Developments]] and created the sound engines there. |
− | + | ||
+ | Cooksey's best known soundtracks are [[Bomb Jack (C64)]], [[Paperboy (C64)]], and [[Ghosts 'n Goblins (C64)]], which have had tons of remixes by C64 music fans alike. Cooksey continues to compose game soundtracks to this day and he even plays in a band. Cooksey says that writing music for video games inspired him to compose and play music. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As of 2001, he still has an Oric Atmos and a Commodore 64 and donated his [[Amstrad CPC]] and his Sanyo 286 PC to a cancer charity. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==Music Development== | ||
+ | ===Commodore 64=== | ||
+ | For 1985, Cooksey was given someone else's driver. Elite also had a license to ''Novaload'', a tape loading system which had its own music format but forced Cooksey to enter notes in BASIC. | ||
+ | |||
+ | By April 1986 and autumn 1988, he created two drivers of his own. On two games, he used a bass drum sample and a snare drum sample by [[Christoph Bergmann]] and a hihat sample from a 1987 demo song, either from ''Music by Cavi 2'' by Geert Vandevenne or more likely from ''Nemesis'' by [[Marco Swagerman]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Game Boy=== | ||
+ | Cooksey composed his music on [[Notator]] for the Atari ST and wrote a tool that converted the MIDI files to his [[Mark Cooksey (GB Driver)|sound driver]]. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Game Gear/Sega Master System=== | ||
+ | Cooksey wrote the music in [[Logic]] and [[Notator]] for the [[Atari ST]]. He would then convert his MIDI files to the GameGear and Master System using his own conversion tool and sound engine. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===Genesis=== | ||
+ | Cooksey composed MIDI files which were converted to his 68000 sound driver. Cooksey said he had a very difficult time programming instruments on it. During the development of Paperboy, Cooksey had Sega send him instruments. | ||
===NES=== | ===NES=== | ||
− | All of | + | All of Cooksey's NES music was composed in [[Notator]] for the Atari ST. He then converted the MIDI files in Notator to the NES. Cooksey also programmed [[Mark Cooksey (NES Driver)|his own sound driver]] for the NES. According to Cooksey, he was primarily trying to get "flutey" sounds out of the NES. His music was played back from a [[:File:Spidersoft Box 1.JPG|memory box from Spidersoft]]. |
− | The game Joe & Mac uses digitized drum samples, which | + | The game Joe & Mac uses digitized drum samples, which Cooksey says may have been supplied by [[Richard Frankish]]. |
==Gameography== | ==Gameography== | ||
− | + | Official Gameography: https://sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/7-games-i-ve-worked-on | |
− | | | + | {| class="wikitable" |
− | + | ! Released | |
− | + | ! Title | |
− | + | ! Sample | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1985-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[911 Tiger Shark (C64)]] |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1985-0?-?? |
− | + | | [[Airwolf (C64)]] | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | | | ||
− | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1985-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Frank Bruno's Boxing (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-04-?? |
− | | | + | | [[Bomb Jack (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-06-?? |
− | | | + | | [[Ghosts 'n Goblins (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-12-?? |
− | | | + | | [[Space Harrier (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-1?-?? |
− | | | + | | [[Paperboy (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-1?-?? |
− | | | + | | [[Scooby Doo (C64)]] |
− | | | + | | Sound Effects?/Sound Effect Driver. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-??-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[1942 (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1986-??-?? |
− | | [[Airwolf (C64)]] | + | | [[Airwolf II (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1986-??-?? | | 1986-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Bomb Jack II (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1986-??-?? | | 1986-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Commando 86 (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1987-07-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Cataball (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1987-07-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Great Gurianos (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1987-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Pirates in Hyperspace (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1987-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Scare Bear (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1987-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Starforce Nova (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | 1987- | + | | 1987-1?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Jackal (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | 1987- | + | | 1987-1?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Ramparts (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1987-??-?? | | 1987-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Battle Ships (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 137: | Line 133: | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1988-09-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Battle Island (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1988-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Hoppin' Mad (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1988-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Ikari Warriors (C64)]] |
− | | | + | | Loading Music. |
|- | |- | ||
− | | 1988- | + | | 1988-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Salamander (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | 1988- | + | | 1988-1?-?? |
| [[A Question of Sport (C64)]] | | [[A Question of Sport (C64)]] | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1988-??-?? | | 1988-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[A Question of Sport (AMI)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 171: | Line 167: | ||
| 1988-??-?? | | 1988-??-?? | ||
| [[Ghosts 'N Goblins (AMI)]] | | [[Ghosts 'N Goblins (AMI)]] | ||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 193: | Line 185: | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1989-0?-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[First Strike (C64)]] |
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1989-0?-?? | ||
+ | | [[Forgotten Worlds (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1989-0?-?? | ||
+ | | [[Mike Read's Computer Pop Quiz (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1989-0?-?? | ||
+ | | [[Storm Warrior (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1989-0?-?? | ||
+ | | [[Wanderer (C64)]] | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 220: | Line 228: | ||
| [[Paperboy (AMI)]] | | [[Paperboy (AMI)]] | ||
| | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1989-??-?? | ||
+ | | [[Space Academy (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 198?-??-?? | ||
+ | | [[Spitfire (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1990-06-?? | ||
+ | | [[Felix (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1990-0?-?? | ||
+ | | [[Crack Down (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1990-??-?? | | 1990-??-?? | ||
Line 227: | Line 251: | ||
| 1990-12-?? | | 1990-12-?? | ||
| [[Dragon's Lair (NES)]] (ドラゴンズレア) | | [[Dragon's Lair (NES)]] (ドラゴンズレア) | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|01 - Dragon's Lair - NES - Title.ogg}} |
|- | |- | ||
| 1990-??-?? | | 1990-??-?? | ||
Line 242: | Line 266: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1990-??-?? | | 1990-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Tournament Golf (AMI)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1990-??-?? | | 1990-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[World Championship Soccer (AMI)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | 1991-03-?? |
− | | [[ | + | | [[Gremlins 2: The New Batch (C64)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 264: | Line 288: | ||
| [[Dragon's Lair: The Legend (GB)]] (ドラゴンズレア) | | [[Dragon's Lair: The Legend (GB)]] (ドラゴンズレア) | ||
| | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1992-12-?? | ||
+ | | [[Lethal Weapon (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1992-12-?? | ||
+ | | [[WWF European Rampage Tour (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1992-1?-?? | ||
+ | | Nick Faldo's Championship Golf (C64)<!--No music--> | ||
+ | | Sound Effects. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1992-??-?? | | 1992-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[The Addams Family (SMS)]] |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1992-??-?? | | 1992-??-?? | ||
− | | [[Arch Rivals (GG)]] | + | | [[Arch Rivals: The Arcade Game (GEN)]] |
− | | | + | | {{Song-Box|02 - Arch Rivals - GEN - Game Theme.ogg}} |
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1992-??-?? | ||
+ | | [[Arch Rivals: The Arcade Game (GG)]] | ||
+ | | {{Song-Box|01 - Arch Rivals - GG - Title Screen.ogg}} | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1992-??-?? | | 1992-??-?? | ||
| [[Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge (GB)]] (フェラーリ) | | [[Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge (GB)]] (フェラーリ) | ||
− | | | + | | |
|- | |- | ||
| 1992-??-?? | | 1992-??-?? | ||
Line 291: | Line 331: | ||
| 1992-11-?? | | 1992-11-?? | ||
| [[Prince of Persia (NES)]] | | [[Prince of Persia (NES)]] | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|01 - Prince of Persia - NES - Title.ogg}} |
|- | |- | ||
| 1992-11-?? | | 1992-11-?? | ||
Line 318: | Line 358: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-??-?? | | 1993-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Sensible Soccer: European Champions (GB)]] |
− | | | + | | |
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-??-?? | | 1993-??-?? | ||
− | | [[ | + | | [[Speedy Gonzales (GB)]] (それゆ!けスピーディー・ゴンザレス) |
− | + | | | |
− | |||
− | |||
− | |||
− | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-02-?? | | 1993-02-?? | ||
Line 343: | Line 379: | ||
| 1993-06-?? | | 1993-06-?? | ||
| [[Joe & Mac (NES)]] | | [[Joe & Mac (NES)]] | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|01 - Joe & Mac - NES - Title Screen.ogg}} |
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-06-?? | | 1993-06-?? | ||
Line 350: | Line 386: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-07-23 | | 1993-07-23 | ||
− | | [[Jimmy Connors Tennis (GB)]] | + | | [[Jimmy Connors Tennis (GB)]] (ジミー コナーズ の プロテニスツアー) |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-11-?? | | 1993-11-?? | ||
| [[Cliffhanger (NES)]] | | [[Cliffhanger (NES)]] | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|02 - Cliffhanger - NES - Cutscene.ogg}} |
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-11-?? | | 1993-11-?? | ||
| [[Jimmy Connors Tennis (NES)]] | | [[Jimmy Connors Tennis (NES)]] | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|01 - Jimmy Connors Tennis - NES - Title.ogg}} |
|- | |- | ||
| 1993-12-?? | | 1993-12-?? | ||
| [[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Ubisoft (NES)]] | | [[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Ubisoft (NES)]] | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|01 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Ubisoft - NES - In-Game.ogg}} |
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1993-??-?? | ||
+ | | [[Poker Face Paul's Blackjack (GG)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1994-??-?? | | 1994-??-?? | ||
| [[Aladdin (NES)]] | | [[Aladdin (NES)]] | ||
− | | {{Song- | + | | {{Song-Box|01 - Aladdin - NES - Title Screen.ogg}} |
|- | |- | ||
| 1994-??-?? | | 1994-??-?? | ||
− | | [[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (GB)]] | + | | [[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (GB)]] (インディアナジョーンズ 最後の聖戦) |
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1994-??-?? | | 1994-??-?? | ||
| [[Math Blaster: Episode 1 (SNES)]] | | [[Math Blaster: Episode 1 (SNES)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1994-02-?? | ||
+ | | [[Dennis the Menace (GB)]] (Dennis) | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1994-04-22 | | 1994-04-22 | ||
| [[The Fidgetts (GB)]] | | [[The Fidgetts (GB)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1994-06-17 | ||
+ | | [[Elite Soccer (GB)]] (ワールドカップストライカー) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1994-06-24 | ||
+ | | [[The Addams Family (GG)]] (アダムス・ファミリー) | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 387: | Line 439: | ||
| 1994-12-?? | | 1994-12-?? | ||
| [[Hurricanes (GG)]] | | [[Hurricanes (GG)]] | ||
− | | Sound Driver | + | | Sound Driver? |
|- | |- | ||
| 1994-12-08 | | 1994-12-08 | ||
Line 395: | Line 447: | ||
| 1994-12-16 | | 1994-12-16 | ||
| [[Newman Haas IndyCar Featuring Nigel Mansell (GEN)]] (ナイジェルマンセル・インディカー) | | [[Newman Haas IndyCar Featuring Nigel Mansell (GEN)]] (ナイジェルマンセル・インディカー) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1994-??-?? | ||
+ | | [[Poker Face Paul's Solitaire (GG)]] | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 419: | Line 475: | ||
| 1997-09-30 | | 1997-09-30 | ||
| [[Mass Destruction (PS1)]] | | [[Mass Destruction (PS1)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1997-10-?? | ||
+ | | [[Dr. Franken II (GB)]] | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
Line 428: | Line 488: | ||
| [[Mass Destruction (SAT)]] | | [[Mass Destruction (SAT)]] | ||
| | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1998-12-?? | ||
+ | | [[Las Vegas Cool Hand (GBC)]] | ||
+ | | Sound Driver | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1998-12-?? | | 1998-12-?? | ||
| [[Pitfall: Beyond the Jungle (GBC)]] | | [[Pitfall: Beyond the Jungle (GBC)]] | ||
| | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | 1998-??-?? | ||
+ | | [[Cool Hand (GB)]] | ||
+ | | Sound Driver | ||
|- | |- | ||
| 1999-10-?? | | 1999-10-?? | ||
Line 617: | Line 685: | ||
| | | | ||
|- | |- | ||
+ | | Unknown | ||
+ | | Solitaire on Vacation (IOS) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | [[The Adventures of Dr. Franken (NES)]] | ||
+ | | {{Song-Box|01 - Adventures of Dr. Franken - NES - Title.ogg}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased? | ||
+ | | Blackjack-Poker (GB) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | [[Charlie Chaplin (C64)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | [[Dragon's Lair (GEN)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | E.T.: Venron's Assault (GBA) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased? | ||
+ | | Gex 2 (GB) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | Home Alone 2 (GB) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | [[Hoppin' Mad (NES)]] | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased? | ||
+ | | Kirouko 2 (GBC) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased? | ||
+ | | Matchbox: Cops & Robbers (GBA) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased? | ||
+ | | Mattel Pack 1 (GBA) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased | ||
+ | | Pinocchio (GB) | ||
+ | | | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | | Unreleased? | ||
+ | | TXR Racing (GBA) | ||
+ | | | ||
|} | |} | ||
==Picture Gallery== | ==Picture Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
− | + | Mcooksey1.jpg|Remix64 interview. | |
− | + | Mcooksey2.jpg|Taken by the webmasters of composers.c64.org in 2001. | |
− | + | Mcooksey3.jpg|Unknown source. | |
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Links== | ==Links== | ||
− | * | + | * [https://sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/ sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/] - Official. |
− | * | + | * [https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,52182/ mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,52182/] - MobyGames. |
− | * | + | * [https://www.facebook.com/mark.cooksey.14 facebook.com/mark.cooksey.14] - Facebook. |
− | * | + | * [https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=8168084 linkedin.com/profile/view?id=8168084] - LinkedIn. |
+ | * [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKMaua8gW_DgIJ33LaXrebQ youtube.com/channel/UCKMaua8gW_DgIJ33LaXrebQ] - YouTube. | ||
+ | * [https://www.remix64.com/interviews/interview-mark-cooksey.html remix64.com/interviews/interview-mark-cooksey.html] - Interview from May 17, 2001. | ||
+ | * [http://amp.dascene.net/detail.php?view=4597&detail=interview amp.dascene.net/detail.php?view=4597&detail=interview] - Interview from 2001. | ||
+ | |||
− | [[Category:Composers]] | + | [[Category: Composers]] |
− | [[Category:Foley Artists]] | + | [[Category: Foley Artists]] |
− | [[Category:Sound Programmers]] | + | [[Category: Sound Programmers]] |
Revision as of 23:13, 27 December 2019
Mark Thomas William Cooksey | ||||||||||
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Mark Cooksey is a British composer who has been working on video game music ever since the 1980s and is one of the better known game musicians.
Cooksey played the piano as a small child and used computers at school around 1982. In 1984, he bought himself an Oric Atmos with 32k and left school with A-Levels in Chemistry, Physics (his favorite subject) and General Studies. He then unsuccessfully looked for a job in electronics.
In February 1985, Elite were looking for programmers at the local job centre. Finding it close enough, Cooksey applied as a trainee games programmer and landed an interview with the boss, Brian Wilcox, the next day. At the end, Cooksey was tasked with programming a music driver in assembly for his Oric and arranging Airwolf Main Theme on it. Over the weekend, he did it using a very simple assembler he had programmed in BASIC. On this basis, he got employed "more or less on the spot", tasked with arranging the same song on someone else's Commodore 64 music driver, and next, and unexpectedly, with composing music for almost all of Elite's games.
Elite made Cooksey a freelancer from 1986 to 1989 and laid him off in 1990 for financial reasons. While working at Elite, he moved on to their division MotiveTime, which paid their employees bonuses for based on Elite's profits. However, the bonuses gradually got lower and eventually disappeared. He later worked for NMS Software, which was a bunch of former Elite staff members. Cooksey also worked for Arc Developments and created the sound engines there.
Cooksey's best known soundtracks are Bomb Jack (C64), Paperboy (C64), and Ghosts 'n Goblins (C64), which have had tons of remixes by C64 music fans alike. Cooksey continues to compose game soundtracks to this day and he even plays in a band. Cooksey says that writing music for video games inspired him to compose and play music.
As of 2001, he still has an Oric Atmos and a Commodore 64 and donated his Amstrad CPC and his Sanyo 286 PC to a cancer charity.
Contents
Music Development
Commodore 64
For 1985, Cooksey was given someone else's driver. Elite also had a license to Novaload, a tape loading system which had its own music format but forced Cooksey to enter notes in BASIC.
By April 1986 and autumn 1988, he created two drivers of his own. On two games, he used a bass drum sample and a snare drum sample by Christoph Bergmann and a hihat sample from a 1987 demo song, either from Music by Cavi 2 by Geert Vandevenne or more likely from Nemesis by Marco Swagerman.
Game Boy
Cooksey composed his music on Notator for the Atari ST and wrote a tool that converted the MIDI files to his sound driver.
Game Gear/Sega Master System
Cooksey wrote the music in Logic and Notator for the Atari ST. He would then convert his MIDI files to the GameGear and Master System using his own conversion tool and sound engine.
Genesis
Cooksey composed MIDI files which were converted to his 68000 sound driver. Cooksey said he had a very difficult time programming instruments on it. During the development of Paperboy, Cooksey had Sega send him instruments.
NES
All of Cooksey's NES music was composed in Notator for the Atari ST. He then converted the MIDI files in Notator to the NES. Cooksey also programmed his own sound driver for the NES. According to Cooksey, he was primarily trying to get "flutey" sounds out of the NES. His music was played back from a memory box from Spidersoft.
The game Joe & Mac uses digitized drum samples, which Cooksey says may have been supplied by Richard Frankish.
Gameography
Official Gameography: https://sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/7-games-i-ve-worked-on
Picture Gallery
Links
- sites.google.com/site/mtwmusicsite/ - Official.
- mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,52182/ - MobyGames.
- facebook.com/mark.cooksey.14 - Facebook.
- linkedin.com/profile/view?id=8168084 - LinkedIn.
- youtube.com/channel/UCKMaua8gW_DgIJ33LaXrebQ - YouTube.
- remix64.com/interviews/interview-mark-cooksey.html - Interview from May 17, 2001.
- amp.dascene.net/detail.php?view=4597&detail=interview - Interview from 2001.