Robert Allen
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Robert A. Allen is an American programmer, former video game composer and producer.
Allen started composing at around age 5, but found it hard work and does not consider himself gifted.
Shortly after getting his first PC in 1992, he downloaded Epic Games's Jill of the Jungle (DOS) from a BBS and was immediately impressed with the almost life-like 256 colors and Dan Froelich’s music. After reading the game's "Calling All Programmers and Artists" page, he simply phoned Epic's president, Tim Sweeney, who suggested Allen send him an audio cassette. Sweeney liked the music and promised to let Allen know once a game needed music.
After a few months, Sweeney recommended Allen to ImagiSoft. After about 9 months in total, Sweeney had Allen try out demos of Traffic Department 2192 (DOS) and Dare to Dream and offered him to work on them. Allen soon also ran a small division of Epic, called Safari Software, and tracked down Andras Molnar for Tyrian (DOS).
As of 2012, he is married with five awesome children and makes music for fun in his free time only. He has been a senior engineer on a digital content licensing marketplace.
Contents
Audio Development
DOS
Initially, Allen composed for the OPL2 chip in MID and CMF formats.
While working on Traffic Department 2192 (DOS), Allen tried composing digital 4- and 8-voice music using Scream Tracker 3. The first game to use this is Silverball (DOS).
How Allen got samples is unconfirmed, except that for example the bass in Diamondus - Jazz Jackrabbit (DOS) is monsterbass from The Ultimate Soundtracker (AMI).
For use in Epic's games, someone converted Allen's tracker files to PSM (Beta) and PSM format, probably using MOD/669/STM/S3M->PSM converter by Joshua Jensen.
Windows 16
Allen composed for the OPL2 chip in MID format using WinJammer.
Windows 32
For use in Epic's games, someone converted Allen's tracker files to J2B format, probably using mod2j2b (part of Galaxy Music System by Carlo Vogelsang).
Gameography
| Released | Title | Sample | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-??-?? | Chinese Checkers (DOS) (Version 2.0) | ||
| 1993-??-?? | Dare to Dream Part One: In A Darkened Room (W16) | ||
| 1993-??-?? | Dare to Dream Part Two: In Search of the Beast (W16) | ||
| 1993-??-?? | Dare to Dream Part Three: Christian's Lair (W16) | ||
| 1993-??-?? | Redhook's Revenge (DOS) | ||
| 1993-??-?? | Silverball (DOS) | ||
| 1993-11-?? | Epic Pinball (DOS) | |
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| 1994-??-?? | Jazz Jackrabbit (DOS) | |
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| 1994-??-?? | Jazz Jackrabbit CD-ROM (DOS) | |
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| 1994-??-?? | The Color Wizard (DOS) | |
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| 1994-??-?? | Traffic Department 2192 (DOS) | |
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| 1994-??-?? | Wari (DOS) | ||
| 1994-12-03 | Jazz Jackrabbit: Holiday Hare 1994 (DOS) | |
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| 1995-??-?? | Extreme Pinball (DOS) | ||
| 1995-??-?? | Tyrian (DOS) | Additional Sound FX | |
| 1995-09-28 | Jazz Jackrabbit: Holiday Hare 1995 (DOS) | |
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| 1998-0?-?? | Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (W32) | With Alexander Brandon and Sean Hiler. | |
| 1999-??-?? | Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret Files (W32) | With Alexander Brandon and Sean Hiler. |
Picture Gallery
Drawn by Nick Stadler in 1994.
Interview from May 30, 2012.
Links
- mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,831/ - MobyGames.
- web.archive.org/web/20120603080658/http://epicgames.com/community/2012/05/epic-composer-interview-robert-allen/ - Interview fom May 30, 2012.
- soundcloud.com/funkyrustic/legends-interview-episode-1-robert-allen - Interview by Alexander Brandon from January 31, 2021.
